On the Lord's Prayer 1139–1157
Greek text: PG 44.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1139
1139PG 44:1140a–1140b
παγγελίας τῷ Θεῷ γινομένην πρόσοδον διερμηνεύει. Διδάσκει οὖν ἡμᾶςό λόγος, μὴ πρότερον αἰτεῖσθαί τι παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, πρὶν αὐτῷ τι τῶν κεχαρισμένον δωροφορῆσαι. Εῠξασθαι γὰρ χρὴ πρότερον, εἶτα προσεύξασθαι · ὡς εἰ τις λέγει προηγεῖσθαι τὴν σπορὰν τῆς ἐπικαρπίας. Οὐκοῦν χρὴ καταβαλεῖν πρότερον τῆς εὐχῆς τὰ σπέρματα, καὶ οὕτως αὑξηθεῖσαν τὴν καταδολὴν τῶν σπερμάτων καρπώσασθαι διὰ τῆς προσευχῆς τὴν χάριν ἀντιλαμβάνοντα. Ὧς οὖν οὐκ ἐσομένης ὲν παρρησίᾳ τῆς ἐντεύξεως, εξ μὴ ἐπὶ προληφθεῐσῃ εὐχῇ τινι καὶ δωροφορὴ. ἠ πρόσοδος γένοιτο, ἀναγκαίως ἠ εὐχὴ τῆς προσευχῆς προηγήα σεται. Ὠς οὖν ἤδη τούτου κατορθωθέντος, φησὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ὁ Κύριος ο Ὅταν προσεύχησθε, λέγετε Πάτερ ἡμῶν, δ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. σ- Τίς δώσει μοι πτέρυγας ὡσεὶ περιστερᾶςς φησι που τῆς ψαλμmaia; ὁ μέγας Δαβεδ· εἴποιμι δʼ ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς τολμήσας τὴν ῐσην φωνήν - Τις δώσει μοι πτέρυγας ὲκείνας, πρὸς τὸ δυνηθῆναι τῷ ὕψει τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων μεγαλοφυῖας συναναπτῆναι κατὰ διάνοιαν, Ὥστε καταλιπεῖν μὲν τὴν γῆν πᾶσανίδιαπεράσαι τε πάντα τὸν ὲν μέσῳ κεχυμένον ἀέρα · καταλαβεῖν δὲ τὸ αἰθέριον καλλος, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἄστρα φθάσαι, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ὲν αὐτοῖς διακόσμησιν κατιδεῖν · στῆναι δὲ μηδὲ εν τούτοις, ἀλλὰ διεξελθεῖν καὶ διὰ τούτων, καὶ πάνυ των τῶν κινουμένων καὶ μεθισταμένων ὲκτὺς γενέ· σθαι, καὶ καταλαβεῖν τὴν ἑστῶσαν φύσιν, τὴν ἀμετακινητονδὺναμιν, τὴν ἀλ ἑαυτῆς καθιδρυμένην, τὴν νηάντα ἄγουσάν τε καὶ ιοῖοουσαν. ὅσα ὲν τῷ εἷναί ἐστι. πάντα ἄγουσαν τε καὶ ιρέρουσαν, ὅσα ὲν τῷ εἷναί ἐστι. πάντα τὰ τοῦ ἀφράστου θελήματος τῆς θείας σοῼίας ἐξηρτημένα πάντων ἀλλοιουμένων τε καὶ μεθ ισταμένων πόρῤω τῇ διανοίᾳ γενόμενος, ἐν ἀτρέπτῳ τε καὶ ἀκλινεῖ τῆς ψυχῆς καταστάσει, τὸν ἄτριπτον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον διὰ τῆς γνώμης πρότερον olκειώσασθαι, εἶθʼ οὕτω τῇ οἰκειοτάτῃ προσηγορις ἐπικαλέσασθαι καὶ εἰπεῖν, Πάτερ; σίας γξιρ λέγοντι χρεία ψυχῆςῐ ὅσης τῆς παρρησεαςῑ υἷας τῆξ συνειδήσεως-ἱ "iv'a Θεὸν νοήσας, ὡς εστι autem. ὲκ τῶν ἐπινοουμὲνων αὐτῷ προσηγοριῶν, πρὸς σύνεσιν τῆς ἀξιέραστον δόξης ἀειραγωγούμενος,-καὶ μαθὼν atii) θεία φύσις, δ τί ποτέ ἐστίν αὗτδʼ ἕω θύτης ἐστιν, ἁγιασμὸς, ἀγαλλῖξιμαξο Favi“? καθαρότης, ἀῖδιδτης, ἀεὶ κατά τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ tum??? ἔχουσα, ’καὶ ὅσατοιαῦτα νενόηται περὶ τὴν θεξαν φιδσιν, διά τε τῆς θείας Γραφῆς καὶ τίδʼ( dum}: ἧισμῶν κατανοήσας, εἶτα τολμήσει- τὴν iam??? προέσθαι φωνὴν, καὶ τὸν τοιοῦτον ἑαυτοῦ litium. πατέραξ Ᾰῆλον γὰρ, δτι εἶ μετέκοηῖθδῗῗῗξ νοίας, οὐκ ’ἂν θαρσήσειε μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ καλ. ἐν αντε» εκείνην προέσθαι τδν Θεδνῌτὴν καὶ εἰπεῖν· Πάτερ-Τῆς γὰρ πονηρᾶς πράξεως.. δ θὸς κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν, πατὴρ γενέσθαι ἔχει ’ οὔτε τοιῖ κατᾶ τὸν βίον ίβεῡηλωθέντος. 6 ἅγιος
pangelias tǭ Theǭ ginomenēn prosodon diermēneuei. Didaskei oun hēmaso logos, mē proteron aiteisthai ti para tou theou, prin autǭ ti tōn kecharismenon dōrophorēsai. Euxasthai gar chrē proteron, eita proseuxasthai ; hōs ei tis legei proēgeisthai tēn sporan tēs epikarpias. Oukoun chrē katabalein proteron tēs euchēs ta spermata, kai houtōs hauxētheisan tēn katadolēn tōn spermatōn karpōsasthai dia tēs proseuchēs tēn charin antilambanonta. Hōs oun ouk esomenēs en parrēsią tēs enteuxeōs, ex mē epi prolēphtheisę̄ euchę̄ tini kai dōrophorē. ē prosodos genoito, anankaiōs ē euchē tēs proseuchēs proēgēa setai. Ōs oun ēdē toutou katorthōthentos, phēsi pros tous mathētas ho Kyrios o Hotan proseuchēsthe, legete Pater hēmōn, d en tois ouranois. s- Tis dōsei moi pterygas hōsei peristerass phēsi pou tēs psalmmaia? ho megas Dabed; eipoimi dʼ an kai autos tolmēsas tēn isēn phōnēn - Tis dōsei moi pterygas ekeinas, pros to dynēthēnai tǭ hypsei tēs tōn rhēmatōn megalophuias synanaptēnai kata dianoian, Hōste katalipein men tēn gēn pasanidiaperasai te panta ton en mesǭ kechymenon aera ; katalabein de to aitherion kallos, kai epi ta astra phthasai, kai pasan tēn en autois diakosmēsin katidein ; stēnai de mēde en toutois, alla diexelthein kai dia toutōn, kai pany tōn tōn kinoumenōn kai methistamenōn ektys gene; sthai, kai katalabein tēn hestōsan physin, tēn ametakinētondynamin, tēn al heautēs kathidrymenēn, tēn nēanta agousan te kai ioioousan. hosa en tǭ heinai esti. panta agousan te kai irerousan, hosa en tǭ heinai esti. panta ta tou aphrastou thelēmatos tēs theias soǬias exērtēmena pantōn alloioumenōn te kai meth istamenōn porrō tę̄ dianoią genomenos, en atreptǭ te kai aklinei tēs psychēs katastasei, ton atripton kai analloiōton dia tēs gnōmēs proteron olkeiōsasthai, eithʼ houtō tę̄ oikeiotatę̄ prosēgoris epikalesasthai kai eipein, Pater? sias nxir legonti chreia psychēsi hosēs tēs parrēseasi huias tēx syneidēseōs-hi "iv'a Theon noēsas, hōs esti autem. ek tōn epinooumenōn autǭ prosēgoriōn, pros synesin tēs axieraston doxēs aeiragōgoumenos,-kai mathōn atii) theia physis, d ti pote estin hautdʼ heō thytēs estin, hagiasmos, agalliximaxo Favi“? katharotēs, aididtēs, aei kata ta auta kai tum??? echousa, ’kai hosatoiauta nenoētai peri tēn thexan phidsin, dia te tēs theias Graphēs kai tidʼ( dum}: hēismōn katanoēsas, eita tolmēsei- tēn iam??? proesthai phōnēn, kai ton toiouton heautou litium. paterax Aēlon gar, dti ei metekoēithdïïïx noias, ouk ’an tharsēseie mē ta auta kal. en ante» ekeinēn proesthai tdn ThednĘ̄tēn kai eipein; Pater-Tēs gar ponēras praxeōs.. d thos kata tēn ousian, patēr genesthai echei ’ oute toii kata ton bion ibeuēlōthentos. 6 hagios
… he interprets as the approach to God made by way of a vow. So the Word teaches us not to ask anything of God before offering him some gift that is pleasing to him. For one must first vow (euxasthai) and then pray (proseuxasthai), as if one were to say that the sowing comes before the harvest. One must first cast the seeds of the vow, and then, when the sowing of the seeds has grown, reap the grace in return through prayer. Since, then, the encounter would not take place with boldness unless the approach was made upon a vow already offered, bearing gifts, the vow necessarily comes before the prayer. As though this had already been accomplished, the Lord says to his disciples, “When you pray, say: Our Father who art in heaven.” “Who will give me wings like a dove?” the great David says somewhere in his psalms. I too would dare to say the same: Who will give me those wings, so that I may fly up in thought to the height of the greatness of these words? So that I may leave the whole earth, pass through all the air spread out between, reach the beauty of the upper air, arrive at the stars and behold all their order; and not stop even there, but pass through them too, and come to be outside everything that moves and changes, and reach the stable nature, the immovable power, established in itself, which leads and bears all things that have being, all of which depend on the ineffable will of the divine wisdom; so that, having gone far in thought from all that alters and changes, in an unchanging and unswerving state of soul, I may first make the unwearying and unalterable One my own by my disposition, and then call upon him by the most familiar of names and say, Father? What a soul is needed by the one who says this! How much boldness! What a conscience! … having understood God, as far as possible, from the names devised for him, being led to the understanding of the glory worthy of love, and having learned that the divine nature, whatever it is in itself, is goodness, holiness, exultation, power, … purity, eternity, ever the same and unchanging, and whatever else is understood about the divine nature through divine Scripture and his own reasonings — only then will he dare to utter such a word and call such a one his father. For it is plain that unless he has shared … he would not dare … to say to God, Father. For the One who is good by essence cannot become the father of an evil deed, nor the Holy One of one who has been profaned in his life,
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Luke 11:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 55:6 (54:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One must first vow and offer something to God before asking; Christ bids us say “Father,” but to call God Father one would need wings to rise above all changing things to the unchanging One, and a soul and conscience like his, for the Good cannot be father of evil.
- The opening continues after a gap in the scan (marked …): Gregory distinguishes εὐχή (“vow”) from προσευχή (“prayer”). “When you pray, say …”: Luke 11:2; Matt 6:9. “Who will give me wings like a dove?”: Ps 55:6 (LXX 54:7).
- The second half of this page is badly garbled in the scan, with interleaved debris; several words are lost (marked …) and only readable text is translated.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1139 (PG 44:1140a–1140b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1139). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1141
1141PG 44:1141a–1141d
οὔτε τοῦ περιτρεπομένου, 6 ἀναλλοίωτος· οὔτε τοῦ νεκρωθέντος ἐξ ἁμαρτίας, ὁ πατὴρ τῆς ζωῆς· οὔτε τῶν ὲν τοῖς πάθεσι τῆς ἀτιμίας ἀσχημονούντων, 6 καθαρὸς καὶ ἀκήρατος · οὔτε τοῦ πλεονέκτου, ὁ εὐεργέτης ’ οὔτε ὅλως τῶν έν τινι κακῷ εὑρισκομένων, 6 ἐν παντὶ ἀγαθῷ θεωρούμενος. El γάρ τις πρὸς ἐαυτὸν βλέπων ἔτι καθαρσίου δεόμενος, καὶ μοχθηρὰν ἑαυτοῦ συνείδησιν ἐπιγινώσκων πλήρη κηλίδων καὶ πονηρῶν ὲγκαυ μάτων, πρὶν καθαρθῆναι τῶν τοιούτων τε καὶ τοσούτων κακῶν, πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ συγγένειαν ἑαυτὸν εἰσποιοῖ, καὶ λέγοι, Πάτερ, τῷ. δικαίῳ 6 ἀδικος, τῷ καθαρῷ 6 ἀκάθαρτοςσ ὕβρις ἄντικρυς ἂν εἴη καὶ λοιδορία τὰ ῥήματα, εἴπερ τῆς ἰδίας μοχθηρίας πατέρα τὸν Θεὸν ὀνομάζοι. Ἠ γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς φωνὴ, τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὑποστάντος διασημαίνει. Οὐκοῦν 6 μοχθηρὸς τὴν συνείδησιν, εί πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν λέγει, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τῶν ἰδίων κακῶν ἀρχηγόν τε καὶ αἴτιον αὑτὸν εἶναι κατηγορήσει. Ἀλλʼ οὐδεὶς κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος, φησὶν 6 Ἀπόστολος άλλά τῷ φωτὶ φῶς προσοικειοῦται, καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ τὸ δίκαιον, καὶ τῷ καλῷ τὸ καλὸν, καὶ τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ τὸ ἄφθαρτον. Τὰ δὲ ἐναντία πρὸς τὰ ὁμογενῆ πάντως τὴν συγγένειαν ἔχει. Οὐ γὰρ δύναται δένδρον καλὸν καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖν. El τοίνυν βαρυκάρδιός τις ὢν, καθώς φησιν ἡ Γραφὴ, καὶτὸ ψεῗιδος ζητῶν, κατατολμᾷ τῆς προσευχῆς ῥημάτων, γινωσκέτω ὅτι οὐ τὸν οὐ· ράνιον 6 τοιοῦτος Πατέρα καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν καταχθόνιον, ὃς αὐτός τε ψεύστης ἐστὶ, καὶ τοῦ ἐν ἑκάστῳ συνισταμένου ψεύδους πατὴρ γίνεται, ἐκεῖνος ἁμαρτία καὶ ἁμαρτίας πατήρ. Διὰ τοῦτο οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς τὴν ψυχὴν, ὀργῆς τέκνα παρὰ τοῦ ’Δποστόλου προσαγορεύονται ' καὶ ὁ τῆς ζωῆς ἀποστὰς, ἀπωλείας υίὸς ὀνομάζεται ’ καί τις βλακώδης καλ θηλυδρίας, υίὸς κορασίων αὐτομολούντων προσηγορεύθη. Ὡσαύτως καὶ ὲκ τοῦ ἐναντίου, οἱ λαμπροὶ τὴν συνείδησιν, υἱοὶ φωτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας προσαγορεύονται · καὶ δυνάμεως υἱοὶ ἕτεροι, οἱ πρὸς τὴν θείαν ίσχὺν ἑαυτοὺς τονώσαντες. Ὅταν τοίνυν Πατέρα τὸν Θεὸν λέγειν ημᾶς . έν τῇ προσευχῇ διδάσκῃ ὁ Κύριος, οὐδὲν ἕτερόν μοι δοκεῖ ποιεῖν, ἢ τὸν ὑψηλόν τε καὶ ἐπηρμένον νοημοθετ τείν βίον · οὐ γὰρ δὴ ψεύδεσθαι διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ή ἁλήθεια,ῶστε λέγειν ὃ μή ἐσμεν, καὶ ὀνομάζειν ὃ μὴ πεφύκαμενο ἀλλὰ Πατέρα λέγοντες ἑαυτῶν, τὸν άφθαρτόν τε καὶ δίκαιον καὶ ἀγαθὸν, ἐπαληθεύειν τῷ βίῳ τὴν ἀγχιστείαν. Ὁρᾷς ὅσης ἡμῖν παρασκευῆς ἐστι χρεία; οἴου βίου ; πόσης καὶ ποταπῆς ἐστι τῆς σπουδῆς, ὥστε ποτὲ πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον τῆς παῤρησίας causam}; ἡμῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως, τολμῆσαι ρ εἰπεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι Πάτερ; El γὰρ περὶ τὰ χρήματα βλέπεις, εί περὶ τὴν βιωτικὴν ἀπάτην ἠσχολημένος εἴης, ἢ τὴν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν ἀναξητοίης, εί τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ταῖς ἐμπαθεστέραις δουλεύοις ἔπειτα τὴν τοιαύτην προσευχὴν διὰ στόματος λάβοις ο τί οἴει ἐρεῖν τὸν εἰς τὸν βίον βλέποντα, καὶ τῆς προσευχῆς ὲπαῖοντα; Ἐγὼ τοιούτων τινῶν ῥημάτων ἀκούειν δοκῶ, ὡσανεὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον λέγοντος · ν. 8.
oute tou peritrepomenou, 6 analloiōtos; oute tou nekrōthentos ex hamartias, ho patēr tēs zōēs; oute tōn en tois pathesi tēs atimias aschēmonountōn, 6 katharos kai akēratos ; oute tou pleonektou, ho euergetēs ’ oute holōs tōn en tini kakǭ heuriskomenōn, 6 en panti agathǭ theōroumenos. El gar tis pros eauton blepōn eti katharsiou deomenos, kai mochthēran heautou syneidēsin epiginōskōn plērē kēlidōn kai ponērōn enkau matōn, prin katharthēnai tōn toioutōn te kai tosoutōn kakōn, pros tēn tou Theou syngeneian heauton eispoioi, kai legoi, Pater, tǭ. dikaiǭ 6 adikos, tǭ katharǭ 6 akathartoss hybris antikrys an eiē kai loidoria ta rhēmata, eiper tēs idias mochthērias patera ton Theon onomazoi. Ē gar tou patros phōnē, tēn aitian tou ex autou hypostantos diasēmainei. Oukoun 6 mochthēros tēn syneidēsin, ei patera heautou ton Theon legei, ouden heteron ē tōn idiōn kakōn archēgon te kai aition hauton einai katēgorēsei. Allʼ oudeis koinōnia phōti pros skotos, phēsin 6 Apostolos alla tǭ phōti phōs prosoikeioutai, kai tǭ dikaiǭ to dikaion, kai tǭ kalǭ to kalon, kai tǭ aphthartǭ to aphtharton. Ta de enantia pros ta homogenē pantōs tēn syngeneian echei. Ou gar dynatai dendron kalon karpous ponērous poiein. El toinyn barykardios tis ōn, kathōs phēsin hē Graphē, kaito pseïidos zētōn, katatolmą tēs proseuchēs rhēmatōn, ginōsketō hoti ou ton ou; ranion 6 toioutos Patera kalei, alla ton katachthonion, hos autos te pseustēs esti, kai tou en hekastǭ synistamenou pseudous patēr ginetai, ekeinos hamartia kai hamartias patēr. Dia touto hoi empatheis tēn psychēn, orgēs tekna para tou ’Dpostolou prosagoreuontai ' kai ho tēs zōēs apostas, apōleias uios onomazetai ’ kai tis blakōdēs kal thēlydrias, uios korasiōn automolountōn prosēgoreuthē. Hōsautōs kai ek tou enantiou, hoi lamproi tēn syneidēsin, huioi phōtos kai hēmeras prosagoreuontai ; kai dynameōs huioi heteroi, hoi pros tēn theian ischyn heautous tonōsantes. Hotan toinyn Patera ton Theon legein ēmas . en tę̄ proseuchę̄ didaskę̄ ho Kyrios, ouden heteron moi dokei poiein, ē ton hypsēlon te kai epērmenon noēmothet tein bion ; ou gar dē pseudesthai didaskei hēmas ē halētheia,ōste legein ho mē esmen, kai onomazein ho mē pephykameno alla Patera legontes heautōn, ton aphtharton te kai dikaion kai agathon, epalētheuein tǭ biǭ tēn anchisteian. Horąs hosēs hēmin paraskeuēs esti chreia? oiou biou ? posēs kai potapēs esti tēs spoudēs, hōste pote pros touto to metron tēs parrēsias causam}? hēmōn tēs syneidēseōs, tolmēsai r eipein tǭ Theǭ, hoti Pater? El gar peri ta chrēmata blepeis, ei peri tēn biōtikēn apatēn ēscholēmenos eiēs, ē tēn ex anthrōpōn doxan anaxētoiēs, ei tōn epithymiōn tais empathesterais douleuois epeita tēn toiautēn proseuchēn dia stomatos labois o ti oiei erein ton eis ton bion bleponta, kai tēs proseuchēs epaionta? Egō toioutōn tinōn rhēmatōn akouein dokō, hōsanei tou Theou pros ton toiouton legontos ; n. 8.
nor the Unchanging of one who is turned about, nor the Father of life of one dead through sin, nor the Pure and Undefiled of those who disgrace themselves in dishonourable passions, nor the Benefactor of the greedy, nor at all the One seen in every good of those found in any evil. If someone, looking at himself, still needs purification and recognizes that his conscience is wicked, full of stains and evil brandings, and before being cleansed of such and so many evils claims kinship with God and says “Father” — the unjust to the Just, the unclean to the Pure — his words would be plain insult and abuse, since he would be naming God the father of his own wickedness. For the word “father” signifies the cause of what has its existence from him. So the man of wicked conscience, if he calls God his father, will be accusing him of nothing less than being the author and cause of his own evils. But “what fellowship has light with darkness?” says the Apostle. Light is akin to light, the just to the just, the beautiful to the beautiful, the incorruptible to the incorruptible; and opposites are akin to their own kind. “For a good tree cannot bear bad fruit.” If, then, someone who is “heavy of heart,” as Scripture says, and “seeks falsehood,” dares to use the words of the prayer, let him know that such a man calls not on the heavenly Father but on the one beneath the earth, who is himself a liar and becomes the father of the lie that arises in each person — he who is sin and the father of sin. That is why the Apostle calls those who are passionate in soul “children of wrath”; the one who has fallen away from life is called “son of perdition”; and a certain soft and effeminate man was called “son of runaway girls.” Likewise, on the other hand, those bright in conscience are called “sons of light and of day,” and others who have strengthened themselves for divine strength “sons of power.” When, then, the Lord teaches us to call God Father in prayer, he seems to me to be doing nothing other than laying down the lofty and exalted life as a law. For the Truth does not teach us to lie, saying what we are not and naming what we are not by nature; rather, in calling the incorruptible, just, and good One our Father, we should prove the kinship true by our life. Do you see how much preparation we need, what kind of life, how much and what kind of zeal, so that at some time, having reached this measure of boldness in our conscience, we may dare to say to God, Father? For if you look to money, if you are busy with the deceits of life, or seek glory from people, if you serve the more passionate desires, and then take such a prayer on your lips, what do you think the One who looks upon your life and hears your prayer will say? I seem to hear some such words, as though God were saying to such a person:
2 Cor 6:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 7:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 4:2 (4:3 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · John 8:44 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 2:3 (allusion, high confidence) · John 17:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Thess 2:3 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 20:30 (quotation, medium confidence) · 1 Thess 5:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 6:9 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: To call God “Father” while living in sin is to make him the cause of one’s evils and so to insult him; the sinner’s father is the devil, the father of lies; Christ’s command to say “Father” is a command to live as God’s children.
- “What fellowship has light with darkness?”: 2 Cor 6:14. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit”: Matt 7:18. “Heavy of heart … seek falsehood”: Ps 4:2 (LXX 4:3). The devil a liar and father of lies: John 8:44. “Children of wrath”: Eph 2:3. “Son of perdition”: John 17:12; 2 Thess 2:3. “Son of runaway girls”: 1 Sam 20:30 (LXX), Saul’s insult to Jonathan. “Sons of light and of day”: 1 Thess 5:5.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1141 (PG 44:1141a–1141d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1141). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1143
1143PG 44:1144a–1144d
Ἱατέρα καλεῖς 6 κατεφθαρμένος τῷ βίῳ τὸν τῆς ιφθαρσίας Πατέρα; Τί μολύνεις τῇ ῥυπαρᾷ σου φωνῇ τὸ ἀκήρατον δνομα; Τί καταψεύδῃ τοῦ ῥήματος; ΤΞ καθυβρίζεις τὴν ἀμόλυντον φύσιν; Εἰ τέκνοιν ἧς σύ ἐμὸν, ὲκ τῶν ἐμῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔδει πάντως καὶ τὸν σὺν βίον χαρακτηρίζεσθαι· οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκω τῆς ἐμῆς φύσεως ἐν σοὶ τὴν εἰκόναʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων οἱ χαρακτῆρες· τίς κοινωνία φωτὶ πρός σκότος; τίς ζωῆς καὶ Θανάτου συγγένεια; τίς οἰκειότης τῷ καθαρῷ τὴν φύσιν πρὸς τὸ ἀκάθαρτον; Πολὺ τοῦ εὐεργέτου πμὸς τὸν πλεονέκτην τὸ μέσον. ’Λμικτος ἡ τοῦ ἐλεήμονες καὶ τοῦ ἀπηνοῦς ἐναντίωσις ἄλλος πατὴρ τῶν ὲν σοὶ κακῶν τὰ γαρ ὲμα γεννήματα τοῖς πατρῴοις arceat; καλλωπίζεται, τέκνον τοῦ ἐλεήμονος 6 ἐλεήμων, καὶ τοῦ καθαροῦ 6 καθαρὸς, 6 φθόρος ἀλλότριος τοῦ ἀφθάρπου· καὶτὸ ὅλον, ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ ἀγαθὸς, καὶ ἐκ δικαίου δίιιαιος. ’Υμᾶς δὲ οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν ἐστέ. Οὐκοῦν ἐπικίνδυθον πρὶν καθαρθῆναι τῷ βίῳ τῆς προσευχῆς ταύτης κατατολμῆσαι, καὶ Πατέρα ἐαυτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ὀνομάσαι. Ἀλλὰ ἀκούσωμεν τῶν τῆς προσευχῆς ῥημάτων πάλιν, εἴτις ἄρα γένοιτο ἡμῖν τῶν κρυφίων τοῦ νοῦ κατανόησις διὰ τῆς συνεχεστέρας ἐπαναλήψεως. Πάτερ ήμῶν, ὀ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς-(Ὅτι μὲν οὖν χρὴ τῷ κατʼ ἀρετὴν βίῳ τὸν Θεὸν οἰκειώσασθαι, μετρίως ἡμῖν διὰ τῶν προλαβόντων ἐξήτασται λόγων. Δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ βαθυτέραν τινὰ διάνοιαν ὑποσημαίνειν 6 λόγος · ταῦτα γὰρ ὑπόμνησιν ἡμῖν ἐμποιεῖ τῆς τε πατρίδος ἧς ἐκπεπτώκαμεν, καὶ τῆς εὐγενείας, ἧς ἀπεβλήθημεν. Καὶ γὰρ ὲν τῷ κατά ’τὸν νέον διηγήματι, τὸν ἀποστάντα τῆς πατρῴας ἑστίας, καί πρὸς τὸν χοιρώδη βίον αὐτομολήσαντα, τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀθλιότητα δείκνυσιν 6 Λόγος ἱπορικῶς διηγούμενος τὴν ἀποφοίτησιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀσωτίαν οὐ πρότερον δὲ αὐτὸνἐπανάγει πρὸς τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐκληρίαν, πρῖν αἴσθησιν αὐτὸν τῆς παρούσης ἀναλαβεῖν συμφορᾶς, εἰς ἐαυτὸν ἐλθεῖν, καὶ μελετῆσαι τά τῆς μεταμελείας ῥήματα. Ταῦτα δὲ ἦν συμβαίνοντά πως τοῖς τῆς προσευχῆς λόγοιςο ἔφησε γὰρ ἐκεῖ Πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εὶς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου · οὐκ ἂν προσθεὶς τῇ ἐξομολογήσει τὴν είς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἁμαρτίαν, μὴ πεπεισμένος πατρίδα εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὃν καταλιπὼν ἐπλημμέλησε· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ εὐπρόσιτον αὐτῷ τὸν πατέραή μελέτη τῆς τοιαύτης ἑξομολογήσεως ἀπεργάζεται, ὥστε καὶ προσδραμεῖν αὐτῷ, καὶ φιλήματι τὸν τράχηλον δεξιώσασθαι (ὅπερ σημαίνει τὸν λογικὸν ζυγὸν, τὸν διὰ στόματος ἐπιβληθέντα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ διὰ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς παραδόσεως, τῷ ὲκδύντι τὴν πρώτην τῆς ἐντολῆς ζεύγλην, καί ἀποσεισαμένῳ τὸν φυλάσσοντα νόμον), περιθεῖναι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν στολὴν, οὐκ ἀλληνζ ἀλλά τὴν πρώτην, ἧς ἐγυμνώθη διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς, ὁμοῦ τῇ γεύσει τῶν ἀπειρημένων γυμνὸν ἑαυτὸν θεασάμενος. ’Ὀ τε περ) τὴν χεῖρα δακτύλιος, διὰ τῆς ἐν τῇ σφενδόνη γλυφῆς τὴν τῆς
Hiatera kaleis 6 katephtharmenos tǭ biǭ ton tēs iphtharsias Patera? Ti molyneis tę̄ rhyparą sou phōnę̄ to akēraton dnoma? Ti katapseudę̄ tou rhēmatos? TX kathybrizeis tēn amolynton physin? Ei teknoin hēs sy emon, ek tōn emōn agathōn edei pantōs kai ton syn bion charaktērizesthai; ouk epiginōskō tēs emēs physeōs en soi tēn eikonaʼ ek tōn enantiōn hoi charaktēres; tis koinōnia phōti pros skotos? tis zōēs kai Thanatou syngeneia? tis oikeiotēs tǭ katharǭ tēn physin pros to akatharton? Poly tou euergetou pmos ton pleonektēn to meson. ’Lmiktos hē tou eleēmones kai tou apēnous enantiōsis allos patēr tōn en soi kakōn ta gar ema gennēmata tois patrǭois arceat? kallōpizetai, teknon tou eleēmonos 6 eleēmōn, kai tou katharou 6 katharos, 6 phthoros allotrios tou aphtharpou; kaito holon, ex agathou agathos, kai ek dikaiou diiiaios. ’Ymas de ouk oida pothen este. Oukoun epikindython prin katharthēnai tǭ biǭ tēs proseuchēs tautēs katatolmēsai, kai Patera eautou ton Theon onomasai. Alla akousōmen tōn tēs proseuchēs rhēmatōn palin, eitis ara genoito hēmin tōn kryphiōn tou nou katanoēsis dia tēs synechesteras epanalēpseōs. Pater ēmōn, o en tois ouranois-(Hoti men oun chrē tǭ katʼ aretēn biǭ ton Theon oikeiōsasthai, metriōs hēmin dia tōn prolabontōn exētastai logōn. Dokei de moi kai bathyteran tina dianoian hyposēmainein 6 logos ; tauta gar hypomnēsin hēmin empoiei tēs te patridos hēs ekpeptōkamen, kai tēs eugeneias, hēs apeblēthēmen. Kai gar en tǭ kata ’ton neon diēgēmati, ton apostanta tēs patrǭas hestias, kai pros ton choirōdē bion automolēsanta, tēn anthrōpinēn athliotēta deiknysin 6 Logos hiporikōs diēgoumenos tēn apophoitēsin autou kai tēn asōtian ou proteron de autonepanagei pros tēn ex archēs euklērian, prin aisthēsin auton tēs parousēs analabein symphoras, eis eauton elthein, kai meletēsai ta tēs metameleias rhēmata. Tauta de ēn symbainonta pōs tois tēs proseuchēs logoiso ephēse gar ekei Pater, hēmarton eis ton ouranon kai enōpion sou ; ouk an prostheis tę̄ exomologēsei tēn eis ton ouranon hamartian, mē pepeismenos patrida einai ton ouranon, hon katalipōn eplēmmelēse; dia touto kai euprositon autǭ ton pateraē meletē tēs toiautēs hexomologēseōs apergazetai, hōste kai prosdramein autǭ, kai philēmati ton trachēlon dexiōsasthai (hoper sēmainei ton logikon zygon, ton dia stomatos epiblēthenta tǭ anthrōpǭ dia tēs euangelikēs paradoseōs, tǭ ekdynti tēn prōtēn tēs entolēs zeuglēn, kai aposeisamenǭ ton phylassonta nomon), peritheinai de autǭ kai tēn stolēn, ouk allēnz alla tēn prōtēn, hēs egymnōthē dia tēs parakoēs, homou tę̄ geusei tōn apeirēmenōn gymnon heauton theasamenos. ’O te per) tēn cheira daktylios, dia tēs en tę̄ sphendonē glyphēs tēn tēs
“You whose life is corrupt, do you call the Father of incorruption Father? Why do you defile the pure name with your filthy voice? Why do you lie against the word? Why do you insult the undefiled nature? If you were my child, your life too would surely be marked by my goods. I do not recognize the image of my nature in you; your features are those of the opposite. What fellowship has light with darkness? What kinship has life with death? What affinity has the pure in nature with the impure? Great is the gap between the benefactor and the greedy; the merciful and the harsh are opposites that cannot mix. Another is the father of the evils in you; for my offspring are adorned with their father’s goods: the merciful is the child of the Merciful, the pure of the Pure; corruption is foreign to the Incorruptible; in short, good comes from good and just from just. But you — I do not know where you come from.” So it is dangerous to dare this prayer and name God one’s Father before being cleansed in one’s life. But let us hear the words of the prayer again, in case some understanding of their hidden meaning may come to us through repeating them more often. “Our Father who art in heaven.” That one must make God one’s own by a life of virtue has been examined sufficiently in what has been said. But the word seems to me to hint at a deeper meaning as well. These words remind us of the fatherland from which we have fallen and of the noble birth we have lost. In the story of the young man who left his father’s hearth and deserted to the life of swine, the Word shows human misery, narrating his departure and his profligacy; and he does not bring him back to his original good fortune until he regains a sense of his present misfortune, comes to himself, and rehearses the words of repentance. These words somehow agree with the words of the prayer; for there he said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” He would not have added to his confession a sin against heaven unless he had been persuaded that heaven was the fatherland he had sinned by leaving. That is why the rehearsing of such a confession makes the father easy to approach, so that he runs to him and greets his neck with a kiss — which signifies the yoke of the word laid on the human being through the mouth by the tradition of the Gospel, upon one who had stripped off the first yoke of the commandment and shaken off the law that guarded him. He puts on him the robe — not another one, but the first, of which he had been stripped through disobedience, when, as soon as he tasted what was forbidden, he saw himself naked. And the ring on his hand, by the engraving on its bezel, signifies the recovery of the
2 Cor 6:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 13:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 15:11–24 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 3:7 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God would reject the sinner who calls him Father; “Father in heaven” recalls our lost fatherland, as in the parable of the prodigal son, whose confession, robe, ring, and kiss signify repentance and the restoration of the first state.
- “I do not know where you come from”: Luke 13:25, 27. The prodigal son: Luke 15:11–24; “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you”: Luke 15:18, 21. Nakedness after the fall: Gen 3:7.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1143 (PG 44:1144a–1144d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1143). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica-1143) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1145
1145PG 44:1145a–1145d
ι εἰκόνος ὲπανάληψιν ὑποσημαίνει. ’Δσφαλίζεται δὲ καὶ τοὺς πόδας τοῖς ὑποδήμασιν, ὡς ἂν μὴ γυμνῇ r τῇ πτέρνῃ, τῇ κεφαλῇ τοῦ ὄφεως προσεγγίζων, ἑμπίπτῃ τῷ δήγματι. ’Ὠσπερ τοίνυν ἐκεῖ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ ς πατρὸς φιλανθρωπίας αἰτία γέγονε τῷ νέῳ ἡ πρὸς τὴν πατρῴαν ἑστίαν ἐπιστροφὴ (αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ὁ οὐρανὸς εἰς ὃν πεπλημμεληκέναι τῷ πατρὶ λέγει), οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα δοκεῖ μοι διδάσκων ὁ Κύριος τὸν 1 ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι Πατέρα, μνήμην σοι ποιεῖσθαι τῆς ἀγαθῆς πατρίδος, ὡς ἂν ἐπιθυμίαν 1 σφοδροτέραν τῶν καλῶν ἐμποιήσας, ἐπιστήσειὲ σε τῇ ὁδῷ τῇ πρὸς τὴν πατρίδα πάλιν ἑπαναγούσῃ. Ὁδὸς η δὲ ἡ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν ἀνάγουσα, οὐδεμίατίς ἑστιν εἰ μὴ φυγὴ καὶ ἀπό- ; στασις τῶν περιγείων κακῶν· τῆς δὲ φυγῆς τῶν κακῶν ἐπίνοια, οὐκ ἄλλη μοί τις εἶναι δοκεῖ, πλὴν ; τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁμοιώσεως. Τὸ δὲ ὁμοιωθῆναι : Θεῷ, τὸ δίκαιόν τε καὶ ὅσιον καὶ ἀγαθὸν, καὶ τὰ , τοιαῦτά ἑστι γενέσθαι. Ὧν εί τις, ὡς ἔστι δυνατὸν, ι τοὺς χαρακτῆρας ἐναργῶς ἑν ἑαυτῷ τυπώσειεν, ἀμογ γητὶ κατά τὸ αὐτόματον πρὸς τὸν οὐράνιον χῶρον ἀπὸ ξ τοῦ περιγείου μεταστήσεται βίου. Οὐ γὰρ τοπικὴ η τοῦ Θείου πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώπινόν ἑστιν ἡ διάστασις, γ ὥστε τινὸς μηχανῆς τε ἡμῖν καὶ ςὲπινοίας γενέσθαι χρείαν, τὸ βαρύ τε καὶ ἐμβριθὲς καὶ γεῶδες τοῦτο γ σαρκίον πρὸς τὴν ἀσώματόν τε καὶ νοεράν διαγωγὴν μετοικίζειν ' ἀλλὰ νοητῶς τῆς ἀρετῆς τοῦ κακοῦ κεχωρισμένης, ἑν μόνῃ τῇ προαιρέσει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κεῖται, πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν ἑπικλιθείη τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ, ἐν ἐκείνῳ εἶναι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδεὶς ἕπεται πόνος ἑλέσθαι τὸ ἀγαθὸν (τῷ δὲ ἑλέσθαι καὶ τὸ τυχεῖν ἕπεται ὧν τις προείλετο), ἔξεστί σοι εὐθὺς ἑν τῷ οὐρανῷ εἶναι, τὸν Θεὸν ἑν τῇ διανοίᾳλαβόντι. Εἰ γὰρ, καθώς φησιν β Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, '0 Θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, σὺ δὲ τῷ η Θεῷ, κατά τὸν Προφήτην προσεκολλήθηςο ἀνάγκη πᾶσα τὸν τῷ Θεῷ συνημμένον ἐκεῖ εἶναι ὅπου ἐστὶν ὁ Θεός. Προστάξας τοίνυν ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ λέγειν πρὸς ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἢ ὁμοιοῦσθαί σε τῇ θεοπρεπεί πολιτείᾳ τῷ οὐρανίῳ κελεύει Πατρὶ, καθάπερ καὶ φανερώτερον ἑτέρωθι τὸ τοιοῦτον παρεγγυᾷ, λέγων· Γίνεσθε τέλειοι, ὡς καὶ ὀ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ό οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν. “ Εἰ οὖν νενοήκαμεν τῆς τοιαύτης προσευχῆς τὴν διάνοιαν, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη παρασκευάζειν ἑαυτῶν τάς Ψυχὰς, ὥστε ποτὲ θαρσῆσαι τὰς φωνὰς ταύτας ἀναλαβεῖν διὰ στόματος, καὶ εἰπεῖν ὲν παρρησίᾳ Πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. ’Ὠσπερ γὰρ φανερὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁμοιότητός ἐστιτὰ γνωρίσματα, διʼ ὧν ἔστι τέκνον Θεοῦ γενέσθαι τινὰ (Ὅσοι γὰρ ἔλαβον αὑτὸν, φησὶν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαιο λαμβάνει δέ τις ἑν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Θεὸν, ὁ τὴν κατά τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἀναλαβὼν τελειότητα) ο οὕτως ἔστι τινὰ καὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ χαρακτῆρος ἴδια σημεῖα, ἑν οἷς ὁ γενόμενος, υἱὸς Θεοῦ εἶναι οὺ δύναται, τῆς ἐναντίας φύσεως τὴν είκόνα φέρων. Βούλει γνῶναι τοῦ πονηροῦ χαρακτῆρος τὰ ἰδιώματας Ὀ φθόνος, τὸ μῖσος, ἠδιαβολὴ, ὀ τῦφος, ἡ πλεονεξία, ἡ ἐμπαθὴς
i eikonos epanalēpsin hyposēmainei. ’Dsphalizetai de kai tous podas tois hypodēmasin, hōs an mē gymnę̄ r tę̄ pternę̄, tę̄ kephalę̄ tou opheōs prosengizōn, hempiptę̄ tǭ dēgmati. ’Ōsper toinyn ekei tēs para tou s patros philanthrōpias aitia gegone tǭ neǭ hē pros tēn patrǭan hestian epistrophē (hautē de estin ho ouranos eis hon peplēmmelēkenai tǭ patri legei), houtō kai entautha dokei moi didaskōn ho Kyrios ton 1 en tois ouranois epikaleisthai Patera, mnēmēn soi poieisthai tēs agathēs patridos, hōs an epithymian 1 sphodroteran tōn kalōn empoiēsas, epistēseie se tę̄ hodǭ tę̄ pros tēn patrida palin hepanagousę̄. Hodos ē de hē pros ton ouranon tēn anthrōpinēn physin anagousa, oudemiatis hestin ei mē phygē kai apo- ? stasis tōn perigeiōn kakōn; tēs de phygēs tōn kakōn epinoia, ouk allē moi tis einai dokei, plēn ? tēs pros ton Theon homoiōseōs. To de homoiōthēnai : Theǭ, to dikaion te kai hosion kai agathon, kai ta , toiauta hesti genesthai. Hōn ei tis, hōs esti dynaton, i tous charaktēras enargōs hen heautǭ typōseien, amog gēti kata to automaton pros ton ouranion chōron apo x tou perigeiou metastēsetai biou. Ou gar topikē ē tou Theiou pros to anthrōpinon hestin hē diastasis, g hōste tinos mēchanēs te hēmin kai sepinoias genesthai chreian, to bary te kai embrithes kai geōdes touto g sarkion pros tēn asōmaton te kai noeran diagōgēn metoikizein ' alla noētōs tēs aretēs tou kakou kechōrismenēs, hen monę̄ tę̄ proairesei tou anthrōpou keitai, pros hoper an hepiklitheiē tę̄ epithymią, en ekeinǭ einai. Epei oun oudeis hepetai ponos helesthai to agathon (tǭ de helesthai kai to tychein hepetai hōn tis proeileto), exesti soi euthys hen tǭ ouranǭ einai, ton Theon hen tę̄ dianoiąlabonti. Ei gar, kathōs phēsin b Ekklēsiastēs, '0 Theos en tǭ ouranǭ, sy de tǭ ē Theǭ, kata ton Prophētēn prosekollēthēso anankē pasa ton tǭ Theǭ synēmmenon ekei einai hopou estin ho Theos. Prostaxas toinyn en tę̄ proseuchę̄ legein pros heautou ton Theon, ouden heteron, ē homoiousthai se tę̄ theoprepei politeią tǭ ouraniǭ keleuei Patri, kathaper kai phanerōteron heterōthi to toiouton parengyą, legōn; Ginesthe teleioi, hōs kai o Patēr hymōn o ouranios teleios estin. “ Ei oun nenoēkamen tēs toiautēs proseuchēs tēn dianoian, kairos an eiē paraskeuazein heautōn tas Psychas, hōste pote tharsēsai tas phōnas tautas analabein dia stomatos, kai eipein en parrēsią Pater hēmōn, ho en tois ouranois. ’Ōsper gar phanera tēs pros ton Theon homoiotētos estita gnōrismata, diʼ hōn esti teknon Theou genesthai tina (Hosoi gar elabon hauton, phēsin, edōken autois exousian tekna Theou genesthaio lambanei de tis hen heautǭ ton Theon, ho tēn kata to agathon analabōn teleiotēta) o houtōs esti tina kai tou ponērou charaktēros idia sēmeia, hen hois ho genomenos, huios Theou einai ou dynatai, tēs enantias physeōs tēn eikona pherōn. Boulei gnōnai tou ponērou charaktēros ta idiōmatas O phthonos, to misos, ēdiabolē, o typhos, hē pleonexia, hē empathēs
image. He secures his feet with sandals, so that, coming near the serpent’s head with his heel bare, he may not fall to its bite. There, the cause of the father’s kindness to the young man was his return to his father’s hearth — which is heaven, against which he tells his father he has sinned. So here too, it seems to me, the Lord, by teaching us to call upon the Father in heaven, makes you remember the good fatherland, so that, by producing in you a stronger desire for good things, he may set you on the road that leads back to the fatherland. The road that leads human nature up to heaven is nothing other than flight and departure from earthly evils; and the means of fleeing evils seems to me nothing other than likeness to God. To be made like God is to become just and holy and good, and the like. If anyone imprints clearly in himself, as far as he can, their features, he will pass without toil, of his own accord, from earthly life to the heavenly region. For the distance between the Divine and the human is not a matter of place, as though we needed some machine or contrivance to move this heavy, weighty, earthy flesh to a bodiless and intellectual way of life. Since virtue is separated from evil in the order of thought, it lies in human choice alone to be in whichever one inclines toward by desire. Since, then, no toil follows on choosing the good — and obtaining what one has chosen follows on choosing it — you can be in heaven at once, once you have taken God into your mind. For if, as the Preacher says, “God is in heaven,” and you, as the Prophet says, have clung to God, then of necessity whoever is joined to God is where God is. So in commanding us in prayer to call God our own Father, he commands nothing other than that you be made like the heavenly Father by a way of life befitting God, as he enjoins more plainly elsewhere when he says, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” If, then, we have understood the meaning of this prayer, it may be time to prepare our souls, so that at some time we may dare to take these words on our lips and say with boldness, “Our Father who art in heaven.” For as the marks of likeness to God are plain, by which a person can become a child of God (“to all who received him,” it says, “he gave power to become children of God”; and one receives God into himself who has taken up the perfection of the good), so there are certain proper signs of the evil character, and whoever is in them cannot be a son of God, since he bears the image of the opposite nature. Do you want to know the properties of the evil character? Envy, hatred, slander, conceit, greed, passionate
Gen 3:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:21–22 (allusion, high confidence) · Eccl 5:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 73:28 (72:28 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:48 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:12 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Calling on the Father in heaven recalls our heavenly fatherland; the road back is likeness to God, which lies within our choice, for God is not distant in place; whoever is joined to God is already in heaven, but whoever bears the marks of the evil one cannot be God’s son.
- The serpent and the heel: Gen 3:15. “God is in heaven”: Eccl 5:2 (LXX 5:1). Clinging to God: Ps 73:28 (LXX 72:28). “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”: Matt 5:48. “To all who received him …”: John 1:12.
- Flight from evils by likeness to God echoes Plato, Theaetetus 176a–b.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters) for εἰ): dumi-2i μὴ → εἰ μὴ.
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Theaet. 176b (Plato (works); echo)
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1145 (PG 44:1145a–1145d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1145). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1147
1147PG 44:1148a–1148d
ὶπιθυμία, τὸ κατὰ τὴν δοξομανίαν ἀρῤὡσιημα· ταῦτά ἐστι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα,οίς ή μορφὴ τοῦ ἐναντίω χαρακτηρίζεται. '0 τοίνυν ταῖς τοιαύταις κηλίσιτὴιι ψυχὴν ὲγκεκαυμένος, ἐὰν πατέρα καλέσῃ, ποῖος αὖ. τὸν πατὴρ ὲπακούσεταις Δηλαδή 6 συγγενῶς πρὸς τὸν κεκληκότα έχων · οὗτος δέ ἐστιν οὐχ 6 οὐράνιος, ἀλλʼ 6 καταχθόνιος. Οὗ γὰρ τὰ σημεῖα φέρει τῆς ἀγχιστείας, έκεῖνος πάντως τὴν ἰδίαν συγγένειαν ἑτι· γνώσεται. Οὐκοῦν ή τοῦ πονηροῦ ἀνδρὸς προσευχὴ. ἕως ἂν ὲν τῇ πονηρίᾳ ᾗ, τοῦ διασόλου ἐπίκλησις γίνεο ται ο τοῦ δὲ ἀφεστῶτος τῆς πονηρίας, καὶ ὲν quem: ζῶντος, τὸν ἀγαθὸν Πατέρα ή φωνὴ προσκαλέσεται. Ὅταν τοίνυν προσίωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, πρότεροντδν βίον ἐπισκοπήσωμεν, εἰ τι τῆς Θείας συγγενείας ἄξιον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς φέρομεν εἷθʼ οὕτω τὸν τοιοῦτον λόγον θαρσήσωμεν. Ὀ γὰρ λέγειν Πατέρα προστάξας, τὸ ψεῦο δος λέγειν οὐ συνεχώρησεν. Οὔκοΰν ὁ τῆς θείας εὐγενείας ἀξίως πολιτευσάμενος, οὗτος καλῶς πρὸς τὴν οὐράνιον πόλιν ὁρᾷ, Πατέρα τε τὸν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλέα, καὶ πατρίδα ἑαυτοῦ τὴν οὐράνιον ὀνομάζων μακαριότητα.Είς τί φέρει τῆς συμβουλῆς 6 σκοπόςς τὰ ἄνω φρονεῖν.- οὗ 6 Θεός · ἐκεῖ θεμελίους τῆς οἰκήσεως ἑαυτοῦ καταβάλλεσθαιο ἐκεῖ τοὺς θηωυροὺςῌὰποτίθεσθαι ο ἐκεῖ μετοικίζειν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν καρδίωζύπυ γάρ ἐστιν 6 θησαυρὸς, ἐκεῖ ὲστι καὶ ή καρδίτ πρὸς τὸ πατρικὸν κάλλος διαπαντὸς βλέπειν, καὶ κατʼ έκεῖνο τὴν ίδίαν καλλωπίζειν ψυχήν. Οὐκ προσωποληψία παρὰ Θεῷ, φησὶν ή Γραφή. ’Δπέστω καὶ τῆς σῆς μορφῆς ὁ τοιοῦτος ῥύπος. Φθόνου καθαρὸν τὸ Θεῖον, καὶ πάσης ὲμπαθοῦς κηλίδος. Μηδὲ σε καταστιζέτω τὰ τοιαύτα πάθη, μὴ φθόνος, μὴ μῖσος, μὴ ἄλλο τι τῶν μολυνόντων τὸ θεοειδὲς κάλλος. ’δὲʼ τοιοῦτος ᾖς, θάρσησον τῇ οἰκείᾳ φωνῇ τὸν Θεὸν προσκαλέσασθαι, καὶ Πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ τὸν τοῦ παντδςΔεσπάτην ὀνομάσαι. Ὀψεταί σε πατρικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. 7'5?" στελεί σε τῇ θείᾳ στολῇ, καὶ κατακοσμήσει τῷ δακτυλίῳ, καταρτίσει τοὺς πόδας πρὸς τὴν ἄνω πορείαν τοῖς εὐαγγὰικοῖς ὑποδήμασιν, ἀποκαταστήσει σε τῇ οὗ· ρανίῳ πατρίδι έν Χριστῷ ςιησού τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. ᾧ πρέπει ή δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 1) ΛΟΓΟΣ 1". Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά οσον ’ ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου. '0 τὴν σκιὰν τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν περιέχων νόμος, καί τισιν αἰνίγμασι τυπικοίς προαναφωνῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἐπειδὰν εἰς τὸ ἄδυτον εἰσάγει προσευξάμενον τῷ Θεῷ τὸν ἱερέα, πρῶτον μὲν καθαρσίοις τισὶ, καὶ περιρραντισμοῑς ἀφαγνίζει τὸν sict-6%? Εἶτα τῇ ἱερατικῇ στολῇ χρυσῷ καὶ πορφύρᾳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἄνθεσι τῆς βαφῆς ἐκπρεπῶς tgna“ng τακοσμήσας. τήν τε περιστήθιον ὲπιόαλὼλςλαῠξξ) μίτραν, καὶ τοὺς κώδωνας τῶν κρασπέδων pata ίδοῖεζτκων ἐξάψας, ἄνωθεν δὲ ταῖς ’ἐπωμίσι διασφίγξαξ τὸν ἐπενδύτην, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν καλλωπίσας τῳ
ipithymia, to kata tēn doxomanian arrōsiēma; tauta esti kai ta toiauta,ois ē morphē tou enantiō charaktērizetai. '0 toinyn tais toiautais kēlisitēii psychēn enkekaumenos, ean patera kalesę̄, poios au. ton patēr epakousetais Dēladē 6 syngenōs pros ton keklēkota echōn ; houtos de estin ouch 6 ouranios, allʼ 6 katachthonios. Hou gar ta sēmeia pherei tēs anchisteias, ekeinos pantōs tēn idian syngeneian heti; gnōsetai. Oukoun ē tou ponērou andros proseuchē. heōs an en tę̄ ponērią hę̄, tou diasolou epiklēsis gineo tai o tou de aphestōtos tēs ponērias, kai en quem: zōntos, ton agathon Patera ē phōnē proskalesetai. Hotan toinyn prosiōmen tǭ Theǭ, proterontdn bion episkopēsōmen, ei ti tēs Theias syngeneias axion en heautois pheromen heithʼ houtō ton toiouton logon tharsēsōmen. O gar legein Patera prostaxas, to pseuo dos legein ou synechōrēsen. Oukoÿn ho tēs theias eugeneias axiōs politeusamenos, houtos kalōs pros tēn ouranion polin horą, Patera te ton tōn ouranōn basilea, kai patrida heautou tēn ouranion onomazōn makariotēta.Eis ti pherei tēs symboulēs 6 skoposs ta anō phronein.- hou 6 Theos ; ekei themelious tēs oikēseōs heautou kataballesthaio ekei tous thēōyrousĘ̄apotithesthai o ekei metoikizein heautou tēn kardiōzypy gar estin 6 thēsauros, ekei esti kai ē kardit pros to patrikon kallos diapantos blepein, kai katʼ ekeino tēn idian kallōpizein psychēn. Ouk prosōpolēpsia para Theǭ, phēsin ē Graphē. ’Dpestō kai tēs sēs morphēs ho toioutos rhypos. Phthonou katharon to Theion, kai pasēs empathous kēlidos. Mēde se katastizetō ta toiauta pathē, mē phthonos, mē misos, mē allo ti tōn molynontōn to theoeides kallos. ’deʼ toioutos ę̄s, tharsēson tę̄ oikeią phōnę̄ ton Theon proskalesasthai, kai Patera heautou ton tou pantdsDespatēn onomasai. Opsetai se patrikois ophthalmois. 7'5?" stelei se tę̄ theią stolę̄, kai katakosmēsei tǭ daktyliǭ, katartisei tous podas pros tēn anō poreian tois euangaikois hypodēmasin, apokatastēsei se tę̄ hou; raniǭ patridi en Christǭ siēsou tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn. hǭ prepei ē doxa kai to kratos eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. Amēn. 1) LOGOS 1". Hagiasthētō to onoma oson ’ elthetō hē basileia sou. '0 tēn skian tōn mellontōn agathōn periechōn nomos, kai tisin ainigmasi typikois proanaphōnōn tēn alētheian, epeidan eis to adyton eisagei proseuxamenon tǭ Theǭ ton hierea, prōton men katharsiois tisi, kai perirrantismois aphagnizei ton sict-6%? Eita tę̄ hieratikę̄ stolę̄ chrysǭ kai porphyrą kai tois loipois anthesi tēs baphēs ekprepōs tgna“ng takosmēsas. tēn te peristēthion epioalōlslauxx) mitran, kai tous kōdōnas tōn kraspedōn pata idoieztkōn exapsas, anōthen de tais ’epōmisi diasphinxax ton ependytēn, kai tēn kephalēn kallōpisas tǭ
desire, the sickness of mania for glory: these and the like are the features by which the form of the opposite is marked. So if one whose soul is branded with such stains calls on a father, what father will hear him? Plainly the one who is akin to him who calls; and he is not the heavenly one but the one beneath the earth. For he whose marks of kinship a person bears will surely recognize his own kin. So the prayer of a wicked man, as long as he remains in wickedness, becomes an invocation of the devil; but the voice of one who has departed from wickedness and lives in … will call upon the good Father. When, then, we approach God, let us first examine our life, whether we carry in ourselves anything worthy of divine kinship, and only then dare to speak such a word. For the one who commanded us to say “Father” did not permit us to tell a lie. So whoever has lived in a way worthy of his divine nobility rightly looks to the heavenly city, naming the King of heaven his Father and heavenly blessedness his fatherland. What is the aim of this counsel? To set our minds on things above, where God is; to lay the foundations of our dwelling there; to store our treasures there; to move our heart there — “for where the treasure is, there is the heart also”; to look always to the Father’s beauty and to adorn our own soul after it. “There is no partiality with God,” says Scripture. Let such filth be absent from your form too. The Divine is pure of envy and of every passionate stain. Let no such passions mark you — not envy, not hatred, nor anything else that defiles the godlike beauty. If you are such, take courage and call upon God with the voice of one who belongs to him, and name the Master of all your Father. He will look on you with a father’s eyes; he will clothe you with the divine robe, adorn you with the ring, fit your feet for the upward journey with the sandals of the Gospel, and restore you to the heavenly fatherland, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belong glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. Homily 3. “Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come.” The law, which holds the shadow of the good things to come and foretells the truth in certain riddles and types, when it brings the priest into the sanctuary to pray to God, first purifies him with certain cleansings and sprinklings; then it adorns him splendidly with the priestly robe of gold and purple and the other bright colours of dye, puts on him the breast-piece and the mitre, attaches the bells to the hems, binds the over-robe above with the shoulder-pieces, and adorns his head with the
Col 3:1–2 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 6:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 2:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 15:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 6:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 6:9–10 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 10:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 28:1–43 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Homily 2 ends: the sinner’s prayer calls on the devil, so we must examine our lives before saying “Father,” setting our hearts on heaven, and then God will receive us like the prodigal son. Homily 3 opens with the priest’s preparation for entering the sanctuary.
- Set your minds on things above: Col 3:1–2. “Where the treasure is …”: Matt 6:21. “No partiality with God”: Rom 2:11. The robe, ring, and sandals: Luke 15:22. The gospel sandals: Eph 6:15.
- Homily 3 on the Lord’s Prayer begins here: Matt 6:9–10. The law as shadow: Heb 10:1. The priestly vestments: Exod 28.
- One word after “lives in” is unreadable in the scan (OCR debris).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters) for θείας; OCR debris (Latin letters) for μῖσος; OCR debris (Latin letters) for προσωποληψία; OCR debris for βασιλεία σου): garamaωποληψία → προσωποληψία; μὴ saw. μὴ → μὴ μῖσος, μὴ; Osiri}; → θείας; flantis!!! ου. ου. → βασιλεία σου..
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1147 (PG 44:1148a–1148d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1147). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1149
1149PG 44:1149a–1149b
διαδήματι, δαψιλῶς τε τῆς κόμης καταχέας τοῦ μύρου ο οὕτως αὑτὸν παράγει ἐπὶ τὸ ἄδυτον, τὰς ἁπορσ ρήτους ἱερουργίας ἐπιτελέσοντα· ὁ δὲ πνευματικὸς νομοθέτης ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἀπογυμνῶν τῶν σωματικῶν προκαλυμμάτων τὸν νόμον, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐμφανὲς άγων τὰ τῷν τύπων αἰνίγματα, πρῶτον μὲν οὐχ ἕνα τοῦ παντὸς ἀποκρίνας μόνον είς ὁμιλίαν ἀγει Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ παντὶ κατά τὸ ίσον τὴν ἀξίαν ταύτην χαρίζεται, κοινὴν προθεὶς τοῖς βουλομένοις τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὴν χάριν ἔπειτα δὲ οὐκ ἀλλοτρίῳ κόσμῳ τῷ ἐκ βαφῆς τινος καὶ ὑφαντικῆς περιεργασίας ἐξευρημένῳ, τὸ κάλλος τοῦ ίερέως σοφίζεται, ἀλλʼ οἰκεῖον αὐτῷ καὶ συμφυῆ περιβάλλει τὸν κόσμον, ἀντὶ τῆς ποικίλης ἁλουργίδος ταῖς τῶν ἀρετῶν χάρισι περιανθίζων ο κοσμεῖ δέ καὶ τὸ στῆθος, οὐ χρυσῷ, ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκηράτῳ καὶ καθαρᾷ-συνζ ειδήσει τὸ τῆς καρδίας ὼραῖζων κάλλος. Ἐναρμόζει δὲ τῇ μίτρα καὶ πολυτελῶν λίθων αὐγάς · αὗται δέ εἰσιν αἱ τῶν ἁγίων ἐντολῶν λαμπηδόνες, ὡς τῷ ’Δποστόλῳ δοκεῖ. ’Δλλὰ καὶ τῇ περισκελίδι τὸ μέρος ἐκεῖνο, ᾧ κόσμος ἐστὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον τοῦ ἐνδύματος κατασφαλίζεται. Πάντως δὲ οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς ’δτι τὸ τῆς σωφροσύνης περιβόλαιον, κόσμος τοῦ τοιούτου μέ·ρους ἐστίν · ἀπαρτήσας δὲ τῶν κρασπέδων τοῦ βίου τοὺς νοητοὺς ρόῑσκους τε καὶ τοὺς κώδωνας· ταῦτα δὲ εἰκότως ἄν τις τά προφανῆ τῆς κατʼ ἀρετὴν πολιτείας νοήσειεν, ὡς ἀν ἐπίσημοςή κατὰ τὴν ζωὴν ταύτην πορεία γένοιτο. Τούτων οὖν τῶν κρασπέδων ἐξάψας ἀντὶ μὲν τοῦ κώδωνος, τὸν εὔηχον λόγον τῆς πίστεως· ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ροἲσκου, τὴν κεκρυμμένην τῆς μελλούσης ἐλπίδος ἐτοιμασίαν, τὴν τῷ στιφροτέρῳ βίῳ κεκαλυμμένην, οὕτω παράγει ἐπὶ τὸ ἄδυτον τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ ἐνδότατον. Tb δὲ ἄδυτον τοῦτο οὐκ ἄψυχόν ἐστιν, οὔτε χειρόδμητον ἀλλὰ τὸ κρυπτὸν τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν ταμεῖον, ἐὰν άληθῶς ἄδυτον τῇ κακία, καὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς λογισμοῖς ἀνεπίβατον. Κοσμεῖ δὲ τὴν κεφαλὴν τῷ οὐρανίῳ φρονήματι, ού γραμμάτων τύπον ἐνσημηνάμενος πετάλῳ χρυσῷ, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸν τὸν θεὸν ὲντυπὼσις ἐν τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ λογισμῷ. Μύρονδὲ κατασκεδάζει τῆς κόμης, τὸ παρʼ αὐτῆς ἐνδοθεν τῆς ψυχῆς διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν μυρεψόμενον. Θῦμα δέ καὶ ἱερεῖον προσάγειν αὐτὸν τῷ Θεῷ παρασκειυά ζει, διὰ τῆς μυστικῆς ἱερουργίας, οὐκ ἄλλο τι ἢ ἐαυτὸν. '0 γάρ οὕτως παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς τὴν ἱερωσύνην ταύτην ἀγόμενος, τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς νεκρὼσας ἐν τῇ μαχαίρᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος, ὃ ἐστι ῥῆμα Θεοῦ, οὕτως ῐλεσῦται τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τοῖς ἀδύτοις γενόμενος, ἐαυτὸν διά τῆς τοιαύτης θυσίας ἱερουργήσας, καὶ παραστήσας τὸ ἐαυτοῦ σῶμα, θυσίαν ζῶσαν ἁγίαν εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ. Ἀλλʼ ἐρεῖ τις ἴσως, μὴ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον ἔχειν τὴν τῆς προσευχῆς διάνοιαν τῆς προκειμένης ἡμῖν εἰς ἐξήγησιν· περινοεῖν δὲ ἡμᾶς τοὺς τοιούτους λόγους, οὐκ ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις ἁρμόζοντας. Οὐκοῦν πάλιν ὐπομνησθήτω τῶν πρώτων τῆς προσευχῆς διδαγμάτων. '0 γὰρ οὕτως ἐαυτὸν παρασκευάσας, ὥστε ἐν παρρησίᾳ τολμῆσαι Πατέρα ἐαυτοῦ τὸν θεὸν ὀνοι
diadēmati, dapsilōs te tēs komēs katacheas tou myrou o houtōs hauton paragei epi to adyton, tas hapors rētous hierourgias epitelesonta; ho de pneumatikos nomothetēs ho Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous Christos apogymnōn tōn sōmatikōn prokalymmatōn ton nomon, kai eis to emphanes agōn ta tǭn typōn ainigmata, prōton men ouch hena tou pantos apokrinas monon eis homilian agei Theǭ, alla panti kata to ison tēn axian tautēn charizetai, koinēn protheis tois boulomenois tēs hierōsynēs tēn charin epeita de ouk allotriǭ kosmǭ tǭ ek baphēs tinos kai hyphantikēs periergasias exeurēmenǭ, to kallos tou iereōs sophizetai, allʼ oikeion autǭ kai symphyē periballei ton kosmon, anti tēs poikilēs halourgidos tais tōn aretōn charisi perianthizōn o kosmei de kai to stēthos, ou chrysǭ, allʼ en akēratǭ kai katharą-synz eidēsei to tēs kardias ōraizōn kallos. Enarmozei de tę̄ mitra kai polytelōn lithōn augas ; hautai de eisin hai tōn hagiōn entolōn lampēdones, hōs tǭ ’Dpostolǭ dokei. ’Dlla kai tę̄ periskelidi to meros ekeino, hǭ kosmos esti to toiouton tou endymatos katasphalizetai. Pantōs de ouk agnoeis ’dti to tēs sōphrosynēs peribolaion, kosmos tou toioutou me;rous estin ; apartēsas de tōn kraspedōn tou biou tous noētous roiskous te kai tous kōdōnas; tauta de eikotōs an tis ta prophanē tēs katʼ aretēn politeias noēseien, hōs an episēmosē kata tēn zōēn tautēn poreia genoito. Toutōn oun tōn kraspedōn exapsas anti men tou kōdōnos, ton euēchon logon tēs pisteōs; anti de tou roiskou, tēn kekrymmenēn tēs mellousēs elpidos etoimasian, tēn tǭ stiphroterǭ biǭ kekalymmenēn, houtō paragei epi to adyton tou hierou kai endotaton. Tb de adyton touto ouk apsychon estin, oute cheirodmēton alla to krypton tēs kardias hēmōn tameion, ean alēthōs adyton tę̄ kakia, kai tois ponērois logismois anepibaton. Kosmei de tēn kephalēn tǭ ouraniǭ phronēmati, ou grammatōn typon ensēmēnamenos petalǭ chrysǭ, allʼ auton ton theon entypōsis en tǭ hēgemonikǭ logismǭ. Myronde kataskedazei tēs komēs, to parʼ autēs endothen tēs psychēs dia tōn aretōn myrepsomenon. Thyma de kai hiereion prosagein auton tǭ Theǭ paraskeiya zei, dia tēs mystikēs hierourgias, ouk allo ti ē eauton. '0 gar houtōs para tou Kyriou pros tēn hierōsynēn tautēn agomenos, to phronēma tēs sarkos nekrōsas en tę̄ machairą tou pneumatos, ho esti rhēma Theou, houtōs ilesytai ton Theon en tois adytois genomenos, eauton dia tēs toiautēs thysias hierourgēsas, kai parastēsas to eautou sōma, thysian zōsan hagian euareston tǭ Theǭ. Allʼ erei tis isōs, mē tauta kata to procheiron echein tēn tēs proseuchēs dianoian tēs prokeimenēs hēmin eis exēgēsin; perinoein de hēmas tous toioutous logous, ouk ek tōn oikeiōn tois hypokeimenois harmozontas. Oukoun palin ypomnēsthētō tōn prōtōn tēs proseuchēs didagmatōn. '0 gar houtōs eauton paraskeuasas, hōste en parrēsią tolmēsai Patera eautou ton theon onoi
diadem, and pouring ointment abundantly on his hair, it brings him into the sanctuary to perform the secret rites. But the spiritual lawgiver, our Lord Jesus Christ, stripping the law of its bodily veils and bringing the riddles of the types into the open, first does not set apart one man alone from all and bring him into converse with God; he grants this dignity equally to all, setting the grace of the priesthood before all who wish for it in common. Then he does not contrive the priest’s beauty with a borrowed adornment devised by dyeing and the elaborate work of weavers, but clothes him in an adornment that is his own and natural to him, decking him with the graces of the virtues instead of the many-coloured purple. He adorns the breast too, not with gold, but by beautifying the heart with an undefiled and pure conscience. He fits to the mitre the gleam of precious stones — these are the brightness of the holy commandments, as the Apostle holds. With the leg-coverings that part of the body is secured for which such a garment is an adornment; and surely you know that the covering of self-control is the adornment of that part. He hangs from the hems of life the intelligible pomegranates and bells — which one might reasonably understand as the visible features of the virtuous way of life, so that the journey through this life may be conspicuous. To these hems he attaches, instead of the bell, the resonant word of faith; instead of the pomegranate, the hidden preparation of the hope to come, covered by the more austere life. So he brings him into the sanctuary, the innermost part of the temple. This sanctuary is not lifeless, nor built by hands; it is the hidden chamber of our heart, if it is truly closed to vice and not trodden by evil thoughts. He adorns his head with a heavenly mind, not stamping the form of letters on a gold plate, but imprinting God himself on the ruling reason. He pours ointment on his hair — the fragrance that is made within the soul itself through the virtues. And he prepares him to offer to God, through the mystical rite, as offering and victim, nothing other than himself. For whoever is thus led by the Lord into this priesthood, having put to death the mind of the flesh with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, propitiates God when he enters the sanctuary, having offered himself in such a sacrifice and presented his own body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. But perhaps someone will say that the meaning of the prayer set before us for exposition does not obviously contain these things, and that we are devising such words by ourselves, without their fitting the subject. Let him, then, remember again the first teachings of the prayer. For whoever has so prepared himself as to dare with boldness to name God his own Father
Exod 28:1–43 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 6:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 12:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Pet 2:5 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: As the high priest was purified and vested before entering the sanctuary, so Christ makes all believers priests, clothing them with virtues and bringing them into the sanctuary of the heart to offer themselves as a living sacrifice.
- The high priest’s vestments and anointing: Exod 28–29; Lev 8. The sword of the Spirit: Eph 6:17. A living sacrifice: Rom 12:1. The priesthood of all believers: compare 1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6.
- “As the Apostle holds”: the identification of the stones with the commandments is not found in Paul’s letters; the reference is uncertain.
Topics: Prayer, Church office
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1149 (PG 44:1149a–1149b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1149). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1151
1151PG 44:1152a–1152d
ia: Α μάσαι, οὗτος ἀκριβῶς περίκειται τὴν στολὴν ἐκείνην, - ἢν 6 λόγος ὑπέγραψεν, καὶ ἠχεῖ τοῖς κώδωσιν, £1: ἐξανθεῖ τοῖς ῥοΐσκοις· καὶ λάμπει περὶ τὸ στῆθος ταῖς τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐγαῖς, καὶ φέρει τοῖς ὤμοις τοὺς πατριάρχας καὶ προφήτας, ἀντὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων, ο ἀρετὰς ἐκείνων εἰς τὸν ῐδιον κόσμον μετακοσμήσεις καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν κοσμεῖτῷ τῆς δικαιοσύνη-ς στεφάνῳ, ι...ὶ -1 ν ν ‘ ’ “ καὶ τὴν κόμην ἔχει τῷ οὐρανίῳ μύρῳ , - - 1 ι ι Ι Λή““ ἐντός τε γίνεται τῶν ὐπερουρανίων ἀδύτων ἅπερ παντὶ λογισμῷ βεβήλῳ ἄδυτα ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐστι ἀνεπίβατα. Ἀλλʼ ὅπως προσήκει παρεσκευάσθαι τὸν ἱερωμένον, μετρίως ἐν τοῖς ἐξητασμένοις ὁ λόγῳ ὑπέδειξεν· λοιπὸν δʼ ἂν εἴη σκοπεῖν αὐτὴν τὴν αἴτηο σιν, ἢν προσάγειν ἐκέλευσε τῷ Θεῷ, τὸν ἐντὸς τῶι ἀδύτων γενόμενον. Οὐ γάρ μοι δοκεῖ κατὰ τὸ 3:96χειρον, εὔληπτον παρέχειν ἡμῖν τὴν διάνοιαν, ψιλῶς τῆς προσευχῆς ἐκτεθέντα τὰ ῥήματα.
ia: A masai, houtos akribōs perikeitai tēn stolēn ekeinēn, - ēn 6 logos hypegrapsen, kai ēchei tois kōdōsin, £1: exanthei tois rhoïskois; kai lampei peri to stēthos tais tōn entolōn augais, kai pherei tois ōmois tous patriarchas kai prophētas, anti tōn onomatōn, o aretas ekeinōn eis ton idion kosmon metakosmēseis kai tēn kephalēn kosmeitǭ tēs dikaiosynē-s stephanǭ, i...i -1 n n ‘ ’ “ kai tēn komēn echei tǭ ouraniǭ myrǭ , - - 1 i i I Lē““ entos te ginetai tōn yperouraniōn adytōn haper panti logismǭ bebēlǭ adyta hōs alēthōs esti anepibata. Allʼ hopōs prosēkei pareskeuasthai ton hierōmenon, metriōs en tois exētasmenois ho logǭ hypedeixen; loipon dʼ an eiē skopein autēn tēn aitēo sin, ēn prosagein ekeleuse tǭ Theǭ, ton entos tōi adytōn genomenon. Ou gar moi dokei kata to 3:96cheiron, eulēpton parechein hēmin tēn dianoian, psilōs tēs proseuchēs ektethenta ta rhēmata.
is exactly clothed in the robe the Word described: he rings with the bells and blossoms with the pomegranates; he shines on his breast with the gleams of the commandments; he bears on his shoulders the patriarchs and prophets — not their names, but their virtues transferred to his own adornment; he adorns his head with the crown of righteousness, has his hair anointed with the heavenly ointment, and enters within the sanctuary above the heavens, which is truly closed and untrodden to every profane thought. How the one who is consecrated must be prepared, the discourse has sufficiently shown in what we have examined. It remains to consider the request itself, which he commanded the one who has entered the sanctuary to bring to God. For it seems to me that the words of the prayer, set out bare, do not give a meaning that is easy to grasp at first sight.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
2 Tim 4:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 6:9 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Whoever can rightly call God Father wears the spiritual priestly robe of virtues and enters the heavenly sanctuary; Gregory now turns to the petitions themselves.
- The crown of righteousness: 2 Tim 4:8. Only part of this page survives in the scan; its last lines and the start of the next page are lost (the exposition of “Hallowed be thy name” begins in the gap).
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1151 (PG 44:1152a–1152d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1151). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1153
1153PG 44:1153a–1153d
γένοιτο τῶν σπουδαζομένων ἡμῖν, μὴ τῆς θείας συμ- 1 μαχίας τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὲν ἡμῖν κατορθούσης; ἀγαθῶν δὲ I πάντων ἐστὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον, τὸ τῷ ἐμῷ βίῳ τὸ ὄνομα έτοῦ Θεοῦ ὲνδοξάζεσθαι. Γένοιτο δʼ ἂν ἡμῖν ὲκ τοῦ 1 ἐναντίου προτιμοτέρα ἡ ἔννοια. τ Ἤκουσα που τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς κατακρινούσης -. ἐκείνους, οἳ τῆς κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημίας αἴτιοι 1 γίνονται. Οὐαί γὰρ, φησὶ, διʼ οὓς τὸ ὄνομά μου ,βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς,ἔθνεσιί Τοῦτο δὲ τοιοῦτόν 1 ἐστιν· Οἱ μήπω πεπιστευκότεςτῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, πρὸς τὸν βίον τῶν παραδεδεγμένων τήν τοῦ τ μυστηρίου πίστιν ἀποσκοποῦσιν. Ὅταν τοίνυν τὸ μὲν 1 ὄνομα τῆς πίστεως ἐν τισιν ᾖ, ὁ δὲ βίος ἀντιφθέγ- : γηται τῷ ὀνόματι, ἢ διὰ πλεονεξίας είδωλολατρῶν, ς ἢ ὲν μέθαις καὶ κώμοις ἀσχημονῶν, κα1 τῷ βορβόρῳ τῆς ἀσωτίας ὑὸς δίκην ὲγκαλινδούμενος· πρόχειρος ί εὐθὺς παρὰ τῶν ἀπίστων ὁ λόγος, οὐκ είς τὴν προαίρεσιν τῶν κακῶς τῷ βίῳ κεχρημένων τὴν κατηγο- , ρίαν τρέπων, ἀλλʼ ὼς τοιαῦτα πράττειν τοῦ μυστη- I ρίου διδάσκοντος μὴ γὰρ ἂν γενέσθαι τὸν δεῖνα τὸν γ τὰ θεῖα μεμυημένον μυστήρια, ῆλοίδορον, ἢ πλεονι έκτην, ἢ ἅρπαγα, ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον κακὸν, εί μὴ L ἔννομον αὐτοῖς τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἦν, διά τοῦτο χαλεπὴν , τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀπειλὴν ὁ Λόγος ἐπανατείνεται λέγων ὲ ἐκείνοις εἶναι τὸ,οὺα1 διʼ οὒς τὸ ὄνομά μου , βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Et δὴ τοῦτο νενὸηο ξ ται, καιρὸς ἂν είη, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου λεγόμενον ι κατανοῆσαι. Εῦχεσθαι γὰρ πρό γε πάντων οἶμαι γ χρῆναι, καὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖσθαι τῆς προσευχῆς τὸ κε·γ φάλαιον, τὺ μὴ βλασφημεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ ὲμῷ βίῳ τῷ ζ ὀνόματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλά δοξάζεσθαι καὶ ἁγιάζεσθαι. ξ Ἐν ἐμοὶ οῦν, φησὶν, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ἐπικληθὲν ’μοι ὄνομα τῆς σῆς δεσποτείας, Ὅπως ιδωσιν οὶ ἅνθρωποι “ τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἐν “ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Τίς δὲ οὓτω θηριώδης κα) ἄλογος, ὥστε ὁρῶν ὲν τοῖς πεπιστευκόσι Θεῷ βίον καθαρὸν διʼ ἀρετῆς κατωρθωμένον, πάντων τῶν ἐξ ἁμαρτίας μολυσμάτων καθαρεύοντα, πάσης τῆς πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ὑπονοίας ἀλλοτριούμενον, λαμπρὸν τῇ σωφροσύνῃ, ‹ σεμνὸν τῇ φρονήσει, ἀνδρείας ἔχοντα πρὸς τὰς τῶν παθῶν προσβολὰς, μηδαμοῦ ταῖς σωματικαῖς ἡδυπαθείαις μαλακιζόμενον, τρυφῆς καὶ βλακείας καὶ τῆς κατά τὸν τῦφον χαυνότητος ὡς ὅτι μάλιστα κεχωξ ρισμένον, τοσοῦτον μετέχοντα τοῦ βίου, ὅσον ὲπάναο λ γκες, ἄκρῳ τῷ ποδὶ τῆς γῆς ὲπιψαύοντα, οὐ ταῖς καθʼ ἡδονὴν ἀπολαύσεσι τῷ γηΐνῳ τούτῳ βίῳ καταχωννύμενον, ἀλλʼ ύπερανεστῶτα πάσης τῆς κατʼ αἴσθησιν γενομένης ἀπάτης, καὶπρὸς τὴν ἀσώματον ζωὴν διὰ σαρκὸς ἁμιλλώμενον, ἕνα πλοῦτον νομίζοντα τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς κτῆσιν, μίαν εὐγένειαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν οἰκειότητα, μίαν ἀξίαν καὶ δυναστείαν μίαν, τὸ κρατεῖν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἀδούλωτον εἶναιτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις παθήμασιν, ἀχθόμενον τῇ παρατάσει τῆς τοῦ ύλικοῦ βίου ζωῆς· σπεύδοντα δὲ καθάπερ οίη διὰ πελάγους κακοπαθοῦντες πρὸς τὸν λιμένα καταντῆσαι
genoito tōn spoudazomenōn hēmin, mē tēs theias sym- 1 machias to agathon en hēmin katorthousēs? agathōn de I pantōn esti to kephalaion, to tǭ emǭ biǭ to onoma etou Theou endoxazesthai. Genoito dʼ an hēmin ek tou 1 enantiou protimotera hē ennoia. t Ēkousa pou tēs hagias Graphēs katakrinousēs -. ekeinous, hoi tēs kata tou Theou blasphēmias aitioi 1 ginontai. Ouai gar, phēsi, diʼ hous to onoma mou ,blasphēmeitai en tois,ethnesii Touto de toiouton 1 estin; Hoi mēpō pepisteukotestǭ logǭ tēs alētheias, pros ton bion tōn paradedegmenōn tēn tou t mystēriou pistin aposkopousin. Hotan toinyn to men 1 onoma tēs pisteōs en tisin ę̄, ho de bios antiphtheg- : gētai tǭ onomati, ē dia pleonexias eidōlolatrōn, s ē en methais kai kōmois aschēmonōn, ka1 tǭ borborǭ tēs asōtias hyos dikēn enkalindoumenos; procheiros i euthys para tōn apistōn ho logos, ouk eis tēn proairesin tōn kakōs tǭ biǭ kechrēmenōn tēn katēgo- , rian trepōn, allʼ ōs toiauta prattein tou mystē- I riou didaskontos mē gar an genesthai ton deina ton g ta theia memyēmenon mystēria, ēloidoron, ē pleoni ektēn, ē harpaga, ē allo ti toiouton kakon, ei mē L ennomon autois to hamartanein ēn, dia touto chalepēn , tois toioutois apeilēn ho Logos epanateinetai legōn e ekeinois einai to,oua1 diʼ ous to onoma mou , blasphēmeitai en tois ethnesin. Et dē touto nenoēo x tai, kairos an eiē, to ek tou enantiou legomenon i katanoēsai. Euchesthai gar pro ge pantōn oimai g chrēnai, kai touto poieisthai tēs proseuchēs to ke;g phalaion, ty mē blasphēmeisthai en tǭ emǭ biǭ tǭ z onomati tou Theou, alla doxazesthai kai hagiazesthai. x En emoi oun, phēsin, hagiasthētō to epiklēthen ’moi onoma tēs sēs despoteias, Hopōs idōsin oi hanthrōpoi “ ta kala erga, kai doxasōsi ton Patera ton en “ tois ouranois. Tis de houtō thēriōdēs ka) alogos, hōste horōn en tois pepisteukosi Theǭ bion katharon diʼ aretēs katōrthōmenon, pantōn tōn ex hamartias molysmatōn kathareuonta, pasēs tēs pros to cheiron hyponoias allotrioumenon, lampron tę̄ sōphrosynę̄, ‹ semnon tę̄ phronēsei, andreias echonta pros tas tōn pathōn prosbolas, mēdamou tais sōmatikais hēdypatheiais malakizomenon, tryphēs kai blakeias kai tēs kata ton typhon chaunotētos hōs hoti malista kechōx rismenon, tosouton metechonta tou biou, hoson epanao l nkes, akrǭ tǭ podi tēs gēs epipsauonta, ou tais kathʼ hēdonēn apolausesi tǭ gēïnǭ toutǭ biǭ katachōnnymenon, allʼ yperanestōta pasēs tēs katʼ aisthēsin genomenēs apatēs, kaipros tēn asōmaton zōēn dia sarkos hamillōmenon, hena plouton nomizonta tēn tēs aretēs ktēsin, mian eugeneian tēn pros ton Theon oikeiotēta, mian axian kai dynasteian mian, to kratein heautou, kai adoulōton einaitois anthrōpinois pathēmasin, achthomenon tę̄ paratasei tēs tou ylikou biou zōēs; speudonta de kathaper oiē dia pelagous kakopathountes pros ton limena katantēsai
… would any of our undertakings succeed, unless the divine help accomplishes the good in us? And the chief of all goods is that the name of God be glorified in my life. The thought may become more valued if we look at its opposite. I have heard holy Scripture somewhere condemning those who become the cause of blasphemy against God: “Woe,” it says, “to those through whom my name is blasphemed among the gentiles.” This means: those who have not yet believed the word of truth look at the life of those who have received the faith of the mystery. When some bear the name of the faith but their life contradicts the name — committing idolatry through greed, or disgracing themselves in drunkenness and revels, wallowing like a pig in the mire of profligacy — the unbelievers at once have their saying ready. They turn the accusation not against the choice of those who use their life badly, but against the mystery, as if it taught them to do such things: “So-and-so, who has been initiated into the divine mysteries, would not have become a slanderer, or greedy, or a robber, or anything else of the kind, unless sinning were lawful for them.” That is why the Word holds out a severe threat against such people, saying, “Woe” to those “through whom my name is blasphemed among the gentiles.” If this has been understood, it is time to consider what is said in the opposite sense. For I think we must pray before all else, and make this the chief point of our prayer, that the name of God may not be blasphemed through my life but may be glorified and hallowed. “In me, then,” he says, “let the name of your lordship that has been invoked upon me be hallowed, so that people may see the good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven.” Who is so beastlike and irrational as not to do so, when he sees among those who believe in God a pure life achieved through virtue, clean of every defilement of sin, far from every suspicion of evil, bright with self-control, dignified with prudence, courageous against the assaults of the passions, never growing soft in bodily pleasures, as far removed as possible from luxury, softness, and the emptiness of conceit; sharing in this life only as much as is necessary, touching the earth with the tip of the foot; not buried in this earthly life by the enjoyment of pleasures, but rising above all the deception that comes through the senses, and striving through the flesh to rival the bodiless life; counting the possession of virtue the only wealth, kinship with God the only nobility, self-mastery and freedom from slavery to human passions the only dignity and the only power; weighed down by the prolonging of material life, and hastening, like those who suffer at sea, to reach the harbour
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Isa 52:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 2:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 3:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:9 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: “Hallowed be thy name” asks that God’s name be glorified in our lives rather than blasphemed by the bad conduct of Christians; a pure and virtuous life makes even outsiders glorify God.
- The opening continues after a gap in the scan (marked …). “My name is blasphemed among the gentiles”: Isa 52:5 (LXX), as cited in Rom 2:24. Greed as idolatry: Col 3:5. “So that people may see your good works …”: Matt 5:16.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1153 (PG 44:1153a–1153d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1153). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1155
1155PG 44:1156a–1156d
τῆς ἀναπαύσεως. Τίς τοίνυν τὸν τοιοῦτον ὁρᾶπ, οὐ δοξάζῃ τὸ βνομα τὸ ἐπικεκλημένον τῷ* τοιούτω βίῳ; Οὐκοῦν ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ λέγων, Ἀτιασνθήτε τὸ ὄνομὰ σου, ἐν ἐμοὶ ταῦτα τῇ δυνάμει τῶν λεττμένων προσεύχεταιο Γενοίμην τῇ συνεργίᾳ τῆς σῆς βοηθείας, ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, θεοσεβὴς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος, λαλῶν ἀλήθειαν. ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνηνʼ ἐν εὐθύτητι πορευόμενος, τῇ σωφροσύνῃ λάμπων, τῇ ἀφθαρσίᾳ κοσμούμενος, τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῇ φρονήσει καλλωπιζόμενος, τὰ ἄεξε φρονῶν, τῶν γηΐνων ὑπερορῶν, ταῖς ἀγγελικαῖς πε)λιτείαις ἐλλαμπρυνόμενος. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα περιέχει η βραχεῖα αἴτησις αὓτη, ή λέγουσα au προσευχῆς τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι Ἀμασθήτω τό ὄνομὰ σου. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλως δυνατὸν ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ὼξασθῆνει Θεὸν, μὴ τῆς κατʼ αὑτὸν ἀρετῆς τῇ θείᾳ δυνάμει τῇ αἰτίαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν μαρτυρούσης. '0 δὲ ἐφεξῆς λόγος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εὔχεται ἐλθεῖν. τΔροι νῦν ἀξιοῖ γενέσθαι βασιλέα τὸν τοῦ ’.ταντὺς βασιλέα, τὸν ἀεὶ ὂντα ὅπερ ἐστὶν, τὸν πρὸς =5σαν μεταβολὴν ἀμετάθετον, τὸν οῦκ ἔχοντα εὑρεῖν κρεῖττον είς ὃ μεταβήσεται; Τί οὗν βούλεται ἠ εὐχὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν ἐκκαλουμένη; Ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἁληθῆ περὶ τούτου λόγον γνοῖεν ἂν, οἷς τὺ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας άνακαλύπτει τὰ κεκρυμμένα μυστήρια· ἡμεῖς δέ τοιαύτην ἔχομεν περὶ τοῦ ῥητοῦ τὴν διὰ· νοιαν· Μία τῶν πάντων ὑπέρκειται ἡ ἀληθὴς ἐξουσία καὶ δύναμις, ἡ τοῦ παντὸς άναδεδεγμένη τὸ καὶ βασιλεύουσα, οὐ βίᾳ τινὶ κκαὶ τυραννικῇ δυναστείᾳ, φόβοις καὶ ἀνάγκαις ύποζεύξασα τῇ sum: τδ ὑπήκοον. Ἐλευθέραν γὰρ εἶναι προσήκει myth; φόβου τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ ἀδέσποτον, ἑκουσία γνώμης τὸ ἀγαθὸν αἱρουμένην · ἀγαθοῦ δέ παντὸς τὺ κεφάλαιον. τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν (womth ἐξουσίαν τετάχθαι. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τῆς τοῦ καλοῦ κρίσεως ἀπεπλανψη διʼ ἀπάτης ἠ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον γέγονε τῆς προαιρέσεως ἡμῶν ἡ ῥοπὴ, καὶ παντὶ τῷ χείρονιὴ ζωὴ τῶν ἀνθρώπιον κατεκρατήθη, μυρίαις ὁδοῖς τοῦ θανάτου κατακριθέντος τῇ φύσει· πᾶσα γάρ κακίας ἰδέα οἷόν τις ὁδὸς τῷ θανάτῳ καθʼ ἡμῶν γίνεται. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τῇ τοιαύτῃ τυραννίδι περιεσχέθημεν. καθάπερ δημίοις τισὶν ἢ πολεμίοις, ταῖς προσβολαέ τῶν παθημάτων τῷ θανάτῳ δεδουλωμένοι ° εὐχόμεθα, τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἐλθεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἐστιν ἄλλως ἐκδύναι τὴν πονηρὰν τῆς δυναστείαν, μὴ τῆς ζωοποιοῦ δυνάμεως ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἀντιμεταλαβούσης τὺ κράτος. Ἐὰν οὖν ἐλθεῖν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ αἰτήσωμέν, ταῦτα τῇ δυνάμει τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύομεν Ἂπαλλαγείην τῆς φθορᾶς, ἐλευθερωθείην τοῦ θανάτου, ἄνετος γενοίμην τῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας δεσμῶνο μηκέτι βασιλευέτω κατʼ ἐμοῦ ὁ θάνατοςʼ μηκέτι ἐνεργὸς ἔστω καθʼ ἡμῶν ἡ τυραννὶς τῆς κακίας, καὶ μὴ κατακρατείτω μουό πόλεμος, μηδὲ ἀγέτω με διʼ ἁμαρτίας αἰχμάλωτον· ἀλλʼ ἐλθέτω ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ἡ βασιλεία σου, ἵνα ὑποχωρήςῃ ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ είς τὸ μὴ ὃν μεταχωρήσῃ τά λ νῦν ἐπικρατοῦντα καὶ βασιλεύοντα πάθη. *Ως γὰρ ἐκλείπει καπνὸς, οὕτως ἐκλείψουσι ο καὶ ὡς τήκεται
tēs anapauseōs. Tis toinyn ton toiouton horap, ou doxazę̄ to bnoma to epikeklēmenon tǭ* toioutō biǭ? Oukoun en tę̄ proseuchę̄ legōn, Atiasnthēte to onoma sou, en emoi tauta tę̄ dynamei tōn lettmenōn proseuchetaio Genoimēn tę̄ synergią tēs sēs boētheias, amemptos, dikaios, theosebēs, apechomenos apo pantos ponērou pragmatos, lalōn alētheian. ergazomenos dikaiosynēnʼ en euthytēti poreuomenos, tę̄ sōphrosynę̄ lampōn, tę̄ aphtharsią kosmoumenos, tę̄ sophią kai tę̄ phronēsei kallōpizomenos, ta aexe phronōn, tōn gēïnōn hyperorōn, tais angelikais pe)liteiais ellamprynomenos. Tauta kai ta toiauta periechei ē bracheia aitēsis hautē, ē legousa au proseuchēs tǭ Theǭ, hoti Amasthētō to onoma sou. Ou gar estin allōs dynaton en anthrōpǭ ōxasthēnei Theon, mē tēs katʼ hauton aretēs tę̄ theią dynamei tę̄ aitian tōn agathōn martyrousēs. '0 de ephexēs logos tēn basileian tou Theou euchetai elthein. tDroi nyn axioi genesthai basilea ton tou ’.tantys basilea, ton aei onta hoper estin, ton pros =5san metabolēn ametatheton, ton ouk echonta heurein kreitton eis ho metabēsetai? Ti houn bouletai ē euchē tou Theou basileian ekkaloumenē? Alla ton men halēthē peri toutou logon gnoien an, hois ty pneuma tēs alētheias anakalyptei ta kekrymmena mystēria; hēmeis de toiautēn echomen peri tou rhētou tēn dia; noian; Mia tōn pantōn hyperkeitai hē alēthēs exousia kai dynamis, hē tou pantos anadedegmenē to kai basileuousa, ou bią tini kkai tyrannikę̄ dynasteią, phobois kai anankais ypozeuxasa tę̄ sum: td hypēkoon. Eleutheran gar einai prosēkei myth? phobou tēn aretēn kai adespoton, hekousia gnōmēs to agathon hairoumenēn ; agathou de pantos ty kephalaion. to hypo tēn (womth exousian tetachthai. Epeidē toinyn tēs tou kalou kriseōs apeplanpsē diʼ apatēs ē anthrōpinē physis, kai pros to enantion gegone tēs proaireseōs hēmōn hē rhopē, kai panti tǭ cheironiē zōē tōn anthrōpion katekratēthē, myriais hodois tou thanatou katakrithentos tę̄ physei; pasa gar kakias idea hoion tis hodos tǭ thanatǭ kathʼ hēmōn ginetai. Epeidē toinyn tę̄ toiautę̄ tyrannidi perieschethēmen. kathaper dēmiois tisin ē polemiois, tais prosbolae tōn pathēmatōn tǭ thanatǭ dedoulōmenoi ° euchometha, tou theou tēn basileian ephʼ hēmas elthein. ou gar estin allōs ekdynai tēn ponēran tēs dynasteian, mē tēs zōopoiou dynameōs ephʼ hēmōn antimetalabousēs ty kratos. Ean oun elthein ephʼ hēmas tēn basileian tou Theou aitēsōmen, tauta tę̄ dynamei ton Theon hiketeuomen Apallageiēn tēs phthoras, eleutherōtheiēn tou thanatou, anetos genoimēn tōn tēs hamartias desmōno mēketi basileuetō katʼ emou ho thanatosʼ mēketi energos estō kathʼ hēmōn hē tyrannis tēs kakias, kai mē katakrateitō mouo polemos, mēde agetō me diʼ hamartias aichmalōton; allʼ elthetō epʼ eme hē basileia sou, hina hypochōrēsę̄ apʼ emou, mallon de eis to mē hon metachōrēsę̄ ta l nyn epikratounta kai basileuonta pathē. *Ōs gar ekleipei kapnos, houtōs ekleipsousi o kai hōs tēketai
of rest. Who, then, seeing such a person, does not glorify the name invoked upon such a life? So whoever says in prayer, “Hallowed be thy name,” prays for these things in himself by the force of what he says: “May I become, by the cooperation of your help, blameless, just, godfearing, keeping away from every evil deed, speaking truth, working righteousness, walking in uprightness, shining with self-control, adorned with incorruption, made beautiful by wisdom and prudence, setting my mind on things above, despising earthly things, made bright by an angelic way of life.” These and such things are contained in this short request that says to God in prayer, “Hallowed be thy name.” For God cannot be glorified in a human being in any other way than by that person’s virtue bearing witness that the divine power is the cause of his goods. The next saying prays that the kingdom of God may come. Does he now ask that the King of all should become king — he who always is what he is, who cannot be changed by any change, who can find nothing better to change into? What, then, does the prayer that calls for God’s kingdom mean? The true account of this would be known to those to whom the Spirit of truth reveals hidden mysteries; we hold this understanding of the saying. One true authority and power is above all things, which has received the universe and reigns over it, not by force and tyrannical domination, having yoked its subjects with fears and necessities. For virtue must be free from fear and without a master, choosing the good by a willing judgment; and the chief of every good is to be ranked under God’s authority. But human nature was led astray by deception from the judgment of the good; the inclination of our choice turned to the opposite; and human life was overpowered by everything worse, as death was sentenced upon our nature by countless roads — for every form of vice becomes, as it were, a road for death against us. Since, then, we have been held by such a tyranny, enslaved to death by the assaults of the passions as by executioners or enemies, we pray that the kingdom of God may come upon us. For it is not possible to throw off the evil domination of corruption in any other way than if the life-giving power takes over the rule in us in its place. If, then, we ask that the kingdom of God may come upon us, by the force of these words we beseech God: “May I be freed from corruption, set free from death, released from the bonds of sin; let death no longer reign over me; let the tyranny of vice no longer be active against us; let the war not overpower me nor lead me captive through sin; but let your kingdom come upon me, so that the passions that now prevail and reign may withdraw from me, or rather pass into non-existence.” “As smoke vanishes, so they shall vanish; and as wax melts
Matt 6:9–10 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 1:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 3:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 16:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 5:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 6:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 68:2 (67:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: To pray “Hallowed be thy name” is to ask to become virtuous so that God is glorified in us; “Thy kingdom come” cannot ask God to become king, but asks that his free and life-giving rule replace the tyranny of sin, passion, and death in us.
- Blameless, just, godfearing, keeping away from every evil deed: Job 1:1. Setting the mind on things above: Col 3:2. Death reigning: Rom 5:17; sin not to reign: Rom 6:12. The Spirit of truth: John 16:13. “As smoke vanishes …”: Ps 68:2 (LXX 67:3), continued on the next page.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris for φθορᾶς): τῆς (Pe? ρᾶς → τῆς φθορᾶς.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1155 (PG 44:1156a–1156d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1155). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1157
1157PG 44:1157a–1157d
,κηρὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρὸς, οὕτως ἀπολοῦνται. Οὔτε Ξκαπνδς ἀναχεθεὶς είς τὸν ἀέρα, σημεῖόν τι τῆς ἰδίας η ὑπολείπεται φύσεως, οὔτε κηρὸς ὲν πυρὶ γενόμενος ξ ἔτι εὑρίσκεται· ἀλλά καὶ οὗτος τὴν φλόγα διʼ ἑαυτοῦ ζ θρέψας, είς ἀτμὸν καὶ ἀέρα μετεποιήθη, καὶ δκαπνὸς π είς παντελῆ ἀφανισμὸν μετεχώρησεν· οὕτως ἐὰν ἡ 1 βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἔλθῃ, πάντα τὰ νῦν ἔπι- Ixpaxcoi'rrma, είς ἀφανισμὸν περιστήσεται. Ού γὰρ _ ὑπομένει τὸ σκότος τὴν τοῦ φωτὸς παρουσίαν· οὐ νόσος ὑγείας ἐπιλαβούσης ἴσταται“ οὐκ ἐνεργεῖ τὰ ξ πάθη τῆς ἀπαθείας παρούσης, φροῦδος 6 θάνατος, ί ἀφανὴς ἠ φθορὰ, ὅταν ὴ ζωὴ ἐν ἡμῖν βασιλεύῃ, καὶ ζ ἀερθαρσία τδ κράτος. Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου. ί ΊΙ γλυκεῖα φωνή · διʼ ἦς ταύτην ἄντικρυς προσάγομεν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν δέησιν · Καταλυθήτωή ἀντικειμένη ι ξαράταξιςο- ἀφανισθητω τῶν ἀλλοιρύλων ή φάλαγξ, ἀναιρεθήτω τῆς σαρκὸς 6 κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος πό- . λεμης· μὴ εστω τδ σῶμα τοῦ πολεμίου τῆς ψυχῆς ξ ὁρμητήριον, ὲπιφανήτω μοι βασιλικὴ δυναστεία, ἡ ί ἀγγελικὴ χεὶρ, al χιλιάδες τῶν εὐθυνόντων, ἡ μυριὰς ξ τῶν κατὰ τὸ δεξιὸν παρισταμένων, ἵνα πέσῃ ἐκ τοῦ ξ ἀντικειμένου κλίτους ἡ χιλιὰς τῶν πολεμούντων· ί πολὺς 6 ἀντίπαλος, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐρήμοις τῆς σῆς συμ- Ῐ μαχίας δεινός τε καὶ ἁκαταμάχητος, ἀλλʼ ἕως ἂν μόνος ί 6 πολεμούμενος ἐπειδὰν δὲ ή σὴ βασιλεία φανῇ, ί ἀπέδρα λύπη καλ στεναγμός ἀντεισέρχεται δὲ ζωὴ, καὶ εἰρήνη, καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα.
,kēros apo prosōpou pyros, houtōs apolountai. Oute Xkapnds anachetheis eis ton aera, sēmeion ti tēs idias ē hypoleipetai physeōs, oute kēros en pyri genomenos x eti heurisketai; alla kai houtos tēn phloga diʼ heautou z threpsas, eis atmon kai aera metepoiēthē, kai dkapnos p eis pantelē aphanismon metechōrēsen; houtōs ean hē 1 basileia tou Theou ephʼ hēmas elthę̄, panta ta nyn epi- Ixpaxcoi'rrma, eis aphanismon peristēsetai. Ou gar _ hypomenei to skotos tēn tou phōtos parousian; ou nosos hygeias epilabousēs istatai“ ouk energei ta x pathē tēs apatheias parousēs, phroudos 6 thanatos, i aphanēs ē phthora, hotan ē zōē en hēmin basileuę̄, kai z aertharsia td kratos. Elthetō hē basileia sou. i II glykeia phōnē ; diʼ ēs tautēn antikrys prosagomen tǭ Theǭ tēn deēsin ; Katalythētōē antikeimenē i xarataxiso- aphanisthētō tōn alloirylōn ē phalanx, anairethētō tēs sarkos 6 kata tou pneumatos po- . lemēs; mē estō td sōma tou polemiou tēs psychēs x hormētērion, epiphanētō moi basilikē dynasteia, hē i angelikē cheir, al chiliades tōn euthynontōn, hē myrias x tōn kata to dexion paristamenōn, hina pesę̄ ek tou x antikeimenou klitous hē chilias tōn polemountōn; i polys 6 antipalos, alla tois erēmois tēs sēs sym- I machias deinos te kai hakatamachētos, allʼ heōs an monos i 6 polemoumenos epeidan de ē sē basileia phanę̄, i apedra lypē kal stenagmos anteiserchetai de zōē, kai eirēnē, kai agalliama.
before the fire, so they shall perish.” Smoke poured into the air leaves no sign of its own nature behind, nor is wax found any longer once it is in the fire; feeding the flame with itself, it is changed into vapour and air, and the smoke passes into complete disappearance. So if the kingdom of God comes upon us, all that now prevails will be brought to nothing. For darkness does not endure the presence of light; disease does not hold its ground when health takes hold; the passions are not active when freedom from passion is present; death is gone, corruption has vanished, when life reigns in us and incorruption has the power. “Thy kingdom come.” O sweet word, by which we bring this petition plainly to God: “Let the opposing battle line be broken; let the phalanx of the foreigners vanish; let the war of the flesh against the spirit be done away with; let the body no longer be the enemy’s base of attack against the soul; let the royal power appear to me, the angelic hand, the thousands of those who guide, the ten thousand who stand at the right hand, so that the thousand who make war on the opposite side may fall.” The adversary is many, and terrible and invincible to those who lack your help — but only as long as the one who is warred against is alone. When your kingdom appears, grief and groaning have fled, and life and peace and exultation come in their place.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Ps 68:2 (67:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 5:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 91:7 (90:7 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 35:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 11:2 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: When God’s kingdom comes, the passions vanish like smoke and melt like wax, as darkness before light; the soul prays that God’s angelic forces may overthrow the enemy, so that grief gives way to life and peace.
- “As wax melts before the fire”: Ps 68:2 (LXX 67:3). The war of the flesh against the spirit: Gal 5:17. A thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand: Ps 91:7 (LXX 90:7). Grief and groaning have fled: Isa 35:10; 51:11.
- Only part of this page survives in the scan; the rest of it and the start of the next page are lost. The lost lines evidently discussed the variant form of this petition known to Gregory, “May your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us” (found in some manuscripts at Luke 11:2), since the next page defends the divinity of the Spirit from it.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters) for Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου): ιχῃζ arma βασιλειᾷ σου. → Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου..
Topics: Prayer, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Or. dom. 1157 (PG 44:1157a–1157d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica/1139/#p-1157). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-oratio-dominica-1157) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.