Page 5 - Revista Paisiana Nr 11 Ianuarie 2025

These selections are a prose rendition of the first three stanzas of St. Romanos’ Kontakion for the Baptism of Christ of Holy Theophany.
Originally from Syria, St Romanos spent most of his life in Constantinople during the sixth century, the “Golden Age” of Greek hymnography.
He established the kontakion, a kind “chanted sermon” well known to the Orthodox faithful, as the poetic voice of the Byzantine Church.
He is said to have written more than 1000 kontakia and is widely considered to be “the greatest poet of the Greek middles ages.”
Excerpt from the Kontakion

on Holy Theophany,

by St. Romanos the Melodist

Today you have appeared to the whole to the disobedient once again with his holy voice,
world, and your light, O Lord, has made a sign “Adam, where are you?” From now on, do not
upon us who, with knowledge, sing your praise, hide from me; I want to see you. Though you are
“You have come, you have appeared, the unap- naked, though you are poor, do not be ashamed,
proachable Light.” for I have become like you. Though you desired
In Galilee of the Gentiles, in the country of it you did not become a god, but now, by own will,
Zebulon and the land of Nepthali, as the prophet I have become flesh. Draw near me then and re-
said, a great light has shone - Christ Himself. For cognize me, that you may say, You have come, you
the darkened, a shining beam has appeared, bla- have appeared, the unapproachable Light.”
zing out of Bethlehem, or rather, out of Mary - the “In my mercy, I was overcome by my com-
Lord, the sun of justice, has made his rays dawn passion and came to my creature, stretching out
on the whole inhabited world. Therefore let us my hands to embrace you. So do not be ashamed
all, Adam’s naked children, put him on that we in front of me; for your sake, naked as you are, I
may be kept warm; for as a covering for the am stripped naked and baptized. Already the Jor-
naked and a light for the darkened your have dan opens for me, and John prepares my ways in
come, you have appeared, the unapproachable the waters and in minds.” The Saviour spoke thus
Light. to humankind, not in words but in deeds, and
God did not despise the one who was rob- came, as he said drawing near to the river on
bed by trickery in Paradise and lost the garment foot, but to the Forerunner as the unapproachable
woven by God, for he came towards him calling Light.

Mosaic from Ormylia Monastery depicting
PAISIANA nr. 1 / ianuarie / 2025 Christ walking with Adam and Eve in Paradise 5