On Prayer

OF THE SAME, ON PRAYER. ORATION I.

^A It is right to bless and admire the servants of God for two reasons: because they have placed the hope of their own salvation in holy prayers, and because, by committing to writing the hymns and forms of prayer which they offered to God with joy and fear, they have handed down their treasure to us, so that they might be able to entice all posterity to imitate them. For it is as fitting for the ways of teachers to reach those who apply themselves to them, as it is fitting for the disciples of the prophets to be imitators of their righteousness, so that we may spend our whole lives in prayers and the worship of God, and that we may consider that life, health, riches, and the end of all good things are placed in this: that we pray to God with a pure and incorrupt soul. For just as the body is illuminated by the light of the sun, so the soul is illuminated by the rays of prayer. If, therefore, it is a calamity for the blind not to be able to see the sun, how great, then, is the loss of a Christian man, not to pray to God assiduously and to bring the splendor of Christ into his soul through prayers? ^B Indeed, who would not admire, who would not look up to the kindness and clemency of God, which He shows us, when He deigns to bestow such honor upon men that He deems them worthy of prayer and His own fellowship? For when we truly converse with God at the time of prayer, we are joined with the angels, and we recede far from the society of animals. For prayer belongs to the angels, which surpasses even their dignity, if indeed to speak with God is something more excellent. And they themselves teach us this, who offer prayers with great fear, and warn us that we, who approach God, must employ both fear and joy: fear, indeed, that we may not seem unworthy of prayer; yet that we ought to be suffused with joy from the magnitude of the honor, that the mortal race is honored with such and so great a providence, as to enjoy the constant intercourse of God, by which we depart from both mortality and a life circumscribed by a short space of time; for although we are mortal by nature, nevertheless, because of our familiar intercourse with God, we advance to an immortal life. For he who dwells familiarly with God, must of necessity be superior to death and every destruction. And, just as it is absolutely necessary that he who enjoys the rays of the sun be far from darkness, so it is necessary that he who enjoys the intercourse of God be no longer mortal; for the very magnitude of this honor translates us to immortality. For if those who speak to a king, and hold a place of dignity near him, cannot possibly suffer from poverty, it is far more impossible for those who approach God as suppliants, and converse with him, to possess mortal souls; for the death of the soul is a life alien to piety and His laws. Therefore, the life of such a soul consists in religion and actions of life that are in agreement with religion; ^C and holy prayers bring and foster a life according to the worship of God, and store up in our souls a wondrous abundance of all precious things. For whether one has loved virginity, or cultivates temperance in marriage, or strives to restrain anger and act meekly, or to be free from envy, or to perform any other duty, with prayer as a guide and paving the way for such a life, he will have an unimpeded and easy course of piety: for it is by no means possible that those who ask temperance, justice, meekness, and kindness from God should not obtain their request. Ask, He says, and it shall be given to you (Matt. 7:7), etc. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened (Luke 11:10). And elsewhere again: Who is there among you, He says, who, if his son asks for bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? If then you, being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Ibid. v. 11-13)? With these words, and with this hope set before us, the Lord of all things exhorts us to prayer; and it behooves us, obeying God, to live perpetually in praises and prayers, so that we may cling to the worship of God more tightly than to our own souls; for thus it will be possible for us to lead a life worthy of men. For whoever does not pray to God, nor desires to enjoy divine intercourse assiduously, is dead and lacks soul and sense. That is the greatest argument of foolishness and stupor, if the magnitude of this honor is ignored, if prayer is not loved, if not to adore God is not considered to be the death of the soul. For as this body of ours, when the soul is absent, is dead and foul-smelling; so unless the soul rouses itself to prayer, it is dead, wretched, and foul-smelling. ^D And yet that being despoiled of prayer is more bitter than any death, that great prophet Daniel teaches us, who preferred to die rather than be idle from prayers for three days (Dan. 6:10). For the king of the Persians did not order him to do anything against piety, but he intended that he should find a cessation of three days. For without the divine nod no good thing comes into our souls; but the divine nod undertakes labors with us, and relieves them outstandingly, if it sees that prayers are loved by us, and that we pray to God assiduously and hope that all good things will descend to us from thence. Therefore, when I see someone absent from the study of prayer, and not held by an ardent and vehement love for it, it is already certain to me that nothing magnificent, nothing distinguished is possessed by him. But when I perceive someone persisting in the worship of God without satiety, and who counts it among the greatest detriments not to pray assiduously, I conjecture that he is the most fervent cultivator of all virtues, and a temple of God. For if the clothing of a man, the step of his foot, and the laughter of his teeth reveal what is in him (Eccli. 19:27), according to the wise Solomon, much more is prayer and the worship of God a proof of righteousness, since it is a spiritual and divine garment, full of...

much comeliness and beauty, which directs the life of each person, and does not allow anything base or absurd to hold sway over the mind. It persuades us to revere God and the honor that comes from Him; it teaches us to cast away all the sorcery of the Evil One; it drives away shameful and absurd thoughts, and places the soul of each person in a state of disdain for pleasure. ^A For this pride is the only one fitting for those who worship Christ: that they submit to nothing shameful, but keep the soul in freedom and in a cleansed life.

That it is, then, utterly impossible to live virtuously without prayer, and to walk through life with it, I think is clear to all. For how could anyone practice virtue without constantly approaching and falling down before the provider and giver of it? Or how could anyone desire to be temperate and just, without conversing agreeably with Him who demands these things and more from us? I wish to demonstrate briefly that even if prayers overtake us filled with sins, they quickly cleanse them. And yet, what could be greater or more divine than prayer, given that it appears as a remedial medicine for those whose souls are sick? ^B Therefore, the Ninevites are the first ones who appear, through prayer, to have liberated themselves from their many sins against God. For as soon as prayer took hold of them, it made them righteous, and it quickly corrected a city that had been accustomed to live in licentiousness, wickedness, and a lawless life, prevailing over old habit, making the city full of heavenly laws, drawing along with itself both temperance, and loving-kindness, and gentleness, and provision for the poor. For it does not suffer to dwell in a soul without these, but into whatever mind it enters, it makes it full of every righteousness, training it toward virtue and exiling vice. ^C And indeed, if anyone had entered the city of Nineveh at that time, and had previously known it well, he would not have recognized the city; so suddenly did it pass from a baser life to piety. For just as if someone, having previously seen a poor woman wearing rags, should afterward see her adorned in golden garments, he would not recognize the woman; so, he who knew that city as formerly impoverished and destitute of spiritual treasures would not have known what city it was, which prayer had such power to change, both in manner and life, to bring back to virtue. And a certain woman, too, who had spent all her time in licentiousness and harlotry, as soon as she fell before the feet of Christ, attained salvation. ^D Therefore, it does not only cleanse sins, but also wards off great dangers. For the king and prophet at once, the wondrous David, escaped many grievous wars by prayer, putting forward this weapon alone of his army, and allowing his own soldiers to enjoy victory in peace and security. For other kings had the hope of their salvation in the experience and skill of their generals, and in archers, and men-at-arms, and cavalry; but the great David walled in his army with holy prayers, not looking to the armor of generals and commanders and cavalry officers, nor gathering money, nor fabricating weapons, but bringing down divine panoply from heaven. For divine prayer is, in truth, a heavenly panoply, and it alone can securely guard those who have given themselves to God. For the strength and knowledge of men-at-arms, and the experience of archers, and treachery, are often rendered vain by military movements, and the courage of opponents, and many other things besides; but prayer is an unconquerable weapon and a secure guard, protecting equally one soldier and many myriads. For David the wondrous also brought down that Goliath, who was advancing like some terrible demon, not with weapons or swords, but with prayers. Thus, prayer is a strong weapon for kings in battles, and it is also strong for us against demons. Thus also King Hezekiah prevailed in the war against the Persians, having not armed an army, but having opposed only prayers to the multitude of his opponents; thus he also escaped death, having fallen before God with the fitting reverence, and prayer alone gave the king to revive. And indeed, that prayer easily cleanses a sinful soul is taught to us by the publican, who prayed to God to obtain forgiveness, and obtained it; it is taught also by the leper, who at once fell before God and was cleansed. ^A If God quickly healed a corrupted body, much more will He mercifully heal a sickly soul; for by as much as the soul is more precious than the body, by so much more is it likely that God demonstrates greater care for it. And one could have ten thousand things to say, both old and new, if one wished to recount all those who have been saved through prayer. Perhaps one of the more slothful, and of those not wishing to pray diligently and earnestly, might say that God spoke those words: *Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven* (Matt. 7:21). But I, if I thought that prayer alone was sufficient for our salvation, one would rightly use these words; but since I hold that prayer is the head of good things, and the foundation and root of a profitable life, let no one use those words as a pretext for sloth. For neither is temperance alone able to save without other good things, nor provision for the poor, nor kindness, nor anything else of the virtuous path, but all things must run together into our souls; and prayer lies beneath as the root and foundation. ^B And just as that which is beneath makes a ship and a house strong and holds them together, so do prayers hold together our life; and without this, no good or saving thing could happen to us. For this reason Paul presses upon us, constantly exhorting us, and saying: *Continue in prayer, being awake in it, in thanksgiving* (Col. 4:2).

and elsewhere: "Pray without ceasing," he says, "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God" (1 Thess. 5:17-18); and elsewhere again: "Pray at all times in the Spirit, and keeping alert in it with all perseverance and supplication" (Eph. 6:18). Thus, through many divine voices, the leader of the apostles exhorts us always to prayer. It is fitting, therefore, that we who are instructed by him should spend our life in prayers, and that our mind should be perpetually irrigated by them. For we all need them no less than trees need water. For as the latter cannot be fruitful unless they drink in the moisture through their roots, neither can we bring forth the most precious fruits of piety unless we are irrigated by prayers. Wherefore, ^A even when we rise from our bed, we must anticipate the sun with the worship of God; and we must do so when we sit down to table, and when we are about to go to sleep. Nay, indeed, for every hour we must offer prayer to God and complete the course of the day therein. And in the winter ^B time, we must spend the greater part of the night in prayers, and with great fear bending our knees, we must devote ourselves to supplication, making ourselves worthy of God by worshipping Him.

ORATIO II. ON PRAYER

^C That prayer is the head and fountain of all good things, and the procurer of salvation and eternal life, no one is ignorant. Nevertheless, it is necessary to speak as we are able about this matter, in order that those who are accustomed to live carefully in prayers and in the worship of God may be rendered more zealous, and that those who have spent their lives with a more abject spirit, removed from prayers, may recognize the loss of time past, and may not allow their salvation to be deserted for the remainder of their life. Initially, therefore, this can be said first about prayer: that he who prays discourses with God. How great a thing it is for a man to come into divine discourse, no one is ignorant; yet no one could ever attain to the dignity of the matter with words. For this kind of honor easily surpasses even the greatness of the angels. This is what they themselves well understand; for they all appear before the prophets, when they bring praises and worship to the Lord, ^D seized with the highest fear, while they cover their faces and feet out of reverence, and with constant flight and motion show forth their highest fear. Furthermore, they admonish us, as I think, that at the time of prayer we should forget human nature, and being struck with reverence and fear, we should see nothing placed before our eyes, but consider that we are in the midst of the choir of angels, and that we are paying to God the same worship that they do. For all other things, I mean both theirs and ours—nature, and manner of life, and wisdom, and intelligence, and whatever anyone might say—differ from each other by a long interval; but the office of prayer is common to men with angels, nor is there anything that is intermediate in those things which pertain to prayer. This segregates you from the brutes, this joins you to the angels; this, in short, will add you to their commonwealth, their life, and manner of living, their dignity, nobility, wisdom, and intelligence, if you think that your whole life should be placed in prayers and the worship of God. For what could be holier than those who enjoy the companionship of God? What more just, more ornate, or more wise? For if those who use the familiar company of wise men quickly become partakers of their prudence through constant association, what is to be said of those who discourse with God Himself, and pray to Him? With how much wisdom, with how much virtue, prudence, probity, and moderation does prayer and supplication fill them! Therefore, one would certainly not err who asserts that prayer is the mother of all virtue and justice, and that no mind can penetrate the things that lead to piety if it be naked of prayer and supplication. But as a city not at all fortified by walls could easily fall into the power of the enemy, because no one could repel them, so a mind not fortified by prayer is easily reduced by the devil into his own power, and easily contaminated by the filth of all wicked acts. For first, when he sees the soul encompassed by prayers, fearing the strength and power which prayers provide it—which sustain the soul more than food sustains bodies—the devil does not dare to approach closer. Furthermore, those who apply prayers with all care of the mind do not allow themselves to admit anything unworthy of prayer, but fearing God, with whom they have just discoursed, they immediately repel all the attempts of the wicked enemy. They reflect within themselves upon how great a crime it is for him who recently enjoyed the discourse of God, and was praying to Him to obtain temperance and holiness, to suddenly defect to the devil, and to receive obscene pleasures into his mind, and into the intellect which God has just visited—

^A in which the grace of the Spirit has displayed much philanthropy and providence. And listen to how this is so: It is impossible for a man to be able to carry on divine conversation without the energy of the Spirit; but it is necessary that, when He is present and co-working in our holy struggles, we should enter in, and bend our knees, and beseech Him, and pray. For since to speak to God is something greater than human capacity, the grace of the Spirit must come upon us to strengthen us, and to embolden us, and to teach us the magnitude of that honor. Therefore, when you learn that you are speaking to God, and have received the energy of the Spirit, as you are about to converse, you will grant no passage to the devil into the soul that has been sanctified by the Spirit. For just as those who have conversed with a king, and have enjoyed his gentle words and honors, do not deem it worthy to come into conversation with beggars and outcasts, so he who has spoken and prayed to God will not deign to receive the conversation of the wicked and the impious. For in truth, he who is a slave to pleasures converses with demons, and has envied their madness; even as he who is temperate and practices righteousness keeps company with angels, and emulates their magnificence. ^B Indeed, it seems to me that anyone who said that prayers are the sinews of the soul would be speaking the truth. For just as, I think, the body is held together by sinews, and runs, and stands, and lives, and is knit together—and if one were to cut these, he would dissolve the whole harmony of the body—so it is by holy prayers that souls are harmonized, and are kept together, and run the race of piety with ease. But if you deprive yourself of prayer, you will do the same as if you had taken a fish out of the water; for as water is life to it, so is prayer to you. Through it, as through water, it is possible to fly up, and to transcend the heavens, and to become a neighbor to God. These things that have been said are enough to show the power of holy prayer; but it is perhaps better, having come to the divine Scriptures, to learn from the declarations of Christ the wealth which prayers store up for those who desire to spend their whole life in them. "And He told," it says, "a parable to them, that they ought always to pray. There was a judge in a certain city, who did not fear God, and did not regard man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him saying: Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while. But after this he said within himself: Even if I do not fear God and do not regard man, yet because this widow gives me trouble, I will avenge her, lest coming to the end she weary me. And the Lord said: Hear what the judge of injustice says. And shall not God do justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and is He patient toward them? I tell you that He will do justice to them in haste" (Luke 18:1 sqq.). Let us learn, brothers, the hidden wisdom in the words of the Spirit, searching them out, as it were, to the very depth of spiritual wisdom, as far as we are able to run it down, so that we may bring to you a good treasure, adorning the souls better than the stone-set crowns of kings. For the beauty of those things is finished with this life; but he who crowns the soul with the words of the Spirit both now passes the time with all security, and after the end of life comes confidently to the judgment seat of Christ, full of virtue, and pure from all evil. What treasure, therefore, do we bring to you from the depth of the Scriptures, not touching the bottom of the wisdom itself, but descending as far as is permitted? Christ, leading men to prayer and wishing to set forth the benefit from it to our souls, brings in a certain wicked and perverse judge, who had cast off all shame from his eyes and had driven the fear of God out of his soul. And yet, it sufficed to posit the person of a just and merciful man, and by comparing his justice with the philanthropy of God, to show the power of prayer. For if a kind and gentle man receives those who offer petition with mildness, how much more so God, whose magnitude of philanthropy not only transcends our understanding, but even the angels themselves? It would have been sufficient, as I said, to posit the person of a just judge; but now He brings in a cruel, impious, and misanthropic judge—inexorable toward others, but kind and gentle toward those who entreat him—so that you might learn that every petition easily draws even a wicked nature toward pity and mercy. For what reason, therefore, did Christ do this? So that no one of all people might be ignorant of the power of prayer. For this reason, having set the widow before the most wicked of all, and having shown him to be philanthropic contrary to his nature, He transposed the discourse from the wicked man to His own Father—the good, the gentle, the mild, the philanthropic, who transcends iniquities, who forgives many sins, who is blasphemed every day, and endures it, and bears to see honor to demons, hostility to Himself, and, to the Son, blasphemies, and numberless unspeakable terrors; and yet, being blasphemed, He endures it so gently, and if He sees us falling before Him with the required fear, will He not quickly show mercy? Hear, He says, what the judge of injustice says: "If I do not fear God, and do not regard man, yet because this widow gives me troubles, I will avenge her." What are you saying? That which fear could not accomplish, this prayer accomplished? And threat, and the hope of punishment, did not bring the man to the just one; but with a widow appearing with petition, he tamed the wild beast. What, then, is it fitting to conjecture about the philanthropic God, if the widow falling before him made the cruel one so gentle, how much kindness, how much philanthropy will God show in our case, who is ever only willing to show mercy, and never to punish, or who has even threatened us with punishments because of much philanthropy, and prepared great honors? So that fear and the hope of honor—the one might stir us toward virtue, and the other might curb wickedness! I cannot turn the mind away from the judge of injustice, seeing in his nature, contrary to nature, the immeasurable philanthropy of God. For if he, who never did anything...

^A of good, was suddenly changed and moved by the mercy of her who was entreating, how much happiness will redound to us from heaven through prayers? Any man, therefore, can easily see the strength and power of holy prayers if he considers what a great abundance of good things those who cast themselves at the feet of God at any time enjoy, day by day and hour by hour. For who does not see that the light of the sun, of the moon, and of the stars, the tempering of the air, the various kinds of food, wealth, life, and innumerable good things are given and granted to all men alike, both to the righteous and to the wicked, by God, and this on account of His extraordinary kindness toward us? But if He thus pities and restores day by day those who do not even ask or entreat, what great good things is it fitting that those who spend their lives in prayers and supplications should enjoy? Now, however, we shall finally reveal to you how great is the number of righteous men who have been permitted to preserve nations, cities, and the whole world through pious prayers. And indeed, when the subject is prayer, one must first speak of Paul; of Paul, I say, that man who never grew weary in honoring and praying to God; the common father and prince of the servants of Christ. Therefore, that guardian of the entire world protected all nations through constant prayers, always saying to us: *For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith* (Eph. III, 14–17). ^B Do you see, then, how much strength and force prayer and supplication possess? They make men the temples of Christ; and just as royal houses endure through gold, and most precious stones, and marbles, so do the temples of Christ through prayers. *That Christ may dwell*, he says, *in your hearts*. What greater praise of prayer could there be than that Christ’s temples are accustomed to be made through it? He whom the celestial spheres do not contain enters into the soul of one who leads his life in prayer. *Heaven is my throne*, says the Lord, *and the earth my footstool: what house will you build me, or what is the place of my rest?* (Is. LXVI, 1). Yet Paul builds a house through holy prayers. *I bow*, he says, *my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith*. And from this also one may know the force of holy prayers: for when the same Paul was flying over the entire world like some bird, was being kept in prison, was bearing lashes, was wearing chains, was living in slaughter and dangers, was casting out demons, was raising the dead, was healing diseases: he relied on none of these things for the salvation of men, but he was uniting the earth through prayers, and after performing miracles and restoring life to the dead, he would have recourse to prayers, just as an athlete to the wrestling-ground, after obtaining victory. For prayer supplies the power for all things, including the restoring of life to the dead: and rightly so; for the force that waters have upon trees, the same ^C possess the prayers of holy men upon this life. By watering his soul with these throughout the night, Paul easily overcame difficulties and offered his back to the lashes as if it were a statue. Thus he shook the jailer in Macedonia; thus, like a lion, he broke his bonds through prayers; thus he freed the keeper of the prison from error; thus he destroyed and dissolved the tyranny of the demons (Acts XVI). And indeed, known to all men are the things which he wrote: *Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ* (Col. IV, 2, 3). What are you saying? Do prayers grant us such boldness that we dare to supplicate God for Paul? What soldier would dare to entreat the king on behalf of a great commander? Yet no soldier was ever so dear and friendly to a king as Paul was to God; and yet, prayers bring us so much dignity that we do not hesitate to implore divine aid for Paul. Thus Peter, that great man, more splendid than heaven, escaped from prison chiefly because of his own virtue and integrity, and for the common salvation of men; but then, too, the prayer of the Church quickly opened the doors of the prison. For not in vain did Luke write (Acts XII, 5) that persistent prayers were offered by the Church for Peter; but that it might be understood by us how great a power prayers possess in heaven to rescue Peter and Paul from dangers—the pillars of the Church, the princes of the apostles, most celebrated in heaven, the walls of the world, the common bulwark of the whole earth and sea. But come, tell me, in what manner did Moses preserve Israel in wars? Did he not commit arms and an army to his disciple, while he himself set prayers against the multitude of the enemy? To teach us that there is a much greater power in the prayers of righteous men than in arms, cavalry, wealth, and armies. Therefore, the entire army and many thousands of men had their hope of salvation in the prophet’s prayers. For as long as Moses prayed, the Jews were gaining the victory (Exod. XVII, 10, 11); when he ceased from prayer, they were inferior to the enemies. We too, if we are occupied in prayers, shall easily overcome the devil; but if we are slothful, we cultivate an evil enemy against ourselves. Yet Moses even saved a people committing impiety by a single prayer, and attained to the divine vision and innumerable good things through prayers alone. For this even obtained for him a life very similar to the inhabitants of heaven. Prayer overcame the power of fire and tamed lions; ^D of which, one fell to the lot of Daniel, the other to the three children (Dan. VI, 14, and c. III). From these, therefore, as I judge, it is clear to all that whosoever it receives in danger, they are easily freed from impending difficulties. Prayer is an occasion of salvation, a reconciler of the immortality of the soul, the most firm wall of the Church, an unshaken bulwark; a terror to demons, and to us the pious, a salvation. This gave birth to the holy prophet Samuel (1 Reg. I): for when nature was opposed to his mother regarding offspring, prayer arose and suddenly corrected the defect of nature. Such was the fruit that came forth from prayer, such a prophet did supplication produce. Therefore he is famous in heaven.

^A He who is renowned in the heavens, Samuel, came to be, surpassing man even—a zealot for the angels; for it was necessary, I believe, that the wheat of prayer should appear in such a form, excelling others in goodness and in the virtues of his way of life, and surpassing those before him as much as those who prosper in grain excel the rest in the fields. With this, David repelled so many and such great wars, not wielding arms, nor brandishing a spear, nor drawing a sword, but being walled about by prayers; with this, Hezekiah quickly put the multitude of the Persians to flight. And while they brought engines of war to the wall, he walled the wall with prayers; and the war was brought to an end without weapons—through prayer, with the trumpet not sounding, the army remaining quiet, weapons not being moved, the earth not being stained with blood—with prayer being sufficient for the terror of the adversaries. Prayer also saved the Ninevites, and quickly repelled the wrath being brought from heaven, and quickly corrected a life that had been corrupted among men.

^B For it has such strength and power that, although the Ninevites had lived their whole lives shamefully and wickedly, when prayer entered the city, it quickly changed everything and brought with it temperance, justice, friendship, concord, provision for the poor, and all good things. For just as when a queen enters a city, all wealth must necessarily follow, so too when prayer enters a soul, every virtue enters with it. For what a foundation is in a house, that is prayer in the soul. And it is necessary that, having fixed this first as a foundation and a certain root in the soul, everyone should diligently build upon it temperance, and gentleness, and justice, and provision for the poor, and all the laws of Christ, so that, having subsequently lived according to them, we may attain the good things in the heavens, by the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

SPURIA

MONITUM

Homily on the Oracle concerning Zechariah, and on the Conception of Elisabeth.

Nothing is insubordinate to the Master’s decrees; for all things yield and serve the divine command. For He says, "He set a command, and it shall not pass away"; for He who established the whole at the beginning by His Word, is also able to transform his creations again by His Word. He once spoke for the waterless rock to become flowing; and it immediately erupts with rivers of water: "For He struck the rock, and waters flowed, and rivers were flooded"; and the rock, dry and previously untasted of water, became a fountain of rivers and a mother of waters; for nothing is barren to which God commands fruitfulness. ^C He, then, who once changed the barren rock into a pool, also commanded the sterile Elisabeth now to be revealed as the mother of a child, and showed the fruitless to be fruitful, and her who was weighed down by old age as a young, newly-wed bride. When she was hastening toward the grave, then she was being adorned for childbirth; when old age had withered the body, then God renewed the womb; and that which it had lost on account of time, it recovered through the Creator; and that which youth had lost, old age sought after; when she had become a neighbor to death, then she was named a mother of a child, and, surpassing the years of a grandmother, she fell into maternal care, and was carrying an infant in her arms, she who needed a staff for walking due to old age; and the old woman felt the firstborn child, and the barren one miraculously gave birth, so that a virgin giving birth beyond nature might be believed. Both are new and paradoxical; for a barren woman and a virgin are unexpected mothers. But the herald of this paradoxical birth was sent to the elderly Zechariah, the archangel Gabriel; and standing on the right of the altar, he appeared to him: "And Zechariah was troubled," it says, "seeing, and fear fell upon him." For he saw what he had never seen: ^D fire speaking, an incorporeal man, an intangible form, an incomparable spectacle, a vision unmatched, an aerial traveler, a runner, a winged creature in human form; and seeing, he was troubled. But seeing him troubled, the angel banished the fear with auspicious promises: "Do not fear, Zechariah, because your supplication has been heard, and your wife Elisabeth will bear a son to you, and you shall call his name John; and there shall be joy to you and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth." Do not fear, Zechariah; I have not come brandishing fear, but I have arrived as a herald of joy to you. What joy? "Your wife Elisabeth will bear to you a son, and you shall call his name John"; he, as the morning star, will shine upon the world and will drive away the darkness of ignorance, calling upon the Sun of justice. "For he who comes after me has become before me, of whom I am not worthy to loosen the strap of the sandal." And he himself will go forward in the spirit and power of Elijah. The spirit of Elijah dwelt also in John; for the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; and in almost everything we find John similar to Elijah. The one resided in the mountains, and this one spent his time in the desert; the one was fed by ravens.