Homily I — Received into heaven with songs
Angels, with archangels, carried you across. The unclean spirits of the air shuddered at your going forth. At your passing the air is blessed and the upper air is made holy. Heaven receives your soul with joy. The Powers come out to meet you with holy hymns and a radiant festival, all but saying: “Who is this who comes up in white bloom (Song of Songs 8:5), looking forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, chosen as the sun (Song of Songs 6:10)? How beautiful you have become, how sweet (Song of Songs 7:6)! You are the flower of the field, like a lily among thorns (Song of Songs 2:1-2); therefore the maidens have loved you. We will run after the fragrance of your perfumes. The king has brought you into his chamber (Song of Songs 1:3-4).” There Authorities stand guard, Principalities bless, Thrones sing praise; the Cherubim are struck with joyful wonder, and the Seraphim glorify her who, by nature and in truth, in God's saving plan, became the mother of their own Master.
For you have not gone, like Elijah, “as it were into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11); you were not carried, like Paul, as far as the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). But you have reached the very royal throne of your Son, seeing him with your own eyes, rejoicing, and standing beside him with great and untold boldness: an unspeakable delight to the angels and to all the powers above the world, unceasing gladness to the patriarchs, joy beyond words to the righteous, lasting exultation to the prophets. You bless the world and sanctify all things. You are rest for the weary, comfort for those who mourn, healing for the sick, a harbour for the storm-tossed, forgiveness for sinners, kindly consolation for the grieving, ready help for all who ask.
Greek
Σὲ συνεπόρθμευσαν σὺν ἀρχαγγέλοις ἄγγελοι. Σοῦ τὴν ἔξοδον ἔφριξαν τὰ ἀκάθαρτα καὶ ἐναέρια πνεύματα. Σοῦ τῇ διαβάσει εὐλογεῖται μὲν ἀὴρ, αἰθὴρ δὲ καθαγιάζεται. Σοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν χαίρων οὐρανὸς ὑποδέχεται. Σοὶ μεθ' ἱερῶν ὕμνων καὶ φαιδρᾶς τελετῆς προσυπαντῶσι δυνάμεις, μονονουχὶ λέγουσαι· τίς αὕτη ἡ ἀναβαίνουσα λελευκανθισμένη, ἐγκύπτουσα ὡσεὶ ὄρθρος; καλὴ ὡς σελήνη, ἐκλεκτὴ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος. Ὡς ὡραιώθης, ὡς ἡδύνθης! σὺ ἄνθος τοῦ πεδίου, ὡς κρίνον ἐν μέσῳ ἀκανθῶν· διὰ τοῦτο νεάνιδες ἠγάπησάν σε. Εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρων σου δραμούμεθα. Εἰσήνεγκέ σε ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμεῖον αὐτοῦ, ἔνθα ἐξουσίαι δορυφοροῦσιν, ἀρχαὶ εὐλογοῦσι, θρόνοι ἀνυμνοῦσι, τὰ Χερουβὶμ ἐκπλήττεται χαίροντα, δοξάζει τὰ Σεραφὶμ τὴν τοῦ οἰκείου δεσπότου φύσει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ οἰκονομίᾳ χρηματίσασαν μητέρα. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ὁ Ἠλίας ὡς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐλήλυθας· οὐχ ὡς ὁ Παῦλος ἕως τρίτου διεβιβάσθης οὐρανοῦ· ἀλλ' ἕως αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Υἱοῦ σου ἔφθασας, αὐτόπτως ὁρῶσα, καὶ χαίρουσα, καὶ σὺν πολλῇ καὶ ἀφάτῳ τῇ παῤῥησίᾳ παρεστῶσα, ἀγγέλοις θυμηδία ἀπόῤῥητος, καὶ πάσαις ταῖς ὑπερκοσμίοις δυνάμεσι, πατριάρχαις εὐφροσύνη ἄληκτος, δικαίοις χαρὰ ἀνεκλάλητος, προφήταις διηνεκὴς ἀγαλλίασις, κόσμον εὐλογοῦσα, τὰ σύμπαντα ἁγιάζουσα, τοῖς κάμνουσιν ἄνεσις, τοῖς πενθοῦσι παράκλησις, τοῖς νοσοῦσιν ἴασις, τοῖς χειμαζομένοις λιμὴν, ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἄφεσις, τοῖς λυπουμένοις εὐμενὲς παραμύθιον, πᾶσι τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν ἑτοίμη βοήθεια.