On Christmas Day · §11 · John Chrysostom

Reverent approach to the sacrifice

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Chrysostom is concluding his homily with a final exhortation to approach the Eucharist with fear, order, and purity.

I say these things constantly, and I will not stop saying them. For what is the benefit of simply and at random running in here, learning none of the useful things? And what is the gain of always conversing about things for favor? The present time is short, beloved. Let us be sober, let us watch, let us strengthen ourselves. Let us show every genuine effort toward all people, and let us be reverent in everything. Whether we must listen to the divine oracles, or pray, or approach, or do anything else, let it be done with fear and trembling, so that we do not draw down a curse upon ourselves through carelessness. For it says, “Cursed is everyone who does the work of the Lord negligently” (Jeremiah 48:10 LXX). The uproar and the anger become an outrage against the sacrifice that is set before us. It is the utmost contempt to bring oneself defiled to God. Listen to what the Apostle says about such people: “If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person” (1 Corinthians 3:17). Therefore let us not provoke God instead of being reconciled, but let us show every care and all good order, and tranquility of soul, and let us approach with prayer and a contrite heart, so that by this very thing we may propitiate our Master Jesus Christ and be able to obtain the good things promised to us, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Greek

Ταῦτα συνεχῶς λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ τρέχειν ἐνταῦθα, μηδὲν τῶν χρησίμων μανθάνοντας; ποῖον δὲ κέρδος, ἀεὶ τὰ πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλεῖν; Βραχὺς ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς, ἀγαπητοί· νήψωμεν, γρηγορήσωμεν, συγκροτήσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν περὶ πάντας γνησίαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, περὶ πάντα γενώμεθα εὐλαβεῖς· κἂν ἀκροᾶσθαι δέοι τῶν θείων λογίων, κἂν εὔχεσθαι, κἂν προσιέναι, κἂν ἕτερόν τι ποιεῖν, μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τοῦτο γινέσθω, ἵνα μὴ κατάραν ἐπισπασώμεθα διὰ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας. Ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ, φησὶ, πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Κυρίου ἀμελῶς. Ὁ θόρυβος καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ ὕβρις εἰς τὴν προκειμένην θυσίαν γίνεται. Καταφρόνησις ἐσχάτη, μεμολυσμένον ἑαυτὸν προσενέγκαι τῷ Θεῷ. Ἄκουσον τί περὶ τῶν τοιούτων φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀντὶ καταλλαγῆς παροξύνωμεν τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ πάντα κόσμον ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, καὶ ἀταραξίαν ψυχῆς, μετ' εὐχῆς καὶ συντετριμμένης καρδίας προσίωμεν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτῷ τούτῳ τὸν Δεσπότην ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐξιλεωσάμενοι, δυνηθῶμεν ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

About this text

Chrysostom defends Antioch's new December feast of Christ's birth and prepares his hearers to receive Communion worthily.

John Chrysostom (c. 349–407) preached this homily to the congregation in Antioch on the feast of Christ's Nativity. The feast had only recently been introduced at Antioch, and a large crowd had gathered. Chrysostom defends the December date of the celebration and prepares the people for worthy reception of Communion.

Chrysostom argues that the feast is rightly celebrated in the present month. He reasons from the rapid spread of the feast, from the Gospel census under Augustus, and from the timing of Zechariah's service in the Holy of Holies that Christ was conceived when Elizabeth was in her sixth month and born nine months later. He then answers pagan and Manichaean mockery of the Incarnation by showing that God is not defiled by dwelling in pure flesh, any more than the sun is defiled when its rays touch filth. Finally, he exhorts the congregation to approach the Eucharist with fear, purity, and orderly reverence.

A reader will meet Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel, Augustus, Quirinius, Herod, Paul, Moses, Aaron, Gamaliel, Nathanael, Philip, and Nicodemus. Chrysostom quotes Paul, Moses, the Evangelist, and Gabriel, and he paraphrases objections from pagan and Manichaean opponents and from an unnamed interlocutor.

No published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Migne PG text (Aegean University Digital Patrology, via (Greek)
Also checked Migne PG 49, archive.org scan patrologiae_cursus_completus_gr_vol_049 (Greek machine-read text) (Greek · check (same print; machine-read text compared word by word))

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.