Although the Casinensian and Vallicellan codices lack this homily, their place is nevertheless supplied by many others, which render sure testimony to St. Maximus. The Vatican Library furnishes four manuscript witnesses, namely 1267 (p. 185), Palatinus 433 (p. 237), 4951 (p. 42), and 189, in which the homily is ascribed to St. Maximus the bishop. The same ascription is read in the Laurentian 1, Plut. XIV (p. 71), to which we add two Augiensians, 12 and 16, the Lucensian 85, the Novariensian 27 (p. 136), and the Taurinensian. In this codex the title is: 'On the Epiphany and on the Baptism of Christ, homily I.' Fittingly indeed; since St.
the bishop first treats of the manifestation of Christ made to the magi, and of the wondrous conversion of water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana of Galilee, and then of Christ's baptism. But since he touches the first two miracles only lightly, and pursues the third at greater length, we, agreeing with the editors, have inscribed it 'On the Baptism of Christ.' Gymnicus indeed has it thus (p. 38), Galesinius (p. 103), Combefis (vol. II, p. 80), Cumdius (vol. I, p. 509), Raynaudus (p. 203), Margarinus in the Bibliotheca Maxima (p. 12), all writing 'On the Baptism of Christ.'
Here we do not omit to note that by St. Augustine, and by St. Leo the Great — of whom the former has six sermons on the Epiphany, the latter eight — the discussion is only of the manifestation of Christ made to the magi through the unusual star, and in them of the calling of the Gentiles to the faith; but concerning the two other miracles, which are celebrated by the Church in the same solemnity, they maintain deep silence. Therefore our St. Maximus merits a special commendation, in that he discoursed elegantly and learnedly upon the threefold mystery, and, according to his own abundance and ease of speech, made openly manifest the recondite doctrine in the sacred Scriptures — not so much in this homily as in the following ones.
In this he seems to have followed the Greek Fathers, namely the two Gregories, of Nyssa and of Nazianzus, who recalled the threefold appearing of Christ in their orations, and called that day, the sixth of the month of January, the day of the Epiphanies. But whether on the same day on which the magi, with the star as guide, came to worship the newborn Lord, Christ, being as it were about thirty years of age, willed to be baptized by John, and on the same day was present at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee and turned water into wine — on this the writers disagree, some following the affirmative, others the negative opinion; since the Church has defined nothing on this matter, and has only embraced the celebration of those three miracles on a single day.
St. Maximus, in the fifth homily on the Baptism of Christ, defends the affirmative opinion in plain words. 'And although,' he says, 'it may be believed by some that either one or another of these took place, I for my part believe that all these portents came to pass on that day, and that the one is contained in the other. This festival of the present day, brethren, multiplies for us many and diverse sacraments of the saving mysteries. For, as faithful antiquity handed down to its posterity, today the Savior of the human race, shown forth by heavenly signs, was adored by the Chaldeans (Matt. 2). Today Christ, through the ministry of blessed John, consecrated the streams of the Jordan with the blessing of his own baptism (ibid. 3).'
'Today also, being invited to a wedding, manifesting the power of his divinity, he turned water into wine — water, I say, he turned into wine; that is, what he sanctified in baptism, he ennobled at the wedding (John 2). These three, brethren, we recount as the mysteries of one work, but which the graciousness of the Trinity fulfilled through the one Lord. For at no time can the unity be absent from itself in the working of the powers, nor can that ever be separated one from another which by deity is undivided. In short, when the Savior was baptized, the Father showed that he was not absent from the Only-begotten by his voice, the Spirit by the dove. Let us not marvel then, brethren — we for whom the Trinity is in the faith — if three mysteries consecrated for us a single day.'
'Today therefore, as we have said, the magus found through the star what the Jew would not believe through the prophets. Today the Gentile world, taught from heaven, seeks the Redeemer of the world as a king, presents gifts to him as a mighty one, adores him as God. And how rightly, dearly beloved, did a new star shine forth on the earth in testimony of the new nativity — whose ray the faithless race of the Jews could neither hide nor conceal the truth; nor could any obscurity of malicious interpretation any longer find place through them, where heaven itself was shining with starry light before the eyes of all, that it might be believed. And how marvelous is this, that a tiny ray of a star moved the astonished hearts of the strangers;'
'whereas neither the divided sea, nor the manna furnished from the clouds, nor even the fiery pillar itself shining from heaven, could convert that Jewish people. But let us now hasten to the baptism of Christ. Jesus came, it says, to the Jordan, to be baptized by John; to whom John said: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me (Matt. 3)? I indeed ought to be baptized by thee, because for me there is corruption from paternal transgression, but for thee there is communion in the paternal majesty. I was poured forth into this world by a fleshly parent; but thou hast come hither, the Only-begotten from the unbegotten Father. Me the natural union of man and woman procreated; but thee, the Most High overshadowing with his power, a venerable virginity gave to us. I am an earthly animal, thou the Lamb of God;'
'I am under the law of mortal sin, but thou, coming against sins, knowest not to lie subject to sin. And after all, I have been made one to be redeemed by thee, but thou wast born to redeem. To him Jesus deigned to reply: Suffer it now: for so it becometh us to fulfil all justice (ibid.). That is: all that thou recallest is indeed true; but this is the reason of my coming, that, since I was made under the law, the lawful order might be fulfilled. For I came, not to live for myself — I who have eternal life with the Father — but to take away the condition of your death. And this is most just, that, since I have taken up the whole man, I should pass through all the sacraments of man.'
And truly, brethren, how should Christ not come to baptism for our sake, for whose sake he did not even shun the injury of bodily circumcision? Whence John also, recognizing the saving mystery, no longer sanctifies the Son of God as a Baptist, but as a devout minister obeys the heavenly commands; for a servant could not but obey his lord, a herald the judge, a soldier the king, a forerunner the author. And that the prophet might discern that all these things were being done more fully and perfectly by Divinity, the Holy Spirit gave himself to be seen in the appearance of a dove, and the Father to be heard in the voice of speech: for he said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matt. 3).
See and consider, brethren, how much grace our mortality obtains from the divine graciousness: for, that the most sacred mysteries of our redemption might be confirmed, and that the eternal Trinity might be more manifestly revealed to us, the Son is baptized in the Jordan, the Spirit sanctifies the sacrament, the Father opens the truth. It remains now that the third cause of this devotion be made clear to your charity. Today likewise, as is reported by the Fathers, the Lord Jesus in Cana of Galilee made wine from water (John 2). There is nothing, brethren, in miracles of this kind for you to hesitate about concerning the Creator; for he who at the beginning of the world gave the waters their being, at the end of the world also made from waters what he willed:
for it is indeed of greater majesty to create things that were not, than to change things created. And what wonder if at the command of its Lord the water passed into wine, by whose nod the nourishing of the wholesome rains, and the very grape, mother of wine, is fed? What wonder if the Lord of all, for man's sake, turned waters into wine — he who, that he might fashion man, transformed earth into flesh? What wonder if at his bidding the water went over into a better savor, by whose working the water, when it was bitter, was sweetened for the peoples about to drink, by the healing of the wood in the myrrh; by whose command also, that it might not fail those thirsting in the desert, the water leaped forth in a rush from the rock? And there indeed the water proceeds from the stone, where the figure of the spiritual drink is still present;
but here through Christ it is made wine, where now there is the true salvation of those who drink. What therefore, brethren, is more joyful than this day, what more sacred than this solemnity, on which a star, brighter for the Gentiles, made resplendent the virgin's offspring who lay hidden in the cradle; on which the wave of the Jordan received the Only-begotten of God unto its own sanctification, man saw the Holy Spirit, the world heard the Father; on which also, by that sober cup of the marvelous wine, Christ showed that he had visited the mortal race that was drunk with sins? And so, most dear ones, in spiritual gifts, having laid aside the pleasure of slippery flesh,
let us rejoice spiritually, so that the light of the heavenly star may irradiate the darkness of our heart, the paternal blessing of the voice may illumine us, and the saving wine, poured out by Christ, may gladden us. From the Taurinensian codex it is plainly established that St. Maximus published thirty homilies on the Baptism of Christ. Of these very few survive, nor has their integrity been sufficiently preserved on account of their antiquity. The one which we now cause to be transcribed is from the codex of the abbey of St. Dalmatius, in which codex it is the fifth homily 'On the Baptism of Christ'; but in the Taurinensian codex it is numbered the eighth, and is inscribed 'On the same Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ.'
The style, the constant conformity of the sentiments, and the manner of the passages of sacred Scripture to be adduced, are proof that it ought to be received as none other than Maximus's. From the Gospel, brethren, we have lately heard that our Lord Jesus Christ came to the sacred streams of the Jordan for the purpose of baptism, and willed to be consecrated in that same river by heavenly mysteries; and indeed why he himself did this, we ought not to marvel. For he first willed to carry out what he was commanding others to do, so that, like a good master, he might instill his teaching not so much by words as by putting it into practice himself in deeds. And it is manifest that all these things were accomplished on this day, which we can also gather from reason itself.
For reason requires that after the day of the Lord's Nativity — though with years intervening, yet at the same season — this festival should follow, which I also think ought to be called a nativity. For then he was born for men, today he is reborn in the sacraments. Then he was brought forth through the Virgin, today he was regenerated through the mystery. For thus in his infinite wisdom the Lord disposed it, that the desires of men might not be far apart; and so at one and the same season, he whom men rejoiced was begotten on earth, might be gladly sanctified in the heavens; so that those who already possessed the offspring of the Virgin, with angels announcing it, might, with the heavens bearing witness, retain him as the Son of God, and be assured that he whom the Virgin had borne was the true Son of God;
for the Divinity itself acknowledged him as God. For new births merit new homage. There, when he is born according to man, his mother Mary enfolds him in her bosom; here, when he is begotten according to the mystery, God the Father embraces him with his voice. For he says: This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him (Matt. 17). Therefore the mother caresses him with a soft lap in his birth; but the Father speaks over him with a devout testimony at his baptism. The mother presents him rather to be adored, the Father manifests him to the Gentiles to be worshiped. The Lord therefore came today to baptism, and willed that his body be washed with water. Perhaps someone will say: If he is holy, why did he wish to be baptized?
Hear then: Christ is baptized for this reason, not that he might be sanctified by the waters, but that he himself might sanctify the waters, and by the purification of himself might purify those streams which he touches. For the consecration of Christ is a greater consecration of the element. For when our Savior is washed, then already, unto our baptism, all water is cleansed and the fountain purified, so that it may be ministered to the peoples who follow afterward with the grace of the laver. He goes before therefore through baptism, so that Christian peoples may confidently follow after him. And thus the pillar of fire went before through the Red Sea, so that Israel might fearlessly follow the way it showed; and it first passed through the waters, so that it might prepare a path of travel for those coming after it. And this indeed, as the Apostle (1 Cor.
10) says, was a mystery of baptism. And it was in a certain manner plainly a baptism, where the cloud covered the men and the wave bore them along. And all these things Christ the Lord wrought, the same one who does so even now: who, as then through the Red Sea he went before the sons of Israel in a pillar of fire (Exod. 13), so now through baptism he goes before Christian peoples in the pillar of his own body. He himself, I say, is that pillar which then furnished light to the eyes of those following, and now supplies light to the eyes of believers; then in the streams of the waters he made firm the path, now in the laver of baptism he strengthens the footsteps of our faith:
through which faith, whoever shall have walked undaunted will not fear the Egyptian persecutor, and will attain to the heavenly things of the kingdom, if he confirms by good works the faith which he holds. It ends.