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Catecheses for those to be enlightened

49.223 CATECHESIS ONE. To those about to be enlightened, and why it is called a laver of regeneration and

not of remission of sins, and that it is dangerous not only to swear falsely, but also to swear, even if we swear truly.

1. How desired and lovely is the company of our new brothers! Brothers

for I call you even now, before the birth-pangs, and before the birth I embrace my kinship with you. For I know, I know clearly to how great an honor, to how great a rule you are about to be led. And all are accustomed to honor those who are about to receive rule, even before they receive it, by their service storing up for themselves goodwill for the future. This is what I myself am doing now; for you are not about to be led to a mere rule, but to a kingdom itself; or rather, not to a kingdom simply, but to the very kingdom of heaven. For this reason I ask and beseech you, that you remember me when you come into that kingdom, and just what Joseph said to the chief cupbearer, "Remember me when it is well with you;" this I also say to you now, "Remember me when it is well with you." I do not ask for this reward for interpreting dreams, as he did; for I have not come to interpret dreams for you, but to narrate the things in heaven, and bringing good tidings of such good things, "Which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man;" such are the things "which God has prepared for those who love him." Joseph then said to that cupbearer, "Yet three days, and Pharaoh will restore you to your post as chief cupbearer;" but I do not say, "Yet three days, and you will be brought to the cup-bearing of a tyrant;" but, "yet thirty days, and not Pharaoh, but the king of heaven will restore you to the fatherland above, to the free Jerusalem, to the city which is in heaven." And he said, "You will give the cup into the hands of Pharaoh;" but I do not say that you will give the cup into the hands of the king, but that the king himself will give into your hand the awful cup, full of much power, and more precious than either creation. The initiated know the power of this cup; and you also will know a little later. Remember, therefore, when you come into that kingdom, when you receive the royal garment, when you are clothed in the purple dyed with the Master's blood, when you bind on the diadem which has splendors springing forth from every side, brighter than the rays of the sun. For such are the bridegroom's gifts, greater indeed than our worth, but worthy of his loving-kindness. For this reason, I count you blessed from this moment, even before those sacred bridal chambers; and I not only count you blessed, but 49.224 I also praise your good judgment, that you have not, like the more indolent of men, approached illumination at your last breaths, but from this moment, like well-disposed servants, prepared with much good will to obey the Master, you have brought the neck of your soul with much gentleness and eagerness under the yoke of Christ, and have received the good yoke, and have taken the light burden. For although the things of grace are equal for you and for those who are initiated at their end, yet the things of choice are not equal, nor the preparation of affairs. For they receive it on their bed, but you in the bosom of the Church, the common mother of us all; and they lamenting and weeping, but you rejoicing and being glad; they groaning, but you giving thanks; and they being stupefied with much fever, but you being filled with much spiritual pleasure.

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Ad illuminandos catecheses

49.223 ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΙΣ ΠΡΩΤΗ. Πρὸς τοὺς μέλλοντας φωτίζεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τί λουτρὸν παλιγγενεσίας καὶ

οὐκ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων λέγεται, καὶ ὅτι ἐπικίνδυνον οὐ τὸ ἐπιορκεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὀμνύειν, κἂν εὐορκῶμεν.

αʹ. Ὡς ποθεινὸς καὶ ἐπέραστος τῶν νέων ἡμῖν ἀδελφῶν ὁ χορός· ἀδελφοὺς

γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ καὶ πρὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἤδη καλῶ, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τόκου τὴν συγγένειαν τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀσπάζομαι. Οἶδα γὰρ, οἶδα σαφῶς εἰς ὅσην μὲν ἄγεσθαι μέλλετε τιμὴν, εἰς ὅσην δὲ ἀρχήν· τοὺς δὲ ἀρχὴν μέλλοντας λαμβάνειν, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς εἰώθασι τιμᾷν ἅπαντες, διὰ τῆς θεραπείας εὔνοιαν ἑαυτοῖς προαποτιθέμενοι πρὸς τὸ μέλλον. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ποιῶ νῦν· οὐ γὰρ εἰς ἀρχὴν ἄγεσθαι μέλλετε ψιλὴν, ἀλλ' εἰς βασιλείαν αὐτήν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ εἰς βασιλείαν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν τὴν βασιλείαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὑμῶν δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, ἵνα μνησθῆτέ μου, ὅταν ἔλθητε εἰς βασιλείαν ἐκείνην, καὶ ὅπερ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιοινοχόον· Μνήσθητί μου, ὅταν εὖ σοι γένηται· τοῦτο κἀγὼ λέγω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄρτι· Μνήσθητέ μου ὅταν εὖ ὑμῖν γένηται. Οὐκ ἐνυπνίων ταύτην ἀπαιτῶ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος· οὐ γὰρ ὀνείρατα ἦλθον διαλῦσαι ὑμῖν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς διηγησόμενος πράγματα, καὶ εὐαγγέλια κομίζων ἀγαθῶν τοιούτων, Οἷα οὔτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδεν, οὔτε οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη· τοιαῦτά ἐστιν Ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἰωσὴφ ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν οἰνοχόον ἐκεῖνον· Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει σε Φαραὼ εἰς τὴν ἀρχιοινοχοΐαν σου· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ λέγω, Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ εἰς οἰνοχοΐαν ἐνεχθήσεσθε τυράννου· ἀλλ' ἔτι τριάκοντα ἡμέραι, καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει ὑμᾶς οὐχὶ Φαραὼ, ἀλλ' ὁ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν ἄνω πατρίδα, εἰς τὴν ἐλευθέραν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, εἰς τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Κἀκεῖνος μὲν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ∆ώσεις τὸ ποτήριον εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ Φαραώ· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ λέγω, ὅτι δώσετε τὸ ποτήριον εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀλλ' ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς χεῖρα τὴν ὑμετέραν δώσει τὸ ποτήριον τὸ φρικτὸν καὶ πολλῆς γέμον δυνάμεως, καὶ τῆς κτίσεως τιμιώτερον ἑκατέρας. Ἴσασιν οἱ μεμυημένοι τοῦ ποτηρίου τούτου τὴν ἰσχύν· εἴσεσθε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς μικρὸν ὕστερον. Μνήσθητε οὖν, ὅταν ἔλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκείνην, ὅταν τὸ ἱμάτιον τὸ βασιλικὸν ἀπολάβητε, ὅταν τὴν πορφύραν περιβάλησθε τὴν αἵματι βαφεῖσαν ∆εσποτικῷ, ὅταν διάδημα ἀναδήσησθε τῶν ἡλιακῶν ἀκτίνων φαιδροτέρας ἔχον πανταχόθεν ἐκπηδώσας λαμπηδόνας. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τοῦ νυμφίου τὰ ἕδνα, μείζονα μὲν τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀξίας, ἄξια δὲ τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ὑμᾶς ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἱερῶν ἐκείνων μακαρίζω παστάδων· οὐ μακαρίζω δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ 49.224 καὶ ἐπαινῶ τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην, ὅτι μὴ καθάπερ οἱ ῥᾳθυμότεροι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν ἐσχάταις ἀναπνοαῖς τῷ φωτίσματι προσήλθετε, ἀλλ' ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη καθάπερ οἰκέται εὐγνώμονες, μετὰ πολλῆς εὐνοίας ὑπακοῦσαι ∆εσπότῃ παρεσκευασμένοι, τὸν αὐχένα τῆς ψυχῆς μετὰ πολλῆς ἐπιεικείας τε καὶ προθυμίας ὑπὸ τὴν ζεύγλην ἠγάγετε τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τὸν ζυγὸν ἐδέξασθε τὸν χρηστὸν, καὶ τὸ φορτίον ἐλάβετε τὸ ἐλαφρόν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ τῆς χάριτος ἴσα ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ τελευτῇ μυσταγωγουμένοις, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως οὐκ ἴσα, οὐδὲ τὰ τῆς παρασκευῆς τῶν πραγμάτων. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῇ κλίνῃ λαμβάνουσιν, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς κοινῆς ἁπάντων ἡμῶν μητρός· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν ὀδυρόμενοι καὶ δακρύοντες, ὑμεῖς δὲ χαίροντες καὶ εὐφραινόμενοι· ἐκεῖνοι στένοντες, ὑμεῖς δὲ εὐχαριστοῦντες· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν πολλῷ κεκαρωμένοι τῷ πυρετῷ, ὑμεῖς δὲ πολλῆς ἐμπεπλησμένοι τῆς πνευματικῆς ἡδονῆς.