On the nativity of Christ (homily 12) (formerly under the name of John Chrysostom)

Of John, archbishop of Constantinople, on the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ

Many and countless are the God-loving feasts of the Christians; but what is more festive than the present one, because the master Christ was born and the world was reborn? Christ was born and Adam was recalled; Christ was born and Eve was delivered from sorrow; Christ was born and the dragon vanished; Christ was born and paradise was renewed; Christ was born and the devil was condemned; Christ was born and hades was altered; Christ was born and the earth was rebuilt; Christ was born and the air was purified; Christ was born and heaven rejoiced; Christ was born and Judaism was diminished; Christ was born and Christianity was strengthened; Christ was born and the synagogue was filled with smoke; Christ was born and the church was made fragrant; Christ was born and the light was added.

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For today there is an increase of the corporeal light and a shining forth of the spiritual. For as the Sun of righteousness, Christ, arose from the incorruptible virginal chamber, the darkness of impiety was driven away and the light of piety was spread abroad, the frost of blasphemy was dissolved, and the fruit of the knowledge of God took root and the star of truth rose upon all. Wherefore the prophets, seeing this light from ages past, cried out to him, saying: In your light we shall see light. What is "In your light we shall see light"? In you, he says, we shall perceive the Father; for you are light that reveals light. How then do we celebrate today, as the immaterial light of Christ has immaterially emerged from the unbreachable virginal spring? No longer do we grope for idols, but we contemplate the altars; no longer do we esteem ventriloquists, but we call upon prophets; no longer do we court enchanters, but we praise apostles; no longer do we worship idols under a tree, but under the cross we speak of the Lord; no longer do we sacrifice our children to demons, but we offer our hearts as incense to God; no longer do we read mythologies, but we recognize the gospels; no longer do we venerate Plato and Aristotle, but we glorify Peter and Paul; no longer are we circumcised in the flesh, but we are sealed in the soul; no longer do we eat the bitter herbs of the Jews, but we swallow the honey of grace; no longer captive in Babylon do we say: How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? but everywhere on earth, rejoicing, we cry out: The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; no longer celebrating partially do we poorly weary ourselves saying: God is known only in Judea, but universally celebrating the birth we richly chant: All you nations, clap your hands, shout to God with a voice of exultation. No longer call upon Baal, but entreat God; that one chatters idly, this one works wonders; that one sleeps, this one is awake. All you nations, clap your hands, shout to God with a voice of exultation. What is "shout"? It means "give thanks to Christ the victor"; for a shout is the acknowledgement of victory. Let us shout, therefore, to Christ the victor, and not worship the falsely named idols, because "all the gods of the nations are demons, but the Lord made the heavens." You heard, at any rate, just now the evangelist Matthew saying: And when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, behold, magi came from

In nativitatem Christi (homilia 12) (olim sub nomine Joannis Chrysostomi)

̓Ιωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπουΚωνσταντινουπόλεως εἰς τὴν γέννησιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ἸησοῦΧριστοῦ

Πολλαὶ μὲν καὶ ἀναρίθμητοι τῶν Χριστιανῶν αἱ θεοφιλεῖςπανηγύρεις· τί δὲ τῆς παρούσης πανηγυρικώτερον, ὅτι ὁδεσπότης Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ κόσμος ἀνεγεννήθη;Ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἀνεκλήθη· ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ἡ Εὕα τῆς λύπης ἐλυτρώθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ δράκων ἠφανίσθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ παράδεισος ἀνεκαινίσθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ διάβολος κατεκρίθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἠλλοιώθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ἡ γῆ ἀνεκτίσθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ ἐκαθάρθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ηὐφράνθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ Ἰουδαϊσμὸς ἐμειώθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ὁ Χριστιανισμὸς ἐπυκνώθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ἡ συναγωγὴ ἐκαπνίσθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία εὐωδιάσθη·ὁ Χριστὸς ἐγεννήθη καὶ τὸ φῶς προσετέθη.

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Σήμερον γὰρ καὶ τοῦ σωματικοῦ φωτὸς αὔξησις καὶ τοῦπνευματικοῦ ἔλλαμψις. Τοῦ γὰρ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης Χριστοῦ ἐκ τῆς παρθενικῆς ἀδιαφθάρτου παστάδος ἀνατείλαντος, τὸ σκότος τῆς ἀσεβείας ἀπελάθη καὶ τὸ φῶς τῆς εὐσεβείας διεδόθη, ὁ παγετὸς τῆς βλασφημίας διελύθη, ὁ δὲκαρπὸς τῆς θεογνωσίας ἐπιάνθη καὶ ὁ ἀστὴρ τῆς ἀληθείαςεἰς πάντας ἀνέτειλεν. Ὅθεν τοῦτο τὸ φῶς θεωρήσαντες οἱπροφῆται ἐκ πολλῶν τῶν χρόνων ἐβόων πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγοντες· Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς. Τί ἐστιν Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς; Ἐν σοί φησι τὸν πατέρακατανοήσομεν· φῶς γὰρ εἶ φωτὸς μηνυτικόν.Πῶς οὖν πανηγυρίζομεν σήμερον, τοῦ ἀΰλου φωτὸς Χριστοῦ ἀΰλως παρακύψαντος ἐκ τῆς ἀτοιχωρύχου παρθενικῆς πηγῆς; Οὐκέτι τὰ εἴδωλα ψηλαφῶμεν,ἀλλὰ τὰ θυσιαστήρια κατανοοῦμεν·οὐκέτι ἐγγαστριμύθους ἀξιοῦμεν,ἀλλὰ προφήτας παρακαλοῦμεν·οὐκέτι ἐπαοιδοὺς θεραπεύομεν,ἀλλ' ἀποστόλους ἐγκωμιάζομεν·οὐκέτι ὑπὸ δένδρον εἰδωλολατροῦμεν,ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τὸν σταυρὸν κυριολογοῦμεν·οὐκέτι τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν τοῖς δαιμονίοις θύομεν,ἀλλὰ τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν τῷ θεῷ θυμιῶμεν·οὐκέτι μυθολογίας ἀναγινώσκομεν,ἀλλ' εὐαγγέλια ἐπιγινώσκομεν·οὐκέτι Πλάτωνα καὶ Ἀριστοτέλην σεμνύνομεν,ἀλλὰΠέτρον καὶΠαῦλον ἐκθειάζομεν· οὐκέτι τὴν σάρκα περιτεμνόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν σφραγιζόμεθα· οὐκέτι πικρίδας Ἰουδαϊκὰς ἐσθίομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μέλι τῆς χάριτος καταπίνομεν· οὐκέτι ἐνΒαβυλῶνι αἰχμαλωτιζόμενοι λέγομεν·Πῶς ᾄσωμεν τὴν ᾠδὴν κυρίου ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας; ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς εὐφραινόμενοι βοῶμεν·Τοῦ κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς·οὐκέτι μερικῶς πανηγυρίζοντες πενιχρῶς παρατρύζομεν λέγοντες·Γνωστὸς μόνον ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ καθολικῶς γενεθλιάζοντες πλουσίως ὑποψάλλομεν·Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, κροτήσατε χεῖρας, ἀλαλάξατε τῷ θεῷ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως.Μηκέτι τὸνΒάαλ προσκαλεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ τὸν θεὸν παρακαλεῖτε· ἐκεῖνος ἀδολεσχεῖ, οὗτος θαυματουργεῖ· ἐκεῖνος καθεύδει, οὗτος γρηγορεῖ.Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, κροτήσατε χεῖρας, ἀλαλάξατε τῷ θεῷ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως.Τί ἐστιν ἀλαλάξατε; Ἀντὶ τοῦ εὐχαριστήσατε τῷ νικοποιῷΧριστῷ· ἀλαλαγμὸς γὰρ νίκης ἀναγνωρισμός. Ἀλαλάξωμεν τοίνυν τῷ νικοποιῷΧριστῷ, καὶ μὴ τοῖς ψευδωνύμοις εἰδώλοις προσκυνήσωμεν, διότι πάντες οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμόνια, ὁ δὲ κύριος τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐποίησεν.Ἤκουες γοῦν ἀρτίως τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦΜατθαίου λέγοντος·Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐνΒηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐν ἡμέραις Ἡρῴδου, ἰδοὺ μάγοι παρεγένοντο ἀπὸ