John Chrysostom, On the Birth

De nativitate

A sermon of John Chrysostom on the birth of Christ

Well and profitably did the priests who came before, having praised the day, glorify the lord of the day and spiritually edify us the hearers. It was necessary for us, the unlearned, to be silent, especially since the flesh is also weak, the tongue stammering, and the mind has become rather slothful. We are compelled for your sake, the hearers, to put forth our most humble discourse in the church, so that we may both praise the day and summon you to a zeal for godliness. Today Christ was born and the world was enlightened; today Christ is in a manger and the devil was mocked; today Persians and all the nations receive the good news through the star, but Herod and the synagogue are troubled by the magi; today Joseph and Mary and Christ are in the cave, as Abraham and Sarah and Isaac were in the tent, but Herod and the synagogue, are as Hagar and Ishmael in the desert. Today Herod rages and the magi rejoice; they the gifts and he the sword; for the magi the star is a path to salvation, for Herod the chief priests are a path to murder; the barbarian nations bring gold and frankincense and myrrh and the Jewish lawyers bring wood and nails and a lance; horsemen and archers, despising these things, taking the gifts, followed the star; and those who read the law and the prophets, despising these things, crucified their lord; they honor the one bound in swaddling clothes; but these reject the one working in signs and wonders. They, having seen the star, went from unbelief to faith; but these, having seen the savior, turned from godliness to ungodliness. They, having abandoned their gods, go about seeking Christ himself; but these, having abandoned Christ, the wretched ones ask to have Barabbas. Today the nations leap like lambs, having Christ with them; but the Jews melt like honeycomb, awaiting the antichrist. That the Jews receive the antichrist, Christ is the witness; for if, he says, another comes in his own name, him they will receive. Today the churches of the orthodox, just like meadows of roses and lilies and violets, send up their spiritual fragrance to God. But the rival assemblies of the heretics, just like dark-colored flowers, instead of a sweet smell, the wretched ones breathe out a foul smell. Today God the Word became man for our sake, and mortal man has become immortal by grace. Today Mary gave birth and the world was enlightened, she in the cave and the inhabited world in the church. And what was the need of the birth from Mary? So that we, approaching one of like nature, might inherit life and incorruptibility. Christ is born of Mary, so that he might choose the apostles, so that he might heal the sick, so that he might raise the dead, so that he might cleanse the lepers, so that he might free the possessed. He is born of Mary, so that he might enlighten the nations, so that he might teach the Jews, so that he might open baptism, so that he might convict the betrayer, so that he might call Zacchaeus, so that he might bless Nathanael. He is born of Mary, so that he might slay the serpent that deceived Eve, so that he might lead Adam through the thief into paradise, so that he might grant us his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. And for what reason did he take the form of a servant? so that the servants also, approaching him, might be set free, ... so that he might establish the altar. And why did he humble himself? Because we were not able

De nativitate

Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου λόγος εἰς τὴν Χριστοῦ γέννησιν

Καλῶς καὶ ὠφελίμως οἱ προλαβόντες ἱερεῖς καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐγκωμιάσαντες, τὸν δεσπότην τῆς ἡμέρας ἐδόξασαν καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀκροατὰς πνευματικῶς ᾠκοδόμησαν. Ἐχρῆν μὲν ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀμαθεῖς σιωπᾶν, ἐπειδὴ μάλιστα καὶ ἡ σὰρξ ἀσθενὴς καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα τραυλὴ καὶ ἡ διάνοια ῥᾳθυμοτέρα καθέστηκεν. Ἀναγκαζόμεθα δι' ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἀκροατὰς τὸν εὐτελέστατον ἡμῶν λόγον ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ προβάλλεσθαι, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐγκωμιάσωμεν καὶ ὑμᾶς εἰς ζῆλον θεοσεβείας προκαλεσώμεθα. Σήμερον Χριστὸς ἐτέχθη καὶ κόσμος ἐφωτίσθη· σήμερον Χριστὸς ἐν φάτνῃ καὶ διάβολος ἐνεπαίχθη· σήμερον Πέρσαι καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη διὰ τοῦ ἀστέρος εὐαγγελίζονται, Ἡρώδης δὲ καὶ ἡ συναγωγὴ διὰ τῶν μάγων θορυβοῦνται· σήμερον Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Μαρία καὶ Χριστὸς ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, ὡς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Σάρρα καὶ Ἰσαὰκ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ, Ἡρώδης δὲ καὶ ἡ συναγωγή, ὡς Ἄγαρ καὶἸσμαὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Σήμερον Ἡρώδης μαίνεται καὶ μάγοι ἀγάλλονται· ἐκεῖνοι τὰ δῶρα καὶ οὗτος τὸ ξίφος· τοῖς μάγοις ὁ ἀστὴρ ὁδὸς εἰς σωτηρίαν, τῷ Ἡρώδῃ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ὁδὸς εἰς φόνον· τὰ ἔθνη τὰ βάρβαρα χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν καὶ οἱ νομομαθεῖς Ἰουδαῖοι ξύλον καὶ ἥλους καὶ λόγχην· ἱππεῖς καὶ τοξόται ἄνδρες τούτων καταφρονήσαντες, τὰ δῶρα λαβόντες, τῷ ἀστέρι ἠκολούθησαν· καὶ οἱ τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἀναγινώσκοντες, τούτων καταφρονήσαντες, τὸν δεσπότην τούτων ἐσταύρωσαν· ἐκεῖνοι τὸν ἐν σπαργάνοις ἐσφιγμένον τιμῶσιν· οὗτοι δὲ τὸν ἐν σημείοις καὶ τέρασι ἀθετοῦσιν. Ἐκεῖνοι τὸν ἀστέρα ἰδόντες, ἀπὸ ἀπιστίας εἰς πίστιν μετῆλθον· οὗτοι δὲ τὸν σωτῆρα ἰδόντες, ἀπὸ θεοσεβείας εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐτράπησαν. Ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν καταλείψαντες, αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν περιέρχονται ζητοῦντες· οὗτοι δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν καταλείψαντες, τὸν Βαραββᾶν ἔχειν οἱ ἄθλιοι αἰτοῦνται. Σήμερον τὰ ἔθνη ὡς ἀρνία σκιρτῶσιν, ἔχοντες τὸν Χριστὸν μεθ' ἑαυτῶν· οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι ὡς κηρίον τήκονται, τὸν ἀντίχριστον ἐκδεχόμενοι. Ὅτι δὲ ἀντίχριστον δέχονται οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, μάρτυς ὁ Χριστός· ἐὰν γάρ, φησίν, ἄλλος ἔλθῃ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ ὀνόματι, ἐκεῖνον λήψονται. Σήμερον αἱ ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ὀρθοδόξων καθάπερ λειμῶνες ῥόδων καὶ κρίνων καὶ ἴων τὴν πνευματικὴν αὐτῶν εὐωδίαν τῷ θεῷ ἀναπέμπουσιν. Αἱ δὲ τῶν αἱρετικῶν παρασυνάξεις, καθάπερ σκοτεινόχροα ἄνθη, ἀντὶ εὐωδίας δυσωδίαν οἱ ἄθλιοι πνέουσιν. Σήμερον ὁ θεὸς λόγος δι' ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ θνητὸς ἄνθρωπος ἀθάνατος κατὰ χάριν γεγένηται. Σήμερον Μαρία ἔτεκε καὶ κόσμος ἐφωτίσθη, ἐκείνη ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Τίς δὲ ἦν χρεία τῆς ἐκ Μαρίας γεννήσεως· ἵνα ἡμεῖς τῷ ὁμοιοπαθεῖ προσελθόντες ζωὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομήσωμεν. Γεννᾶται Χριστὸς ἐκ Μαρίας, ἵνα τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐκλέξηται ἵνα τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς θεραπεύσῃ, ἵνα τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐγείρῃ, ἵνα τοὺς λεπροὺς καθαρίσῃ, ἵνα τοὺς ἐνεργουμένους ἐλευθερώσῃ. Γεννᾶται ἐκ Μαρίας, ἵνα τὰ ἔθνη φωτίσῃ, ἵνα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους διδάξῃ, ἵνα τὸ βάπτισμα ἀνοίξῃ, ἵνα τὸν προδότην ἐλέγξῃ, ἵνα Ζακχαῖον καλέσῃ, ἵνα τὸν Ναθαναὴλ μακαρίσῃ. Γεννᾶται ἐκ Μαρίας, ἵνα τὸν ἀπατήσαντα τὴν Εὔαν ὄφιν ἀποκτείνῃ, ἵνα τὸν Ἀδὰμ διὰ τοῦ λῃστοῦ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον εἰσαγάγῃ, ἵνα τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ αἷμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῖν χαρίσηται. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν μορφὴν δούλου ἀνέλαβεν; ἵνα καὶ οἱ δοῦλοι προσελθόντες αὐτῷ ἐλευθερωθῶσιν, ... ἵνα τὸ θυσιαστήριον πήξῃ. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν; ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνάμεθα