On the Day of Lights 597–599
Greek text: PG 46 (OCR by the Bavarian State Library / Google Books; lines extracted for this site).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 597
597PG 46:597–598
ἵνα πρὸς ὁμοιότητα τοῦ πατρὸς ἑαυτοὺς μορφοῦντες καὶ σχηματίζοντες, γνήσιοι φαινώμεθα παῖδες τοῦ πρὸς τὴν εἰσποίησιν ἡμᾶς τὴν κατὰ χάριν καλέσαντος. Φαῦλον γὰρ κατηγόρημα ὁ νόθος καὶ ὑποβολιμαῖος, τὴν πατρικὴν εὐγένειαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων ψευδόμενος. Διό μοι δοκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις τοὺς τοῦ βίου κανόνας διατάττων ἡμῖν, ἐκείνοις χρῆσθαι πρὸς τοὺς μαθητευομένους τοῖς λόγοις, Καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ διωκόντων, ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους. Υἱοὺς γὰρ τότε γίνεσθαι λέγει, ὅταν τῆς πατρικῆς ἀγαθότητος τὴν ὁμοίωσιν ἐν τῇ πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῖς οἰκείοις λογισμοῖς ἐντυπώσωνται. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ μετὰ τὸ τῆς υἱοθεσίας ἀξίωμα, καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἡμῖν ἐπιβουλεύει σφοδρότερον· βασκάνῳ τηκόμενος ὀφθαλμῶ, ὅταν βλέπῃ τοῦ νεογενοῦς ἀνθρώπου τὸ κάλλος, σπεύδοντος πρὸς τὴν ἐπουράνιον πολιτείαν, ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἐκεῖνος ἐξέπεσε· καὶ πυρώδεις ἡμῖν ἐπεγείρει τοὺς πειρασμούς, συλῆσαι σπουδάζων καὶ τὴν δευτέραν ἐπικόσμησιν, ὡς τὸν κόσμον τὸν πρότερον. ᾿Αλλ' ὅταν αἰσθώμεθα τῶν ἐκείνου προσβολῶν, προσῆκε τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ῥῆσιν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιλέγειν· Ὅσοι εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθημεν, εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν. Εἰ δὲ σύμμορφοι τοῦ θανάτου γεγόναμεν, νεκρὰ πάντως λοιπὸν ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ ἁμαρτία, τῷ σειρομάστῃ διελαθεῖσα τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὡς ὁ πόρνος ἐκεῖνος παρὰ ζηλωτοῦ τοῦ Φινεές. Φεῦγε τοίνυν ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν, δυσώνυμε· νεκρὸν γὰρ θέλεις συλεύειν, τὸν πάλαι σοι συνταξάμενον, τὸν ἀπολέσαντα πάλαι πρὸς τὰς ἡδονὰς τὰς αἰσθήσεις. Νεκρὸς σωμάτων οὐκ ἐρᾷ, νεκρὸς οὐχ ἁλίσκεται πλούτῳ, νεκρὸς οὐ συκοφαντεῖ, νεκρὸς οὐ ψεύδεται, οὐχ ἁρπάζει τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα, οὐ λοιδορεῖται τοῖς προστυγχάνουσι. Πρὸς ἄλλην μοι ζωὴν ὁ βίος ἐκανονίσθη ἐπαιδεύθην τῶν ἐγκοσμίων καταφρονεῖν, τὰ γήϊνα παρατρέχειν, καὶ σπεύδειν πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια, καθὼς καὶ Παῦλος διαρρήδην μαρτύρεται, ὅτι κόσμος ἐκείνῳ ἐσταύρωται, κἀκεῖνος τῷ κόσμῳ. Ταῦτα ψυχῆς ἀληθῶς ἀναγεννηθείσης τὰ ῥήματα· αὗται τοῦ νεοτελοῦς ἀνθρώπου φωναὶ, τοῦ μεμνημένου τῆς οἰκείας ὁμολογίας, ἣν ἐν τῇ παραδόσει τοῦ μυστηρίου πρὸς Θεὸν ἐποιήσατο, πάσης καὶ τιμωρίας καὶ ἡδονῆς ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης καταφρονεῖν ὑποσχόμενος. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν αὐτάρκως πρὸς τὴν ἱερὰν τῆς ἡμέρας ὑπόθεσιν, ἣν ὁ κυκλωθεὶς ἐνιαυτὸς τεταγμέναις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἤνεγκε περιόδοις. Καλὸν δὲ λοιπὸν τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ τῆς τοσαύτης δωρεᾶς χορηγῷ προσαναπαῦσαι τὸν λόγον, φωνὴν ὀλίγην ὑπὲρ πραγμάτων μεγάλων τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀντεισφέροντας. Σὺ γὰρ ἀληθῶς ὑπάρχεις, Δέσποτα, καθαρὰ καὶ ἀένναος τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης πηγὴ, ὃς ἀπεστράφης ἡμᾶς δικαίως,
hina pros homoiotēta tou patros heautous morphountes kai schēmatizontes, gnēsioi phainōmetha paides tou pros tēn eispoiēsin hēmas tēn kata charin kalesantos. Phaulon gar katēgorēma ho nothos kai hypobolimaios, tēn patrikēn eugeneian epi tōn ergōn pseudomenos. Dio moi dokei kai autos ho Kyrios en Euangeliois tous tou biou kanonas diatattōn hēmin, ekeinois chrēsthai pros tous mathēteuomenous tois logois, Kalōs poieite tois misousin hymas, proseuchesthe hyper tōn epēreazontōn hymas kai diōkontōn, hopōs genēsthe huioi tou Patros hymōn tou en ouranois, hoti ton hēlion autou anatellei epi ponērous kai agathous, kai brechei epi dikaious kai adikous. Huious gar tote ginesthai legei, hotan tēs patrikēs agathotētos tēn homoiōsin en tę̄ pros tous homophylous philanthrōpią tois oikeiois logismois entypōsōntai. Dia touto kai meta to tēs huiothesias axiōma, kai ho diabolos hēmin epibouleuei sphodroteron; baskanǭ tēkomenos ophthalmō, hotan blepę̄ tou neogenous anthrōpou to kallos, speudontos pros tēn epouranion politeian, aph᾿ hēs ekeinos exepese; kai pyrōdeis hēmin epegeirei tous peirasmous, sylēsai spoudazōn kai tēn deuteran epikosmēsin, hōs ton kosmon ton proteron. ᾿All' hotan aisthōmetha tōn ekeinou prosbolōn, prosēke tēn apostolikēn rhēsin heautois epilegein; Hosoi eis Christon ebaptisthēmen, eis ton thanaton autou ebaptisthēmen. Ei de symmorphoi tou thanatou gegonamen, nekra pantōs loipon en hēmin hē hamartia, tǭ seiromastę̄ dielatheisa tou baptismatos, hōs ho pornos ekeinos para zēlōtou tou Phinees. Pheuge toinyn aph᾿ hēmōn, dysōnyme; nekron gar theleis syleuein, ton palai soi syntaxamenon, ton apolesanta palai pros tas hēdonas tas aisthēseis. Nekros sōmatōn ouk erą, nekros ouch halisketai ploutǭ, nekros ou sykophantei, nekros ou pseudetai, ouch harpazei ta mē prosēkonta, ou loidoreitai tois prostynchanousi. Pros allēn moi zōēn ho bios ekanonisthē epaideuthēn tōn enkosmiōn kataphronein, ta gēïna paratrechein, kai speudein pros ta ourania, kathōs kai Paulos diarrēdēn martyretai, hoti kosmos ekeinǭ estaurōtai, kakeinos tǭ kosmǭ. Tauta psychēs alēthōs anagennētheisēs ta rhēmata; hautai tou neotelous anthrōpou phōnai, tou memnēmenou tēs oikeias homologias, hēn en tę̄ paradosei tou mystēriou pros Theon epoiēsato, pasēs kai timōrias kai hēdonēs hyper tēs eis auton agapēs kataphronein hyposchomenos. Tauta men oun autarkōs pros tēn hieran tēs hēmeras hypothesin, hēn ho kyklōtheis eniautos tetagmenais pros hēmas ēnenke periodois. Kalon de loipon tǭ philanthrōpǭ tēs tosautēs dōreas chorēgǭ prosanapausai ton logon, phōnēn oligēn hyper pragmatōn megalōn tēn amoibēn anteispherontas. Sy gar alēthōs hyparcheis, Despota, kathara kai aennaos tēs agathōsynēs pēgē, hos apestraphēs hēmas dikaiōs,
so that, forming and fashioning ourselves to the likeness of the Father, we may appear genuine children of him who called us to adoption by grace. For the bastard and supposititious child is a sorry thing to be charged with, belying his father’s nobility by his deeds. That is why, it seems to me, the Lord himself, when setting out for us in the Gospels the rules of life, used these words to his disciples: “Do good to those who hate you; pray for those who mistreat and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” For he says they become sons when they imprint on their own thoughts the likeness of the Father’s goodness by kindness towards their fellows. For this reason too, after the dignity of adoption, the devil plots against us more violently, wasting away with an envious eye when he sees the beauty of the newborn man hastening to the heavenly commonwealth from which he himself fell; and he raises fiery temptations against us, eager to strip off our second adornment as well, as he did the first. But when we perceive his assaults, we should say over ourselves the apostolic saying: “All of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death.” And if we have been conformed to his death, sin in us is from now on altogether dead, run through by the javelin of baptism, as that sexually immoral man was by the zealous Phinehas. Flee from us, then, ill-named one; for you seek to despoil a corpse, one who long ago was joined to you, who long ago lost his senses for pleasures. A corpse does not lust for bodies, a corpse is not caught by wealth, a corpse does not slander, a corpse does not lie, does not seize what does not belong to it, does not abuse those it meets. My life has been ruled towards another life; I have been taught to despise the things of the world, to pass by earthly things, and to hasten towards heavenly ones, as Paul too expressly testifies that the world has been crucified to him, and he to the world. These are the words of a soul truly regenerated; these are the utterances of the newly initiated man who remembers his own profession, which he made to God at the handing down of the mystery, promising to despise every torment and pleasure for love of him. Let this, then, suffice for the sacred subject of the day, which the circling year has brought round to us in its appointed courses. It is good now to let our discourse rest in the bountiful Giver of so great a gift, offering in return a small word for great things. For you, Master, are truly the pure and ever-flowing spring of goodness, who justly turned away from us,
Matt 5:44 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:45 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 25:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 6:14 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The 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.
- “Do good to those who hate you …”: Matt 5:44–45 (cf. Luke 6:27–28). “All of us who were baptized …”: Rom 6:3; “conformed to his death”: Rom 6:5; Phil 3:10. Phinehas: Num 25:7–8. “The world has been crucified to him …”: Gal 6:14. “Was joined to you” (συνταξάμενον): the old, sinful self, now dead, is meant.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR split word; end of a word split at the page break, joined to the previous page): ματα, ἵνα πρὸς → ἵνα πρὸς; σω μάτων → σωμάτων.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Lum. 597 (PG 46:597–598; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-diem-luminum/597). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-diem-luminum/597
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 46 (Bavarian State Library OCR); compared afterwards with NPNF2 5 where it exists, otherwise re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 599
599PG 46:599–600
καὶ ἠλέησας φιλανθρώπως. Ἐμίσησας, καὶ διηλλάγης· κατηράσω, καὶ ηὐλόγησας· ἐξώρισας τοῦ παραδείσου, καὶ πάλιν ἀνεκαλέσω· ἐξέδυσας τὰ φύλλα τῆς συκῆς τὴν ἀσχήμονα σκέπην, καὶ περιέβαλες ἱμάτιον πολύτιμον ἤνοιξας τὸ δεσμωτήριον, καὶ ἀφῆκας τοὺς κατακεκριμένους· ἐῤῥάντισας ὕδατι καθαρῷ, καὶ τῶν ῥύπων ἐκάθαρας. Οὐκέτι καλούμενος παρὰ σοῦ ὁ ᾿Ἀδὰμ αἰσχυνθήσεται, οὐδὲ παρὰ τοῦ συνειδότος έλεγχόμενος ἐγκαλύψεται, ὑπὸ τῇ λόχμῃ τοῦ παραδείσου κρυπτόμενος. Οὔτε μὴν ἡ φλογίνη ῥομφαία κυκλώσει τὸν παράδεισον, ἀπρόσιτον τοῖς ἐγγίζουσι ποιοῦσα τὴν εἴσοδον· πάντα δὲ ἡμῖν τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς ἁμαρτίας μετεσκευάσθη πρὸς εὐφροσύνην· καὶ βατὸς μὲν ἀνθρώπῳ παράδεισος, καὶ οὐρανὸς αὐτός· συνηρμόσθη δὲ εἰς φιλίαν ἡ κτίσις, ἡ ἐγκόσμιός τε καὶ ὑπερκόσμιος, πάλαι πρὸς ἑαυτὴν στασιάζουσα· καὶ ἀγγέλοις οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐγενόμεθα σύμφωνοι, τὴν ἐκείνων εὐσεβοῦντες θεολογίαν. Διὰ δὴ ταῦτα πάντα, τὸν τῆς χαρᾶς ὕμνον ἄσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, ὃν στόμα τῷ Πνεύματι κάτοχον πάλαι προφητικῶς ἐξεβόησεν· ᾿Αγαλλιάσθω ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐνέδυσε γάρ με ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου, καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης περιέβαλέ μοι ὡς νυμφίῳ περιέθηκέ μοι μίτραν, καὶ ὡς νύμφην κατεκόσμησέ με κόσμῳ. Κοσμήτωρ δὲ πάντως τῆς νύμφης ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ ὢν, καὶ προὼν, καὶ ἐσόμενος, εὐλογητὸς νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Αμήν.
kai ēleēsas philanthrōpōs. Emisēsas, kai diēllagēs; katērasō, kai ēulogēsas; exōrisas tou paradeisou, kai palin anekalesō; exedysas ta phylla tēs sykēs tēn aschēmona skepēn, kai periebales himation polytimon ēnoixas to desmōtērion, kai aphēkas tous katakekrimenous; errhantisas hydati katharǭ, kai tōn rhypōn ekatharas. Ouketi kaloumenos para sou ho ᾿Adam aischynthēsetai, oude para tou syneidotos elenchomenos enkalypsetai, hypo tę̄ lochmę̄ tou paradeisou kryptomenos. Oute mēn hē phloginē rhomphaia kyklōsei ton paradeison, aprositon tois engizousi poiousa tēn eisodon; panta de hēmin tois klēronomois tēs hamartias meteskeuasthē pros euphrosynēn; kai batos men anthrōpǭ paradeisos, kai ouranos autos; synērmosthē de eis philian hē ktisis, hē enkosmios te kai hyperkosmios, palai pros heautēn stasiazousa; kai angelois hoi anthrōpoi egenometha symphōnoi, tēn ekeinōn eusebountes theologian. Dia dē tauta panta, ton tēs charas hymnon asōmen tǭ Theǭ, hon stoma tǭ Pneumati katochon palai prophētikōs exeboēsen; ᾿Agalliasthō hē psychē mou epi tǭ Kyriǭ, enedyse gar me himation sōtēriou, kai chitōna euphrosynēs periebale moi hōs nymphiǭ periethēke moi mitran, kai hōs nymphēn katekosmēse me kosmǭ. Kosmētōr de pantōs tēs nymphēs ho Christos, ho ōn, kai proōn, kai esomenos, eulogētos nyn kai eis tous aiōnas. Amēn.
and in your love for mankind had mercy on us. You hated, and were reconciled; you cursed, and blessed; you banished from paradise, and called back again; you stripped off the fig leaves, an unseemly covering, and clothed us in a costly garment; you opened the prison and released the condemned; you sprinkled us with clean water and cleansed us from our filth. No longer will Adam be ashamed when you call him, nor, convicted by his conscience, will he hide himself, concealed in the thicket of paradise. Nor will the flaming sword encircle paradise, making the entrance inaccessible to those who draw near; but everything has been changed into gladness for us, the heirs of sin: paradise is open to man, and heaven itself; the creation, the worldly and the supramundane, long at strife with itself, has been fitted together in friendship; and we men have become of one voice with the angels, devoutly offering their theology. For all these things, then, let us sing to God the hymn of joy which a mouth possessed by the Spirit cried out long ago in prophecy: “Let my soul rejoice in the Lord; for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation and put on me the tunic of gladness; as on a bridegroom he has set a mitre on me, and as a bride he has adorned me with ornament.” And the adorner of the bride is surely Christ, who is, and was before, and is to come, blessed now and for ever. Amen.
Gen 3:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Ezek 36:25 (echo, medium confidence) · Isa 61:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Rev 1:8 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gregory 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.
- The fig leaves and garment: Gen 3:7, 21; Adam hiding: Gen 3:8–10; the flaming sword: Gen 3:24; “clean water”: Ezek 36:25. “Let my soul rejoice …”: Isa 61:10. “Who is, and was before, and is to come”: Rev 1:4, 8 (Gregory writes “was before”). “Their theology”: the angels’ praise of God (Isa 6:3).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misreading): συχῆς → συκῆς.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Lum. 599 (PG 46:599–600; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-diem-luminum/599). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-diem-luminum/599
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-diem-luminum-599) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 46 (Bavarian State Library OCR); compared afterwards with NPNF2 5 where it exists, otherwise re-read against the Greek.