Nativity 1

On the melody of "These Confessors" This day is joyful, Lord, for kings, priests, and prophets, for in it their words were fulfilled and all of them came to pass in deed. [Refrain: To you is praise, Son of the Creator, Amen] For the virgin gave birth today to Emmanuel in Bethlehem. The word that Isaiah spoke—this day was its fulfillment. This one was born there, who in Scripture is the hope of the nations. The song that David sang—this day was its completion. The word that Micah spoke—this day was realized in deed. The shepherd came forth from Ephrathah, and his staff shepherded souls. Behold, a star from Jacob, and a head arose from Israel. The prophecy that Balaam spoke—this day was its interpretation. The hidden light descended again, and its beauty shone from the body. The vision proclaimed in Zechariah—today it gleamed in Bethlehem. The light of the kingdom shone for him in Ephrathah, the city of kings. The blessing that Jacob blessed—this day was its completion. The tree of life again brings hope to the dead. Its hidden parable—today was its interpretation. Today the Child was born, and his name was called Wonder. For he is the Wonder of God, who like a suckling revealed himself. Through the virgin he was suckled; the Spirit of his birth was without union. The pattern of the form of the Holy Spirit—today was its meaning. He ascended like a root before him, the root of the parched earth. What was spoken to him in secret—today was revealed openly.

The king was hidden in Judah; his beauty was concealed from the womb. The day dawned of the beauty of the hiddenness of his love. The vision of the living one, who was hidden in him, fell upon the pasture of the flock. The day the vow of the one from her seed was fulfilled, the one who revives all. Adam cast blame upon the woman who came forth from him. The day repaid his blame, for she who bore him is the savior. To Eve the mother, her son is a man who does not give birth from the womb. How will the daughter of Eve marvel, who without a man gave birth to a son? The virgin earth gave birth to that Adam, the head of the earth. The virgin today gave birth to Adam, the head of the heavens. The tribe of Ahron repaid and multiplied the dry wood. The mystery of Jacob, who begot from a virgin, was interpreted today. That people who held the prophets as true were ashamed, for if the savior had not come, their words would have been false. Blessed is the true one who came from the father of truth, and fulfilled the words of the true ones, and they were fulfilled in their truth. From your treasury, my Lord, bring forth from the deposits of your scriptures the names of the first righteous ones who triumphed that they might see your coming. Seth, who was in place of Abel, looked upon the slain son, that by his death the sword might be sheathed that entered and cried out against creation. See and rejoice in the holy ones of Elohim who showed from silence, and triumph in the holy son by whom the afflicted were sanctified. Two brothers who hid from the flood looked upon the only one of God.

He came to conceal the ransom of Adam, who was intoxicated with height. He set and opened like the sins of the righteous one, he marked the guilty son. He came and set free the neck from the servitude of sin. Melchizedek was the one who marked and kept the place, he was watching to see the Lord of the priesthood, whose staff turned white among the creatures. He saw the rod against the Sodomites, which turned the nature of the just one. He was watching the Lord of natures, who gave holiness without nature. To him, the mark of Ahron, who saw that with his rod he swallowed the magicians. His cross swallowed the magician who swallowed Adam and Eve. Moses saw the serpent fixed, which healed the bites of the charmers, and the mark that he saw the one who healed the wound of the first serpent. Moses saw that he alone received the radiance of God, and the mark of the one who comes to multiply the Elijahs through his teaching. Caleb the spy carried the cluster on a pole and came. The mark that he saw the cluster whose wine gladdens the creatures. To him, the mark of Joshua son of Nun, who restrained the power of the sun, that with his name, as he then conquered in his birth, as he had conquered. That Joshua who added and plucked and brought with him from the fruits to the tree of life. He was marking to taste the fruit that revives all. Rahab was the one who was pregnant, that with the thread of the scarlet, in a mystery she redeemed him from anger, in a mystery she tasted him to the truth. To him, Elijah yearned, and without seeing him, he believed in the son on earth, and he multiplied and overshadowed, that he might ascend and see him in the heavens.

He looked to Moses and Elijah, the lowly one ascended from the depth, and the erring one descended from the height, and they saw the Son in the middle. They were drawing the mystery of his coming: Moses was a type for the dead, and Elijah a type for the living who fly to his coming. In place of the death which the dead tasted, he is the one who makes the first and the last, who are not buried, in the end snatched to his coming. Grant me power that I may recount the righteous who marked the Son, that from their mouths the account of his coming may not cease. Pray for me, my beloved, that I may be strengthened in the end of the Church, and that I may arrange in the end the narrative of their tastes as the Father is able. Grant me sufficiency that I may praise the Son of truth who dwelt for you, for whom the righteous longed, who in their generations saw him. Adam was the one who marked that he would be the Lord of the Cherub, and he was able to enter and set him free upon the branches of the Tree of Life. Abel was the one who longed that in his days he would come, so that in place of the lamb which he offered, he might see the Lamb of God. Eve was the one who looked for the spreader of the leaves of the fig tree, that he was great, and he was able to clothe them in place of the leaves, the glory which they cast off. The tower which many sought, its mystery looked to one, that he would descend and seek in the earth the tower which ascends to heaven. Also the nest of the living creatures, its type looked to the Lord, that he would seek the Church of the sanctuary in which souls are hidden. In the days of Peleg, the earth was divided into seventy languages.

He looked to the one who divided the earth among his apostles, the earth whose bosom was a manger, silent, calling to her Lord. He descended and opened the font, and they were lowered into it to the heavens. Seth and Enosh and Qenan, among the sons of the gods, were hidden. For the Son of God, they looked, that brothers in the womb might be healed for him. Small and slight, yet from a thousand living ones, a messenger of the mysteries was sent. He looked to the Son, who is the giver of life, that from the dead, without end, he might raise up. Fifty was the grace for them, in a hidden mystery, she asked, that their Lord might come in their generations and fill their lacks. For the Holy Spirit, that which in them was silent, on their behalf, she directed their eyes, and they saw in her the Redeemer for whom they had longed. The soul of the pure ones perceived in him the Son, that he is the medicine of life, and they desired that in her days he might come and taste his sweetness. Your darkness, he himself longed for, and without seeing the Son on earth, he greatly believed and was justified, that he might ascend and see him in the heavens. How great is the grace of that gift of the ancients! With great labor they did not receive it; it came as a gift to the later ones. He himself looked also to Lamech, that he might come in his sign, the sinner, from his labor and the work of his hands, and from the earth of her clay, the pure one. He saw then Lamech, to Noah his son, that the mysteries of the Son were sealed in him. Instead of that distant Lord, in his sign the near mystery, that he might see him. Also Noah longed to taste the taste of his covenants.

He entered into the mystery of the one who preserves the lives of the animals, how he gives life to souls. To him it is fitting, the spirit of the one who is hidden, in whom the whole world stood. He entered into his type, here he gives life, as if he gives life in his person. Through the spirit, Abraham perceived that his son, the one who was distant, was born of the one who is pure. Instead of his person, he was given, so that he might also see his day. He would have seen Isaac, he yearned to taste the taste of the Redeemer. He entered into his flesh, here he gives life, as if he gives life in his truth. The watchers were rejoicing on the day that the watcher of the watchers came. On this night, with whom does the watcher sleep, in whom the whole creation is awake? Adam brought death into creation at the hour of his sins. The watcher of the watchers descended from the seal of sin. He did not keep vigil like the merchants over the money that the shepherds have lost. During the night, the watchers are many, to think of gain and increase. A watcher and a thief, the one who dug the earth for his hour, to bury her. All his watchfulness is this: anxiety for the sleepers, he increases. He kept vigil, also the dissolute one, who ate, increased, and was diminished. His vigil became his abandonment, for he was not sobered by the opportunity. He kept vigil, also the merchant, at night he fills his fingers, to think of his profit, how much came and went, and the three measures of his price. He kept vigil, also the rich man, who pursues his hour with a measure. His dogs sleep, and he guards his treasures from thieves. He kept vigil, also the anxious one, whose hour was swallowed up by his worry. His end stands before his foundations, and he keeps vigil, anxious for the affairs. The thief teaches the brothers watchfulness in place of watchfulness.

of the one who makes the good ones wakeful and vigilant for the meals. Even Iscariot was wakeful for the whole night, and he shed the blood of the righteous one, whose blood was shed for the whole creation. The son of darkness put on darkness, which he sent and cast away the light. And for the one who minted silver, the buyer paid with silver. Even the Pharisees, sons of darkness, were wakeful for the whole night. The darknesses kept watch, which covered the light that cannot be extinguished. The watchers kept watch like lights in the night of the light, for even within him he was dark, but by his power he was victorious. For who is there who, like the victor, is wakeful and prays in the darkness? Within that darkness, the manifest light is hidden and concealed. 75 The meal that stands in the daytime is the boast of the son of darkness, for even the light is clothed with the son of the oppressed from within the darkness. Do not taste, my beloved, in this that the wakeful ones err, for who is there who, as is fitting, is not wakeful? His wakefulness is without justice. Who is there who is not wakeful purely? His wakefulness is of the kingdom. And who is there who is not wakeful cleanly? Even his vigil is contrary to him. Even his vigil of the treasurer is a filling that fills a deficiency. And his wakefulness is a merchandise that is filled with scorn and oppression. The mother-in-law of the one who kept watch is pressed, his vigil is from anger. And her wakefulness was filled with wrath and curses. The talker is the one who kept watch for him, his mouth a passage.

He is skilled for swords and sluggish for prayers. He is a Pharisee, if he is one who keeps vigil for one of the two sides: either he sleeps pleasantly or he keeps vigil righteously. That pure night in which the pure one who came to purify was sacrificed—do not enter into our vigil anything that can defile it. The path of knowledge will be purified, the vision of the watcher will be corrected, the intention of the heart will be sanctified, the speech of the mouth will be refined. Mary on that day hid the leaven from the house of Abraham; therefore, love the poor like Abraham loved the needy. On that day the measure went out from the house of David the righteous; therefore, have compassion on the persecutor like the son of Jesse had on Saul. The scattered salt of the prophets among the nations on that day was gathered; a new taste was tasted in it, with which the first people were pleased. On this day of salvation, speak the speech of reconciliation; do not speak superfluous things that have no need. That night of vigil—do not be in it angry and bitter. On this night, everything is tranquil; do not be in it contentious and disturbed. That night of pleasantness—do not be in it harsh and severe. On this night, everything is tranquil; do not be in it contentious and disturbed. On this day of forgiveness, do not let folly be sought in it. On this day of rejoicing, do not let sorrows be divided in it. On this pleasant day, do not let there be in it violent ones. On this day of rest, do not let there be in it wrathful ones.

On this day when God came against sinners, the righteous one was not troubled in his mind about the sinner. On this day when the Lord of all came against slaves, the masters also were reconciled with their slaves in a loving manner. On this day when the rich man was impoverished for the sake of the poor, the rich man also shared with the poor man at his table. On this day a gift came to you without your asking; you too should give alms to those who knock and beg. That day opened for you a high gate for your prayers; you too should open doors for those who erred and sought. That Lord of natures, the day that was changed without his nature, there was no cause that your evil will also be changed. The body was imprisoned in his nature, unable to increase or decrease; but the will was empowered, which in every season is nurtured. The day stamped the nature of divinity with humanity, so that humanity might also be stamped within the stamp of divinity.