On the Day of Lights

Contents

Reading pages: 577–595 · 597–599

1. 577Gregory rejoices to see his congregation gathered in full for the feast of Christ’s baptism, applying Isaiah’s oracles about the populous Church.
2. 579Gregory greets the baptized and the catechumens, states the purpose of Christ’s birth and baptism, and defines baptism as cleansing and spiritual rebirth, not the physical rebirth Nicodemus imagined.
3. 581Gregory explains that the grace of baptism comes from God’s command and the Spirit, not from the water, and compares the consecrated altar, the eucharistic bread, oil, wine, and the ordained priest.
4. 583Biblical examples of common matter used by God for miracles show how ordinary water, blessed by grace, gives rebirth; God’s working is beyond human understanding.
5. 585Water and the three immersions imitate Christ’s three days in the earth, and the baptismal formula shows that Father, Son, and Spirit give one sanctification, against those who deny the Spirit’s glory.
6. 587An analogy of three ransomers rebukes those who rank the three persons unequally; Gregory then begins the Old Testament types of baptism: Hagar’s well, Rebekah at the well, and Isaac’s wells.
7. 589Further types of baptism: Jacob rolling the stone from the well (Christ the stone), Jacob’s rods, Moses set by the water, and the crossing of the Red Sea.
8. 591Types of baptism in the crossing of the Jordan, Joshua’s twelve stones, Elijah’s sacrifice drenched three times with water, and Naaman’s washing in the Jordan.
9. 593Prophecies of baptism in words: Isaiah, David, Ezekiel’s clean water, Zechariah’s change of garments, and Isaiah’s rejoicing wilderness and Jordan.
10. 595The Father’s voice at the baptism was foretold in Psalm 29; Gregory calls the newly baptized to show their rebirth by a changed life, like Zacchaeus, Matthew, and Paul.
11. 597The reborn must imitate the Father’s goodness; when the devil attacks, they should answer that they died with Christ in baptism and are dead to sin. Gregory turns to a closing thanksgiving.
12. 599Gregory closes with thanksgiving to God for reversing the curse of Adam through baptism, and with Isaiah’s hymn of the soul clothed as a bride.