Oration 3
On the Eve of the Feast of Lights
By St. Theodore the Studite
On the Eve of the Feast of Lights
By St. Theodore the Studite
Come let us behold the courtyards of the [festival of] Lights, with reflections that are very bright. Let us also enter the waters to become partakers of their rich divine radiance. And after we have become light-bearers with the Holy Spirit, let us honor the cause of light, Jesus, the radiance of the glory of the Father, thanking Him with our entire soul. The Israelites were purified before, that is, when they were about to approach the mountain burning with fire, seeing the complete darkness and storm, but yet they did not ascend, because it was not safe, rather they remained below terrified by the various terrors of God.
And Moses loosened his earthly shoes, wanting to approach the God-trodden earth, when he was wonderfully immersed in the exalted vision of the fiery bush, which foreshadowed a greater mystery. The same with Joshua of Nun, who was commanded by the angel not to approach that ground at all wearing shoes, for the reverence of the holy land. But what did all three children do? Did they not expose themselves to the all-consuming fire, with purified souls and bodies, when the caustic energy was transformed for them into a refreshing one? With such a great miracle of God were these saints rewarded. That is, to coexist around them at the same time, these two opposite energies! And Daniel, the "man pleasing to the Spirit"? Had he not prepared himself with the purifying fast, and so remained in the pit with the lions, receiving his body again completely harmless?
But do you want me to convey the discourse to you from the New Testament? Look at Paul, the great preacher of truth, how he prepared himself for three days and nights with fasting and long prayers, and then he put on Christ, the true light. See also the evangelist Matthew, how he utilized his possessions. He renounced these too, and abandoned all unfinished customs matters, and thus came to be a disciple of Jesus. And I have not yet mentioned Zacchaeus, who first elevated himself physically and mentally, and thus was worthy to host Jesus. And along with his great promise, he was also worthy of a higher style of address. But Cornelius, after praying and fasting for four days, then saw the angel who brought him the glad tidings, and thus saw his hopes realized. And you, O friend, to leave the others for now, who wish to approach the divine things not without reverence and much preparation, will you approach thus simply, without preparation, to the superluminous mystery, through which you were born spiritually and were called a son of light? And are you not afraid lest you suffer the same as he who attempts to behold the sun with weak eyes?
But well, I think, these things were foretold and formulated. Let us now proceed, as far as we can, to the prophecies, and let us see with purified eyes how the theology of the true Light, which arose through the Nativity, is gradually revealed until the day of the light-originating Baptism. Let us also pray that our minds may be enlightened now, as they will follow the events historically, and that our speech may be able to express appropriately the secret content of each ceremony. As soon then as the supersubstantial One was born of the Virgin, angels appeared who were hymning the mystery. But let us examine it more deeply. Why did this happen? So that it may be known to all that He whom the angels praised as the Creator at the beginning of the creation of the stars, the same One they praise and glorify now that they see Him receiving, by birth, our own form. For this reason a star announces Him to all, which indeed seems to surpass the nature of the other stars, both in the way it moves and in the fact that it shines even during the day. And what is the purpose of this? To show that he who was born is supernatural, man according to what is seen, but God according to what is understood. From this is also derived the proposition of circumcision, which is not without theological merit for those who try to investigate. It is quite obvious that the name Jesus, which was given to Him at that time according to the prophecy of Gabriel, characterizes a divine nature, because it means Savior. And let not the theomachs resort to his synonymy with Joshua of Num, hastening to give his own explanation, because to him the name was given relatively and not literally as to God the Word. For not even all who are called lords so by nature. Many are also called gods, but are not by nature gods. But there is one Lord, one God, the true one by nature. So also many bear the name Jesus, but one is Jesus who is the Savior of all.
Then He was led to Jerusalem. And we know what the words of Symeon are, who received Him in his arms: "For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples" and "a light for revelation to the Gentiles", and whatever other characterization he gave Him, are also theologized for the Father. Because the Father has also been called both Savior and light by the scholars. And whatever has the same characterization, declares the same nature. Indeed, the Son also says to the Father: "And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine" (Jn. 17:10). We confess that this reversal is valid, as regards the essence, not the hypostases distinguished between them. For this opinion belongs to the confusion of Sabellius, which we have rejected.
He then descended into Egypt, and indeed secretly. But listen to what Isaiah says: “Behold, the Lord sits upon a swift cloud, and comes into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall tremble at His presence” (Is. 19:1). It is evident that here he means that the One who descended there is the incarnate God. He returns after Egypt, and chooses to dwell in Nazareth, from which He also received His name. But do not be dizzy with thoughts, hearing about the descent and ascent of God, about local movement and transition. If indeed the Word had not received a body, it would be natural for the mind to be shaken and to be troubled. But since He received a body, none of these things are unheard of and inconsistent. For as "God was manifested in the flesh," so also "God in the flesh" passes from one place to another and accepts all the peculiarities of incarnate life. Later, when He was twelve years old, He sat among the teachers as an expert, and amazed those who listened to Him with the questions He addressed to them, and with His wise answers. And who, of course, could speak so exquisitely at this age, except the incarnate God? But even when He was questioned by His mother, who asked Him, wanting to hear from His mouth to reveal to her His most glorious Father, He gave her the answer as well.
Do you see how, by the stylization of the narrative, the logical content of the events was revealed? And how the Lord of glory was praised in each of them, like a King who comes out of the palace chambers, that is, the maternal womb, and travels honorably from place to place? So rightly did the son of thunder, John, exclaim: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). But what shall we say about the messenger of God who came from the wilderness, John, this strange and longed-for sight for the Israelites, who was ordained an apostle before the Apostles? But such a great King should have such a soldier, this great Prophet the greatest High Priest. And let us understand what and how great a mystery we have before us: for it was unseemly, while the conductor of the bride is present, for the Bridegroom to be absent, and while the voice cries out, for the Word not to be heard, so what happens, how did God manage it? John is somewhat confined to obscurity from his infancy, living supernaturally like a “lamp under a bushel” in the desert. And there he hears a divine voice, and is deemed to see divine visions. He is initiated into the mysteries and taught, as when he was still a fetus, who Jesus is, that is, that He is the Son of God, and that He on whom he will see spiritually a dove "descending and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes in the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 1:33).
And when “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” was fulfilled, and the period of the thirty-year extension came to an end, then behold the lamp on the lampstand was burning, and giving light to all who were in the house, if we understand by house the Israelite Synagogue. And then the true light that illuminates the world appeared. O the miracle! The sun to the star, the word to the voice, the bridegroom to the friend, because this was the plan of the divine Economy, so that in this way of approach “all righteousness” would be fulfilled in the person of Jesus, and to speak evangelically, the one must increase, while the other must decrease. Indeed, how could it not be possible for the light of the lamp to be diminished, or even to be withdrawn altogether, since the Sun of righteousness, with its miracles, was already shining splendidly? Do you see how much time it took for Jesus to be physically perfected, during which time He was subject to his parents? “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God”! Why? Those who are high in ascents of divine vision, and know the depths of the Spirit, let each one give his own explanation. In my own opinion, however, for two reasons: that the legislator of all legislators, by His own submission, might legislate the obedience of children to their parents, and that He might sanctify all the stages of life, and thirdly, that the perfect man might not display any life alien to our own and unlike it, since He wished to present to us the perfect way of life. For even now, although He had reached the age of perfect manhood, Arius dared to declare that His body was without a soul, and Apollinarius, following his predecessor in impiety, to babble that our Lord had no mind, and the new Manichaean, reaching the height of impiety, to dogmatize that he should not be depicted. And let us see how great is the difference between the one and the other. He who gives the characterization of the soulless, removes life from the body of the Lord. For whatever is devoid of a soul is certainly also outside of life. And he who babbles that the Lord is mindless, numbers Him with the irrational nature. For everything that has no mind is also irrational. And the other who maintains that He should not be depicted, completely denies the corporeal nature of the Lord's body. For since He cannot depicted, it means that He is incorporeal. Indeed, if He has a body, and every body can be touched, and has a certain color, it necessarily follows that He can also be depicted, unless of course we are exaggerating. For if He cannot be depicted, then undoubtedly He goes beyond the limits of the corporeal, and belongs to the nature of the incorporeal. Nothing, it seems, can restrain the language that disrespects, when it is supported by the power of authority.
But let us raise our gaze to the prophetic visions, and let us see how the most holy baptism is prefigured in them. For this is what the continuation of the discourse calls us to. So what does Isaiah say? Let us mention selectively. “For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert” (Is. 35:6). That is, he addresses human nature, which is a desert in terms of fruitfulness, which presupposes faith and good works. And therefore, because it thirsts for the water of adoption, the water of Baptism gushed forth for its sake like a stream of a river in the Jordan. And then what happened? “And the parched ground shall become a pool,” meaning wealth in faith. “And in the thirsty land, a spring of water will be,” that is, this fountain of adoption. “And there will be joy for the birds,” that is, for those who are reborn through baptism, who in their way of life resemble the birds, since they too by nature delight in living in the waters. But also according to Gideon, what is the full basin of water? And here the word signifies the womb-like pool, which has a circular shape and is carved on all sides, like sinlessness. Into it was poured the healing dew of the invisible fleece, full of the Holy Spirit. Here the new children of God are reborn, replacing in this way their “flesh and blood” birth. And they are raised “to a perfect man,” so much so that they can overcome the race of demons with Trinitarian worship. And according to Elijah, what is the triple pouring of water on the altar and on the burnt offering? I believe that it reveals either the threefold hypostasis of divine blessedness, which the priest invokes during baptism, or the threefold immersion of the baptized. And Naaman rises from the water, according to Elisha’s command, completely cleansed. “His flesh returned,” he says, “like the flesh of a little child, and he was cleansed.” This miracle symbolizes the complete liberation of the baptized person from the wounds of sins, and means that he rises from the water with a soul cleansed from every stain of previous transgressions.
If you also want to learn the reward of spiritual rebirth, listen to Isaiah who says: “He who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come and buy, and eat and drink without money or price.” That is, whoever desires a gift, even if he does not receive it, has gained life. But these are received and shared here in part anyway. And my own poor intellect has brought forth a tribute to the preparations according to its receptivity. But you, please, see what miraculous events are observed. The pools have been filled with water. We see the springs and fountains, the rivers and lakes have become vessels of the Spirit. The nature of the waters has been elevated to a most precious honor. Multiform lights resembling stars are preparing to illuminate the whole earth, during that holy night. And in every city and country there are preachers of the Church, who minister these divine and high mysteries, and sanctify the waters by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into them. May we also be sanctified by partaking of them, and be enlightened this day by the all-shining Spirit, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory and power, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
