New creation age; one house unity; sheep/lamb/kid = Christ
Cyril: Let us take each point in order and say what is fitting. We shall give the wise a starting-point and make it known to the righteous, as it is written. And they themselves may add what is theirs, and be far better for it.
Palladius: Very much so.
Cyril: So then, at the year’s beginning and in the first month, the mystery of Christ is brought to light. For the season of our Savior’s sojourn is a new age for us, transferring all things toward the better and thoroughly remaking into the newness of creation what was growing old and near vanishing. (Heb 8:13) ‘If anyone is in Christ — a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, they have become new.’ (2 Cor 5:17) And we ourselves no longer live in the Mosaic manner, but have been carried over into evangelical life, Christ renewing us through the Spirit.
Palladius: You have spoken rightly.
Cyril: Each takes the sheep, and the banqueters gather in number into one house. For though we are divided, as it were, so as to exist each according to nature, we are gathered into one house — the Church — and feast together on one Christ. (1 Cor 10:17; Eph 2:19-22)
And whether it is called sheep or lamb or kid, the naming points to Christ: unblemished, male, of a year — perfect and in his prime — given over for us. (Ex 12:5; 1 Pet 1:19; Jn 1:29)
Greek
ἕκαστα διαστείχοντες, τὰ εἰκότα λέγωμεν· Δώσομεν γὰρ σοφοῖς ἀφορμὴν, καὶ γνωριοῦμεν δικαίοις, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Προσθεῖεν δ' ἂν καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰ παρά γε δὴ σφῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀμείνους ἔσονται παρὰ πολύ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ μάλα.
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐκοῦν ἐν ἔτους ἀρχῇ καὶ ἐν πρώτῳ μηνὶ, τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον ἐκφαίνεται· νέος γὰρ ἡμῖν αἰὼν, ὁ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιδημίας καιρὸς, μετατιθεὶς ἅπαντα πρὸς τὸ ἄμεινον, καὶ εἰς καινότητα κτίσεως μεταστοιχειῶν εὖ μάλα, τὸ παλαιούμενον καὶ γηράσκον, καὶ ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ. «Καινὴ γὰρ κτίσις, τὰ ἐν Χριστῷ, καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά.» Ζῶμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς, οὐκέτι Μωσαϊκῶς, ἀπενηνεγμένοι δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς εὐαγγελικὴν ζωὴν, καινουργοῦντος ἡμᾶς διὰ Πνεύματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὀρθῶς ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἕκαστος δὲ λαμβάνει τὸ πρόβατον, καὶ συλλέγονται κατὰ πληθὺν οἱ δαιτυμόνες εἰς οἶκον ἕνα. Μεμερισμένοι γὰρ ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς τὸ ὑφεστάναι καθ' ἕνα φυσικῶς, εἰς ἑνότητα τὴν πνευματικὴν συνδεδραμήκαμεν ἐν Χριστῷ. Ψυχὴ γὰρ ἐν ἡμῖν λοιπόν ἐστι μία, καὶ καρδία μία. Πρόβατον δὲ τὸ θυόμενον, ἤγουν ἐξ αἰγῶν, καὶ πρόβατον μὲν, διά τοι τὸ ἀσυγκρίτως ἥμερόν τε καὶ ἄκακον, καὶ πρός γε δὴ τούτῳ τὸ ἔγκαρπον· «Ὡς πρόβατον γὰρ ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος.» Ἀμνὸς δὲ, ὅτι τέθυται δι' ἡμᾶς, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν παρεδόθη, κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. Ἔριφος δὲ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν τὸ θῦμα, κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τέλειόν τε ἄρσεν τὸ πρόβατον· τοῦ μὲν τελείου σημαίνοντος, ἤτοι τὸ μώμου παντὸς ἐλεύθερον, εὔρωστόν τε καὶ ὑγιές. Ἄμωμος γὰρ Χριστὸς, καὶ παντὸς ἐπέκεινα πάθους, ἤτοι τὸ τέλειον ἀληθῶς· παντέλειος γὰρ ὁ Ἐμμανουὴλ, οἴκοθεν ἔχων καὶ φυσικῶς, τὰ δι' ὧν ἐστι Θεὸς, τοῦ γε μὴν ἄρσενος ὅτι πάντων ἐστὶ καθηγητής. Ἡγεμονικώτατον δὲ τὸ ἄρσεν ἀεὶ, καὶ ἐν δευτέρᾳ τάξει τὸ θῆλυ πανταχῆ. Καὶ λαμβάνεται μὲν τὸ πρόβατον, ἀπὸ δεκάτης τοῦ μηνός· ἱερουργεῖται δὲ πρὸς ἑσπέραν τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ. Οὐ γάρ τοι νεοφανὲς τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, οὐδὲ τότε πρῶτον διεγνωσμένον, ὅτε καὶ ἐμπαροινεῖν ἐδόκει τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις αὐτῷ. Ἀρχαιοτέρα δὲ πολὺ τοῦ πάθους ἡ γνῶσις προῆν, προαναφωνούντων ἁγίων, καὶ διακεκραγότος τοῦ νόμου, καὶ τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ μυστήριον, τῆς ἁγίας ἡμῖν προανατυπούσης Γραφῆς. Οὐκοῦν εἴχομεν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς ὡς ἐν προγνώσει τέως, τεθυμένον μὲν οὔπω τὸν ἀμνὸν, σφαγήσεται δὲ ὅτι πρὸς ἑσπέραν, οὐκ ἠγνοηκότες. Ἐπ' ἐσχάτοις γὰρ τοῦ αἰῶνος καιροῖς, καὶ πρὸς αὐταῖς ἤδη πως διήκοντος ταῖς τοῦ χρόνου δυσμαῖς ὁ Χριστοῦ πέπρακται θάνατος. Σφάζεται δὲ ὑπὸ παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους· ἀπέθανε γὰρ ὑπὲρ πάντων, ἵν' εἰδεῖεν οὗτοι ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας προσάγοντες ἀμνὸν, ὅτι τιμῆς ἠγοράσθησαν, οὐκ εἰσὶν ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ' εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποθανόντι, καὶ ἐγερθέντι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 17 of a seventeen-book dialogue — the final book of the series.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 17 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 17 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 17)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 17)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.