Of the holy and terrible mysteries of Christ

This article presents the French translation, by Jérôme Cler, of the Homily on the Nativity by Saint Gregory Palamas (14th century), entitled "On the Holy and Awesome Mysteries of Christ." It is a liturgical homily delivered in the context of the Advent fast, in preparation for the feast of the Nativity. The central idea is that worthy reception of the Eucharist requires prior purification through confession and repentance. Palamas develops a pronounced eucharistic realism: the Body and Blood of Christ bring about an ontological union between the faithful and Christ, surpassing even the nuptial union itself. The notable theological contribution, highlighted in the prefatory remarks, lies in a christocentrism of intense humanity, in which Christ is successively presented as brother, friend, spouse, father and mother, bearing witness to spiritual accents that overflow the strictly patristic framework and nuance the idea of a Latin monopoly on this affective sensibility.