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On the meeting of the Lord, on the Mother of God and Symeon

ON THE PRESENTATION Of our Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Theotokos and on Simeon, a discourse.

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Not only does our Lord Jesus Christ wear flesh, but he is also circumcised according to the law, in order to remove the pretext for Jewish unbelief. For he comes to the law, being above the law, that he might free the disciples through faith from the law; and he takes on flesh, and is circumcised with the Jews. He partook of flesh, he also partook of circumcision; he confirmed the kinship, so that they might not deny the Christ who comes from the seed of David, whom they were also expecting; he showed the proof of his kinship. For even when he was circumcised they said: We do not know where he is from; if he had not been circumcised in the flesh, their denial would have had a reasonable pretext. Therefore, when the eight days for circumcising the child were fulfilled, Jesus was awaiting the growth of his body.

When the eight days were fulfilled; for the law commands to circumcise on the eighth day, and if the eighth day falls, the physician comes forward and handles the blade, and performs the art; and the sabbath is idle for the sake of circumcision. Let us then ask the Jews: The sabbath is a rest; the day is complete idleness; for what reason does the eighth cast out the seventh? Why does the eighth take precedence over the seventh? But the Jews do not know Jewish matters; but the Church of Christ knows Christ and the Jewish teachings. For the child is circumcised 50.808 on the eighth day, because on the eighth day the resurrection was to be, that is, the Lord's day was to be the circumcision of the whole world. For why did Moses not command to circumcise on the sixth? Why not on the ninth or the tenth? Therefore, the eighth day is clearly the one on which the Lord rises. If anyone, then, does not believe in the resurrection, he is uncircumcised in heart, being alienated from God through unbelief. And circumcision is the true knowledge and perception of faith. For this reason, beloved, circumcision is delivered to the faithful by the word of holy baptism; and holy baptism is a type of the resurrection of Christ.

Pass therefore from the flesh to the spirit, and from the corporeal to the elevation of the spirit, and you will find there a fleshly circumcision, but here a spiritual one, and a cleansing of sins. For circumcision is the eighth; and the eighth is also the resurrection; and baptism is a type of the resurrection; from the lesser things to the greater, from the corporeal to the more spiritual. Let the Jews therefore come and advance; for it is necessary to advance from carnal things, and not to remain in them. Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, who came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, was circumcised with the Jews. The evangelist therefore says: Eight days were fulfilled for him to be circumcised, and his name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. For we are named after we are born, but Jesus is named before he is born; for he was before he was conceived. And he was called Jesus, because he had the work of a savior 50.809. And when, he says, the days of their purification were fulfilled, according to the law of Moses.

Whose purification? That of Mary and Joseph; for the law commanded a woman who had just given birth to be purified, and to observe the days, and not to go out. Therefore, when the days of purification were fulfilled according to the law of Moses, although the Virgin had no need, yet the law was fulfilled, they brought him up to

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De occursu domini, de deipara et Symeone

ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΥΠΑΠΑΝΤΗΝ Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὴν Θεοτόκον καὶ εἰς τὸν Συμεῶνα, λόγος.

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Οὐ μόνον φορεῖ σάρκα ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ νόμον περιτέμνεται, ἵνα περιέλῃ τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἀπιστίας τὴν πρόφασιν. Ἔρχεται γὰρ πρὸς νόμον ὑπὲρ νόμου, ἵνα τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐλευθερώσῃ διὰ τῆς πίστεως τοῦ νόμου· καὶ λαμβάνει σάρκα, καὶ περιτέμνεται μετὰ Ἰουδαίων. Ἐκοινώνησε σαρκὸς, ἐκοινώνησε καὶ περιτομῆς· ἐβεβαίωσε τὴν συγγένειαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀρνήσωνται τὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυῒδ Χριστὸν, ὃν καὶ προσεδόκων· ἔδειξε τὸ τεκμήριον τῶν συγγενείας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ περιτεμνομένου αὐτοῦ ἔλεγον· Οὐκ οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν· εἰ μὴ περιετμήθη κατὰ σάρκα, ἔσχεν ἂν πρόφασιν εὔλογον αὐτῶν ἡ ἄρνησις. Ὅτε τοίνυν ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ τοῦ περιτεμεῖν τὸ παιδίον, ἦν Ἰησοῦς ἐκδεχόμενος τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ ὀργάνου.

Ὅτε ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ὀκτώ· κελεύει γὰρ ὁ νόμος, τῇ ὀγδόῃ περιτέμνειν, καὶ ἐὰν ἀπαντήσῃ ἡ ὀγδόη, παρέρχεται εἰς μέσον ὁ ἰατρὸς καὶ μεταχειρίζεται τὸ σιδήριον, καὶ ἐργάζεται τὴν τέχνην· καὶ ἀργεῖ τὸ σάββατον διὰ τὴν περιτομήν. Ἐρωτήσωμεν τοίνυν Ἰουδαίους· Ἄνεσις τὸ σάββατον·ἀργία τελεία ἡ ἡμέρα· τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐκβάλλει ἡ ὀγδόη τὴν ἑβδόμην; διὰ τί ἡ ὀγδόη γίνεται ἐπάνω τῆς ἑβδόμης; Ἀλλὰ Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ οὐκ οἴδασιν·ἡ δὲ Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν Χριστὸν οἶδε καὶ τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ μαθήματα. Περιτέμνεται γὰρ τὸ παιδίον 50.808 τῇ ὀγδόῃ, ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλε τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡ ἀνάστασις, ἤγουν ἡ Κυριακὴ περιτομὴ εἶναι παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ μὴ προσέταξε Μωϋσῆς περιτέμνειν τῇ ἕκτῃ; διὰ τί μὴ τῇ ἐννάτῃ ἢ τῇ δεκάτῃ; Φανερὰ τοίνυν ἡ ὀγδόη καθ' ἣν ἀνίσταται ὁ Κύριος. Εἴ τις οὖν μὴ πιστεύει τῇ ἀναστάσει, ἀπερίτμητός ἐστι τῇ καρδίᾳ, διὰ τῆς ἀπιστίας ἀλλοτριούμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡ δὲ περιτομὴ, τῆς πίστεως ἀληθής ἐστι γνῶσις καὶ αἴσθησις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ἀγαπητὲ, ἡ περιτομὴ τοῖς πιστοῖς λόγῳ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος παραδίδοται· τὸ δὲ ἅγιον βάπτισμα τύπος ἐστὶ τῆς Χριστοῦ ἀναστάσεως.

Μετάβα τοίνυν ἀπὸ σαρκὸς εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ σωματικοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀναγωγὴν τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ εὑρήσεις ἐκεῖ μὲν σαρκικὴν περιτομὴν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ πνευματικὴν, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων κάθαρσιν. Ὀγδόη δέ ἐστιν ἡ περιτομή· ἡ δὲ ὀγδόη ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις· τῆς δὲ ἀναστάσεως τύπος τὸ βάπτισμα· ἀπὸ τῶν μικρῶν εἰς τὰ μείζονα, ἀπὸ τῶν σωματικῶν εἰς τὰ πνευματικώτερα. Ἔλθωσι τοιγαροῦν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ προκόψωσιν· δεῖ γὰρ προκόψαι ἀπὸ τῶν σαρκικῶν, καὶ μὴ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐναπομεῖναι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὁ μὴ ἐλθὼν καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι, μετὰ Ἰουδαίων περιετμήθη, Φησὶν οὖν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής· Ἐπληρώθησαν αὐτῷ ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ τοῦ περιτεμεῖν, καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς, τὸ κληθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου πρὸ τοῦ συλληφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ καλούμεθα μετὰ τὸ τεχθῆναι, Ἰησοῦς δὲ καλεῖται πρὸ τοῦ τεχθῆναι· ἦν γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ συλληφθῆναι. Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἐκλήθη, ἐπειδὴ σωτῆρος εἶχε 50.809 τὸ ἔργον. Καὶ ὅτε ἐπληρώθησαν. φησὶν, αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως.

Τίνος καθαρισμοῦ; Τῆς Μαρίας καὶ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ· ἐκέλευσε γὰρ ὁ νόμος τὴν νεοτόκον γυναῖκα καθαρίζεσθαι, καὶ τηρεῖν τὰς ἡμέρας, καὶ ἀπρόϊτον εἶναι. Ὅτε τοίνυν ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως καίτοι οὐκ ἀνάγκην εἶχεν ἡ Παρθένος, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ νόμος ἐπληροῦτο, ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς