having received them by unwritten gifts. The water itself became for them both a tomb and a mother; for it both killed them to sin and regenerated them to righteousness. 11 I want to ask you, newly enlightened one. Did you not formerly confess your slavery? Surely you paid no price; do you not now boast of your freedom? You were full of evils, now you have been filled with good things. A place enslaved you and set you free; it enslaved you to God, it freed you from sin. O how many rays "the sun of righteousness" has brought forth from himself? O how many children has the heavenly bridegroom, embracing this spotless bride, acquired? 12 Not by pleasure, not by emission, not by passion but "by water and the spirit" regenerating them, and though they are many in the divisions of the body, he mixes them all together in one mind, so that, just as he and the Father are one by nature, so they too might be one with him by will. 13 In light of these things, what is fitting to do? To dance with the blessed David; for he lives and sings psalms in his silence, because from his seed according to the flesh our liberator has risen for us. See him dancing with us today. For he says: "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things." 14 For the rite of the devil has ceased, and waters of divination are no longer effective, but the grace of baptism sets free. These are the things which Christ has gifted to the church. For this he became man, remaining God, not harming himself, that he might set us free. For this he became man so that, hiding and escaping the notice of the enemy, he might free the captive. 15 What the newly enlightened have gained, we have said, beloved; but it is still necessary to bring to the table those who are fed on milk; for there is a season for every matter for the establishment of more necessary things. Imitate these, O catechumen, and do not love slavery, do not remain in the bonds of sin, do not linger in captivity. Come down, then, from your mother's shoulders and approach the solid food. 16 God calls you; listen. Is it not enough to grieve you that, when we are about to be initiated into our saving economy, you are cast out as a stranger? You worship Christ and you do not know the things of Christ. You are rich in the things of Christ and you do not perceive the treasure. Food is set before you and you are hungry. 17 May you come together into the same place, so that the whole church, having become bright, may be filled entirely with stars. May it become a heaven instead of earth, scattering the mist of the devil. And for all these things let us give thanks to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

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λαβόντες ἀγράφοις δωρεαῖς. Αὐτὸ τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτοῖς καὶ τάφος καὶ μήτηρ γέγονεν· καὶ γὰρ ἀπέκ τεινεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ καὶ ἀνεγέννησεν αὐτοὺς τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. 11 Σοῦ πύθεσθαι θέλω, νεοφώτιστε. Οὐκ ὡμολόγεις πρό τερον τὴν δουλείαν, μήτι κατέβαλες· οὐ καυχᾶσαι νῦν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. Ἔγεμες κακῶν, πεπλήρωσαι νῦν ἀγαθῶν. Τόπος σε κατεδούλωσεν καὶ ἠλευθέρωσεν· κατεδούλωσεν μὲν θεῷ, ἠλευθέρωσεν ἁμαρτίας. Ὦ πόσας ἀκτῖνας ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ «ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος» προηνέγκατο; Ὦ πόσους παῖδας ὁ ἐπουράνιος νυμφίος τῇ ἀχράντῳ ταύτῃ συμπλακεὶς νύμφῃ προσεκτήσατο; 12 Οὐχ ἡδονῇ, οὐ ῥεύσει, οὐ πάθει ἀλλ' «ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος» ἀναγεννήσας οὕς, καὶ πολλοὺς ὄντας τοῦ σώματος ταῖς τομαῖς, ἑνὶ φρονήματι τοὺς πάντας συγκιρνᾷ, ἵνα, ὥσπερ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν εἰσιν κατὰ φύσιν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ ἓν ὦσιν αὐτῷ κατὰ γνώμην. 13 Ἐπὶ τούτοις τί προσῆκεν ποιεῖν; Σὺν τῷ μακαρίῳ ∆αυὶδ χορεύειν· καὶ γὰρ ζῇ καὶ σιωπῶν ψάλλει καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἀνέτειλεν ἡμῖν ὁ ἐλευθερωτής. Βλέπε σήμερον συγχορεύοντα. Φησὶν γάρ· «Ἄισατε τῷ κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινὸν ὅτι θαυμαστὰ ἐποίησεν.» 14 Πέπαυται γὰρ ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου τελετὴ καὶ μαντικὰ μὲν ὕδατα οὐκ ἐνεργεῖ, βαπτίσματος δὲ χάρις ἐλευθεροῖ. Ταῦτα ἐστιν ἃ ἐδωρήσατο Χριστὸς τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν μείνας θεὸς οὐχ ἑαυτὸν βλάψας, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν ἵνα κρύψας λαθὼν τὸν πολέμιον ἐλευθερώσῃ τὸν αἰχμάλωτον. 15 Ἃ μὲν ἐκέρδαινον οἱ νεοφώτιστοι, εἰρήκαμεν, ἀγαπη τοί· ἔτι δὲ γαλακτοτροφουμένους ἐπιστῆσαι τῇ τραπέζῃ δεῖ· καιρὸς γὰρ παντὶ πράγματι πρὸς ἀναγκαιοτέρων πραγμάτων κατάστασιν. Ζήλωσον τούτους, ὦ κατηχούμενε, καὶ μὴ ἀγαπήσῃς τὴν δουλείαν, μὴ μείνῃς ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τῆς ἁμαρτίας, μὴ χρονίσῃς ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ. Κάτελθε λοιπὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὤμων τῆς μητρός σου καὶ πρόσελθε τῇ στερεᾷ τροφῇ. 16 Καλεῖ σε ὁ θεός· ἐπάκουσον. Ἆρα οὐκ ἀρκεῖ σοι πρὸς λύπην, ἐν τῷ μέλλειν ἡμᾶς μυσταγωγεῖσθαι τὴν σωτήριον ἡμῶν οἰκονομίαν, ἔξω βάλλεσθαί σε ὡς ἀλλότριον; Προσκυνεῖς Χρισ τὸν καὶ οὐκ οἶδας τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Πλουτεῖς τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐ νοεῖς τὸν θησαυρόν. Πρόκειταί σοι τροφὴ καὶ πεινᾷς. 17 Γένοιτο δὲ ὑμᾶς εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ συνελθεῖν, ἵνα ὅλη φαιδρὰ ἡ ἐκκλησία γεναμένη ὅλη ἀστέρων πληρωθῇ. Οὐρανὸς γένοιτο ἀντὶ γῆς, τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν ὁμίχλην σκεδαννύουσα. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

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