Homilia i de Hypapante

Hesychius, presbyter of Jerusalem, a homily on the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 The feast is called that of Purification, which one would not err in calling a feast of feasts, a sabbath of sabbaths, a holy of holies; for the whole mystery of the incarnation of Christ is recapitulated, the entire presentation of the only-begotten son is delineated. In it Christ was carried as an infant and confessed as God, and was brought in arms as on a throne, the creator of our nature seated, and a pair of turtledoves of rational beings was offered to Symeon and Anna. Let us, if you please, interweave the very words of the Gospel; for there we shall see the encampment of God. Thus, then, Luke set forth the history of the feast for us: "And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord that every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice, according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." It was necessary that he who served for us should offer purification for us, that he who did not spare his own blood should not spare a pair of turtledoves. Behold, then, according to the law, above the law, as a lawgiver he acts, and, while himself providing the freedom of the spirit, he nevertheless does not renounce the servitude of the letter; he does not reject Moses, so that in due time he may become a credible witness. "And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were completed." "Their"—whose?

For Joseph was neither a father, nor liable for purification rites, nor did Mary or the infant require purification; for it is said thus: “A woman who, if she conceives and bears a male, shall be unclean for seven days.” But Mary did not conceive, therefore she had no need of purification. “A woman who, if she conceives and bears a male, shall be unclean for seven days.” Why? Because she brought a second Adam into the world. “But if she bears a female, she shall be unclean for twice seven days.” For what reason did it ordain double the days here? Because Eve is again born from Eve, a woman is born—the frail vessel, the weak container, the shattered pot, the staff of deception, the guide of disobedience, the counselor of the serpent. But just as you have heard the accusations against woman, come now and learn of her achievement. A woman introduced virginity into the world, she contained in her womb the God whom creation cannot contain, she bore in flesh the one who refashioned our race; she first received Jesus from the dead, she first began the proclamation of the resurrection, she first announced the joy to the disciples. “A woman who,” it says, “if she conceives.” The Mother of God was indeed a woman, but she did not suffer the things of women; for her womb received no seed of man, the field of Mary saw no plow, the virginal vine endured no hoe, so that the offering was not for her sake, but for the sake of the whole race. For Christ is circumcised for our sake, he is baptized for us, the purifications of the law are performed on our behalf. If he weeps, he washes away nature;

If he is slapped, he frees our captivity; if he bears the cross, he lightens us from the yoke of sin; if he is spat upon, he delivers Adam from the spittle of the curse. "When the days of their purification were completed," it says, "they brought him up to Jerusalem, as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every male that opens a womb shall be called holy to the Lord." These things the law contains. But Christ, as we have said, as a lawgiver fulfilled his own law beyond the law; for he did not open, but left the gate of the virgin closed, he did not plunder the seal of nature, he did not damage the mother; for he left the form of her virginity intact. But if you disbelieve, learn from Ezekiel: "And he turned me back along the way of the gate of the outer sanctuary, which faces east, and it was closed. And the Lord said to me: This gate shall be closed, it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it, because the Lord God of Israel will enter and exit, and it shall be closed." "Every male that opens a womb shall be called holy to the Lord." But this one is not only holy. Therefore, as much as he excels in sanctity, so much does he also surpass in birth and has risen above the commandment of the law. Nevertheless, however, "to offer a sacrifice, according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Luke set forth the law as incomplete, not held by ignorance, but guided by wisdom. The law said: "a lamb and a young pigeon.

If the one making the offering was not wealthy, he would prescribe "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons and fine flour." But Luke omitted the offering of the rich man; for he recalled the poor man who voluntarily became poor for our sake. He had no lodging, it says; how could he have possessed a lamb? Wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, how could he offer a sheep? Rather, he had no need of a lamb; for he himself was "the lamb of God," the true sheep. He sacrificed himself for the world; therefore, he declared what the law prescribed, and signified what Christ was administering. 4 Then next: "And behold, a man," it says, "in Jerusalem, whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and devout, awaiting consolation for Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him; and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Christ of the Lord." Great is the wealth of Symeon, varied are the weapons of the commander, the plant is full of fruits, the vine is full of grapes. Not only "was he a man," but also "he was named Symeon." In addition, "righteous"—not only "righteous," but also "devout," and he sought consolation for Israel, and "the Holy Spirit was upon him," and "he had been instructed that he would not see death before he saw the Christ of the Lord." "Behold, a man"—where? "In Jerusalem." The word contains astonishment, the phrase is full of wonder: in Jerusalem, a man, concerning which the prophet Zephaniah introduced God himself saying, "I will search Jerusalem with a lamp and will not find." And does the light need a lamp? No, it says, but it calls the law a lamp.

And behold, a man in Jerusalem by the name of Symeon." And what is the interpretation of the name that has been revealed? "Hearing of God," so that he acquired a name befitting his manner of life through the economy of the Spirit; for where there is "hearing of God," there is certainly obedience to the law, observance of the commandments, a course of good life, a goal of salvation approaching its end—in which the true man is characterized, concerning whom he added these things accordingly. "And this man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel": this is the aim of a righteous man, not to seek his own interest, but that of another and of the many, to be for the common salvation, not for his own enjoyment. "And the Holy Spirit," he says, "was upon him": Symeon was a vehicle of the Lord, a throne of God, and for this reason he received the king of the ages in his hands. "And it had been revealed to him that he would not see death before he saw the Christ of the Lord": therefore, the revelation was to pass from life to life, to journey from light to light, to leap from day to day, not to grow old, but to be renewed, in the

the time of consummation to receive renewal. This man "came in the Spirit into the temple"; the spring led the thirsty one to the spring. "And when the parents brought the child Jesus in to do for him according to the custom concerning him, he himself received him in his arms." He bore in his hands the one who holds in his hand the inhabited and uninhabited world, "the one who measured the water with his hand and the heaven with a span and the whole earth with a fist." And how did Symeon offer a sacrifice not befitting him? For he was not a priest; for this is not said, nor was he a Levite, nor a temple warden, since the liturgical service has been allotted only to the tribe of Levi. He was not a priest, but he was "righteous"; righteousness, however, possesses the priesthood beneath its feet. He was not a Levite, but "pious"; the pious man, indeed, has the anointing from himself. And carrying the infant he said: "Now you release your servant, Master, according to your word in peace." "Now you release"; for the time of release has come, the ransom of captives has arrived, the forgiveness of debts; a king has been born who frees those in prisons, releases those in bonds, recalls those in death to life, lightening the burden of the earth. "Now you release your servant, Master." How do you know? I see the Master, he says, wearing the form of a servant. Being Master, he would not have worn the form of a servant unless he intended to clothe the servant in the form of the Master. He would not have exchanged the order, nor, being high, would he have been humbled, unless he wished to raise the lowly to height. But how does he "release you according to your word in peace"?

For if you brought forth creation by a word, you also entirely free the ruler of creation by a word. "In peace"—of what kind? That of the cross; for that sword of the tyrant cut off the head and gave peace to those who serve with Christ. "Because my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared." They have seen what many desired to see and did not see: God in flesh, a sun shining in a cloud. "My eyes have seen your salvation," that is, I have seen your incarnation, through which you arranged the salvation of men; for I did not see bare divinity, since no man will see God as he is in essence. "Because my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared before the face of all the peoples, a light for the revelation of the nations and glory for your people Israel." The good things are common and undivided to the Jews and the nations. Therefore let the Jew not envy, nor the Pharisee be distressed, nor the scribe tempt, nor Herod be anxious about his kingdom, nor Annas and Caiaphas fear for their priesthood; the one who has come gives to all, takes from none; he bestows generously, grants without measure.

But Joseph and his mother, upon hearing the things spoken by Symeon, marveled at how Christ endured to become a son of man. Mary marveled at how the womb of a woman contained God, how the servant gave birth to the one who frees creation. And he says: "This one lies for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel and for a disputed sign," "for the fall" of those persisting in disbelief, "for the resurrection" of those turning from disbelief to faith. Christ was a stone placed for building, but the blind, wandering with their eyes, stumbled against him. Therefore, one must not attribute to him the "fall" of those who have fallen, but the "resurrection." For if they only fell and did not also rise, you would justly suspect him as the cause of the "fall." But if, among those falling from negligence, those who wish rise, the "fall" belongs to the negligent one, and the "resurrection" to Christ. Did not Judas and Peter fall together, the one as if saying: "What do you wish to give me, and I will hand him over to you?" and the other as if saying: "I will lay down my soul for you"? For he needed to know that a mortal does not give his soul for immortality. And again: "If it is necessary for me with you

to die, I will not deny you.” It would be one thing to say: “If you strengthen me, I will not deny you. If you secure me, the weak one does not fear shipwreck. If you share in the war, I do not dread death.” But the former was a fault of the tongue, the latter a sin of the heart. For this reason Peter, having fallen, rose and became a guide for others who had fallen; but the other, led from depth to pit, threw away the silver and, taking the rope, hanged himself. 8 “The sign that is contested” is the cross; for when the Jews were crucifying, the sun withdrew; the synagogue slandered and the earth was shaken. The people cried out: “Crucify him,” but the rocks, unable to bear the weight of the blasphemy, were shattered. The elders and the scribes said: “We remembered that that deceiver said while still alive that after three days I rise.” But the centurion cried out: “Truly this was the son of God.” And even now the word of the cross is “a scandal to Jews, folly to Gentiles, but to us the called, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.” “And a sword will pass through your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” The sword is called discord, since, just as the sword splits and divides bodies, so also discord splits souls toward doubt; for even if she was a virgin, yet she was also a woman; even if she was the mother of God, yet she was from our own dough. A sword, then, passed through her soul, “so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” What thoughts?

The various opinions about Christ at the time of the passion, sometimes describing him as a prophet, sometimes as a redeemer of Israel, not without much ambiguity on these points because of the disturbance arising from the passion, so that the disciples around Cleopas, passing by, said to him: “You alone dwell in Jerusalem and do not know what has happened in it in these days.” Then, when asked “What?” they added: “The things about Jesus the Nazorean, who became a man, a prophet, and so forth.” Therefore, just as they held him as a prophet and as one who redeems Israel, yet because of the passion they were in danger of also entertaining this supposition about him, that he redeems Israel. This did not happen in vain, but in order to show that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men.” For the passion of the cross troubled and shook everyone, not only the simple disciples, but also the chosen ones and his mother. This steadied the whole world, in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom and with whom glory is to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.