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On the birthday

On the birthday of our Savior Jesus Christ, which was then still unknown, but a few years ago was made known by some of those who came from the West and announced it.

49.351 1. What patriarchs of old travailed for, and prophets foretold, and the just desired to see, these things have come to pass and reached their fulfillment today; and God has appeared on earth through the flesh, and dwelt among men. Let us then rejoice and be glad, beloved. For if John, being in his mother’s womb, leaped when Mary entered in to Elizabeth; how much more ought we, who see not Mary, but our Savior himself born today, to leap and be glad and marvel and be astonished at the greatness of the economy, which surpasses all thought. For consider how great it is to see the sun descending from the heavens, running upon the earth, and from here sending forth its rays to all. And if this, happening to the perceptible luminary, would have astonished all who saw it, consider and reflect now how great it is to see the Sun of righteousness sending forth its rays from our flesh and illuminating our souls.

For a long time I have desired to see this day, and not simply to see it, but with so great a multitude; and I continually prayed that our theatre would be filled, just as it is now to be seen filled. This, then, has come to pass and reached its fulfillment. And yet it is not yet the tenth year since this day has become manifest and known to us; but nevertheless, as if handed down to us from of old and for many years, it has so flourished through your zeal. Wherefore one would not err in calling it both new and ancient at the same time; new, because it has recently been made known to us, but old and ancient, because it has quickly become of the same age as the older ones, and has reached the same measure of age with them. For just as noble and well-bred plants (for they are at once set in the earth, and immediately run up to a great height, and are heavy with fruit), so also this day, known from of old by those who dwell in the West, but brought to us now, and not many years ago, has so suddenly shot up and borne so much fruit as can now be seen, with our enclosures filled, and the whole church straitened by the multitude of those who have flocked together. Expect therefore the worthy reward for so much zeal from Christ who was born today according to the flesh; He will certainly reward you for this eagerness; for the affection and zeal for the day is the greatest sign of love for him who was born.

But if something must also be contributed by us, your fellow servants, we too will contribute what is in our power; or rather, whatever the grace of God may grant to be said for your benefit. What then do you desire to hear today? 49.352 What else, but concerning this day? For I know well that many even now dispute with one another, some accusing, others defending; and there is much talk everywhere about this day, some faulting it as something new and recent, and now introduced, others defending it as old and ancient, that the prophets had already foretold about His birth, and that from of old it had become well-known and famous to those dwelling from Thrace to Gades. Come then, let us begin the discussion about these things. For if, while it is disputed, it enjoys so much favor from you, if it were to become better known, it is clear that of much greater zeal

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In diem natalem

Εἰς τὴν γενέθλιον ἡμέραν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἄδηλον μὲν ἔτι οὖσαν τότε, πρὸ δὲ ὀλίγων ἐτῶν γνωρισθεῖσαν παρά τινων τῶν

ἀπὸ τῆς ∆ύσεως ἐλθόντων καὶ ἀναγγειλάντων.

49.351 αʹ. Ἃ πάλαι πατριάρχαι μὲν ὤδινον, προφῆται δὲ προὔλεγον, δίκαιοι δὲ ἰδεῖν ἐπεθύμουν, ταῦτα ἐξέβη, καὶ τέλος ἔλαβε σήμερον· καὶ Θεὸς ἐπὶ γῆς ὤφθη διὰ σαρκὸς, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη. Χαίρωμεν τοίνυν καὶ ἀγαλλιώμεθα, ἀγαπητοί. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐν τῇ νηδύϊ τῆς μητρὸς ὢν, τῆς Μαρίας εἰσελθούσης πρὸς τὴν Ἐλισάβετ, ἐσκίρτησε· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς οὐχὶ τὴν Μαρίαν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν σήμερον τεχθέντα θεασαμένους, σκιρτᾷν καὶ ἀγάλλεσθαι χρὴ καὶ θαυμάζειν καὶ ἐκπλήττεσθαι τῆς οἰκονομίας τὸ μέγεθος πᾶσαν ὑπερβαῖνον διάνοιαν. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ἡλίκον ἐστὶν, ἥλιον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβάντα, ἐπὶ γῆς τρέχοντα ὁρᾷν, καὶ τὰς ἀκτῖνας πᾶσιν ἀφιέντα ἐντεῦθεν. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ φωστῆρος τοῦτο συμβὰν πάντας ἐξέπληξεν ἂν τοὺς θεωμένους, σκόπει μοι καὶ λογίζου νῦν, ἡλίκον ἐστὶ τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιον ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας σαρκὸς ἀφιέντα τὰς ἀκτῖνας ὁρᾷν, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν καταυγάζοντα.

Πάλαι ταύτην ἐπεθύμουν ἐγὼ τὴν ἡμέραν ἰδεῖν, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πλήθους τοσούτου· καὶ διηνεκῶς ηὐχόμην οὕτως ἡμῖν πληρωθῆναι τὸ θέατρον, ὥσπερ ἔστι νῦν ὁρᾷν πεπληρωμένον. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐξέβη καὶ τέλος ἔλαβε. Καίτοι γε οὔπω δέκατόν ἐστιν ἔτος, ἐξ οὗ δήλη καὶ γνώριμος ἡμῖν αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα γεγένηται· ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὡς ἄνωθεν καὶ πρὸ πολλῶν ἡμῖν παραδοθεῖσα ἐτῶν, οὕτως ἤνθησε διὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας σπουδῆς. Ὅθεν οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι καὶ νέαν αὐτὴν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀρχαίαν προσειπών· νέαν μὲν διὰ τὸ προσφάτως ἡμῖν γνωρισθῆναι, παλαιὰν δὲ καὶ ἀρχαίαν διὰ τὸ ταῖς πρεσβυτέραις ταχέως ὁμήλικα γενέσθαι, καὶ πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ τῆς ἡλικίας αὐταῖς φθάσαι μέτρον. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ γενναῖα καὶ εὐγενῆ τῶν φυτῶν (καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα ὁμοῦ τε εἰς τὴν γῆν κατατίθεται, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος εὐθὺς ἀνατρέχει μέγα, καὶ τῷ καρπῷ βρίθεται), οὕτω καὶ αὕτη παρὰ μὲν τοῖς τὴν Ἑσπέραν οἰκοῦσιν ἄνωθεν γνωριζομένη, πρὸς ἡμᾶς δὲ κομισθεῖσα νῦν, καὶ οὐ πρὸ πολλῶν ἐτῶν, ἀθρόον οὕτως ἀνέδραμε, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἤνεγκε τὸν καρπὸν, ὅσονπερ ἔστι νῦν ὁρᾷν, τῶν περιβόλων ἡμῖν πεπληρωμένων, καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἁπάσης στενοχωρουμένης τῷ πλήθει τῶν συνδραμόντων. Τὴν μὲν οὖν ἀξίαν ἀμοιβὴν τῆς τοσαύτης σπουδῆς παρὰ τοῦ σήμερον τεχθέντος κατὰ σάρκα προσδοκήσατε Χριστοῦ· ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς ἀμείψεται πάντως τῆς προθυμίας ταύτης· ἡ γὰρ περὶ τὴν ἡμέραν φιλία καὶ σπουδὴ, τῆς περὶ τὸν τεχθέντα ἀγάπης μέγιστόν ἐστι σημεῖον.

Εἰ δὲ χρή τινα καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν τῶν συνδούλων εἰσενεχθῆναι, καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ κατὰ δύναμιν εἰσοίσομεν· μᾶλλον δὲ, ἅπερ ἂν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις δῷ λεχθῆναι διὰ τὴν ὠφέλειαν τὴν ὑμετέραν. Τί οὖν ἐπιθυμεῖτε ἀκοῦσαι σήμερον; 49.352 τί δὲ ἄλλο, ἢ περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης; Εὖ γὰρ οἶδα, ὅτι πολλοὶ ἔτι καὶ νῦν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀμφισβητοῦσιν, οἱ μὲν ἐγκαλοῦντες, οἱ δὲ ἀπολογούμενοι· καὶ πολὺς περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης πανταχοῦ γίνεται λόγος, τῶν μὲν αἰτιωμένων, ὅτι νέα τίς ἐστι καὶ πρόσφατος, καὶ νῦν εἰσενήνεκται, τῶν δὲ ἀπολογουμένων, ὅτι παλαιὰ καὶ ἀρχαία ἐστὶ, τῶν προφητῶν ἤδη προειπόντων περὶ τῆς γεννήσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἄνωθεν τοῖς ἀπὸ Θρᾴκης μέχρι Γαδείρων οἰκοῦσι κατάδηλος καὶ ἐπίσημος γέγονε. Φέρε οὖν, τὸν περὶ τούτων κινήσωμεν λόγον. Εἰ γὰρ ἀμφισβητουμένη τοσαύτης ἀπολαύει παρ' ὑμῶν εὐνοίας, εἰ γένοιτο γνωριμωτέρα, εὔδηλον ὅτι πολλῷ πλείονος σπουδῆς