Homily in Praise of Mary the Mother of God
Homilia in laudes Mariae deiparae
Praise of the Holy Mother of God§1
1A hymn in praise of the holy Mother of God, by our holy Father Epiphanius, Bishop of the city of Constantia, in Cyprus. Having grasped the shimmering rays of the Mother of God, and the fearsome and incomprehensible powers, the mystery of the inhabited heaven and earth, a wonder and a means of atonement, I, a lowly man, have attempted to bring this wonder to a more precise understanding by searching deep within my heart with profound memory and highest contemplation; and much trembling and fear seized me, O beloved ones. For the memory of this awesome vision did not merely punish my soul and heart with moderate dread, but tortured them powerfully. The memory of this greatest vision strikes my mind, for it is an incomprehensible mystery that I lack the strength to speak of. For who is capable of expressing such a mystery? What mouth could utter it, or what tongue could speak it? It has been said that it is impossible to speak of it. Now, however, I will dare to speak about the only Mother of God as much as I can grasp; and yet, I fear again. I do not have a tongue worthy of speaking of such very great things. For I am weak-voiced and slow of speech, and I am not eloquent, to speak thus about the highly honored, holy, ever-virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Lord; about whom the tongues of men will not speak easily. For the tongue falters and shrinks back before her, not being worthy to speak. For she astonished even the powers of the heavens; all angels, archangels, principalities, authorities, thrones, dominions, cherubim, and seraphim, and the whole host of angels, were seized with terrible fear and trembling. For they beheld on earth Him who is in the heavens within her, and it was terrifying. They saw the Virgin, a heaven and a throne, and they were seized with fear, beholding the Ruler descending from a cherubic throne into a virgin womb. O blessed root, from where did this spring? Concerning this, the prophet Isaiah, like a swallow...
It proclaims with a fiery tongue: 'A rod shall rise up from the root of Jesse, and a flower shall ascend from the root, and the Spirit of the fear of God shall rest upon it.' From the root of Jesse came King David, and from the tribe of David came the holy Virgin, the daughter of the holy ones among holy men, whose parents Joachim and Anna pleased God in their lives and who brought forth such a fruit: the holy Virgin Mary, both a temple of God and a mother. Joachim, Anna, and Mary—the three of them clearly served the Trinity. For Joachim is interpreted as 'preparation of the Lord,' for through him the Virgin was prepared as a temple of the Lord. And Anna is similarly interpreted as 'grace,' for Joachim and Anna received grace so that they might bring forth such a fruit through prayer, by obtaining the holy Virgin. For Joachim prayed on the mountain, and Anna in her paradise. After carrying Him, Anna gave birth to heaven and a cherubic throne, the holy maiden Mary. For she is found to be heaven, temple, and throne. For Mary is interpreted as 'lady,' but also as 'hope.' For she gave birth to the Lord, Christ, the hope of the whole world. Again, Mary is interpreted as 'sea-myrrh'; and it speaks of myrrh, as I say, concerning immortality, because she was destined to give birth to the immortal pearl in the sea, that is, in the world. The sea refers to the whole world, to which the Virgin granted calm, having given birth to Christ, the harbor. Furthermore, the blessed name of the venerable maiden Mary is interpreted as 'illuminated,' for she was enlightened by the Son of God and enlightened those who believe unto the ends of the earth by the Trinity. For the holy Mother of God, the maiden Mary, is a bride of the Trinity, the precious jewel of the divine economy, to whom Gabriel said: 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you.' Gabriel remembered, and the Father sent the Holy Spirit from heaven as a pledge, driving the Virgin toward the...
Greek · §1
Homilia in laudes Mariae deiparae Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἐπιφανίου ἐπισκόπου πόλεως Κωνσταντίας, τῆς Κυπριωνήσου, ἐγκώμιος εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τὴν Θεοτόκον. Τὰς ἐκλαμπούσας μαρμαρυγὰς τῆς Θεοτόκου ἀκτῖνας φοβερὰς καὶ ἀκαταλήπτους δυνάμεις, οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς οἰκουμένης μυστήριον, θαῦμα, ἱλαστήριον 43.488 φράσας ὁ τάλας ἐγὼ, εἰς ἀκριβεστέραν ἔννοιαν ὁ τῆς καρδίας μου ἔνδον σκιρτήσας λογισμὸς βαθείας μνήμης, καὶ ὑψηλοτάτης θεωρίας πειρώμενος φέρειν τὸ θαῦμα, τρόμος καὶ φόβος πολὺς καὶ δεινὸς συνέσχε με, ὦ ἀγαπητοί. Ἡ γὰρ μνήμη τῆς φρικτῆς θεωρίας, ἔντρομον τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ φρικώδη τὴν καρδίαν ἐνέγκασα οὐ μετρίως ἐτιμώρησεν, ἀλλὰ δυνατῶς ἐβασάνισεν. Ἐπιπλήττει γάρ μου τὸν νοῦν, τῆς μεγίστης θεωρίας ἡ μνήμη, ὡς ἀκαταλήπτου μυστηρίου, τὸ λέγειν οὐκ ἰσχύουσα. Τίς γὰρ ἱκανὸς τοιοῦτο φράσαι μυστήριον; ποῖον δὲ φθέγξασθαι στόμα, ἢ ποία γλῶσσα λαλήσει; Λέληθεν, εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἰσχύει. Νῦν δὲ τολμήσω περὶ τῆς μόνης Θεοτόκου καθ' ὃ καταλαμβάνω· καὶ πάλιν φοβοῦμαι. Οὐκ ἔχω γλῶτταν ἀξίως εἰπεῖν τὰ λίαν μεγάλα. Ἰσχνόφωνος γὰρ καὶ βραδύγλωσσος, καὶ οὐκ εὔλαλος ὑπάρχω, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, περὶ τῆς μεγαλωνύμου καὶ ὁσίας καὶ ἀπειρογάμου καὶ θεοτόκου Μαρίας, μητρὸς τοῦ Κυρίου· περὶ ἧς οὐκ εὐμαρῶς ἀνθρώπων γλῶττα λαλήσει. Ἰσχνοφωνεῖ γὰρ πρὸς ταύτην, καὶ ὑποστέλλεται ἡ γλῶσσα, οὐκ ἀξίως ἔχουσα τὸ λέγειν. Αὕτη γὰρ καὶ τὰς τῶν οὐρανῶν δυνάμεις ἐξένισεν· ἐξέστησαν πάντες ἄγγελοι, ἀρχάγγελοι, ἀρχαὶ, ἐξουσίαι, θρόνοι, κυριότητες, τὰ χερουβεὶμ καὶ τὰ σεραφεὶμ καὶ πᾶσα στρατιὰ ἀγγέλων φόβῳ καὶ τρόμῳ δεινῷ συσχεθέντες. Ἐθεώρησαν γὰρ ἐπὶ γῆς ἐν αὐτῇ τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ἔφριττον. Ἔβλεπον τὴν Παρθένον, οὐρανὸν καὶ θρόνον, καὶ συνείχοντο φόβῳ, θεωροῦσαι τὸν ἄναρχον ἀπὸ θρόνου χερουβικοῦ εἰς μήτραν παρθενικὴν καθίσαντα. Ὢ μακαρία ῥίζα· πόθεν ταύτην ἐβλάστησε; Περὶ ταύτης ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας ὡς χελιδὼν κελαδεῖ, τῇ πυρίνῳ γλώττῃ βοῶν· Ἀναστήσεται ῥάβδος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ, καὶ ἄνθος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης ἀναβήσεται, καὶ ἀναπαύσεται ἐπ' αὐτὴν Πνεῦμα φόβου Θεοῦ. Ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης δὲ Ἰεσσαὶ ∆αβὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς ∆αβὶδ τοῦ βασιλέως ἡ ἁγία Παρθένος, ἡ ὁσία τῶν ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν θυγάτηρ, ἧς οἱ γονεῖς Ἰωακεὶμ καὶ Ἄννα, οἵτινες ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν τῷ Θεῷ εὐηρέστησαν, οἳ καὶ καρπὸν τοιοῦτον ἐβλάστησαν, τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθένον Μαρίαν, ναὸν Θεοῦ ὁμοῦ καὶ μητέρα· Ἰωακεὶμ δὲ καὶ Ἄννα καὶ Μαρία, οἱ τρεῖς τῇ Τριάδι σαφῶς ἐλειτούργησαν. Ἰωακεὶμ γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται ἑτοιμασία Κυρίου· ἐξ αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἡτοιμάσθη ναὸς Κυρίου ἡ Παρθένος. Ἄννα δὲ πάλιν ὁμοίως χάρις ἑρμηνεύεται· χάριν γὰρ ἔλαβεν Ἰωακεὶμ καὶ Ἄννα, ἵνα τοιοῦτον βλαστήσωσι καρπὸν διὰ προσευχῆς, τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθένον κτησάμενοι. Ἰωακεὶμ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ὄρει προσηύχετο, καὶ Ἄννα ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ αὐτῆς. Κυοφορήσασα δὲ Ἄννα, οὐρανὸν καὶ θρόνον χερουβικὸν ἔτεκε, τὴν ἁγίαν κόρην Μαρίαν. Αὕτη γὰρ οὐρανὸς καὶ ναὸς καὶ θρόνος εὑρίσκεται. Ἡ γὰρ Μαρία ἑρμηνεύεται κυρία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλπίς. Κύριον γὰρ ἔτεκε, τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ παντὸς 43.489 κόσμου Χριστόν. Ἑρμηνεύεται πάλιν τὸ Μαρία, σμύρνα θαλάσσης· σμύρναν δὲ ἐρεῖ, ὃ καὶ φημὶ, περὶ ἀθανασίας, ὅτι ἤμελλε τὸν ἀθάνατον μαργαρίτην τίκτειν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, τουτέστιν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. Θάλασσαν δὲ ἐρεῖ τὸν ἅπαντα κόσμον, ᾧ ἡ Παρθένος γαλήνην ἐδωρήσατο, τὸν λιμένα τεκοῦσα Χριστόν. Τοιγαροῦν πάλιν τῆς σεμνῆς κόρης Μαρίας ἑρμηνεύεται τὸ μακάριον ὄνομα, φωτιζομένη, ἥτις ἐφωτίσθη παρὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐφώτισε τοὺς πιστεύσαντας εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς τῇ Τριάδι. Τριάδος γὰρ νύμφη ὑπάρχει ἡ ἁγία Θεοτόκος κόρη Μαρία, τὸ πανάῤῥητον τῆς οἰκονομίας κειμήλιον· πρὸς ἣν ὁ Γαβριήλ· Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. Ὑπέμνησεν ὁ Γαβριὴλ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ οὐρανόθεν ἀῤῥαβῶνα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀπέστειλεν, ὡρμήσατο τὴν Παρθένον εἰς τὸν
The Virgin as the Heavenly Bride and Mother of God§2
2The only-begotten Son, the heavenly bride, whom the Father loved, whom the Son made His home in, and upon whom the Holy Spirit descended. For this is the bride and the veil, and from this veil comes Christ the Bridegroom, according to the song of the prophet David: 'He set his tent in the sun,' and He comes forth like a bridegroom from His veil. O, longing of the Bridegroom for purity! Gabriel rushes to her, the one who is both handmaid, bride, and mother; he becomes the herald of the Virgin, the incense that joins heaven and earth. The prophets clearly wrote of her, proclaiming the order of the marriage: how the Virgin is found to be both a heavenly bride and a mother, having received the Holy Spirit as a gift before the marriage, and receiving both heaven and paradise as a dowry.
The Virgin, therefore, seeks to see the one she longed for, saying: Where is the Bridegroom whose beauty I desire? Where is the beauty brighter than the sun? Where is the unutterable glory of all beauty? Where is the unfading light that I seek in my longing? Where is the sun that seeks its own ray? Where is the lyre of the cherubim? Where is the sleepless eye of the seraphim? Where is Christ? Where is the worship of the angels that Gabriel announced? Where is the only-begotten Son of the Father, the Only One, whom the Virgin longs for, loves, and seeks to embrace? To her, Gabriel says: 'Rejoice, highly favored one.'
The infinite grace of the Holy Virgin. Rejoice, highly favored one, adorned with many virtues, O Virgin, bearing the light more brilliant than the unfading sun. Rejoice, highly favored one, the lure of the spiritual hook; for in you is the hook of Divinity. Rejoice, highly favored one, the spiritual ark of glory. Rejoice, highly favored one, the golden jar holding the heavenly manna. Rejoice, highly favored one, who has filled those who thirst with the sweetness of the eternal spring. Rejoice, highly favored one, the spiritual sea holding the heavenly pearl, Christ. Rejoice, highly favored one, the bright heaven holding the God who cannot be contained by the heavens. Rejoice, highly favored one, who makes the cherubic throne of Divinity shine. Rejoice, highly favored one, who holds the circle of heaven, and the God who is uncontainable, yet in you is contained and is not constrained. Rejoice, highly favored one, the pillar-like cloud holding the God who led the people through the desert. What shall I say? And what shall I speak? How shall I bless the...
Does glory overflow? For apart from God alone, she exists above all things. For she is more beautiful than the Cherubim and Seraphim, and she is above every angelic host; the tongue will not suffice to describe her in relation to heaven and earth, and perhaps not even the angels. For they themselves offered hymn, wine, honor, and glory, yet they were not able to speak in a manner worthy of her. The angels rejoiced, as they alone possess God, toward her whom the all-holy Virgin is superior to, she who conceived God in her on earth, so that she might thus draw the hosts of angels to the earth along with men. For she has become a unity, acting as the mediator of heaven and earth.
O blessed Virgin, pure dove, O heavenly bride Mary, heaven and temple and throne of the Divinity; she who held Christ, the sun that flashes in heaven and upon the earth; she who is the luminous cloud, the all-bright lightning that flashed Christ upon the world; she who is the heavenly cloud, who brought down to the world the thunder hidden within herself, she who poured out the rain of the Holy Spirit upon the whole earth for the fruitfulness of faith. Hail, you who are full of grace, the gate of heaven, concerning whom the prophet has cried out, saying: 'Behold, the gate is shut, and no one shall enter through it, nor shall anyone leave it, except the Lord God alone; and the gate shall remain shut to the ruler, because the ruler himself shall be called, and all nations shall hope in him.'
Concerning this gate, and in the Song of Songs, the prophet speaks loudly and clearly, crying out: 'A garden shut up, my sister, my bride; a garden shut up, a spring sealed.' The holy and venerable maiden Mary remained in virginity, the luminous cloud who held the divine Word within her; to whom the loud-voiced Isaiah said: 'Behold, a cloud light as down, and she shall come into Egypt.' The unhewn mountain, she who held the unapproachable stone, Christ, concerning whom the most wise Daniel says: 'A stone was cut out from a mountain without hands.' That is to say, the Virgin gave birth to the solid rock, Christ, without a man; the temple without a builder, she who held the heavenly stone, Christ; the thundering cloud, she who carried the lightning within her womb. And the divine Scripture testifies to me by its word, saying: 'Your womb is a fenced garden of wheat among lilies.' The uncultivated land, she who held the Word as a grain of wheat...
Greek · §2
μονογενῆ Υἱὸν, οὐράνιον νύμφην, ἣν ὁ Πατὴρ ἠγάπησεν, ὁ Υἱὸς ἐνῴκησε, τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐπεπόθησεν. Αὕτη γὰρ νύμφη καὶ παστὰς, καὶ ἐκ ταύτης ὁ νυμφίος ἐκπορευόμενος Χριστὸς, τὸ παρθενικὸν ἔνδυμα, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου ∆αβὶδ μελῳδίαν· Ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ ἔθετο τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς νυμφίος ἐκπορευόμενος ἐκ παστοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ὦ νυμφίου πόθος ἁγνείας! τὴν ἰδίαν δούλην, νύμφην, καὶ μητέρα ὁρμᾶται ὁ Γαβριήλ· πρόξενος τῆς Παρθένου ἐγένετο, οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς συνάπτων τὸ θυμίαμα· ἣν προφῆται σαφῶς ὑπέγραψαν, τοῦ γάμου τὴν τάξιν κηρύξαντες, πῶς ἡ Παρθένος οὐράνιος εὑρίσκεται νύμφη ὁμοῦ τε καὶ μήτηρ, ἡ τὰ πρὸ γάμου δῶρα λαβοῦσα τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, προῖκα δὲ τὸν οὐρανὸν ὁμοῦ τε καὶ παράδεισον. Ἐζήτει οὖν ἰδεῖν ἡ Παρθένος ὃν ἐπόθει, καὶ ἔλεγε· Ποῦ ὁ νυμφίος οὗ τὸ κάλλος ποθῶ; ποῦ τὸ κάλλος τοῦ ἡλίου λαμπρότερον; ποῦ τῆς πάσης εὐμορφίας ἡ ἀνεκλάλητος δόξα; ποῦ τὸ ἄσβεστον φῶς, ὃ ποθοῦσα ζητῶ; ποῦ ὁ ἥλιος ὃς ἀκτῖνα ζητεῖ; ποῦ τῶν χερουβεὶμ ἡ κιθάρα; ποῦ τῶν σεραφεὶμ τὸ ἀκοίμητον ὄμμα Χριστός; ποῦ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἡ προσκύνησις, ἣν ὁ Γαβριὴλ ἐμήνυσε; ποῦ ὁ μόνος τοῦ μόνου μονογενὴς Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὃν ἡ Παρθένος ποθοῦσα, καὶ φιλοῦσα ὁμοῦ τε καὶ ζητοῦσα ἀσπάζεται; πρὸς ἣν ὁ Γαβριήλ· Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη. Ἡ χάρις ἡ ἀπέραντος τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, πολλῶν ἀρετῶν κατακεκοσμημένη, λαμπαδηφοροῦσα Παρθένε τὸ ἄσβεστον τοῦ ἡλίου λαμπρότερον φῶς. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, τοῦ νοητοῦ ἀγκίστρου τὸ δέλεαρ· ἐν σοὶ γὰρ ἄγκιστρον ἡ θεότης. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ἡ νοερὰ τῆς δόξης κιβωτός· Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ἡ στάμνος ἡ χρυσῆ, τὸ οὐράνιον ἔχουσα μάννα. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ἡ τὴν γλυκεῖαν τῆς ἀεννάου πηγῆς τοὺς διψῶντας ἐμπλήσασα. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, νοερὰ θάλασσα, τὸν οὐράνιον ἔχουσα μαργαρίτην Χριστόν· Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ λαμπρὸς οὐρανὸς, ἡ τὸν ἀχώρητον ἐν 43.492 οὐρανοῖς ἔχουσα Θεόν. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ἡ τὸν χερουβικὸν θρόνον τῆς θεότητος ἐξαστράπτουσα. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, κύκλον ἔχουσα οὐρανοῦ, καὶ Θεὸν ἀχώρητον, ἐν σοὶ δὲ χωρητὸν, καὶ ἀστενοχώρητον. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, στυλοειδὴς νεφέλη, ἡ τὸν Θεὸν ἔχουσα, τὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τὸν λαὸν καθοδηγήσαντα. Τί εἴπω; καὶ τί λαλήσω; πῶς μακαρίσω τὴν ὁλόῤῥιζον δόξαν; ὅτι χωρὶς Θεοῦ μόνου πάντων ἀνωτέρα ὑπάρχει. Καλλιωτέρα γὰρ τῶν χερουβεὶμ καὶ σεραφεὶμ, καὶ πάσης στρατιᾶς πέφυκεν ἀγγελικῆς· πρὸς ἣν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς οὐκ ἐπαρκέσει γλῶττα, τάχα δὲ οὔτε ἀγγέλων. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ὕμνον καὶ αἶνον καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν προσήνεγκαν· ἀλλ' οὔτε οὕτω κατ' ἀξίαν εἰπεῖν ἴσχυσαν. Ἔχαιρον δὲ ἄγγελοι, ὡς αὐτοὶ μόνον τὸν Θεὸν ἔχοντες, πρὸς οὓς ἡ παναγία Παρθένος ἀνωτέρα πέφυκε, τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ ἐπὶ γῆς κυήσασα, ἵν' οὕτως ἑλκύσῃ στρατιὰς ἀγγέλων ἐπὶ γῆς μετὰ ἀνθρώπων. Αὕτη γὰρ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς μεσίτης πέφυκεν ἑνότητα ποιήσασα. Ὦ μακαρία Παρθένε, ἁγνὴ περιστερὰ, ἡ οὐράνιος νύμφη Μαρία, οὐρανὸς καὶ ναὸς καὶ θρόνος τῆς θεότητος· ἡ τὸν ἐξαστράπτοντα ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἥλιον ἔχουσα Χριστόν· ἡ φωτεινὴ νεφέλη, πάμφωτον ἀστραπὴν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τῷ κόσμῳ καταλάμψασα Χριστόν· ἡ οὐράνιος νεφέλη, ἡ τὴν βροντὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐν ἑαυτῇ κρυπτομένην τῷ κόσμῳ καταβιβάσασα, ἡ τὸν ὄμβρον τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τῇ πάσῃ γῇ πρὸς καρποφορίαν πίστεως καταράξασα. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ἡ πύλη τῶν οὐρανῶν, περὶ ἧς ὁ προφήτης κέκραγε λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ἡ πύλη κεκλεισμένη, καὶ οὐδεὶς εἰσελεύσεται δι' αὐτῆς, οὐδὲ ἐξελεύσεται, εἰ μὴ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς μόνος· καὶ ἔσται ἡ πύλη κεκλεισμένη τῷ ἡγουμένῳ, διότι ἡγούμενος αὐτὸς κληθήσεται, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλπιοῦσι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Περὶ ταύτης τῆς πύλης καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ἄσμασι τῇ λέξει ὁ προφήτης τρανῶς καὶ σαφῶς καταλέγεται κεκραγώς· Κῆπος κεκλεισμένος, ἀδελφή μου, νύμφη· κῆπος κεκλεισμένος, πηγὴ ἐσφραγισμένη. Ἔμεινεν ἐν τῇ παρθενίᾳ ἡ ἁγία καὶ σεμνὴ κόρη Μαρία, ἡ φωτεινὴ νεφέλη, ἡ ἔνδον ἔχουσα τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον· πρὸς ἣν ὁ μεγαλόφωνος Ἡσαΐας· Ἰδοὺ νεφέλη κούφη, καὶ ἥξει εἰς Αἴγυπτον· τὸ ἀλατόμητον ὄρος, ἡ τὴν ἀκρότομον ἔχουσα πέτραν Χριστὸν, περὶ ἧς ὁ σοφώτατος ∆ανιὴλ λέγει· Ἀπετμήθη λίθος ἐξ ὄρους ἄνευ χειρῶν· τουτέστιν, ἄνευ ἀνδρὸς τὴν στερεὰν πέτραν Χριστὸν ἔτεκεν ἡ Παρθένος, ὁ ἀσύνθετος ναὸς, ἡ τὸν οὐράνιον ἔχουσα λίθον Χριστὸν, ἡ βροντοειδὴς νεφέλη, ἡ τὴν ἀστραπὴν ἔνδον κοιλιοφόρως βαστάσασα· καὶ μαρτυρεῖ μοι τῷ λόγῳ ἡ θεία Γραφὴ λέγουσα, Κοιλία σου θημωνία σίτου πεφραγμένη ἐν κρίνοις· ἡ ἀγεώργητος χώρα, ἡ τὸν Λόγον ὡς κόκκον σίτου
Praise for the Mother of God§3
3Having received, and having brought forth the branch, she is the spiritual furnace, she who holds the fire and the bread of life; the holy Mother of the Savior, she who gave birth to the Word of the Father having become flesh from you, to whom Isaiah spoke: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name, Emmanuel.' O holy Virgin, holy Mother of the Lord; blessed Bride of the inseparable Trinity; blessed are you among women, you who bore upon the earth as an infant the Creator of all; blessed are you among women, you alone on earth who conceived the heavenly God; blessed are you among women, whom the Nourisher of the universe suckled; blessed are you among women, you who have now given birth to Him who once formed Adam from clay in Paradise, holy Mother of God, Virgin Mary.
For you are the Mother of God, you who gave birth to the Word having become flesh from you; you are the Mother of God, you who conceived God the Word in the form of a servant; you are the Mother of God, because having received God the Word, you gave birth to Him becoming flesh; you are the Mother of God, you alone who gave birth to the only begotten Son of God, the Only One; you did not give birth to a God for a fleeting moment, but to the eternal God, who was before you and before all things, having become flesh from you. She is the spotless lamb, she who bore Christ the Lamb; she is the heifer of the unyoked yoke, she who bore the calf; she is the spiritual table of faith, she who provided the bread of life to the world.
What shall I say? And what shall I speak of this overwhelming glory? Concerning this holy maiden, who is ever-youthful and a virgin, as God says through the prophet: 'A ruler shall come forth from you, to be a leader in Israel; and his exits are from of old, from the days of eternity. Therefore he shall give them until the time of birth, and shall give birth, and the remnant of his brothers shall return to the sons of Israel; and he shall stand and shall feed, and the Lord shall be the strength of his flock.'
O holy Virgin, being the mother of eternal light; the light of Him who illuminates the armies of angels in the heavens; the light of Him who illuminates the ineffable eye of the Seraphim; the light of Him who illuminates the sun with bright torches; the light of Him who illuminates the ends of the inhabited world with the Trinity; the light of Him who said: 'I am the light of the world'; the light of Him who said: 'I have come as the light into the world'; the light of Him who was taken up and illuminated in...
In the heavens and upon the earth, throughout the entire universe. O all-holy Virgin, who has welcomed the army of angels! For it is a strange wonder in the heavens, a woman carrying the Light in her arms; a strange wonder in the heavens, another cherubic throne; a strange wonder in the heavens, a son of a woman who is also the Father of all ages; a strange wonder in the heavens, a virgin's chamber, holding Christ, the Son of God, as a divine bridegroom; a strange wonder in the heavens, the child of the Virgin has become the Lord of the angels.
O all-holy Virgin, Mother of the Savior, who gave birth to the unoriginated Word, the Son who is co-throned with the Father, consubstantial with the Father and the Holy Spirit, who is from eternity with the Father and the Holy Spirit, who arched the heavens and established himself upon the earth. Hail, all-holy Virgin, who holds the fire of divinity unconsumed, like a spiritual bush; the spiritual furnace, who brought forth the fire and the bread of life, warm for the world to eat; about which the Savior of the world, Christ, says: 'Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you for the forgiveness of sins.'
O beloved ones, the most excellent table of virginal abundance, which the holy Virgin and Mother of Christ bestowed upon the inhabited world for the enjoyment of all good foods, she who carried Christ, the shining lamp gleaming in heaven and upon the earth; to whom the prophet Zechariah says: 'Behold, a golden lampstand with its lamp upon it.' Likewise, David cries out this melodic song: 'Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths.'
O virgin lamp, who drives away the darkness and radiates the light. O virgin lamp, who brought forth the fire and the oil inseparable for illumination. O virgin lamp, a triple-light, an unquenchable fire, receiving from the Highest Throne that which is consubstantial with it, and shining forth for the illumination of the world. O virgin lamp, concerning whom God says through the Prophet: 'There I will raise up for David a horn; I have prepared a lamp for my Christ.'
The royal crown, possessing the precious pearl-like stone, Christ; the royal purple, having clothed the King of the whole world in a purple garment of heaven and earth; the unfading faith of Christians; the incomprehensible book,
Greek · §3
δεξαμένη, καὶ τὸ δράγμα βλαστήσασα, ἡ νοερὰ κλίβανος, ἡ τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς ἔχουσα· ἡ ὁσία μήτηρ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, 43.493 ἡ τὸν Λόγον τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα τεκοῦσα, πρὸς ἣν Ἡσαΐας· Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Ἐμμανουήλ. Ὦ Παρθένος ἁγία, ἁγία μήτηρ Κυρίου· μακαρία νύμφη Τριάδος ἀχωρίστου· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἡ τεκοῦσα ἐπὶ γῆς ὡς βρέφος τὸν πάντων κτίστην Θεόν· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἡ μόνη ἐπὶ γῆς κυήσασα τὸν οὐράνιον Θεόν· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἧς μασθοὺς ἐθήλασεν ὁ τρέφων τὰ σύμπαντα· μακαρία σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἡ νῦν γεννήσασα τὸν ποτὲ πλάσαντα πηλῷ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, Θεοτόκε ἁγία παρθένε Μαρία. Θεοτόκος γὰρ ὑπάρχεις, ἡ τὸν Λόγον ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα τεκοῦσα· Θεοτόκος ὑπάρχεις ἡ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον ἐν μορφῇ δούλου κυήσασα· Θεοτόκος ὑπάρχεις, ὅτι Θεὸν Λόγον δεξαμένη σαρκωθέντα ἔτεκες· Θεοτόκος ὑπάρχεις ἡ μόνη τοῦ μόνου μονογενῆ Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ γεννήσασα· οὐ πρόσκαιρον Θεὸν γεννήσασα, ἀλλ' αἰώνιον τὸν πρὸ σοῦ καὶ πάντων Θεὸν, ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα· τὸ ἄσπιλον πρόβατον, ἡ τὸν ἀμνὸν τεκοῦσα Χριστόν· ἡ δάμαλις ἡ ἀπειρόζυγος, ἡ τὸν μόσχον γεννήσασα· ἡ νοερὰ τῆς πίστεως τράπεζα, ἡ τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς τῷ κόσμῳ χορηγήσασα. Τί εἴπω; καὶ τί λαλήσω τὴν ὁλόῤῥιζον δόξαν; Περὶ ταύτης τῆς ὁσίας κόρης τῆς ἀείπαιδος καὶ παρθένου, διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος ὁ Θεός φησιν· Ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δώσει αὐτοὺς ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης, τέξεται, καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπιστρέψουσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ· καὶ στήσεται, καὶ ὄψεται, καὶ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύϊ Κύριος. Ὦ Παρθένε ἁγία, φωτὸς αἰωνίου ὑπάρχουσα μήτηρ· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὰς τῶν ἀγγέλων στρατιάς· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος τῶν σεραφεὶμ τὸ ἀνεκλάλητον ὄμμα· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος λαμπραῖς λαμπάσι τὸν ἥλιον· φωτὸς τοῦ φωτίσαντος τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης τῇ Τριάδι· φωτὸς τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· φωτὸς τοῦ εἰρηκότος· Ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθα· φωτὸς τοῦ ἀναληφθέντος καὶ φωτίσαντος ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τὰ σύμπαντα. Ὦ παναγία Παρθένε, ἡ στρατιὰς ἀγγέλων ξενίσασα! Ξένον γὰρ θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, γυνὴ τὸ φῶς ἐν ἀγκάλαις βαστάσασα· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, χερουβικὸς θρόνος ἕτερος· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, γυναικὸς υἱὸς, αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν αἰώνων πατὴρ ὑπάρχων· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, Παρθένου θάλαμος, Υἱὸν Θεοῦ, Θεὸν νυμφίον ἔχουσα Χριστόν· ξένον θαῦμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, τὸ βρέφος τῆς Παρθένου, ∆εσπότης τῶν ἀγγέλων πέφυκεν. Ὦ παναγία Παρθένε, μήτηρ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἡ τὸν ἄναρχον γεννήσασα Λόγον, τὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς σύνθρονον Υἱὸν, τὸν ὁμοούσιον τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, τὸν προαιώνιον σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, τὸν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καμαρώσαντα, τὸν τὴν γῆν ἑδράσαντα. Χαῖρε, παναγία Παρθένε, ἡ τὸ πῦρ τῆς θεότητος 43.496 ἀφλέκτως, ὡς νοερὰ βάτος, κατέχουσα, ἡ νοερὰ κλίβανος, ἡ τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς θερμὸν τῷ κόσμῳ πρὸς βρῶσιν ἐνέγκασα· περὶ οὗ λέγει ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου Χριστός· Λάβετε, φάγετε· τοῦτό μου ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμα, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κλώμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Πλουσία τῆς παρθενικῆς ἡ πανάρετος τράπεζα, ὦ ἀγαπητοὶ, παντοίων καλῶν βρωμάτων πρὸς ἀπόλαυσιν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ἐδωρήσατο ἡ ὁσία Παρθένος καὶ μήτηρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἡ τὸν φωτεινὸν λύχνον τὸν ἐκλάμποντα ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς βαστάσασα Χριστόν· πρὸς ἣν ὁ προφήτης Ζαχαρίας· Ἰδοὺ λυχνία χρυσῆ καὶ τὸ λαμπάδιον ἐπάνω αὐτῆς. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ὁ ∆αβὶδ τὸ μελῳδικὸν ᾆσμα τοῦτο βοᾷ· Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ λόγος σου, καὶ φῶς τοῖς τρίβοις μου. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, ἡ τὸ σκότος ἀπελαύνουσα καὶ τὸ φῶς καταυγάζουσα. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, ἡ τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον ἀχώριστον πρὸς φωτισμὸν ἐνέγκασα. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, τρίφωτον ἓν πῦρ ἄσβεστον, ὁμοούσιον ἀφ' ὑψηλοτάτου θρόνου λαβοῦσα, καὶ πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκλάμψασα. Ὦ λυχνία παρθενικὴ, περὶ ἧς διὰ τοῦ Προφήτου λέγει ὁ Θεός· Ἐκεῖ ἐξανατελῶ κέρας τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ἡτοίμασα λύχνον τῷ Χριστῷ μου. Ὁ βασιλικὸς στέφανος, τὸν μαργαριτοειδῆ πολύτιμον ἔχουσα λίθον Χριστόν· ἡ βασιλικὴ πορφύρα, τὸν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ἐνδύσασα βασιλέα τὸ οἰκουμενικὸν τοῦ σώματος πορφυροειδὲς ἔνδυμα· ἡ ἀκηλίδωτος τῶν Χριστιανῶν πίστις· ἡ ἀκατάληπτος βίβλος,
The Virgin who bore the Eternal Word§4
4She who revealed the Word and the Son of the Father to the world. Blessed among women, she who gave birth to the Word made flesh from herself—the Word, the Son of the Father, the Word, the eternal God, the Word, without beginning and without end, the Word who is worshiped with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Word who sits on the throne of the Father, the Word who sits upon the cherubim, the Word whom the four living creatures glorify, the Word who created the angels, the Word who made the principalities and powers, the Word who stretched out the heavens and established the earth, the Word, the true God, Jesus Christ our Lord, whom you brought forth, all-holy Virgin, and remaining a virgin after childbirth; she who gave birth to the pearl and wove the royal crown. O blessed Virgin, who brought forth heavenly glory, who filled the world with the fragrance of many flowers from Paradise. The Virgin remains an unblemished lily, having given birth to Christ, the unfading rose, the vine of truth, who is much-fruitful and without thorn in her virginity, who did not dig but bore fruit, bearing Christ as the cluster upon the vine.
How then did you bring forth fruit, convince us, all-holy Virgin; how did you appear as Mother of God on earth, receiving the eternal Word? I, a virgin bearing a womb, have become an incorruptible, undefiled temple for the eternal, unwedded God the Word who dwelt in me. Carrying Emmanuel in an incorruptible womb, into an undefiled womb, resembling a cherubic throne; into whom the Word of the Father became flesh, the one without beginning and invisible, yet visible through the divine economy, the God who became man. Having no experience of man, I gave birth to the eternal God, Jesus Christ. For I remain a virgin even now after childbirth, purer than before. I gave birth alone, not as every woman does; for the things that happened to me are unlike theirs. Human nature did not know my childbirth, except for the God who dwelt in me.
O Virgin, a precious treasure of the Church, a great and fortunate mystery, who is called both priest and altar, she who, bearing the table, gave us Christ, the heavenly bread, for the forgiveness of sins. O undefiled womb, containing the circle of heaven, and bearing the God who cannot be contained within you. O womb wider than the heavens, who did not confine the God within you.
O seven-layered heaven, and one who is greater than them! O seven-layered heaven, higher and wider! O seventh heaven, above the firmament! O Virgin, possessing the unquenchable light of the sevenfold grace! What shall I say, or what shall I speak concerning the venerable and holy Virgin? Longing draws me to speak of the Mother of God, yet fear seizes me to remain silent, feeling unworthy to speak. The mind calls forward, but fear pushes back; one draws me in, while the other holds me back. Therefore, since I am held by both, it is appropriate for me to speak of the highly exalted and holy Virgin.
For I call her both heaven and throne, as well as a cross; for having stretched out her holy arms, she bore the Lord as a cherubic, cross-shaped, heavenly throne, of whom I peer through the Scriptures into the heavens and see her being worshiped by angels. This is why Gabriel first greets the Virgin: 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you'; rejoice, highly favored one, bright heaven; rejoice, highly favored one, who possesses the rays of the sun, Christ, who flashes from heaven with brilliant splendors. The Virgin has become a Seraph, many-named and many-formed, an ungraspable vision; a spiritual shelter found through a bodily presence, surpassing the Cherubim.
For those angels turn away, unable to gaze upon the intellectual fire of the Divinity. But she, gazing with clear eyes upon the ungraspable and sleepless eye of Christ, greeted Him while longing and loving Him. Armies of angels, falling at the feet of the Savior, are not able even to see or to touch; but she greeted the ungraspable one, lip to lip. O Virgin, bearing the wonder of an ungraspable mystery, you proclaimed a threefold faith to the world. The Virgin has become higher than the angels, greater than the Cherubim and the Seraphim, pleasing to the King Christ as a worthy handmaid and a mother honored by God.
Holy Mother, who gave birth to Christ—who said, 'Before Abraham was, I am'—who glorified the cave and magnified the manger. For the Virgin, the cave, and the manger, having the circle of heaven, bore the uncontainable God; the three of them clearly served the Trinity when the...
Greek · §4
ἡ τὸν Λόγον καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς τῷ κόσμῳ παραναγνώσασα. Ἡ μακαρία ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἡ τὸν Λόγον ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα τεκοῦσα, Λόγον τὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς Υἱὸν, Λόγον τὸν προαιώνιον Θεὸν, Λόγον ἄναρχον, καὶ ἀΐδιον, Λόγον τὸν σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι προσκυνούμενον, Λόγον τὸν σύνθρονον τοῦ Πατρὸς, Λόγον τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβεὶμ καθήμενον, Λόγον, ὃν τὰ τετράμορφα ζῶα δοξολογοῦσι, Λόγον τὸν τοὺς ἀγγέλους κτίσαντα, Λόγον τὸν ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας εἶναι ποιήσαντα, Λόγον τὸν οὐρανοὺς ἐκτείναντα, καὶ τὴν γῆν ἑδράσαντα, Λόγον τὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν, ὃν ἔτεκες, παναγία Παρθένε, καὶ μετὰ τόκον πάλιν παρθένος, ἡ τὸν μαργαρίτην τεκοῦσα, καὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν στέφανον πλέξασα. Ὦ μακαρία Παρθένε, ἡ τὴν οὐράνιον δόξαν βλαστήσασα, ἡ ἀπὸ πολλῶν ἀνθῶν τοῦ παραδείσου τὸν κόσμον εὐωδίᾳ πληρώσασα. Κρίνον ἄσπιλον ὑπάρχει ἡ Παρθένος, τὸ ἀμάραντον ῥόδον γεννήσασα Χριστὸν, ἡ ἄμπελος τῆς ἀληθείας, ἡ πολύφορος καὶ ἀτρύγητος τῇ παρθενίᾳ, ἡ μὴ σκαφεῖσα, καὶ βοτρυοφορήσασα, ἡ τὸν πέπειρον βότρυν βλαστήσασα Χριστόν. Πῶς οὖν ἐβλάστησας, πεῖσον ἡμᾶς, παναγία Παρθένε· πῶς μήτηρ Θεοῦ ὤφθης ἐπὶ γῆς, Λόγον προαιώνιον δεξαμένη. Ἡ κοιλιοφορήσασα παρθένος ἐγὼ ἄφθαρτος, ναὸς ἀμόλυντος γέγονα τοῦ ἐνοικήσαντος ἐν ἐμοὶ Λόγου Θεοῦ ἀπειρογάμου. 43.497 Τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ ἐν ἀφθάρτῳ κοιλίᾳ φέρουσα, εἰς γαστέρα ἀμόλυντον, ἀφομοιουμένη θρόνῳ χερουβικῷ· εἰς ἣν ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Πατρὸς σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ὁ ἄναρχος καὶ ἀόρατος· ὁρατὸς οἰκονομικῶς, ὁ ἐνανθρωπήσας Θεός· πεῖραν οὐκ ἐγνωκυῖα ἀνδρὸς, τὸν προαιώνιον Θεὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἔτεκον. Παρθένος γὰρ καὶ νῦν ὑπάρχω μετὰ τὸν τόκον, καθαρωτέρα τοῦ πρώην. Ἀπόνως ἔτεκον, οὐχ ὡς πᾶσα γυνή· ἀνόμοια γὰρ ἐμοῦ κἀκείνων τὰ μεταξὺ πράγματα. Οὐκ ἔγνω φύσις ἀνθρώπων τὸν τόκον μου, εἰ μὴ μόνος ὁ ἐν ἐμοὶ οἰκήσας Θεός. Ὦ Παρθένε, φρικτὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κειμήλιον, τὸ μέγα τυχὸν μυστήριον, ἱερέα καλεῖ τὴν παρθένον ὁμοῦ τε καὶ θυσιαστήριον· ἥτις τραπεζοφοροῦσα τὸν οὐράνιον ἄρτον Χριστὸν ἔδωκεν ἡμῶν εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Ὢ γαστὴρ ἀμόλυντος οὐρανὸν κύκλον ἔχουσα, καὶ Θεὸν ἀχώρητον, ἐν σοὶ δὲ χωρητὸν βαστάσασα. Ὢ γαστὴρ οὐρανοῦ πλατυτέρα, Θεὸν τὸν ἐν σοὶ μὴ στενοχωρήσασα. Ὢ γαστὴρ ἑπτάκυκλος οὐρανὸς, καὶ μειζοτέρως αὐτῶν τυγχάνουσα. Ὢ γαστὴρ ἑπτὰ οὐρανῶν ὑψηλοτέρα καὶ πλατυτέρα. Ὢ γαστὴρ ὁ ὄγδοος οὐρανὸς στερεωμάτων ἀνωτέρα Ὢ γαστὴρ ἑπταφώτου χάριτος τὸ ἄσβεστον ἔχουσα φῶς. Τί εἴπω, ἢ τί λαλήσω περὶ τῆς σεμνῆς καὶ ἁγίας Παρθένου; Ὁ πόθος ἕλκει με λέγειν περὶ τῆς Θεοτόκου, καὶ φόβος κατέχει με τοῦ σιωπᾷν, οὐκ ἀξίως ἔχων τοῦ λέγειν. Ὁ νοῦς προκαλεῖται, καὶ ὁ φόβος ἀπωθεῖται· ὃς μὲν ἕλκει με, ὃς δὲ ἀνθέλκει με. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν συνέχομαι τῶν ἀμφοτέρων, συμφέρει μοι λαλῆσαι περὶ τῆς μεγαλωνύμου καὶ ὁσίας Παρθένου. Λέγω γὰρ ταύτην οὐρανὸν καὶ θρόνον ὁμοῦ τε καὶ σταυρόν· τὰς γὰρ ἁγίας ἀγκάλας ἐκτείνασα, τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐβάστασεν ὁ θρόνος χερουβικὸς, σταυροειδὴς, οὐράνιος, περὶ ἧς διὰ τῶν Γραφῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς παρακύπτω, καὶ βλέπω ταύτην ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων προσκυνουμένην. Ὅθεν πρῶτον ὁ Γαβριὴλ τὴν Παρθένον ἀσπάζεται· Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ· χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ λαμπρὸς οὐρανός· χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ἡ τὸν ἐξαστράπτοντα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ λαμπραῖς λαμπάσιν ἀκτῖνα ἔχουσα ἥλιον τὸν Χριστόν. Σεραφεὶμ γέγονεν ἡ Παρθένος, ἡ πολυώνυμος, καὶ πολυόμματος, τῆς ἀκαταλήπτου θέας· σκέπη τις νοερὰ, δι' οἰκουμενικοῦ σώματος εὑρεθεῖσα, τὰ χερουβεὶμ ὑπερβαίνουσα. Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ ἀποστρέφονται μὴ δυνάμενα ἀτενίσαι πρὸς νοητὸν πῦρ τῆς θεότητος. Αὕτη δὲ τρανοῖς ὄμμασιν ἐνατενίζουσα τὸ ἀκατάληπτον καὶ ἀκοίμητον ὄμμα Χριστοῦ, ποθοῦσα καὶ φιλοῦσα ἠσπάζετο. Στρατιαὶ ἀγγέλων ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος προσπίπτοντες, οὔτε ἰδεῖν, οὔτε προσψαῦσαι ἰσχύουσιν· αὕτη δὲ χείλη χείλεσι συνάπτουσα τὸν ἀκατάληπτον ἠσπάζετο. Ὦ Παρθένε, ἀκαταλήπτου μυστηρίου φέρουσα θαῦμα, τριπόθητον πίστιν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ κηρύξασα. Ἀγγέλων ἀνωτέρα γέγονεν ἡ Παρθένος, μειζοτέρα τῶν χερουβεὶμ καὶ τῶν σεραφεὶμ, ἀρέσκουσα τῷ βασιλεῖ Χριστῷ, ὡς ἀξία δούλη καὶ μήτηρ τιμηθεῖσα παρὰ Θεῷ. Ἁγία μήτηρ ἀμόλυντε, ἡ τὸν πρὸ σοῦ 43.500 γεννήσασα Χριστὸν τὸν εἰπόντα· Πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγώ εἰμι· ἡ τὸ σπήλαιον δοξάσασα, καὶ τὴν φάτνην μεγαλύνασα. Παρθένος γὰρ καὶ σπήλαιον καὶ φάτνη, οὐρανοῦ κύκλον ἔχοντες, Θεὸν ἀχώρητον ἔφερον, οἱ τρεῖς τῇ Τριάδι σαφῶς λειτουργήσαντες, ὅτε ἡ
The Birth of Christ and the Adoration of the Shepherds and Magi§5
5The Virgin, having conceived the Sovereign of heaven and earth in a cave, placed Him in a manger; then ranks of angels surrounded the Virgin, crying out and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men.' Therefore the shepherds, while watching in the fields, heard such a doxology of the angels concerning the Savior, and having run on their way, they worshiped the Light, beholding a strange wonder: the handmaid of the Sovereign and the earthly Virgin, the heavenly bride.
For she appeared in the cave as both bride and mother, and as the Mother of God, when she gave birth to the child Christ, according to the prophetic voice of Isaiah: 'For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.'
After this he says: 'The Magi from the east, being illuminated and guided by a bright star, having traveled the length of the road from the east, arrived to worship Him who was born in Bethlehem.' Therefore, upon reaching the city of Jerusalem, the star was hidden from them; and they, being troubled at having lost their guide, were compelled by necessity to ask those in the city, inquiring of them: 'Where is the Christ to be born?' For this was considered a strange wonder by all. Concerning which...
Greek · §5
Παρθένος ἀπόνως τὸν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ∆εσπότην ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ κυήσασα, ἐν τῇ φάτνῃ ἔθετο, τότε καὶ τάξεις ἀγγέλων τὴν Παρθένον ἐκύκλωσαν βοῶντες καὶ λέγοντες· ∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. Ὅθεν καὶ ποιμένες ἀγραυλοῦντες τὴν τοιαύτην δοξολογίαν τῶν ἀγγέλων ἤκουσάν τε περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ τῷ δρόμῳ βαδίσαντες, τὸ φῶς προσεκύνησαν, ξένον θαῦμα θεασάμενοι, τὴν δούλην τοῦ ∆εσπότου καὶ τὴν ἐπίγειον παρθένον, οὐράνιον νύμφην. Αὕτη γὰρ καὶ νύμφη, καὶ παστὰς, καὶ Θεοῦ μήτηρ ὤφθη ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, ὅτε τὸ βρέφος ἔτεκε Χριστὸν, κατὰ τὴν προφητικὴν Ἡσαΐου φωνήν· ὅτι Παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν· υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν, οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ, καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεγάλης βουλῆς Ἄγγελος, Θεὸς ἰσχυρὸς, ἐξουσιαστὴς, Ἄρχων εἰρήνης, Πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Εἶτά φησι μετὰ ταῦτα· Μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ὑπὸ ἀστέρος φωτεινοῦ καταλαμπόμενοι, καὶ ὁδηγούμενοι, τὸ μῆκος τῆς ἐξ ἀνατολῆς ὁδοῦ βαδίσαντες, ἥκασιν εἰς προσκύνησιν τοῦ τεχθέντος ἐν Βηθλεέμ. Ὅθεν καὶ τὴν πόλιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καταλαβόντες, κρύπτεται ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὁ ἀστήρ· οἱ δὲ θορυβηθέντες τὸν ὁδηγὸν ἀπολέσαντες, ἀνάγκης τῇ βίᾳ τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐρωτῶντες, ἐπυνθάνοντο παρ' αὐτῶν· Ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται; ξένον δὲ θαῦμα πᾶσιν ἐνομίζετο. Περὶ οὗ
Herod's Disturbance and the Magi's Search§6
6When Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and calling the priests, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They answered and did not deny; they confessed and did not lie. They were unable to hide the rays of the sun, and they testified to the voice concerning the Savior being made clear through the prophet, saying: 'In Bethlehem the Christ is born.' For thus it cries through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come forth one to be a ruler in Israel.'
O, the unyielding Israel! They confessed what was written in the Law, yet they denied the Lawgiver. They themselves testified where the Christ was to be born, and yet they themselves again denied the Christ who was born. What, then, of the Magi? Their minds were unsettled, their hearts were greatly troubled and consumed by grief, their sobs like the violence of waves flooded their ship, their eyes poured out pearl-like tears upon the earth, and their distress was boundless as they sought the Rising Sun, a guide they did not possess, yet they searched while having the desire. Where is the star, the guide of the Magi? Just as the star is hidden from them, look to the truth, and...
Greek · §6
Ἡρώδης ἀκούσας, ἐταράττετο λίαν, καὶ καλέσας τοὺς ἱερεῖς, ἐπυνθάνετο παρ' αὐτῶν, ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται. Οἱ δὲ εἶπον καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσαντο· ὡμολόγησαν καὶ οὐκ ἐψεύσαντο. Τὰς ἀκτῖνας τοῦ ἡλίου κρύπτειν οὐκ ἠδύναντο, τὴν περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνὴν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου σαφηνιζομένην ἐμαρτύρησαν λέγοντες· Ἐν Βηθλεὲμ γεννᾶται ὁ Χριστός. Οὕτω γὰρ βοᾷ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Καὶ σὺ, Βηθλεὲμ, οὐδαμῶς εἶ ἐλαχίστη ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ. Ὢ τοῦ ἀπειθοῦντος Ἰσραήλ! Ὡμολόγηςτὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦ νόμου, καὶ τὸν νομοθέτην ἠρνήσατο· αὐτοὶ ἐμαρτύρησαν ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται, καὶ αὐτοὶ πάλιν ἠρνήσαντο τὸν γεννηθέντα Χριστόν. Τί οὖν οἱ μάγοι; ὧν τὸ οἰκεῖον τοῦ νοὸς ἠλλοιώθη, ὧν ἡ καρδία ἐταράττετο λίαν, καὶ ἐσβέννυτο ἐν λύπῃ, ὧν οἱ στεναγμοὶ ὡς κυμάτων βία τὴν ναῦν ἐπόντιζον, ὧν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ μαργαριτοειδέσι δάκρυσι τὴν γῆν κατέῤῥαινον, ὧν ἀφόρητος ἡ θλίψις, τὸν ἀνατολῶν ζητοῦντες ὁδηγὸν, ὃν οὐκ εἶχον, ἔχοντες ἐζήτουν· Ποῦ ὁ ἀστὴρ ὁ τῶν μάγων ὁδηγός; Καθ' οἷον δὲ τρόπον κρύπτεται ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὁ ἀστὴρ, σκόπει τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ
The Star and the Gifts of the Magi§7
7Look at the wonder and the sign! Because of this, the star was hidden from them, so that when the unbelieving priests asked about it, the mystery of heaven and earth might be made manifest to all. Therefore, after everyone had come to know, the star was revealed again to the Magi, until it came and stood over the Child in the cave, or rather, in heaven. For where Christ is, there is heaven; for the cave appeared as heaven upon the earth.
Those who saw the star, and even more so the Savior, rejoiced with great joy; they bowed down and worshiped, and brought out their gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold, as for a king; frankincense, as for God; and myrrh, as for a mortal—but rather so that they might also signify the burial of Christ, the Creator and Maker of all, whom the heavenly bride Mary brought forth, she who is the heaven, the temple, and the throne of the Divinity, the ineffable treasure of Paradise.
Angels once praised Eve, but now they glorify Mary; she who, having glorified the weakest of women, raised up the fallen Eve, and sent Adam, who was cast out of Paradise, into the heavens, and she who opened the closed Paradise, and through the thief again...
Greek · §7
βλέπε τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ τὴν μήνυσιν. Ἕνεκεν τούτου κρύπτεται ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὁ ἀστὴρ, ἵνα τούτων ἐρωτώντων παρὰ τῶν ἀπίστων ἱερέων, φανερὸν γένηται πᾶσι τὸ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς μυστήριον. Ὅθεν μετὰ τὸ 43.501 γνῶναι πάντας, φανεροῦται πάλιν μάγοις ὁ ἀστὴρ, ἕως οὗ ἐλθὼν ἔστη ἐπάνω τοῦ βρέφους ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, ἢ μᾶλλον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ὅπου γὰρ Χριστὸς, ἐκεῖ ὁ οὐρανός· τὸ γὰρ σπήλαιον οὐρανὸς ὤφθη ἐπὶ γῆς. Οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες τὸν ἀστέρα, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην, οἳ καὶ κύψαντες προσεκύνησαν, καὶ ἐκβαλόντες τὰ δῶρα, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν. Χρυσὸν μὲν ὡς βασιλεῖ· λίβανον δὲ ὡς Θεῷ· καὶ σμύρναν ὡς θνητῷ· μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα καὶ τὸν ἐνταφιασμὸν μηνύσωσι τοῦ πάντων κτίστου καὶ δημιουργοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃν ἔτεκεν ἡ οὐράνιος νύμφη Μαρία, ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ναὸς καὶ θρόνος τῆς θεότητος, τὸ ἀνεκλάλητον τοῦ παραδείσου κειμήλιον. Ἄγγελοι τὴν Εὔαν ἐμέμφοντο, νυνὶ δὲ τὴν Μαρίαν δοξάζουσιν· ἡ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τῶν γυναικῶν κυρίως δοξάσασα, ἡ τὴν πεσοῦσαν Εὔαν ἀναστήσασα, καὶ τὸν ἐκβληθέντα τοῦ παραδείσου Ἀδὰμ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀποστείλασα, ἡ τὸν κλεισθέντα παράδεισον ἀνοίξασα, καὶ διὰ λῃστοῦ πάλιν τὸν
The Fruits of Mary's Obedience§8
8You have planted Adam again. For through you, O holy Virgin, the enmity that stood in the middle of the barrier was destroyed; through you, heavenly peace was granted to the world; through you, the ends of the inhabited earth were enlightened; through you, humans have become like angels; through you, humans have been called friends, servants, and children of God; and through you, humans have been worthy to become fellow-servants and fellow-neighbors of the angels. Through you, heavenly knowledge is sent up from earth to the heavens in praise; through you, humans have boldness before the Most High in heaven. Through you, the Cross has shone throughout the whole inhabited world, upon which your Child, Christ our God, was hung. Through you, death is trampled and Hades is plundered; through you, idols have fallen and heavenly knowledge has been awakened. Through you, we have come to know the only-begotten Son of God whom you bore, O all-holy Virgin, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all angels and humans, while worshiping, say that we glorify the unoriginated Father, the unoriginated Son, and the unoriginated Holy Spirit, the indivisible and consubstantial Trinity, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Greek · §8
Ἀδὰμ καταφυτεύσασα. ∆ιὰ σοῦ γὰρ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ τὴν ἔχθραν κατέλυσεν, ὦ ἁγία Παρθένε· διὰ σοῦ ἡ οὐράνιος εἰρήνη τῷ κόσμῳ ἐδωρήθη, διὰ σοῦ τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐφωτίσθη, διὰ σοῦ ἄνθρωποι ἄγγελοι γεγόνασι, διὰ σοῦ φίλοι, καὶ δοῦλοι, καὶ τέκνα Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι ἐκλήθησαν, καὶ διὰ σοῦ σύνδουλοι ἀγγέλων καὶ συνόμιλοι ἄνθρωποι ἠξιώθησαν γενέσθαι· διὰ σοῦ γνῶσις οὐράνιος, καὶ δοξολογία ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναπέμπεται· διὰ σοῦ παῤῥησίαν ἄνθρωποι ἐν οὐρανῷ πρὸς τὸν Ὕψιστον ἔχουσι· διὰ σοῦ σταυρὸς ἔλλαμψε κατὰ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἐν ᾧ τὸ βρέφος σου ἐκρέματο Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· διὰ σοῦ θάνατος πατεῖται, καὶ ᾅδης σκυλεύεται· διὰ σοῦ τὰ εἴδωλα πεπτώκασι, καὶ γνῶσις οὐράνιος ἐγήγερται· διὰ σοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγνώκαμεν, ὃν ἔτεκες, παναγία Παρθένε, τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ᾧ πάντες ἄγγελοι καὶ ἄνθρωποι προσκυνοῦντες λέγομεν, ἄναρχον τὸν Πατέρα, ἄναρχον τὸν Υἱὸν, ἄναρχον τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Τριάδα ἀχώριστον καὶ ὁμοούσιον δοξάζοντες εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.