Mystagogical Catechesis III: On the Chrismation
IIl On the Chrismation The reading is from the first Catholic Epistle of John, from "And you have an anointing from God and know all things," up to "And let us not be put to shame before him at his coming" (1 Jn 2.20-28).
Having been "baptized into Christ" and "having put on Christ"
(Gal 3.27) you have taken on the likeness of the Son of God. For when God "destined us for divine adoption" (Eph 1.5) he made us in "the likeness of the glory of the body of Christ" (Phil 3.21). Therefore, being "sharers of Christ" (Heb 3.14), we are rightly called "christs," and concerning us God said: "Stop touching my christs" (Ps 105.15).
You became christs when you received the sacramental representation of the Holy Spirit, and all things happened to you in images, since you are the images of Christ.
When that one had washed in the Jordan, and after he gave to the waters the fragrance of his divinity, he ascended from the waters and the Holy Spirit came upon him in substantial form, like resting upon like. In the same way to you also, when you ascended from the pool of the sacred waters, you received the anointing, the sacramental representation of Christ's anointing. And this is the Holy Spirit, concerning which in his prophecy blessed Isaiah spoke in the person of the Lord: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me and sent me to preach good news to the poor" (Is 61.1).
For Christ was not anointed by people with material oil or myron, but the Father, having appointed him Savior of the whole
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παντὸς κόσμου πνεύµατι ἔχρισεν ἁγίῳ ὡς Πέτρος φησίν: «Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ, ὃν ἔχρισεν ὁ θεὸς πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.» Καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ ὁ προφήτης ἐβόα λέγων: «ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα TOD ai@voc: ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου.Ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν: διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.»
Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Χριστὸς ἀληθῶς ἐσταυροῦτο καὶ ἐθάπτετο καὶ ἠγείρετο, ὑμεῖς δὲ κατὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐν ὁμοιώματι καὶ συσταυρωθῆναι καὶ συνταφῆναι καὶ συναναστῆναι αὐτῷ καταξιοῦσθε, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ χρίσµατος. Ἐκεῖνος ἐλαίῳ νοητῷ ἀγαλλιάσεως ἐχρίετο, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι πνεύµατι ἁγίῳ, ἀγαλλιάσεως καλουμένῳ διὰ τὸ αἴτιον αὐτὸ τῆς πνευματικῆς τυγχάνειν ἀγαλλιάσεως: ὑμεῖς δὲ μύρῳ ἐχρίσθητε, κοινωνοὶ καὶ μέτοχοι τοῦ
AXA' dpa μὴ ὑπονοήσῃς ἐκεῖνο τὸ μύρον ψιλὸν εἶναι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἄρτος τῆς εὐχαριστίας μετὰ τὴν ἐπίκλησιν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος οὐκ ἔτι ἄρτος λιτός, ἁλλὰ σῶμα Χριστοῦ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἅγιον τοῦτο μύρον οὐκ ἔτι ψιλὸν OVS' ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις κοινὸν LET' ἐπίκλησιν, ἀλλὰ Χριστοῦ χάρισμα καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου παρουσίᾳ τῆς αὐτοῦ θεότητος ἐνεργητικὸν γινόµενον. Ὥπερ συμβολικῶς
ἐπὶ μετώπου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων σου χρίεται αἰσθητηρίων. Καὶ τῷ μὲν φαινοµένῳ μύρῳ τὸ σῶμα χρίεται, τῷ δὲ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἀοράτῳ πνεύµατι ἡ ψυχἠ ἁγιάζεται.
Καὶ πρῶτον ἐχρίεσθε ἐπὶ τὸ µέτωπον, ἵνα ἀπαλλαγῆτε τῆς αἰσχύνης, ἣν ὁ πρῶτος παραβάτης ἄνθρωπος πανταχοῦ περιέφερε, καὶ ἵνα ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτρίζησθε. Εἶτα ἐπὶ ta ὦτα, ἵνα προσλάβητε τὰ ἀκουστικὰ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων wTa, περὶ ὧν Ἡσαῖας ἔλεγε: «καὶ προσέθηκέ µοι κύριος ὠτίον τοῦ ἀκούειν» καὶ ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἐν εὐαγγελίοις:
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On the Chrismation
world, anointed him with the Holy Spirit, as Peter says: "Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 10.38).
And David the prophet cried out, saying: "Your throne, O God, is from age to age; the scepter of justice is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. On account of this, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions" (Ps 45.6). And just as Christ was truly crucified and buried and raised up, and you, by means of baptism, were made worthy to be crucified, buried, and raised up in likeness, so also is it with the chrismation. For that one was anointed by the spiritual oil of gladness, that is, the Holy Spirit, who is rightly called "gladness," because he himself is the cause of receiving spiritual gladness. But you were anointed with myron, becoming sharers and companions of Christ.
Stop supposing that this visible myron is ordinary oil. For just as the bread of the Eucharist, after the invocation of the Holy Spirit is no longer ordinary bread, but the body of Christ, so also this holy myron is no longer ordinary, which is to say, common, after the invocation, but it is the gift of Christ and the Holy Spirit being accomplished by the coming of his divinity. For symbolizing this you were anointed on your forehead and your other senses. And your body was anointed with visible myron but your soul was sanctified by the Holy and invisible Spirit.
And first you were anointed on your forehead, that you might be freed from shame, which the first disobedient man carried everywhere, and so that "with an unveiled face you might reflect the glory of the Lord" (2 Cof 3.18). Next, upon your ears, so that you might receive ears for the hearing of the divine mysteries, concerning which Isaiah said, "The Lord has set my ear to hear" (Is 50.4), and the
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«ὁ ἔχων Ota ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.» Εἶτα ἐπὶ τὴν ὄσφρῆσιν, ὅπως τοῦ θείου ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι μύρου λέγητε: «Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ ἐν τοῖς σωζοµένοις» Meta ταῦτα ἐπὶ τὰ στήθη ἵνα «ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης στῆτε πρὸς τὰς
µεθοδείας τοῦ διαβόλου.» Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Σωτὴρ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐπιφοίτησιν ἐξελθὼν κατηγωνίσατο τὸν ἀντικείμενον, οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς μετὰ τὸ ἱερὸν βάπτισμα καὶ τὸ μυστικὸν χρῖσμα ἐνδεδυμένοι τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἵστασθε πρὸς τὴν ἀντικειμένην δύναμιν καὶ ταύτην καταγωνίζεσθε, λέγοντες' «πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί µε
Τούτου τοῦ ἁγίου χρίσµατος καταξιωθέντες καλεῖσθε χριστιανοί, ἐπαληθεύοντες τῇ ἀναγεννήσει καὶ τὸ ὄνομα. Πρὸ γὰρ τοῦ καταξιωθῆναι ὑμᾶς τοῦ βαπτίσματος καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάριτος, ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας κυρίως οὐκ ἦτε ἄξιοι, ἀλλ᾽ ὁδεύοντες προεβαίνετε εἰς τὸ εἶναι χριστιανοί.
Eidévat δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀναγκαῖον, ὅτι τοῦ χρίσµατος τούτου ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ γραφῇ τὸ σύμβολον κεῖται. Καὶ γὰρ ὁπηνίκα τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πρόσταγμα Μωσῆς τῷ ἀδελφῷ µετεδίδου, ἀρχιερέα καθιστῶν τοῦτον, μετὰ τὸ ἐν ὕδατι λούσασθαι ἔχρισε, καὶ ἐκαλεῖτο χριστὸς ἐκ τοῦ χρίσµατος δηλαδὴ τοῦ τυπικοῦ. Οὕτω καὶ τὸν Σολομῶνα προάγων εἰς βασιλέα, ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν μετὰ τὸ λούσασθαι ἐν τῷ
Γειὼν ὁ ἀρχιερεύς. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκείνοις συνέβαινε τυπικῶς, ὑμῖν δὲ οὐ τυπικῶς AAA' ἀληθῶς ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐχρίεσθε ἀληθῶς. Ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας ὁ Χριστός: ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἀπαρχή, καὶ ὑμεῖς τὸ φύραμα: εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀπαρχὴ ayia, δηλονότι µεταβήσεται ἐπὶ τὸ φύραμα ἡ ἁγιότης.
56 Σωτὴρ P: Χριστὸς C 60 δύναμιν C : ἐνέργειαν P 65-66 τοῦ βαπτίσματος καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος P : ταύτης τῆς ο
66 ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας C 67 κυρίως before ἄξιοι Ρ 76 ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐχρίεσθε C : ἁγίῳ πνεύματι χρισθέντος P
On the Chrismation
Lord Jesus says in the Gospels, "Let the one having ears, hear" (Mt 11.15). Next, upon the nostrils, that having sensed the divine myron, you might say, "We are to God the sweet smell of Christ among those who are saved" (2 Cor 2.15). After these upon the breast that "having put on the breastplate of righteousness, you might stand against the tricks of the devil" (Eph 6.14, 11). For just as the Savior, after his baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him, went out and conquered the adversary, so also you, after the holy baptism and the mystic chrism, having put on the armor of the Holy Spirit, stand against the adversary's power and conquer it, saying, "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4.13).
5 | Having become worthy of this holy chrismation you are called "Christians," confirming the truth of the name by your new birth.
For before you had become worthy of baptism and this grace of the Holy Spirit, you were not yet worthy of this proper title, but were advancing on the way toward becoming Christians.
And it is necessary for you to know that the symbol of this chrismation is contained in the Old Testament. For at the time when
Moses gave over the commandments of God to his brother, making him high priest, after he washed himself in water, Moses anointed him, and he was called a "christ, clearly from the figure of the chrismation. So also in establishing Solomon in his kingdom, the high priest anointed him after he washed himself in Gihon (1 Kg 1.39).
But these things happened to them only in a figure, but for you not figuratively but really, inasmuch as you have been really anointed by the Holy Spirit. Christ is the beginning of your salvation. For he is truly the first fruits and you are the multitude (Rom 11.16); if the first fruits are holy, the holiness will clearly pass to the multitude.
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Tovto φυλάξατε domAov: πάντων yap ἔοται τοῦτο διδακτικόν, εἰ ἐν ὑμῖν µένοι, καθὼς ἀρτίως ἠκούσατε τοῦ µακαρίου Ἰωάννου λέγοντος καὶ πολλὰ περὶ τοῦ χρίσµατος φιλοσοφοῦντος. Ἔστι γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ ἅγιον πνευματικὸν σώματος φυλακτήριον καὶ ψυχῆς σωτήριον.
Τοῦτο ἐκ παλαιῶν χρόνων ὁ µακάριος Ἡσαῖας προφητεύων ἔλεγε: «καὶ ποιήσει κύριος πᾶσιν ἔθνεσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τοῦτο» ( ὄρος δὲ καλεῖ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ: «καὶ ἔσται ἐν
ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐμφανὲς τὸ ὄρος κυρίου»), «πίονται οἶνον, πίονται εὐφροσύνην, χρίσονται μύρον» Καὶ ἵνα ἀσφαλίσηταί σε, ἄκουε ἃ περὶ τοῦ μύρου τούτου ὡς μυστικοῦ φησί: «παράδος ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν: ἡ γὰρ βουλὴ τοῦ κυρίου ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη.»
Τούτῳ οὖν χρισθέντες τῷ ἁγίῳ μύρῳ τηρήσατε αὐτὸ ἄσπιλον καὶ ἅμωμον ἐν ὑμῖν, δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν προκόπτοντες καὶ εὐάρεστοι γινόµενοι τῷ ἀρχηγῷ τῆς σωτηρίας ὑμῶν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἁμήν.
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On the Chrismation
Keep this pure. For this will be the teacher of all things, if it remains in you, as you have just heard blessed John saying, who philosophizes a great deal about the chrismation. For this holy
[chrismation] is for the spiritual protection of your body and for the salvation of your soul.
This is from ancient times; blessed Isaiah said, prophesying: "And the Lord will make for all nations [a feast] on this mountain" (and elsewhere he also calls the mountain the Church, as when he says,
"And in the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be revealed" [Is 2.2]). "They will drink wine, drink gladness, and be anointed with myron" (Is 25.6). And that he might make you certain, listen to what he says about this myron as mystical: "Deliver these things to all the nations, for the plan of the Lord is for all the nations" (Is 25.7).
Being anointed with this holy myron, then, keep it pure and unblemished in yourselves, progressing forward in good works and becoming pleasing to the "pioneer of your salvation" (Heb 2.10),
Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.
IV DEBE ONAL yak
Καὶ ἀνάγνωσις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Κορινθίους Παύλου ἐπιστολῆς: «Εγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ὃ καὶ παρέδωκα ὑμῖν» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.
Καὶ αὕτη τοῦ µακαρίου Παύλου ἡ διδασκαλία ἱκανὴ καθέστηκε πληροφορῆσαι ὑμᾶς περὶ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων, ὧν κατηξιώθητε σύσσωμοι καὶ σύναιμοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόνατε. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀρτίως ἐβόα. «Ότι ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ παρεδίδοτο ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς
Χριστός, λαβὼν ἄρτον καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασε καὶ ἔδωκε τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς λέγων: λάβετε, φάγετε, τοῦτό μού ἐστι τὸ σῶμα.
Καὶ λαβὼν τὸ ποτήριον καὶ εὐχαριστήσας eine: λάβετε, πίετε, τοῦτό μού ἐστι τὸ αἷμα.» Αὐτοῦ οὖν ἀποφηναμένου καὶ εἰπόντος περὶ τοῦ ἄρτου «τοῦτό μού ἐστι τὸ σῶμα», τίς τολμήσει ἀμφιβάλλειν λοιπόν; Καὶ αὐτοῦ βεβαιωσαμένου καὶ εἰρηκότος «τοῦτό μού ἐστι τὸ αἷμαρ τίς ἐνδοιάσει ποτὲ λέγων μὴ εἶναι αὐτοῦ TO αἷμα;
To ὕδωρ mote εἰς οἶνον οἰκείῳ νεύματι µεταβέβληκεν ἐν Kava τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόπιστός ἐστιν οἶνον εἰς αἷμα μεταβαλὼν;
Εἰς γάµον σωματικὸν κληθεὶς ταύτην ἐθαυματούργησε τὴν παραδοξοποῖῖαν, καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ νυμφῶνος οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος δωρησάµενος ὁμολογηθήσεται;
5 κατηξιώθητε Ρ: καταξιωθέντες C 6 ἀρτίως 6: ἄρτι Ρ 13 βεβαιωσαμένου C : διαβεβαιωσαμένου Ρ 16 μεταβαλὼν before εἰς αἷμα C