In laudem conceptionis sancti Joannis Baptistae

Encomium on the Conception of Saint John the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist. 1. Moses the great, the servant of God, the chief of the prophets, the wayfarer of the sea, the charioteer of the air, the steward of the manna, the lawgiver of God, the receiver of the sacred tablets, the first introducer of things beneficial to life—this man, so great and so mighty, constructed a tabernacle for the people of Israel according to the pattern he was taught by God on the mountain. And all things, each one, that were enclosed within the surrounding enclosure, he made holy and sacred; but the innermost part among these was both inaccessible and unapproachable, called the Holy of Holies. Following this example of the tabernacle, Solomon also built a temple, surpassing all temples on earth not only by the costliness of its material nor by the variety of its art, but also by the form of its construction, so that they never came to desire those among the Egyptians. And he made the temple according to the image of the whole world, both the sensible and the intelligible. For just as there are earth and heaven, and between them this firmament as a partition, so God commanded that one to be made, and dividing this temple into two, and placing a curtain in the middle, he allowed the part outside the curtain to be accessible to all, but the part within to be inaccessible and invisible to all except the high priest alone, as the angel commanded, speaking to Moses to tell the sons of Israel: "In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, humble your souls"—that is, concerning the Feast of Tabernacles.

For at that time, during the Feast of Tabernacles, once a year only the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to offer incense. So on this Feast of Tabernacles, Zacharias also entered to offer incense according to his priestly course, and he saw the angel standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled at the sight, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him: "Fear not, Zacharias; for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John; and he will be your joy and delight; and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great before the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. And he himself will go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers toward their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a prepared people for the Lord." Do you see a promise surpassing prophetic power? This prophecy of Zacharias both bound and loosed his tongue: it bound it, when the birth was disbelieved; and it loosed it, when the birth came to pass. O the wonder! John, an evangelist from the womb, a wonder-worker from the belly, a companion of the wilderness and a fellow-dweller with angels, the one after the Law among the prophets, a second Elijah, and a most true herald, driving out error by the zeal of the Spirit, the Forerunner and Baptist, who says: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," the son of Zacharias, the offshoot of the barren woman, and the perfect work of the people's prayers.

the genuine herald of repentance, and the advocate of believers who confess; the fulfillment of the law, and the founder of grace, and the refutation of the impiety of the Jews; the confirmer of heavenly doctrines, and the impartial judge of the people's transgressions; he who was born from a barren womb contrary to hope, and by the grace of Christ who brought forth water from the rock, the bridal guide; the restrainer of the streams of the Jordan, and the ambassador of the purification of sinners; the foreknower of the incomprehensible mystery, and the prophet of the invisible presence; this is John, who was born to Zacharias in his deepest old age according to the promise. O the wonder! For behold, in the works was shown the leaping in the womb of John, which he indicated. The world saw the rejoicing which the Forerunner painted with his feet in the belly. But what honor shall we pay to the righteous man, surrounded as we are on all sides by his achievements? For he is announced while being conceived, he works wonders while being born, he advances in the deserts while being trained, he is nourished by the Spirit while being brought forth, he mediates between law and grace, he preaches the baptism of repentance, he baptizes the Lord when he arrives, he beholds while baptizing the glory of the Trinity, and he bears witness to grace by truth, crying out he points out the one who was prophesied, confessing the Lord and declaring him mightier; he leads the faithful to him, teaching what is beneficial to the crowds; he admonishes even tax collectors who are baptized, he reproaches even Herod who transgresses the law, and he receives a blessed end. With what words then shall we marvel? What tongue shall we stir up in these matters?

What of these things do we omit, and what shall we be able to say concerning them? For the sea of praises is great, and the breadth of the accomplishments is great; even the mere experience of the events astounds those who speak. But let Zacharias, the father of the righteous man, who was condemned to silence and then spoke again, come now as well; he will relate to us his own most clear account: how he spoke when his tongue was restrained, how John is born, and the angel's decree is dissolved, how the punishment is removed, and the healing comes. For the evangelist, introducing the proclamation of Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth concisely, first indicates their names, their nature, and their rank; then he adds praise of their conduct and a trophy of beneficence, in which he both shows the condemnation of silence and makes known the release of eloquence. And hear the evangelical words from this point: "And they had no child," it says, "because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days." And now I see not only their childlessness, but I also consider the ancient image of the righteous, I mean Abraham and Sarah; and I learn that barrenness gives birth to another, and that childbearing is of grace and nature, a strange mystery of procreation; for this is also the manner of that promise. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense; and Zacharias was troubled when he saw, and fear fell upon him. And the angel said to him: "Do not fear, Zacharias.

because your prayer was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. Fair is the possession of the promise, great the gift of the vision, truly a boast worthy of Abraham; for just as the conception of Sarah was foretold to him, so also to this man the pregnancy of Elizabeth has been announced beforehand. But the prophecy is equal; the order of events is not equal. For Abraham suffered nothing terrible from the promise, but Zacharias, after the annunciation, is found speechless, having not believed the faithful angel, and receiving punishment by silence. And Zacharias said, it is said, to the angel: How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days. What is this, Master? I offer supplications to God on behalf of the whole people, seeking his favor, and you announce that he will grant me a son? This is impossible. For old age is weak, and nature is feeble, and my wife is a barren rock; and how will this be for me? Yet even if, as you have said, a son will be born to me, what benefit will there be from him to the people? And the angel said: Great salvation will come through him to the people, and to all

to the nations. For he will turn all from error, and will show them the way of salvation, becoming a mediator between God and men. For he will go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, and will be called a prophet of the Most High. He will go forth before the face of the Lord, saying, "Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." 2. And Zacharias answered and said to the angel, "How shall I know this?" And the angel said, "Since you seek a sign of the birth, and do not believe my words, take a sure pledge: I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce these good tidings to you. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." The penalty is unyielding for the offender, and the wrath of punishment is not to be postponed. For truly the angel ought not to have been disbelieved, nor the altar held in contempt, nor the time of incense considered a time of deceit; for the angel appeared to him as he was offering incense. He was not reminded of the story of Abraham; for then also a barren woman and old age bear a child, and the words were shown to be credible everywhere; for the wonder of such childbearing existed. Hence the angel says to him, "You will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words." O the humane punishment, which wrought correction rather! For the angel chastens the very voice that erred. For when he came out, he was unable to speak to them.

And they recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he was nodding to them, and remained mute. For the evangelist well wrote that he remained; for the silence awaited the voice being born, Zacharias awaited John, the old man awaited the child. O the wonder! The Word is at hand, and the voice proclaims him beforehand; the Master comes, and a servant is sent ahead. But why do I now speak prematurely of the herald of the desert, when I have another strange and great voice of the prooemia? For there are deeds first, superior to these words. For while the Baptist still dwelt in his mother's womb, while still held by the bonds of nature, while still wrapped in his mother's swaddling clothes, he proclaims the coming of the Master by a herald: For it happened, it says, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. Not yet born, and he speaks by his leaps; not yet permitted to cry out, and he is heard through deeds; not yet learning life, and he proclaims God beforehand. Truly, others have labored, and we have entered into their labors; the prophets cried out beforehand, and did not fall silent though struck; the list of patriarchs was in danger; tyrants arrayed themselves against them; kings waged war; the people raged; the whole world opposed the struggles of the righteous; here they were brought to tribunals, there they were torn by whips; from all sides came punishments and tortures. But John, finding himself in such a gloom of life, heralding the end of the storm, still bound by the swaddling clothes of nature, showed us the saving spring.

and hastening to proclaim with his voice what he had signified with his feet, he strained against the limits of nature; for he was troubling Elizabeth, who was slow to give birth. He was leaping, at once dancing and showing displeasure at being confined in the womb. He cried out against the cycle of months; he shook the womb as an unjust prison, and cried out with his leaps, uttering such words to Elizabeth: "You do wrong, O mother, by being slow to give birth, holding back the joy of the world and hindering the forerunner. You carry a prophet in your belly, you detain a royal soldier; you fetter the swift runner of piety. You do wrong, O mother; you do not know the future, you are ignorant of what is to come. The light is approaching, release the dawn; the sun will rise, the morning star will shine before it. The Word is at the doors, and the voice is needed; the bridegroom is near, and it is right that the bridal chamber be spread out in the Jordan. There is need of blood to ransom the world, and I must point out the lamb from afar. The race is swaddled in sins; the one who looses the fettered has come. There is need of a herald, so that all, learning, may go to meet the Master; and behold, you hold the forerunner in the womb. Therefore consider, mother, Adam held in Hades, the eternal groans of Eve; for the blood of Abel still cries out, pleading against the murder of Cain. The very elements groan with him. For this reason you were certainly delivered from the affliction of childlessness, so that the one from a barren woman might announce the one from a virgin; for this reason I leaped in the womb, so that the devil might no longer dance in the world.

Such things, then, did John signify to Elizabeth through his leaps while not yet born. And Elizabeth’s time for giving birth was fulfilled, and she bore a son, and her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias. And his mother answered and said, “He shall be called John.” They were nodding to his father as to what he might wish him to be called; and having asked for a small writing tablet, he wrote, saying, “John is his name.” And all marveled. And his mouth and tongue were immediately opened, and he spoke blessing God. Indeed, the infant is born, and the father’s voice returns; for thus the voice of John is shown to cry out, that even the name itself has proven to be an activity of voice. For I, he says, am a voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.” For having received the illumination of the Holy Spirit, he pointed out the maker through his works, and with a loud voice he pointed the finger at the creator to all, crying, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones.” But why does our present discourse also extend itself with the warm zeal of the infant? Let us now, if it seems good, restrain our tongue, which has sufficiently leaped along with the infant.

For it is good to proportion the exposition to the occasion, and to take delight in what has been said, but also to await the contemplation of what follows. For the Baptist did not force the limits of nature by his leaping, but he himself waited for the appropriate time, knowing that the Master would also fulfill this for us after him, crying out: The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water covers the seas, and from the rising of the sun to its setting my name has been glorified, and in every place a pure sacrifice is offered to my name. For no longer, according to the law, is there one temple that receives the sacrifices, that prides itself on them; but throughout the whole world Churches send up glory sincerely to God. There there was one priest for the year, mortal, and filled with every sin; now we have received as high priest of our souls Jesus Christ, who committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. For we have, it says, a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom is due all glory, honor, and worship, together with the Father and the all-holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.