Homily I — Closing prayer to the Mother of God
We too wait upon you today, O Lady (and again I say, Lady), Mother of God who knew no marriage. We have fastened our souls to our hope in you, as to a most strong and unbreakable anchor (Hebrews 6:19); we have dedicated ourselves wholly to you, mind, soul and body; and we honour you with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16) as far as we can, for to honour you as you deserve is beyond our reach. For if, as the sacred teaching has instructed us, honour shown to our fellow servants is proof of goodwill toward our common Master, how could honour toward you, who gave birth to your own Master, be neglected? How could it not be pursued with all eagerness? How could it not be preferred even to the breath we cannot live without, and be a source of life? For in this way we would show all the more our goodwill toward our own Master. But why do I speak of what we show the Master? For those who remember you with reverence, the most precious gift of your memory is in truth enough, for it becomes the ground of a joy that cannot be taken away. With what gladness, with what good things is he not filled, who has made his mind a storehouse of your all-pure memory? This is our thank-offering to you, the first-fruits of our words, the choicest portion of our poor mind, which has been moved by longing for you and has forgotten its own weakness. Receive the longing kindly, knowing that it exceeds our power. And you, watch over us, good Lady, mother of the good Master. Lead and guide our affairs wherever you will; halt the onrush of our most shameful passions; guide us to the calm harbour of the divine will; and make us worthy of the blessedness to come, the sweet radiance, seen face to face, of God the Word, who took flesh from you. With him be glory, honour, might, greatness and majesty to the Father, together with his all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Greek
Σοὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς προσκαθήμεθα σήμερον, ὦ Δέσποινα, καὶ πάλιν ἐρῶ, Δέσποινα, Θεοτόκε ἀπειρόγαμε, τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς τῆς σῆς ἐλπίδος ἐφάψαντες, ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος ἰσχυροτάτης καὶ ἀῤῥαγεστάτης ἀγκύρας, νοῦν, ψυχὴν, σῶμα, ὅλοις ἑαυτοὺς σοὶ ἀναθέμενοι, ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις, καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς γεραίροντες, ὅσον ἐφικτόν· τὸ γὰρ πρὸς ἀξίαν ἀνέφικτον. Εἰ γὰρ, ὡς ὁ λόγος ὁ ἱερὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξεπαίδευσεν, ἡ περὶ τοὺς ὁμοδούλους τιμὴ ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει τῆς πρὸς τὸν κοινὸν Δεσπότην εὐνοίας, ἡ περὶ σὲ τὴν τεκοῦσαν τὸν δεσπότην σου τιμὴ, πῶς παρορατέα; πῶς δὲ οὐ περισπούδαστος; πῶς δὲ οὐχ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀναγκαίας προτιμωμένη πνοῆς, καὶ τῆς ζωῆς πρόξενος; οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μᾶλλον τὴν πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον δεσπότην παραστήσαιμεν εὔνοιαν. Τί γὰρ πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην φημί; αὐταρκὲς γὰρ ὄντως τοῖς εὐλαβῶς μεμνημένοις σου τῆς μνήμης τὸ τιμαλφέστατον δώρημα· χαρᾶς γὰρ ἀναφαιρέτου ὑπόθεσις γίνεται. Ποίας γὰρ οὐκ ἐμπίμπλαται εὐφροσύνης; ποίων ἀγαθῶν ὁ ταμιεῖον τῆς πανάγνου σου μνήμης τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ποιησάμενος διάνοιαν. Οὗτός σοι παρ' ἡμῶν χαριστήριος, τῶν ἡμετέρων λόγων ἀπαρχὴ, τῆς πτωχῆς ἡμῶν διανοίας τὸ ἀκροθίνιον, τῷ περὶ σὲ κινηθείσης πόθῳ, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐκλελησμένης ἀσθένειαν. Ἀλλ' εὐμενῶς δέχοιο τὸν πόθον, εἰδυῖα τὴν δύναμιν ὑπερβάλλοντα. Σὺ δὲ ἐποπτεύοις ἡμᾶς, ἀγαθὴ δέσποινα, ἀγαθοῦ δεσπότου λοχεύτρια, ἄγοις τε καὶ φέροις τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ὅπου βούλοιο, καὶ τὰς ὁρμὰς τῶν αἰσχίστων ἡμῶν παθῶν στήσειας, καὶ πρὸς τὸν τοῦ θείου θελήματος ἀχείμαστον λιμένα καθοδηγοῦσα, καὶ τῆς μελλούσης μακαριότητος καταξιώσειας, τῆς γλυκείας τε καὶ αὐτοπροσώπου ἐλλάμψεως, τοῦ ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντος Θεοῦ Λόγου. Μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, τιμὴ, κράτος, μεγαλοσύνη τε καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια, σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ, καὶ ζωοποιῷ αὐτοῦ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.