The Presentation of Christ
The feast of the meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ is a celebration that surpasses all others, for it is a sabbath of sabbaths, a holy of holies, where the whole mystery of the incarnation of Christ is summed up, and the whole appearance of the only-begotten Son is described.
This feast commemorates the presentation of Christ in the temple, where he was carried in arms and confessed as God, and where a pair of turtledoves was offered to Simeon and Anna, as the evangelical words are interwoven with the history of the feast.
According to the law of Moses, every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord (Leviticus 12:2), and a sacrifice shall be offered, according to what was said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons (Leviticus 12:8).
Our Lord, who served for us, ought to have offered purification for us, and he did so, not sparing the pair of turtledoves, just as he did not spare his own blood.
When the days of their purification were fulfilled according to Moses' law, the question arises as to whose purification is being referred to, since Joseph was neither the father nor the one responsible for the purification, and neither Mary nor the child needed purification.
The scripture states that a woman who conceives and bears a male is unclean for seven days (Leviticus 12:2), but Mary did not conceive by seed, and therefore, she did not need purification.
The scripture also states that if a woman gives birth to a female, she is unclean for twice seven days (Leviticus 12:5).
Eve gave birth to a weak vessel, the broken pottery, the bacteria of the disease, the hand of disobedience, the counselor of the dragon, and the frailty introduced through her.
However, just as we have heard of the woman's transgressions, we must also learn of her achievements, for the Theotokos introduced virginity to life, carried God in her womb, and gave birth to Him in the flesh, renewing our race.
She was the first to receive Jesus from the dead, the first to proclaim the resurrection, and the first to announce joy to the disciples; her field was not a virgin vineyard that did not undergo the plow, so the offering was not for her but for the whole race.
Christ's actions are undertaken for our sake: he is circumcised, baptized for us, and the purifications of the law are fulfilled on our behalf; if he weeps, he washes away nature; if he is struck, he frees our captivity; if he carries the cross, he lightens us of the yoke of sin; and if he is spat upon, he delivers Adam from the spittle of the curse.
As the lawgiver, Christ fulfills his own law beyond the requirements of the law, leaving the gate of the virgin closed, and not breaking the seal that was set upon it.
Greek
Homilia i de Hypapante (homilia 1) ̔Ησυχίου, πρεσβυτέρου Ἱεροσολύμων, λόγος εἰς τὴν ὑπαπαντὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 1 Ἡ μὲν ἑορτὴ λέγεται καθαρσίων, ἣν οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι ἑορτῶν εἰπὼν ἑορτήν, σαββάτων σάββατον, ἁγίων ἁγίαν προσα γορεύσας· ὅλον γὰρ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται τὸ τῆς σαρκώσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, ὅλην διαγράφεται τὴν τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ παράστασιν. Ἐν ᾗ βρέφος ὁ Χριστὸς ἐβαστάχθη καὶ θεὸς ὡμο λογήθη, καὶ ἐν ἀγκάλαις προσηνέχθη ὡς ἐπὶ θρόνου ὁ τῆς ἡμετέ ρας φύσεως ποιητὴς καθήμενος, καὶ ζεῦγος τρυγόνων λογικῶν τῷ Συμεὼν καὶ τῇ Ἅννᾳ προσέφερεν. Αὐταῖς δέ, εἰ δοκεῖ, ταῖς εὐαγγελικαῖς παρεμβάλωμεν λέξεσι· θεοῦ γὰρ ἐκεῖ παρεμβολὴν ὀψόμεθα. Οὕτω τοίνυν ἡμῖν τῆς ἑορτῆς ὁ Λουκᾶς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἐξέθετο· «Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωυσέως, ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα παρα στῆσαι τῷ κυρίῳ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου ὅτι πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ κυρίῳ κληθήσεται, καὶ τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν.» Ἐχρῆν τὸν δουλεύσαντα δι' ἡμᾶς προσφέρειν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καθάρσια, τὸν αἵματος οἰκείου μὴ φει σάμενον ζεύγους τρυγόνων μὴ φείσασθαι. Ἰδοὺ τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑπὲρ νόμον ὡς νομοθέτης ἐργάζεται καί, τὴν ἐλευθε ρίαν αὐτὸς παρέχων τοῦ πνεύματος, τὴν δουλείαν ὅμως οὐ παραιτεῖται τοῦ γράμματος· οὐκ ἀθετεῖ Μωυσέα, ἵνα κατὰ καιρὸν μάρτυς ἀξιόπιστος γένηται. 2 «Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωυσέως.» «Αὐτῶν», τίνων; Ἰωσὴφ μὲν γὰρ οὔτε πατὴρ ἦν, οὔτε ὑπεύθυνος καθαρσίων, ἀλλ' οὔτε Μαρία, οὔτε τὸ βρέφος τῶν καθαρσίων ἐδέοντο· λέγεται γὰρ οὕτως· «Γυνή, ἥ τις ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ καὶ τέκῃ ἄρσεν, ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται.» Ἀλλ' ἡ Μαρία οὐκ ἐσπερματίσθη, οὐκοῦν καθαρσίων οὐκ ἐδέετο. «Γυνή, ἥτις ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ καὶ τέ κῃ ἄρσεν, ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται.» ∆ιὰ τί; Ἐπειδὴ Ἀδὰμ δεύτερον εἰς τὸν βίον εἰσήγαγεν. «Ἐὰν δὲ τέκῃ θῆλυ, δὶς ἑπτὰ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται.» Τίνος χάριν ἐνταῦθα τὰς ἡμέρας διπλασίονας ἔταξεν; Ἐπειδὴ Εὔα πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς Εὔας τίκτε ται, γυνὴ γεννᾶται τὸ σαθρὸν σκεῦος, τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἀγγεῖον, τὸ συντετριμμένον κεράμιον, ἡ βακτηρία τῆς ἀπάτης, ἡ χειραγωγὸς τῆς παρακοῆς, ἡ τοῦ δράκοντος σύμβουλος. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἤκου σας γυναικὸς τὰ ἐγκλήματα, δεῦρο καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς κατόρθωμα μάνθανε. Γυνὴ παρθενίαν τῷ βίῳ εἰσήγαγεν, ἐχώρησεν ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τὸν θεὸν ὃν ἡ κτίσις χωρῆσαι οὐ δύναται, ἔτεκεν ἐν σαρκὶ τοῦτον ὅστις ἡμῶν τὸ γένος ἀνέπλασεν· πρώτη τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν ὑπεδέξατο, πρώτη τοῦ κηρύγματος τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἤρ ξατο, πρώτη τὴν χαρὰν τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐμήνυσεν. «Γυνὴ ἥτις», φησίν, «ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ.» Ἡ θεοτόκος δὲ γυνὴ μὲν ἦν, τὰ γυ ναικῶν δὲ οὐ πέπονθεν· σπέρμα γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἡ γαστὴρ οὐκ ἐδέ ξατο, οὐκ εἶδεν ἄροτρον ὁ τῆς Μαρίας ἀγρός, ὁ παρθενικὸς ἀμπε λὼν οὐχ ὑπέμεινε δίκελλαν, ὥστε οὐχ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἡ προσφορά, ὑπὲρ ὅλου δὲ τοῦ γένους ἐγένετο. Ἡμῶν γὰρ ἕνεκα περιτέμνε ται ὁ Χριστός, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ βαπτίζεται, ἐφ' ἡμῖν τελεῖται τὰ τοῦ νόμου καθάρσια. Ἐὰν δακρύσῃ, τὴν φύσιν ἐκπλύνει· ἐὰν ῥαπισθῇ, τὴν ἡμετέραν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἐλευθεροῖ· ἐὰν βαστά σῃ τὸν σταυρόν, ἡμᾶς κουφίζει τοῦ ζυγοῦ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· ἐὰν ἐμπτυσθῇ, τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπαλλάττει τοῦ τῆς κατάρας ἐμπτύσμα τος. 3 «Ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν», φησίν, «αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου, ὅτι πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον 1 μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ κυ ρίῳ κληθήσεται.» Ταῦτα ὁ νόμος ἔχει. Ὁ Χριστὸς δέ, καθὰ ἔφημεν, ὡς νομοθέτης τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νόμον ὑπὲρ νόμον ἐπλήρωσεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἤνοιξεν, ἀλλὰ κεκλεισμένην τὴν πύλην τῆς παρθένου κατέλιπεν, οὐκ ἐσύλησε τὴν σφραγῖδα
About this text
Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homilia i de Hypapante (Greek).
Original English Translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem’s Homilia i de Hypapante — new OET from PG 93 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 93 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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.