John Chrysostom, On the Birth of Saint John the Prophet

In natale sancti Joannis prophetae

On the birth of the holy John the prophet, forerunner and baptist.

61.757

A fitting day for a feast and for public joy, on which I was reminded of the ministry of Gabriel and the priesthood of Zacharias, and I think of him who was condemned to silence for his unbelief. For you have heard the evangelist Luke, who opened for us today the dispensary for the soul. For the evangelist Luke was a physician by trade; but then a healer of bodies, now a traveling physician of deeds; he exchanged art for art, and succeeded a circuit with a circuit. What then of Luke, the skillful physician? You have just now heard him speaking. According to the custom, he says, of the priesthood, it fell to his lot to burn incense, and Zacharias entered into the temple of God, and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

And the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zacharias, because your prayer is heard; and behold, your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. Oh, the strange and mystical wonder! Rightly did Zacharias speak against the angel. He was making one request, and he received another; he was praying for the people, and he was named the father of a child; he was seeking forgiveness for trespasses, and he received promises for a barren womb. For Zacharias wished for the souls of the sinners to be healed, rather than for the belly of Elizabeth to be swollen. Rightly was Zacharias troubled, being seized by fear; for he was a man subject to change, even if he was clothed with priestly dignity. And Zacharias said immediately, only in his soul, when he saw the angel: Strange is the appearance of the man, strange is the promise of his words. Who is this, who walks through the holy temple with a bold foot? Who is this, who stands on the right of the altar of incense? Who is this, who flashes with forms of a strange appearance? Who is this? I have not seen a winged man, nor again a human-shaped bird. Who is this, who surrounds my soul with fear? Who is this, a bringer of light from his mouth, speaking great things with closed lips? Who is this, who lies in wait for my daily course? Who is this, who obstructs my embassy? Outside the multitude of the people waits for me praying, as a scribe of the heavenly king; and this one holds me inside.

Through me they have offered prayers to the king, asking for pardon, as they have sinned. I pray for these things to be subscribed, that I may bring their desire to the people, that I may show the work of my daily course. Cease then, whoever you are, who frightens me. If you were an angel sent from God, you would have contributed to my need, you would have sympathized with those weeping outside, you would have grieved with those who grieve. Go away then. Who are you that frightens me? I have no concern for a child; why do you signify to me the promise of a child? what profit is it to the people, if I have a child? what benefit, if Elizabeth should nurse a child? what profit, if I should leave an heir of my life? Go away then, you who frighten me, whoever you may be; go away then from me. We are advanced in years; the time for sowing has passed, the desire of marriage is extinguished; time has chilled the heat, barrenness has denied the fruit, nature has rebelled against itself; we are both dead in the part of union; what youth 61.758 did not make to blossom, how will old age make sprout? But these things Zacharias said with reason. But the angel says to him, as you have just now heard: Do not be afraid,

In natale sancti Joannis prophetae

Εἰς γέννησιν τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ προφήτου, προδρόμου καὶ βαπτιστοῦ.

61.757

Εὔκαιρος ἡμέρα ἑορτῆς καὶ πανδήμου χαρᾶς, ἐν ᾗ ὑπεμνήσθην τοῦ Γαβριὴλ τὴν λειτουργίαν καὶ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου τὴν ἱερατείαν, καὶ ἐννοῶ τὸν ἀφωνίᾳ καταδικασθέντα τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ. Ἠκούσατε γὰρ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Λουκᾶ, τοῦ ἀνοίξαντος ἡμῖν σήμερον τὸ ψυχωφελὲς ἰατρεῖον. Ἰατρὸς γὰρ ἦν καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς Λουκᾶς· ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν σωμάτων θεραπευτὴς, νῦν δὲ πραγμάτων περιοδευτής· τέχνῃ τέχνην κατήλλαξε, καὶ περιοδείᾳ περιοδείαν διεδέξατο. Τί οὖν ὁ Λουκᾶς, ὁ εὐφυὴς ἰατρός; Ἠκούσατε αὐτοῦ ἀρτίως λέγοντος. Κατὰ τὸ ἔθος, φησὶ, τῆς ἱερατείας, ἔλαχε τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Ζαχαρίας, καὶ ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος ἦν τοῦ λαοῦ προσευχόμενον ἔξω τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ θυμιάματος. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ὤφθη αὐτῷ ἑστὼς ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θυμιάματος. Καὶ ἐταράχθη Ζαχαρίας ἰδὼν, καὶ φόβος ἔπεσεν ἐπ' αὐτόν.

Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος· Μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία, ὅτι εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου Ἐλισάβετ γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην. Ὢ τοῦ παραδόξου καὶ μυστικοῦ θαύματος! ∆ικαίως ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἀντεῖπε τῷ ἀγγέλῳ. Ἄλλην παράκλησιν ἐποιεῖτο, καὶ ἄλλην ἐλάμβανεν· ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ προσηύχετο, καὶ τέκνου πατὴρ ὠνομάζετο· συγγνώμην πλημμελημάτων ἐζήτει, καὶ ἀγόνου μήτρας ἐπαγγελίας ἐδέχετο. Ἠθέλησε γὰρ ὁ Ζαχαρίας τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἁμαρτησάντων ἰαθῆναι, ἢ τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς Ἐλισάβετ ὀγκωθῆναι. ∆ικαίως ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἐταράχθη φόβῳ συσχεθείς· ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ἦν τροπῇ δουλεύων, εἰ καὶ ἱερατικὸν ἀξίωμα περιεβέβλητο Εἶπε δὲ Ζαχαρίας εὐθέως κατὰ ψυχὴν μόνον, ὡς εἶδε τὸν ἄγγελον· Ξένη τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἡ ἐπιστασία, ξένη τῶν ῥημάτων ἡ ἐπαγγελία. Τίς οὗτος, ὁ τεθαῤῥημένῳ ποδὶ τὸν ἱερὸν ναὸν βηματίζων; τίς οὗτος, ὁ ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θυμιάματος παρεστώς; τίς οὗτος, ὁ ἀλλομόρφου θέας μορφαῖς περιαστράπτων; τίς οὗτος; οὐκ εἶδον ἄνθρωπον πτερωτὸν, οὐδ' αὖ πετεινὸν ἀνθρωπόμορφον. Τίς οὗτος, ὁ φόβῳ τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχὴν περιέρχων; τίς οὗτος, ὁ φωσφόρος ἀπὸ στόματος, κεκλεισμένων τῶν χειλέων λαλῶν μεγάλα; τίς οὗτος, ὁ τῆς ἐμῆς ἐφημερίας ἐφεδρευτής; τίς οὗτος, ὁ τῆς ἐμῆς πρεσβείας ἐμποδιστής; Ἔξω τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ περιμένει με προσευχόμενον, ὡς τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ἀντιγραφέα· καὶ οὗτος ἔνδον κατέχει με.

∆ι' ἐμοῦ δεήσεις ἀπέδωκαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, συγγνώμην αἰτοῦντες, ὡς πλημμελήσαντες. Ταῦτα εὔχομαι ὑπογραφῆναι, ἵνα τῷ λαῷ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν κομίσω, ἵνα τῆς ἐφημερίας μου τὴν ἐργασίαν ἐπιδείξω. Παῦσαι τοίνυν, ὅστις εἶ, ὁ ἐκφοβῶν με. Εἰ ἦς θεόπεμπτος ἄγγελος, συνεβάλου ἂν τῇ χρείᾳ μου, συνέπαθες τοῖς ἔξω δακρύουσι, συνεθλίβου τοῖς θλιβομένοις. Ἄπιθι τοίνυν. Τίς εἶ ὁ ἐκφοβῶν με; Οὐδείς μοι λόγος παιδός· τί μοι τέκνου ἐπαγγελίαν σημαίνεις; τί κέρδος τῷ λαῷ, ἐὰν ἐγὼ τέκνον ἕξω; τί δὲ ὄφελος, ἐὰν Ἐλισάβετ παιδίον θηλάσῃ; τί κέρδος, ἐὰν ἐγὼ κληρονόμον τοῦ βίου καταλείψω; Ἄπιθι τοίνυν ὁ ἐκφοβῶν με, ὅστις ἂν εἶ· ἄπιθι τοίνυν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Προβεβηκότες ἐσμέν· παρῆλθεν ὁ καιρὸς τῆς σπορᾶς, ἐσβέσθη τοῦ γάμου ἡ ἐπιθυμία· ὁ χρόνος τὴν θέρμην κατέψυξεν, ἡ στείρωσις τὸν καρπὸν ἠρνήσατο, ἡ φύσις πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐστασίασε· τεθνήκαμεν ἀμφότεροι τῷ μέρει τῆς μίξεως· ὃ ἡ νεότης 61.758 οὐκ ἤνθησε, πῶς γῆρας βλαστήσει; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Ζαχαρίας εἰκότως. Ὁ δὲ ἄγγελός φησι πρὸς αὐτὸν, καθὼς ἀρτίως ἤκουες· Μὴ φοβοῦ,