site: migne

title: Sermo II in Praesentationem B. Mariae Virginis

languages: en grc

source_edition: Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vol. 139, coll. 40–72

source_text:
[0040] ΛΟΓΟΣ Βʹ. Εἰς τὴν εἰς τὰ Ἄγια τῶν ἀγίων εἴσοδον τῆ παναχράντου Δεσποίνης ἡμῶν Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας. Αʹ. Καθάπερ τῇ ἱερᾷ τραπέζη εἰ τότε μόνον δεῖν τις ᾤετο προσιέναι, ἡνίκα ἂν πρὸς ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὕ, ος ἑαυτὸν ἀκριβῶς συνορῴη τὰ δέοντα σώζειν, οὐδέποτ´ ἂν ἔγγιον, οἷμαι, τοῦ θείου γένοιτο δείπνου· ποῦ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, ὅς, οὐδ´ εἰ μίαν βεβιωκώς ἡμέραν εἴη, ὡς τὰ θεῖά φησι λόγια, ῥύπου μένειν ἔξω πεπίστευται, προσομιλεῖν ἄν τοτε πρὸς ἀξίαν φανείη τῷ παναχράντῳ ἐκείνῳ καὶ περιπεζίου παντὸς ἀνωτέρῳ; οὕτως ὁ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀποδοῦναι φωνὴν τῇ παναμώμω ζητῶν καὶ μητρὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τῶν ἀλάλων ἐχθύων οὐδὲν ἄρα διοίσει· ἀλλ´ ὥσπερ τῶ γαληνῷ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τεθαῤῥηκότες, τῆς ἀποῤῥήτου [0041] γευόμεθα διαίτης ἐκείνης, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα, Πν´ ὅτι ῥύπος εἰδότες ἡμεῖς τῇ κοινωνίᾳ καθαγνισθῶμεν, τὸν ἴσον δὴ τρόπον κἀπὶ τῆς μακαρίας λογιστέον Παρθένου· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ταύτῃ προσλαλητέον εἰς δύναμιν, ὡς ἂν δι´ ὧν αὐτὴν προσυμνοῦμεν, ὧν εἴργασται παραδόξων μεμνημένοι πραγμάτων, ἁγιασμὸν καὶ κηλῖδος ἀποφερώμεθα ἔκπλυσιν. Βʹ. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν οὐδ´ ἂν ἕν τῶν κατ´ αὐτὴν, οὐδεν, ὁ μὴ μόρφωσιν ἐντίθησιν ἁγιαστικὴν, ᾧ λόγος ταῦτα λογίζεσθαι, οὐδενὸς δ´ ἦττον καὶ ἡ εἰς τὰ τῶν ἀγίων Ἄγια εἴσοδος· ὃ τῷ νῷ παραστάν, ἐκ τούτου γ´ εὐθὺς, ὃ καλεῖται χαρίζεται, ᾠ προὔργου περιελίττειν ἔνδον αὐτό· περὶ οὗ καὶ νῦν ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν εἴη κεκινημένοις καὶ νοῦν ἅμα καὶ γλῶτταν ἀγιασθῆναι, καί τι κατάλληλον φθέγξασθαι τῇ τούτου προσωνυμίᾳ, ἀλλὰ μὴ τῷ ὕψει παντάπασιν ἀπᾷδον τῆς παναχράντου, εἰ καὶ τοῦ πρὸς ἀξίαν, ὃ πάντως ἔσται, ἀποδεῖν συμβαίη τῷ λόγῳ. Γʹ. Ἀγια τοίνυν Ἅγίων πρὶν μὲν ὁ νεὼς δικαίως ἐκεῖνος ὑμνεῖτο, ὃς καὶ κιβωτὸν ἔφερε καὶ πλάκας, καὶ τὰ σεμνὰ πάντα ἐκεῖνα Μωσέως τρόπαιᾳ καὶ μαρτύρια, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τοῖς προσιοῦσιν ἡ κάθαρσις, καὶ τῶν πάλαι θαυμαρτουγιῶν παραδόξων ἔκθεσίς τε καὶ διασάφησις ἐτελεῖτο· καὶ ἦν οὐδὲν ἀληθῶς ἔτερον, ὧν γῆς περιεῖχε κύκλος, τοῦ θείου μᾶλλον ὧσπερ δὲ λυχνιαῖον μὲν φῶς, σφόδρα φωτεινὸν καὶ χρηστὸν, ἕως ἂν τὸ λειτουργικὸν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἄρχον τῆς ἡμέρας καλύπτεται σκεῦος, τοῦ δὲ μεγάλου προκύψαντος φωστῆρος περιττή τε ἡ φωτοποιὸς ἐκείνη δαπάνη καὶ μικροῦ λόγου πάντως ἀξία τῷ ὑπερπλήρει τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος· οὕτως Ἄγια ἀγίων ὁ χωρος, ὃς τοῦτ´ ἤκουεν, ἐκεῖνος νῦν ἐκρύβη τα καὶ χρῆσιν οὐδενὶ παρέχων ἀπέσβη, ὅτιπερ Ἅγκα ἁίων ἕτερος ἐκείνου μακρῷ παναγέστερος οἶκος ἀνηγέρθη τε καὶ ἀπήστραψεν, ἡ πάναγνος, φημ, καὶ φωτοειδεστάτη Θεοῦ νύμφη. [0044] νομίζω, διὰ τοῦτ´ ἔσχε τὴν πρόσρησιν ταύτην, ὅτι τὰ δεύτερα δὴ ταῦτα Ἃγια ἁγίων, ἃ καὶ εἰ τοῦτο τῷ χρόνῳ, ἀλλ´ εἰς ἁγιότητος καὶ λόγον ὰξίας, οὐδ´ ἔστι λογίσασθαι τὸ πρεσβεῖον, εἰσοικίσεσθαι ἔμελλεν· ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸν δίσκον διὰ τὸ μέλλον φῶς ἥλιον οὐκ ἀπεικότως προσεῖπεν, ἢ βασίλεια διὰ τὸν οἰκουοήσοντα βασιλέα, καὶ πρὶν τοῦτα γενέσθαι· καὶ καθάπερ, οἶ μαι, τῷ τεχνητῳ τούτῳ φωτὶ ἡ μικρὰ πρὸς τὸ μέγα καὶ ἀδάπανον ὁμοιότης, τοῦθ´ ὃ νῦν προσαγορεύεσθαι δέδωκε, κἀκεῖνο πρότερον ἐγνωκότες, εἰς τοιαύτην καὶ τοῦτο κεκλήκαμεν ἐπωνυμίαν· τὸν ἴσον ἄρα τρόπον τὰ νέα Ἄγια ἀγίων, ἡ νῦν ἡμᾶς ἀγιάσασα λέγω κόρη, τὰ πάλαι Ἄγια ἀγίων οὕτω φωνεῖσθαι πεποίηκε. Εʹ. Καὶ ἦν δήπουθεν τὰ πρόσφατα Ἄγια ἀγίων καινόν τινα τρόπον τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀρχαιότερα· ἐπεὶ οὐδέποτ´ ἂν τοῦτ´ εἶχον κληθῆναι ἐκεῖ. α, εἰ μὴ τοῖς τὰ πόῤῥω βλέπουσιν ὀφθαλμοῖς τὰ ὕστερα ταῦτα προὐτέθη πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν, δι´ ἃ καὶ τὸ φανῆναι καὶ ἁγιάζειν ἐκείνοις, καὶ ἡ ἐντεῦθεν προσηγορία, καθάπερ πόλις τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κτίσαντος εἰληφυϊα· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, ἧπερ εἴρηται, καὶ κατεσκεύαστο καὶ ἤκουσεν Ἀγια ἀγίων ἐκεῖνα, ὅτι διαναπαύσειν προώριστο τὸν τοῦτ´ ἀξίως ἀκούσοντα. ϛʹ. Ἄλλως τε δὲνκαθάπερ οὐρανὸν καὶ γῆν καὶ ὅσα τῶν ὁρωμένων, πρὶν ἄνθρωπον εἶναι, διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεός· τὸν αὐτὸν ἔδει τοόπον καὶ διὰ τὸ καινὸν δημιούργημα τοῦτο, τὸν ὑπὲρ νας ἄνθρωπον, κρεῖττόν τι τῶν προτέοων οἷκητήριον δημιουργηθῆναι. Γίνεται τοίνυν· καὶ ἧς οὐδέν τι τῶν προγεγονότων τετύχηκε προσηγορίας, τὴν ἐξ ἁγιωσύνης λέγω, ἐπεὶ οὐδεὶς ἱκανῶς εἶχε τῶν πάλαι ἐργαστήριον ἁγιωσύνης κεκληρωκέναι, ταύτης ὁ ἰερὸς ἐκεῖνος τυγχάνει σηκὸς διὰ. τὸν ἀγιώτατον ἄνθρωπον, τὸ πανάχραντον σκεῦος, τὸ παναμώμητον ἄγγος, τὸ μέγα καὶ ἀκηλίδωτον κειμήλιον, τὴν πανυπέραγνον τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου μητέρα. [0045] ΚΖʹ. Ὁπάλαι μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι, προφητικῶς τἰσεῖν παρασυνεβᾶήθη τοῖς κτήοεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ κοινὴν τοῖς ἀλόγοις ἔλαχεν οἴκησιν· εἶχον γὰρ ὅ τε ἄνθρωπος καὶ τὰ ἄλογα κοινὸν οἰκίας ἔδαφος τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἧν οὐδέν τι τῶν οἰκημάτων, ὅπερ ἀκάγκῃ μόνῳ μὲν προσῆκεν ἀνθρώπῳ, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τῶν ζώων ἀπεῖργεν εἰς κοινωνίαν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδιδόντας ἤδη νοῦς εἰσήει, νέμειν τι καὶ Θεῷ τῶν κοινῶν ὑψηλότερον ἐνδιαιτημάτων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν μέγιστον τοῦτον νεών Θεὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα προμελετᾷν παρεσκεύαζε· τοῦτο γὰρ Θεοῦ νόμος, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐλαχίστων τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἐντυγχάνειν ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομεῖν· καὶ τούτου σαφὴς ἀπόδειξις ὁ παλαιὸς νόμος οἷος ἦν πάλαι, καὶ οἷα τὰ καινὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος παραγγέλματα· ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐχ ὁβραχύ τι πὸρ´ ἀγγέλους ἡττων γεγένηται ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ´ ὅ γε καὶ βασιλικῷ τῷ πήχει τοὺς ἀθλους ἐξαίρων, ἀκολούθως ἄρα καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἐκεῖνος οἶκος, τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἁπάντων ὑπέρτερος, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀνεῳγμένος τῷ βουλομένῳ παντὶ, ἀλλὰ προσήκων ὄντως τῷ οἰκήσοντι προδεδέόμηται· ὃς, ἵνα τοῦτο δείξη, μόνον δικαίως ὡς ἑαυτοῦ δεσπότην, τὴν θεόνυμφον λέγω βασιλίδα, ἐν τοῖς ἐνἀοτάτοις ὑπεδέξατο, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἔμενεν ἄβατος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ ὑπερφυέστατος οὗτος καὶ θεουργικώτατος ἄνθρωπος τὴν δίαιταν ἔσχεν γγελος γὰρ ἦν οὐρανόθεν λειτουργῶν τῇ Παρθένῳ τὴν ἀπόῤῥητον ἐκείνην τροφήν]· οὕτω καὶ παρὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀγγελικὴν εἶκεν ἄν τις ἑστίαν, ἢ οὐρανίαν, ἢ θείαν ἄλλην καὶ ὑψηλὴν, καὶ γῆς αὐτῆς οὐχ ἀπτομένην, εἴγε ἐνῆν, ὁ σώςων ἠνάγκαζε λόγος ἀπολαβεῖν· ὡς γὰρ ἔγωγε καὶ τοῦτο νομίζω, οὐκ ἂν χοῖκῶν ἐδέησε τῇ Παρθένῳ τοκέων, ἢ γῆς, ὡς ἐδάφει ταύτῃ χρήσασθαι καὶ περιπάτῳ, ἢ ὁτουοῦν, ὧν χοῦς ποικίλως διαμορφοῖ τε καὶ χρώννυσιν· ἀλλ´ ἄνωθεν ἂν, εἴπερ εἰδέναι ἔδει, τὴν ταύτης ἐγνώκειμεν γέννησίν τε καὶ οἴκησιν, κατ´ ἀῖγέλους δημιουργηθείσης, ἢ δήπουθεν ὑπὲρ τούτους, [0048] εἴ γε μὴ τρόπος οὗτος ἐπραγματεύετο σωτήριός εε ὁμοῦ καὶ κενῶν ἄληπτος Χηρημάτων, ὅτι καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὁ Σωτὴρ εἴλετο δι´ ἐμὲ γενέσθαι, ἄνω δὲ οὐκ ἐνῆν τὴν τοιαύτην ἀναλαβέσθαι μορφήν· καὶ ὅτι τοῖς, μὴ ὅτι τοῦτ´ ἐγεγόνει, κακῶς δογματίσασιν, οὐκ ἀσθενῆ τὴν Παρθένον πεποίηκεν ἔλεγχον, ἢ τοῦτον ἔτεκε. Σαφὴς δ´ αὕτη πηλὸς, ὡς ἐκ γητνων φῦσα, καὶ τοῦ χυοὸς, οἰκεῖον εἶναι καὶ τὴν Πάναγνον κύημα, τρανότατα διακωδωνοῦντος, οὗπερ. ῆκιστα πέπτη, ὰλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς ὁμοφυεῖς ταῖς ἐκεῖθεν, ὡς εἰπεῖ, Κεἶκε πέδαις τοῖς κάτω προσγειτονοῦσα.

Θʹ. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οὐκ ἦν διὰ ταῦτα τῆς ὑπὲρ γῆν τυχεῖν κληρουχίας, ἡς, εἴπερ τις τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἡ μακαρία δικαιοτάτη, ἀπό γε τῶν περιγείων καὶ συγγενῶν τὰ τῶν ἀνακτόρων οἰκεῖν ὑψηλότερα τὴν Παρθένον, τὰ Ἀγα τῶν ἀγίων φημὶ, ὁ Θεὸς ἐδικαίωσεν· ἔμεινε δ´ ἂν, οἷμαι, μέχρι τῆς ἄλλης καὶ τελευταίας αὐτῆς πρὸς οὐρανοὺς εἰσόδου τοῦ ἰεροῦ ἔνδον τεμένους, ἅτε δὴ μόνῃ τῇ Πανάγνῳ πρέποντος ἐκείνου, δι´ ἣν καὶ κλῆσιν εἴληχεν ἐκείνην καὶ τὴν φερώνυμον ἐνέργειαν, ἧπερ ὁ λόγος ἔδειξεν. Ἀλλ´ ἵνα καὶ ὁδὺν ἡμῖν ὑποδείξῃ, ἣν ἑνεκαίνισεν εἰς τὴν εἰσοδον τῶν Ἀγίων ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ, Παύλου τοῦτο τοῦ θείου φωνὴ, ἔτι δὲ καὶ γῆν ἄλλην καὶ ἀέρα προκαθαγνίσῃ, ἃ δήπουθεν μετὰ μικρὸν ὁ Δεσπότης δι´ αὐτῆς ἔμελλε τελεώτερον ἁγιάσειν, οὗτος δὲ, καθά μοι εἴρηται, θεῖος νόμος, ἀπὸ τῶν ἁπλουστέρων χωρεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ τελεώτερα, καὶ ἵν´ Ἰωσὴφ, τῷ σεμνῳ ἐκείνῳ καὶ εἰς πεῖραν ἥκοντι γραμμάτων, τ´ ἐσφραγισμένον δὴ τοῦτο ἐγχειρισθῆναι βιβλίον, ὅς οὕτ´ ἦν ἰκανὸς τοῖς ἀδύτοις ἐνδιατρίβειν, καὶ εἶχεν ἄλλως τὸ μυστικὸν ἐξηγεῖσθαι καὶ ἁπόῤῥητον ἐκεῖνο βιβλίον· διὰ ταῦτα καὶ τοῦ νεὼ μὲν ἐξῆλθεν ἐκείνου, ναὸν δ´´ ἑαυτὴν, ὢ ξένον θαῦμα! τοῦ ἀχωρήτου Δημιουργοῦ κατεσκεύασεν· οὗ χάριν οὐχ Ἃγμα ἀγίων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴ τι τούτων αἰδοῦς ἀξιώτερον, τῶν εὐλόγων ἂν εἴη τὸ ἀνέκφραστον τοῦτο καλεῖν Θεοῦ κατοικητήριον. [0049] Ιʹ. Δοκῶ δέ μοι καὶ τοῦτο, ὡς οὐ τῆς ἴσης ἂν ἐνεφορεῖτο θεοπτίας ὁ ἅπαξ τὰ ἄδυτα εἰσιὼν ἱεράρχης ἐκεῖνα, τῆς τε παμβασιλίδος τοῖς οἱκείοις παρούσης βασιλείοις, καὶ ὅτε μὴ τοῦτ´ ἐγίγνετο· ἀλλὰ πολλῷ κρείττονος δι´ ἐκεῖνο μετειλήφει θεωρίας ἢ της Δεσποίνης ἀπούσης. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἰσραρχῶν ἐξ ἀνάγκης πλησιεστέρα Θεῷ, οὐδ´ ἂσον εἰπεῖν ἔνεστιν, ἡ Παρθένος, ἀναλόγως καὶ πάντων ἐπίκεινα θεαμάτων ἂν ὑψηλῶν ἐτύγχανεν εὐμοιροῦσα· ὃς δ´ ἐκείνῃ συνῆν, τηλικούτων ἀπολαβούσῃ, βελτίων ἄν ἦν ἑαυτοῦ πάντως, καθάπερ φώτων ὑπὲρ βασιλέως προκειμένων φωτεινότερον οἱ παρόντες ὁρῶσιν. ΙΑʹ. Ἀλλ´ ὑμνητέον μικρὸν ἄνωθεν τὰ περὶ αὐτὴν, ἴν´ ἀπὸ τῆς θείας αὐτῆς ἐν βίῳ προόδου εἰς τὴν εἰς τὰ Ἀγια τῶν ἁγίων εἴσοδον ἀκολούθως ὁ λόγος τὴν Πάναγνον φέρῃ. Γεννᾶται τοίνυν τὸ θεαυγέστατον τοῦτο κάλλος, τὸ θεοπτικώτατον ἔσοπτρον, τὸ θεοειδέστατον κάτοπτρον, ἡ θεολαμπὴς αἴγλη, ἡ θεοτερπὴς λαμπηδὼν, ἡ θεοπρεπὴς ἀγλαϊα, ἡ θεόνυμφος καὶ θεόπαις Μαρία, ἐκ στείρας μὲν καὶ ἀγόνου γαστρὸς, πολυτόκου δὲ ψυχῆς καρπῶν θεαρέστων, καὶ μάλα γονίμου γεννημάτων ἐνθέων, καὶ οἷς ἐντρυφᾷ Θεὸς τικτομένοις. ΙΒʹ.·Ἔδει γὰρ ἡγήοασθαι τοῦτο κἀνταῦθα, ὡς ἂν ἀπὸ μικροῦ θαύματος, τὴν παιδοτόκον φημὶ στείραν, τὸ μέγα καὶ παραδοξότατον, ὁ τῆς Παρθένου καινοτομηθείη τόκος, ἵνα καὶ παῖς κατὰ μητρὸς οὕτω λαμπρᾶς, οὔτω θαυματουργοῦ, φέρῃ τὰ νικητήρια· Ἄννα γὰρ, ἡ μετὰ βραχὺ καλλίπαιδος μήτηρ ἐκείνη, καὶ Ἰωακεὶμ ὁ θαυμάσισς, τὸ θεόλεκτον καὶ δικαιότάτον ζεῦγος, τάλλα μὲν πάντων εἰς εὐδαιμονίαν [0052] ἐκράτουν· πρὸς δέ γε παιδοποιίαν πενήτων ἠλέγχοντο δυστυχέστεροι· ἔνθεν τοι καὶ ῥεύματα μὲν ἀπέῤῥει δακρύων ὀσημέραι τῶν δικαίων ὀφθαλμῶν ἐκείνων, συχνὴ δ´ ἀνεπέμπετο δέησις θολώσεως ἄμικτος, καὶ οἴαν οὔτε Θεὸς παρορᾷ, καὶ ὡς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας ὁρᾷ ἐπαγγελία συμβολαίου παντὸς πιστοτέρα, τὸ τεχθησόμενον ἀντιδώσειν τῷ δεδωκότι ΙΓʹ. Ἀλλ´ ὢ δικαίας εὐχῆς, πτερὸν ἅπαν ἐλεγχούσης τῷ τάχει, ὑπὲρ οὐρανοὺς ἀνιούσης, Θεῷ προσιούσης θαῤῥούντως, καὶ παρ´ αὐτοῦ προσδεχομένης ἡδέως! Ὦ καρδιῶν ἐκείνων, μεστῶν καθαρότητος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Θεὸν ὀπτριζομένων κἀκεῖνεν ἀντιδεχομένων τὴν τῶν θερμῶν ἐξαλμάτων περαίωσιν! Ὦ χειλέων ἀγνῶν, διὰ Θεὸν κινουμένων, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ διὰ τοῦτο πεποιημένων, ἵνα τὸ προωρισμένον μυστήριον τούτων αἰτουμένων ἐκβῇ! Ὦ ψυχῶν ἀμώμων, ἃς ὑπερηγάσθη Θεὸς, καὶ τελέσειν εἰς τὴν τούτον λγάπησε συγγένειαν! Τυγχάνουσι μάλα περιφανῶς τῆς αἰτήσεως, καὶ τίκτουσι καρπὸν, τοῦτον δὴ τὸν καινότερον, ὃς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης καλλονὴ καὶ σεμνότης, καὶ τροφὴ μυστικὴ, μέλιτος ὑπὲρ νοῦν γλυκυτέρα, καὶ κατασκίου δένδρου παντὸς ψυχαγωγικώτερον θέαμα, καὶ ἀνθέων πᾶσαν εὐωδεστάτων κάτω τεθεὶς πέφηνε χάριν. Ῥδει γὰρ μήτ´ ἐκείνους, οὕτως εὐγενεῖς τὴν ψυχὴν γεγονότας, οὕτως εἰς ἄκοον δικαιοσύνης ἐληλακότας, οὕτω παντὸς τῶν ὑπ´ οὐρανὸν Θεὸν προτιθέντας, οὔτω θεολαμπεῖς τὸν νοῦν, ἄλλης ἢ ταύτης χρηματίσαι πατέρας, μήτε τὴν μακαρίαν, ἧς τὲ σεμνὸν οὐκ ἔχων ὅσον εἰπεῖν ὁ λόγος ἐᾷ, ἐτέρων ταῖδα παοὰ τούτους γεγονέναι· ἔτι δὲ μήτε τῆς ὁμιλίας ἐκείνης, ἢ τῇ Παρθένῳ συλλήψεως αἴτιον, ἄλλο τι ἢ Θεοῦ ὁμιλίαν πρωταίτιον εἶναι καὶ προηγούμενον, ἵν´, ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν, ἡ πάναγνος ἔχοι μόνη καὶ τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκεῖνο διαφυγεῖν, καὶ, Οὐκ ἐν ἀνομίαις συνελήφθην, οὐκ ἑν ἀμαρτίαις ἐκίσσησέ μεμόνην ἡ μήτηρ μου, περὶ ἑαυτῆς φάσκειν, ἐκείνῳ καὶ τούτου συμπεριειληκμένου [0053] τῷ καταλόγῳ, ὧν μοι μεγαλείον ἐτοίησεν ὁ δυνατός. Τοῦτο δ´ ἐξ ὧν ἔπραξαν ἔδειξαν οἱ γεννήτορες, ἀφ οἱας ἐκ Θεοῦ καταβεβηΚκότες ὁμιλίας, πρὸς τὴν τῆς παιδοποιίας αἰτίαν Κὁμιλίαν συνῆλθον. Ἄριστα τοίνυν καὶ τοῦτ´ εὖ ἔον τῷ κύκλῳ τῶν περὶ αὐτῆς παραδόξων συνέὃραμεν. Ἰνʹ. Ἐπεὶ δ´ εἰς φως ἡ λαμπρὰ πεφανέρωται εόπαις, ἡ μᾶλλον ἢ φῶς ἅπαν διαυγεστέρα, ἧς χωρίς οὔτε φῶς, οὔτ´ οὐρανὸς, οὔθ´ ἡ ποίησις πᾶσα τῶν δυναμένων ψυχὴν ἀληθῶς λαμπρῦναι καὶ οἰκειῶσαι Θεῷ, ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἡ τηλικαύτη γεγέννηται, καὶ τὰ ὑπεσχημένα τοῖς τοκεῦσιν ἡ μνήμη περαναι μηνύει· οἱ δ´ εἰς ἔργον ἂν, οἷμαι, ἐχώρουν, ἅμα τῳ γεννηθῆναι τῷ νεῷ τὴν παῖδα προσάγοντες, εἴγε μὴ τὸν καιρὸν προαρπάζειν τῶν οὐκ εἰκότων ἐδόκει, καθὰ καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ὕστερον πάντα κατὰ καιρὸν, καὶ ὕαύαστα. καὶ τὸ θεῖον ἐπεδείξατο λουτοὸν. ὧ πάντως ἔδει τελεῖσθαι ἀκόλουθα καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκείνου μητρὸς καὶ πρὶν τοῦτο φανῆναι· σφόδρα γὰρ ἄν τι τερατουργεῖν ἐδόκουν, βρέφος, πρὶν ἀποστῆναι τιτθης, ἢ λόγου καὶ ἀκοῆς εἰληφέναι πεῖραν, εἰς τὰ δυτα ἐπιχειροῦντες εἰσενεγκεῖν ἐκεῖνα· ἢ, ὥς τις ἔ,η τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν, ἡ τριετία διετηρεῖτο, τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἀβάτοις εἴσοδον παρασχεῖν τῇ Παρθένῳ, ἵνα τὸ μέλλον προγράψῃ, ὅτι μόνη τὸν ἄβατον καὶ ἀπερίληπτον ἔνα Θεὸν τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος καινότατα τέξεται, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄπαντας ἁγίους τῆς δλης φρικτῇς Τριάδος μονὴ φανεῖται καὶ σεβασμιώτατον οἰκητήοιον. Ούδὲ γὰρ ἧν οἴὔκοι μένειν τῶν ἀναγκαίων, ὅτι θηλῆς ἡ πάναγνος ἐδεῖτο· ὡς γὰρ καὶ τριετὴς, ἐνδιαιτωμένη τῷ θείῳ περιβόλῳ ἐκείνῳ, τῆς παρ´ ἀνθρώπων οὐ μετεῖχε τραπέζης, μυστικῷ δὲ λόγῳ οὐρανίας ἡ ἐπουράνιος μετελάμβανε τροφῆς οὕτως, εἰ καὶ γάλακτος ἔτι δεομένη, τὰ ἄβατα οἰκεῖν εἰσήγετο, [0056] κατὰ τὸ ἴσον ἐκεῖνο θαῦμα, ὑπερφυεῖ τινι ἂν ἐστηρίζετο καὶ ἀῤῥήτῳ τρόπῳ. ΙΕʹ. Ἀλλ´ ἢ χάριν ὡν εἴρηταί μοι, τοῦτ´ ἐγεγόνει, ἢ ὅτι καὶ πρὸς βραχὺ βρεφικῆς ἠν εἰκὸς τοῖς τοκεῦσι κἂν ἀπολαῦσαι χάριτος παρὰ τῆς παιδὸς, ἢ μετ´ ὀλίγον ἐκποίητος μὲν ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι Θεῷ, τοῖς δὲ φιλτάτοις τούτοις ἀόρατος πατράσιν· ὑπὲρ ἧς, ἐνὸν τρυφᾷν, εἵλοντο κακοπαθεῖοθαι, καὶ τῶν καμάτων ἐκείνων καὶ πολυῤῥύτων δακρύων ταύτην ἔλαβον ἔπαθλον·

ὧν, ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, τῶν τοσούτων ἐκείνων, λέγω, πόνων, ταύτην Θεὸς ἀξίαν διέγνω τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, τὴν ἄχρι τριετίας ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν τῆς λαμπροτάτης χαρίτων παιδός. Ὅσην γὰρ ἔχουσι τῶν παίδων ἄλλοι καὶ κάλλιστοι ἡδονὴν τοῖς πατράσιν ἐνθεῖναι ἀπό γε τῆς συνοίκου πολυετίας, ταύτην εἶχεν ἡ πάναγνος καταθεῖναι τῇ τριετίᾳ· φαίην δʹ ἂν καὶ δαψιλεστέραν καὶ μείζω ὅσῳ καὶ γεννητῶν ὑπέρκειται πάντων· αἱ γὰρ παρὰ τῶν μεγίστων ἀντιδόσεις φιλότιμοι καὶ τῷ μεγέθει τῶν χορηγούντων κατάλληλοι· δικαίους δὲ ὄντας ἐκείνους καὶ καλουμένους οὐκ ἦν ἄν τῶν ἀκολούθων τὴν στάθμην ὑπερβῆναι τῆς ἐπωνυμίας· διὰ σαῦτα τὸ τοῦ ἔτους δίκαιον μέτρον ἀπειληφότες, τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ἡ τριετία, μὴ διαπεσεῖν εὖ πεπουήκασι καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν. Ιϛʹ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ μετὰ μικρὸν τῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐπιβήσεσθαι περάτων ὁ τῆς βασιλίβος καὶ θεόπαιδος ἱἔμελλε κρότος, φθάνει τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα πάσης γῆς ἄλλης προπλέξαντες τὴν εὐφημίαν, καὶ τὸν ἰερὸν ὕμνον ἐπάσαντες τῇ Παρθένῳ, καὶ σεμνῶς τερετίσαντες· καὶ τοῦτο εἰκότως· ὅτι καὶ τὸν Κἐμὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀνήγαγον, φησὶν, εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πα αστῆναι Κυρίῳ, οὖ τοὺς χαρακτῆρας ἡ μήτηρ ἐν ἑαυτῇ προέφαινε. Καὶ γοῦν ὅσοι τῶν ἐκκρίτων τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦντες ἐκείνην ἐτύγχανον, ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ νεανίδων παρθένων, τὸ μὲν τὸν πατέρα, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὴν μητέρα, τὸ λοιπὸν δὲ διὰ τὴν πανύμνητον, τὴν εἰς τὸ ἰερὸν ᾗεσαν συνελθόντες, μετὰ λαμπάδων ἐνταῦθα [0057] τὴν πάναγνον ἄγοντες, καὶ μέλος ὑπὲρ ταύτης ἐπὶ γλώττης καὶ μετ´ εὐφροσύνης ἄσματα φέροντες, τὰ εἰκότα τῇ θεονύμφῳ πάντως διαπραττόμενοι. Περὶ ὧν. μοὶ δοκῶ, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν μακαρισμὸν προειεῆσθαι ἐκεῖνον· Μακάριος ὁ λαὸς, ὁ γινώσκων ἀλαλαγμόν· καὶ τοῖς προοιμίοις δὴ τούτοις τὸ μέλλον διασημαίνοντες, ὅτι καὶ πάντα κρύψει πυραὸν τὸ τῆς ἐμψύχου ταύτης λαμπάδος φῶς ἀπαστράψον, καὶ ἀσμάτων αὕτη πλήσει ψυχὰς ταύτην ὁμνούσας καὶ τὰ σωτήρια μελωδούσας. Οἶμαι δὲ, καὶ ὁ νοητὸς ἅπας τότε διάκοσμος τοῖς λαμπαδοφόροις ἂν ἐκείνοις καὶ συνῇδε καὶ συνεφώτιζέ, καὶ συνεβάδιζε τοῖς προπομποῖς, ὅσον τῆς προαγομένης δεικνύντες τὸ σέβας τοῖς τῷ σαρκίῳ τούτῳ, οίονεί τινι νέφει, τὴν αἴγλην τῆς παμβασιλίδος ὁρᾷν διαφραττομένοις, εἰ μὴ καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀγνοεῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο προώριστο δι´ οἰκονομίαν, ἥ με διέσωσε, καὶ τῆς αἰσχρουργοῦ καὶ τυραννικῆς ἀφήρπασε χειρός. Ιζʹ. Ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοίνυν, ἧπερ εἴρηται,, φέρουσι τὸ ἱερώτατον ἔμψυχον σκευος ἐκεῖνο, τὸ θεοποίητον ἄγγος τῶν θεουργικῶν λαμπηδόνων, τὸ πολυτίμητον καὶ θεῖον ἀνάθημα, οὗ πᾶσα ἡ ποίησις ἥττων ὁμοῦ πρὸς λόγον ἀξίας. Ὁ δ´ ἀρχιερεὺς ἀπό γε τῶν ὁρωμένων τότε, ὅτι πλέον ἐκεῖνα ἢ ἐδείκνυτο τὰ εἰωθότα, καὶ θείας ἔνδον αὐτὸν συναισθήσεως, ἐγὼ νομίζω, περιλαμψασης, ὑψηλότερον τῶν φθασάντων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐσομένων, τὴν ἐπέλευσιν αἰσθόμενος τῆς θεονύμφου, οὐδὲν ἦν, ὃ τοῦ ἱεροῦ μὴ τῇ Παρθένῳ ἀνέῳξε, καὶ οἰκεῖν αὐτὴν οἰκειότερον ἐαυτοῦ, εἴ τι καὶ ἄβατον, διεψηφίζετο. Ἐκ δὲ τούτου δῆλον ὡς καὶ χαρᾶς ἂν ἦν ἔμπλεως πάντως, προορῶν ὥσπερ τὴν περιελευσομένην τὰ σύμπαντα καρὰν διὰ τῆς ἐπιδημησάσης ἄρτι τῷ νεῷ κόρης. ΠΗʹ. Καὶ τοῦτ´ ἂν προσεφώνει τῇ πανάγνῳ, ὃ καὶ ἡ ἄδολος πληθὺς ἔπειτα πρὸς τὸν Κτίστην· Εὐλόμένη ἡ ἐρχομένη βασιλὶς ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου· Ελρήνη ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν χαροποιὸν δὴ ταύτην ἂν προσεῖπε φωνὴν, ἣνὁ βλέπων Σοφονίας προεφθέγξατο· Χαῖρε σφόδρα, θόγατερ Σιὼν, δι´ ἦς ὁ Κτίστης καὶ νῦν μὲν χαίρει, σὲ τὸν λαμπρότατον οἶκον περικαλλῶς ὁρῶν θψούμενον ἤδη καὶ συναρμολογούμενον πρὸς οἴκησιν ἑαυτοῦ· χαρήσεται δ´ ἐναργέστατον, ὅτε τοῦθχ ὅτι χαίρει τῇ σῇ συνοικήσει, δεικνύων, τὴν χαράν σοι δι´ ἀγγέλου μηνύσει, δι´ ἡν καὶ νόες ἀγαλλιάσονται [0060] καὶ ἄνθρωποι σκιρτήσουσι, καὶ πᾶσα λαμπρυνθήσεται κτίσις. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ οἷον ὁ θεοδόχος Συμεὼν ὕστερον πρὸς τὸν Σωτῆρα, τοιοῦτον κἀνταῦθα καὶ ὁ τὴν Θεοτόκον ὑποδεχόμενος ἱεράρχης κατὰ καιρὸν εἶρηκεν ἄν· Νῦν εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριον, ὃ ἣτοίμασται κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλιψιν ἐθνῶν, καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ Ἰσραήλ· σὺν τούτῳ τε καὶ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ θείου Ἡσατου διὰ τὸν Δεσπότην· νῦν ὅψεται, κόρη. πᾶσα σὰρξ διὰ σοῦ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἴσελθε οὖν θαῤῥούντως εἰς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σὸν ὑπὲρ πάντας ἀληθῶς καταγώγιον, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ οἷκου τοῦ πατρός σου, ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ σοῦ κάλλους ἐπιθυμνσει Καὶ νῦν ἐγὼ μὲν τὰς τοῦ νεὼ τοῦδε μόνῃ σοι πύλας ἀνοίγνυμι πάσας, καὶ μετ´ ἐλευθερίας τῶν ἀδύτων ἔνδον χωρεῖν, ὅποι βούλει, παραχωρῶ· σὺ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ πλάστῃ τὰς πύλας τῆς σῆς ἀναπετάσεις καρδίας, καὶ ἔνδον ἐλευθερίως ἐνοικεῖν σοι παρασκευάσεις, ἐν ᾗ κατοικεῖν ἡρετίσατο μόνη, καὶ ἣν ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων Σιὼν ἁπασῶν ἐξελέξατο. Νῦν, εἰ καὶ ξένον καὶ παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς, ὅτι κλειδὸς ἐλευθέρα τοῦ ἱεροῦ πᾶσα καθίσταται πύλη, ἀλλά τι μεῖζον ὑπὲρ σοῦκαὶ νῦν ἄνω Θεὸς διατίθεται, καὶ τὰς οὐρανίους αἴρειν σοι προστάττει πύλας, ἵνα πρὸς τὸν μόνον αὐτὸν ἄβατον, μηδενός σοι προσιστα μένου, φθάσῃς, καὶ κάτω πείσῃς διὰ τὴν σὴν ἀγλαϊαν τοῦτον φανῆναι, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἥλιον λαμπρῦναι τὴν γῆν, νῦν μὲν κατοικεῖν σε ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν, ψαλμικῶς εἰπεῖν, ἐνδίδωμι, ἔνθα τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἅπαξ εἰσιέναι τὸν ἀρχιερέα νομίνεται· σὺ δὲ μετ´ ὀλίγον τὸν μέγαν ἀρχιερέα Χριστὸν ἔνδον ἕξεις σαυτῆς, καὶ τοῦτον βαστάσεις παραπολύ. Ἵι τοίνυν, ὧ θύγατερ. εἰς τὰ τῶν ἁγίων Ἄγια, ἡ τῶν ἁγίων ἁπάντων ἁγιώτατον ὑποδεξομένη, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀγιάσουσα· πρόσιθι, βασιλίς, τὰ λαμπρὰ δὴ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ βασίλεια δεχομένη, ἡ τὸν τοῦ παντὸς βασιλέα βασιλικὰς τοῖς ἐν γῇ παρασχεῖν χάριτας ἀναπείσουσα. [0061] ΙΘʹ. Τούτοις οὖν ἡ Θεόπαις λόγοις ὑποσχοῦσα τὴν ἀκοήν, καὶ ὡσανεὶ πειθομένην ἑαυτήν παρασχοῦσα, τῶν εὐγενῶν νεανίδων ἐκείνων, αἱ ταύτην λαμπαλουχοῦσαι περιίσταντο, ἠρέμα διαστᾶσα, καὶ ὅλη χαρίεσσα σεμνῷ φανεῖσα καὶ σχήματι καὶ φρονήματι, πρόσεισιν ἀσμένως τῷ ἱεράρχη, περιχαρῶς προσλαλοῦσα, καὶ κινήμασιν, οἷς εἶχε, καὶ ψελλίσμασι τῇ τούτου ψήφῳ συνάδειν ὑποδεικνῦσα· καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν πατέρων καὶ τῆς κατ´ οἶκον θεραπείας Κλλης τὴν εἰς τὰ Ἄγια τῶν ἁγίων οἴκησιν αἱρεῖσθαι προθύμως ἐμφαίνουσα· καὶ, Εἰσελεύσομαι, εἰπεν ἀν τὸ τοῦ θείου Δαβδ, πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸν εἰφραίνοντα τὴν νεότητά μου· ὅτι σὺ ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἀπὸ μαστῶν τῆς μητρός μου· ἐπὶ σέ ἐπερρίφην ἐκ μήτρας, ἀπό γαστρὸς μητρός μου, Θεός μου εἰ σύ. Κʹ. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ εἴσεισιν εἰς τὰ ἄδυτα μόνη τοῦ ἰερου καταλιποῦσα γεννήτορας καὶ πατρῴας ἐστίας συνήθειαν, ἧς οὐδ´ εἰς φρονοῦσαν ἡλικίαν τελοῦντες ὑπεριδεῖν ἔχουσι, τρία οὖσα καὶ ταῦτα ἡ πάναγνος ἴτη, ἐν ᾧ τῆς ἡλικίας δηλαδὴ ταύτης οὐκ ἂν ἱκανὸς εἰπεῖν εἴη τοῦ θαύματος τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, εἴ τις λογίσαιτο, οἷων ἅτε δὴ βρέφος δεομένη, οἷα ἠλλά- ἔατο Ἐκεῖσε γοῦν, εὐαγγελικῶς εἰπεῖν, ηΧξαλεκαὶ τὸ παιλίον τοῦτο, καὶ ἐκραταιοῦτο πιεύματι, πληΕούμενον σοφίπς, καὶ χάρις Θεοῦ Πν ἐπ´ αὐτῷ·

ἢ, ἵνα καὶ τοῦτο προσθείην, προέκοπτε σοφίμ καὶ ἡλικίᾳ καὶ χάριτι παρὰ Θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις· περὶ οὖ μόνου προσφυῶς ἔχειν εἶπέ τις ἂν, ἣν εἴρηκε φωνὴν ὁ δωτὴρ ὕστερον· Ὦφετε τὰ παιδία ἔρχεσθαι πρός με, καὶ μὴ κωλόετε αὐτά· τν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστίν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ΚΑʹ. Ἔδει δὲ ἄρα καὶ τὸ τῆς εἰσόδου τοῦτο καινὸν ἐπὶ τῇ Παρθένῳ γενέσθαι, ἵνα ἀκόλουθον εἴη τῇ τε παραδόξῳ ταύτης εἰς βίον προόδῳ καὶ τοῖς ἔτι παραδοξότερον ἐσομένοις αὐτῆ, ὡς ἂν ἀπ´ ἀρχῆς θαυμαστὰ μὲν ᾗ τὰ κατ´ αὐτὴν ἄχρι καὶ πέρατος, τὰ δ´ ἐπιόντα των πρὸ αὐτῶν ὑψηλότερα. Καὶ γὰρ γεγέννηται μὲν καινότερον ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιπούς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· τούτου δὲ θαυμαστότερον καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὰς Κλλας παρθένους, ὅτι περ τριετὴς [0064] ἐπεδήμησε τῷ νεῷ. Ἡ δὲ καὶ εἰς τὰ ἄδυτα εἴσοδος ποῖον οὐ κάτω τίθησι θαῦμα; Πάντα μὲν πάντως τἄλλα, μόνων δὲ δίχα τῶν παρ´ ἑαυτῆς ἐφεξῆς, ὡν ἡττώμενον οὐκ αἰδεῖται τὴν ἡτταν. ΚΗ. Ἀλλ´ ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, τοῦτο καὶ θεμέλιον καὶ ῥίζαν τῶν ἐσχάτων καὶ ὑψηλῶν οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι καλέσας· οὐδὲν μὲν γὰρ ὑψηλότερον, ἤ τι τῶν κατ´ αὐτὴν, ἤ τι τῶν ἀπάντων ἕτερον, ἢ Θεὸν καθ´ ἡμᾶς ἐξ αὐτῆς μορφωῦῆναι· πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο ἐκεῖθεν ἡ πάναγνος ἔσχε τὴν ἐπιτηδειότητα. Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἀβάτοις ἡ πάνσεμνος διατρίβουσα, ὲπεὶ οὐκ ἦν τι τῶν ἀνθρωπείων ἰδεῖν, ᾧ ἂν ἑαυτὴν ὁμοιώσειεν, ἀεὶ δὲ Θεὸν ἦν μόνον φανταζομένη, Θεῶ Κμόνῳ προσλαλοῦσα, καὶ ἢ μελέτη τὴς καρδίας αὐτῆς, κατὰ τὸν προφήτην φάναι Δαβὶδ, ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ διαπαντὸς, θεόθεν μόνη τυγχάνουσα τροφῆς, καὶ πρὸς ὁιιοίωσιν Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἅπαντας, ἀνθρώπους φημὶ καὶ ἀγγέλους, ἔφθασε μορφωθεῖσα, τούτῳ δὴ μόνῳ τῷ συχνὰ προσομιλουμένῳ, καὶ οἷον εἰπεῖν γνωριζομένῳ, ἑαυτὴν, ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν, ἐμφερῆ ποιησαμένη σαφῶς. Λιὸ καὶ ὁ Πλάστης εἰς τοσοῦτον ὑώηλοῦ τε καὶ θείου κάλλους ἑωρακὼς τὸ οἰκεῖον λαμπρυνθὲν ποίημα, οὐδὲν ἀνάξιον ᾤετο καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν τοῦ πλάσματος περιθέσθαι μορφὴν, δίκαιον μᾶλλον ἢ, ἵν´ οἰκειότερον εἴπω, φιλάνθρωπον ἐγνωκώς, ἵν´ ὅπερ, ὅσον ἐξῆν, ἀνῆλθεν, ὡς κατ´ αὐτὸν γενέσθαι, τούτῳ χαρίσηται τὸ κατελθεῖν, τῆς τε εἰκόνος αὐτῷ κεκοινονηκέναι καὶ τῆς ἄλλης διαίτης· ἔνθεν καὶ γέγονε διὰ τὴν τῆς Παρθένου πρὸς Θεὸν ὁμοίωσιν Θεὸς ἡμῖν ἐξ αὐτῆς ὅμοιος. ΚΓʹ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοσοῦτον τῇ πανάγνῳ περιῆν εἰει ἀγνείαν, ὥστε ὅπη περ ἂν παρῆν, Ἄγια εἶναι τὸν τόπον ἀγίων εὐθὺς, καὶ βραχέα ἢ οὐδὲν ἀναχωρήσεως ἢ τῆς ἐκ τόπου δεῖσθαι συνεργείας ἑτέρας, ἀλλ´ οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι τις καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀβάτου καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπείων ἐρήμου διατριβῆς ἐκείνης. μὴ πρὸς θείαν ὕψωσιν δοῦναι συνεργεῖν τῇ Παρθένῳ, ἕως οὗ καὶ τῇ γῇ παρὼν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀναχωρήσει δείκνυται χαίρων καὶ ὄρει, τῆς πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν εὐχῆς χάοιν καὶ ὁμιλίας. Ἐκεῖνα τοίνυν ὄντως τὰ ἄβατα τῇ μακαρίᾳ παρέσχον φρονίμως οἰκονομῆσαι καὶ ταῖς θεραπαινίσι, [0065] τὰς σεβασμίους λέγω ταύτης αἰσθήσεις, ἐν καιρῷ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Λουκᾶν, δοῦναι τὸ σιτομέτριον, Τ δὲ σιτομέτριον, ὡς ὁ ἐμὸς λόγος, ἡ εὐκαίρως ἑκάστῃ τῶν κινήσεων διανεμηθεῖσα μελέτη ἂν εἴη καὶ τήρησις· ὃ δὴ καὶ ὡς σοφῶς οὕτω καὶ θαυμααίως ἡ Πάναγνος οἰκονομήσασα, ἐφ´ ἅπασι τοῖς ὑπηργμένοις Θεῷ δέσποινα δέδεικται. Πρὸς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκεῖνα βάλλειν τοῦ Σωτῆρος δοκῶμοι τὰ ῥήματα· Τς ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ πιστὸς οἰκονόμος καὶ φρόνιμος ν καταστήσει ὁ Κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς θεραπεί ας ιὺτοῦ, τοῦ δοῦναι ἐν καιρῷ τὸ σιτομέτριον; ακάριος ὁ δοῦλος ἑκεῖνος, ὃν ἐλθὼν ὁ Κύριος αὐτοῦ εἰρήσει ποιοῦντα οὕτως. Ἀληθώς λέγωὑμν ἄτι ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ καταστήσει αὐτόν. Περὶ ταύτης, ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἐκεῖνο προεῖπε Δαβίδ· Σὺ, Κύριε, καταμόνας ἐπ´ ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με· ἐκείνη γὰρ ἡ μόνωσις τῆ Παρθένῳ γέγονε πρόξενος τῆς ἀληθινῆς ἐλπίδος τυχεῖν, κἀκεῖ τοῦτο προφητικῶς ἂν εἶπεν ἡ Πάναγνος, ὡς ἐμαυτὸν πείθω· Ἢκουσεν ἐκ ναοῦ ἀγίου αὐτοῦ φωνης μου· καὶ ἡ κραυγή μου ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ εἰσελεύσειαι εἰς τὰ ὧτα αὐτοῦ. ΚΔʹ. Ἔγωγε δὲ καὶ τὴν μυστικὴν ἐκείνην καὶ κρυφιωδεστάτην ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς οἴκησιν τῆς Παρθένου καὶ πρὸς τὴν εἰκόνα ταύτην οἴομαι φέρειν τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος αὐτῆς. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ Δεσπότης, ὅτι μὲν ἄνθρωπος παρ´ αὐτῆς, κοινωνων ἠν καὶ ὁρώμενος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἀθέατος δ´ ὡς Θεὸς, καὶ συναυλίας ἄμοιρος ἀνθρωπείας· οὕτως ἡ τῶν μεγαλείων τυχοῦσα τοῦ δυνατοῦ ὁρωμένη τε ἐτύγχανε καὶ ἀόρατος· καὶ ὠς μὲν ἀνθρώπων καὶ καθ´ ἡμᾶς, ἑωράθη τε τοῖς πολλοῖς μέχρι τριετίαν, καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ ἰεροῦ ἔξοδον ἄχρι τῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνόδου· ὡς δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὸ καινὸν τῆς ψυχῆς κἀλλος, καὶ, οἷον εἰπεῖν, Θεὸς ἐπίγειος, ἀθέατος οὐκ ἐπ´ ὀλίγον κατέστη, τὸ ἄβατον οἰκοῦσα καὶ θεῖον έδαφος· ὡς ἂν, ὃ προῦπέγραψεν ἐν ἑαυτῆ ὁρατὴ φανεῖσα καὶ ἀόρατος, ἧπερ ἔφην, τοῦτο τοῦ φανέντος παρ´ αὐτῆς ἀοράτου τε καὶ ὁρατοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκὼν ἐναργὴς προτεθείη [0068] ΚΕʹ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῇ Παρθένῳ τὰ ἄβατα ἀνεῳχθῆῇναι, καὶ ἄγγελον οὐρανόθεν κατιόντα συν.ῖναι, τοῦ δείπνου χάριν ἐκείνου τοῦ παραδόξου, ἐκεῖνό μοι προγράφειν ὑπαγορεύει, τὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳχθῆναι, καὶ καταβῆναι σωματικῷ εἰδει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καταδεχομένου τὸ θεῖον ἐν Ἰορδάνῃ λουτρὸν τοῦ Λεσπότου· οὔτε γὰρ, ὡς τῇ Παρθένῳ, ἑτέρῳ τῳ τῶν ἀπάντων ἀνέῳγε τὰ ἄβατα, καὶ ὑπὲρ μόνου τοῦ Σωτῆρος γυμνὸν οὐρανὸς τότε προὔθηκεν ἑαυτόν. Τὸ δέ γε μόνῳ τῷ ἱεράρχῃ, ἅπαξ εἰσιόντι τὰ ἄδυτα, ὁρᾶσθαι τὴν πάναγνον οὐκ ὀλίγον, αὐτῇ καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς θείαν ὁμοίωσιν εἰκονίζεσθαι δίδωσιν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἁνθρώπων μόνον τῶν ἱερῶν Θεὸν ὁρᾷν, ὡς ἐφικτὸν ἀνθρώποις, οὐκ ἀεὶ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ἀλλ´ ὅταν τῆς κάτω χωριζόμενοι πολυειδοῦς καὶ σκιώδους πληθύος, καὶ μόνοις, ὡς οἷόν τέ ἐστιν, ἑαυτοῖς συνόντες, εὖ ἔχωσι τοῖς θείοις ἐνδιατρίβειν καὶ ὑψηλοῖς, καὶ ἃ μὴ βάσιμα τοῖς πολλοῖς· οὕτως, ἵνα τὸ πρὸς Θεὸν ἐοικὸς κατὰ τοῦτο δειχθῇ τῆς Παρθένου, διὸ καὶ Θεὸν ἤνεγκεν, ὢ φρικτοῦ μυστηρίου! καὶ ἄπαξ ἦν θεατὴ, καὶ μόνῳ τῷ ἰεράρχῃ. Κϛʹ. Ἀλλ´ οὐδέ γε καὶ ὁρωμένης συνορᾷν εἶχεν ὁ θεατής ὅσον τὸ κατ´ αὐτὴν μεγαλεῖον. Καθάπερ γὰρ, ὧ τινι θεοπτείας τυχεῖν ἐξεγένετο, οὐ πᾶν ὅσον περὶ Θεὸν ἐνενόησεν, οὕτως οὐκ ἦν ἂν, ὃς, ἐκείνην ἑωτεκὼς, τὸ κατ´ ἐκείνην εἶχεν ἅπαν ὕψος καταληπτόν· οὔτω γέγραφεν ἑαυτὴν ἡ Παρθένος χρώμασιν, ὡφι εἰπεῖν, θείοις· οὕτω κατὰ τὸν Δαβὶδ ἐπ´ αὐτὴν ἀληθῶς ἐσμειώθη τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου Κιρίοι, Ο ὥστε σαφεῖς ἐν ἑαυτῇ σώζειν θεοειδεῖς ἐμφερείας. Λέγω δὲ ἀπερινόητα μὲν καὶ ἀνθρώποις σχεθὸν ἄφραστα θεουργικά καὶ ταύτῃ προσεῖναι πλεονεκτήματα, Θεῷ δ´ ἐξ ἴσης οὐδέποτε· ἀλλά γε πρὸς μὲν ἡμᾶς Θεὸν ἂν εἴποις τὴν πάναγνον τῇ καθ´ ὑπερβολὴν αὐτῆς ἀρετῇ, πρὸς δὲ Θεὸν, τοῦτ´ αὐτὸ ὅπερ ἐστὶν, ἄνθρωπος ἡ Παρθένος.

ΚΖʹ. Πλὴν, ὅπερ ἔφην, κτίσεως ἁπάσης ὑπερκειμένη, καὶ μόνην ἔχειν ἴδοι τις ἂν ἀτεχνῶς πρὸς δόξαν ἄγειν ἀνθρώπους Θεοῦ, μεῖζον ἢ πᾶσα ἡ ποῖησις δύναται· εἴπερ γὰρ ἄγγελοι, οὐρανός τε καὶ ἦλιος ἢ χορὸς ἀστέρων, καὶ γῆ καὶ θάλασσα, καὶ φυτῶν παντοδαπὴ καὶ παράδοξος ἱστουργία, ταῦτα [0069] λὲ μὴ τὴν πρώτην ὑπέστη, οὐκ ἂν ἔλαττον ἢ νῦν φρονεῖν ἦκον ἄνθρωποι Θεοῦ, τῆς ἀπαραμίλλου μόης φανείσης Παρθένου. Τὰ κρείττω δὲ μάλιστα λαμπρὰ μὲν καθ´ αὐτὰ, καὶ θαύματος οὐ μικρὰν ἀφιέντα φωνήν· πρὸς δέ γε τὴν βασιλίδα, ἣ τὸν τοῦ παντὸς ἔτεκε βασιλέα, καὶ τὰ λυσιτελέστατα πᾶσι παρέσχεν, οὐδ´ ὅσον ψποβέβηκεν, ἔνεστι συνιδεῖν· ὃς δ´ ἂν μείζονος Κἔργου καθ´ ὑπεροχὴν εἴη δημιουργὸς, οὐκ ἄρ´ ἀνάγκη καὶ ἥττω ποίησιν εἰς ἔπαινον τούτῳ προσεῖναι· τῷ γὰρ μεγάλα τεχνουργεῖν δυναμένῳ καὶ τῶν ἐλαχίστων ἅπας ἂν εἶναι ποιητὴν ουγχωρήσειεν. Ἢρκει τοίνυν ἡ πάναγνος, ὡς εἴρηται, μόνη, καὶ μηδενὸς τῶν γενητῶν ὑποστάντος ἑτέρου, τὴν μεγαλουργικὴν τοῦ Θεου κηρύττειν δόξαν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ καὶ τα λοιπὰ πάντα παρῆσαν. Γέγονε δὲ διὰ τοῦτ’, ἂν φαίην, κἀκεῖνα, ἵν´ ὅπως εῖη πολλῶν καὶ τηλικούτων καὶ ἐς ὅσον κρείττων ούτη φανείη· ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἵν´ ἔχοι Θεὸς δι´ αὐτῆς, οἱς ἂν περιφανεστέραν χορηγήσειε τὴν παρ´ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαθότητα· ἧς πᾶσα μὲν ἔργον ἡ κτίσις, αὐτῇ δ´ εῖ τι σεμνὸν, τοῦτ´ εἴληφε διὰ τῆς Παμθένου· οὕτω θαῦμα θαυμάτων ἡ πάνσεμνος, καὶ τῶν ὄντων οὐδὲν, θεοῦ δίχα, μεγαλοπρεπέστερον ταύτης. ΚΜΗʹ. Ὃθεν εἰ κἀκεῖνο θαύματος οὐ μικροῦ, ὃ νῦν ἡμᾶς θαυμάσαι κεκίνηκε, λέ, ω δὲ τὴν κατ´ ἐκεῖνο τῆς ἡλικίας ἐν τοῖς ἀδύτοις παράδοξον εἴσοδον τῆς τανάγνου, ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐ τοσοῦτον τοῦτο δυκεῖ θαυμαστὸν, ὅσον εἰ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦτ´ ἐγεγόνει· οὐ γὰρ, τὰ μέγιστα ἐνδεικνυμένου τοῦ δυνατοῦ, θαυμάζειν χρή· ἀλλὰ τοὺναντίον, εἰ καινὰ πράττειν ἐξὸν τῶ ἰσχηρῷ, ὁ δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν τοῖς πολλοῖς βαδίζειν αἱρεῖται. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδ´ ἂν, εἴ τι καὶ φαῖμεν ἄνθρωποι περὶ αὐτῆς, τὸν εἰκότα ἄν ποτε πλέξαιμεν κρότον, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν μεγίστων ἡ σιγὴ θαύματος ἐνίοτε μήνυμα γίνεται καὶ νῦν, τὰ τῆς ὑμνουμένης ὅτι θαύματος πέρα, σιγὴν ἡμᾶς αἱρετέον. Εἰη δὲ ἡμὶν καὶ φθέγγεσθαι περὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ σιγᾶν ὅτ´ ἄμεινον τῇ τῆς πανυμνήτου δὴ ταύτης χάριτι, ἣν ὡς ὅγκυραν ἐχομεν τῆς ψυχῆς, κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον εἰπεῖν, ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ βεβαίαν, καὶ τἰσερχομένην εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσμμτος, ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰὴσοῦς, ᾧ τό τε κράτος καὶ ἡ προσκύνησις σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ [0072] ἀγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰωνων Ἀμήν.

english:
[0040] SERMON II. On the entry into the Holy of Holies of our all-immaculate Lady the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary.

1. Just as, if a man supposed that he ought to approach the sacred table only then, when he should discern exactly that he was himself preserving what is due to that height, he would never, I think, come nearer to the divine supper — for where is the man who, not even if he has lived but a single day, is believed (as the divine oracles say) to remain outside defilement, so that he should ever appear to converse as is worthy with that all-immaculate thing, higher than everything that treads the ground? — so too the man who seeks to render a worthy voice to the all-blameless one, and to the Mother of God the Word, will differ in nothing whatever from the speechless fishes. But just as, taking courage from the Saviour's serenity, we taste of that unutterable [0041] fare, and for this cause above all, that we, who know defilement, may by the communion be hallowed: in the same manner, then, must we reckon also concerning the blessed Virgin; and therefore we must address her according to our power, so that by the things wherein we hymn her — calling to mind the marvellous deeds she has wrought — we may carry away sanctification and a washing-out of the stain.

2. There is then not so much as one of the things that pertain to her — no, not one — which does not implant a sanctifying form in him whose business it is to reckon these things; and not one whit less does her entry into the Holy of Holies. For this, once it has stood present to the mind, straightway from that very fact bestows what it is called, upon him whose care it is to turn it over within. Concerning which, now that we too are moved to speak of it, may it be ours to be sanctified in mind and tongue alike, and to utter something answerable to its appellation, and not altogether out of tune with the height of the all-immaculate one — even if it should befall our discourse to fall short of what is worthy, as assuredly it will.

3. Holy of Holies, then, was in former time the name rightly hymned of that temple, which bore both the ark and the tablets, and all those venerable trophies and testimonies of Moses; in which also purification was wrought for those who drew near, and the setting forth and elucidation of the marvellous [sic: *θαυμαρτουγιῶν*] of old was accomplished; and there was truly nothing else, of all that the circle of the earth contained, that could boast a sanctifying condition or a sanctifying name more than that divine precinct. But just as the light of a lamp is exceedingly bright and serviceable, so long as the vessel that both ministers the day and begins it lies covered, whereas when the great luminary has peeped forth that light-making expenditure is superfluous, and altogether worth small account beside the overflowing abundance of the sun's ray: so that place which was called Holy of Holies has now been hidden away, and, affording use to none, has been quenched, because another house, far all-holier than that one, has been raised up and has flashed forth as Holy of Holies — the all-pure one, I mean, and most light-formed bride of God.

[ed: The section head "4." and the words that open it are lost from our Greek source at the foot of column 0041; they are restored here from the scan's own Greek column of the same plate, where Migne's Latin column numbers the section IV.]

4. But indeed the former Holy of Holies too, [0044] I think, had this appellation for this cause: that these second Holy of Holies — which, even if they are this in time, yet in point of holiness and the reckoning of worth, one cannot so much as compute their precedence — were to be settled therein; as though one should not unfittingly call the disk "sun" on account of the light that is to be, or a house "palace" on account of the king who shall dwell in it, even before these things come to pass. And just as, I think, it is the small likeness which this artificial light bears to the great and unexpended one that has given it to be called what it is now called — having known that one first, we have called this too by such a name — in the same manner, then, the new Holy of Holies, I mean the maiden who has now sanctified us, has made the ancient Holy of Holies to be so named.

5. And the recent Holy of Holies were assuredly, after a new fashion, more ancient than the elder; since those could never have had this name to be called by, had not these later ones been set before the eyes — the eyes, that is, which see things far off — on whose account those had both their appearing and their sanctifying, and their title from thence, just as a city takes its name from him who founded it. For on this account, as has been said, those were both constructed and called Holy of Holies: because it had been foreordained that they should give rest to the one who was to bear that name worthily.

6. And besides, just as God made heaven and earth and all things visible, before man was, on account of man, in the same manner it was needful that on account of this new created work also, the human being who is beyond understanding, a dwelling-place better than the former ones should be made. It comes to pass, then; and that appellation which none of the things that had come before had obtained — the one drawn from holiness, I mean, since none of the ancients was competent to have been allotted the title "workshop of holiness" — this appellation that sacred enclosure obtains, on account of the most holy human being, the all-immaculate vessel, the all-unblemished jar, the great and unspotted treasure, the all-surpassingly pure Mother of God the Word.

[0045] 7. For the man of old, because — to speak in the prophet's manner — he was compared with the senseless beasts and was made like unto them, on this account also received a dwelling common with the brute beasts; for both man and the brutes had the earth as the common floor of their house; and there was not one of their habitations which of necessity belonged to man alone and shut out the rest of the living creatures from sharing in it. For even if the thought did already enter into men as they advanced, to apportion to God also some dwelling loftier than the common ones, yet it was on account of this greatest temple that God was preparing them to practise such things beforehand; for this is God's law: to dispose that men come upon lofty things by way of the least. And a clear demonstration of this is what the old law was of old, and what the Saviour's new commandments are. But since the man who has come to be is not one a little lower than the angels, but is rather one who by the royal cubit outtops the immaterial ones, consequently that divine house also was built beforehand as loftier than all things upon earth, and not, like the rest, standing open to everyone who wished, but truly befitting the one who was to dwell in it; which house, that it might show this, received into its innermost parts, justly, only her whom it held as its own master — I mean the God-espoused Queen — while to the rest it remained untrodden. For just as this most surpassing and most God-working human being did not have her manner of life after the fashion of the rest of men — for it was an angel that from heaven ministered to the Virgin that unutterable food] — so too, beyond the rest, one would have had an angelic hearth to assign her, or a heavenly, or some other divine and lofty one, one that touches not earth itself, if only it were possible: the saving purpose was constraining it. For this too is my own opinion: the Virgin would have had no need of earthen parents, nor of earth, so as to use it for a floor and a walking-place, nor of anything whatsoever of the things that dust variously shapes and colours; but from above, had it been needful to know, we should have known both her begetting and her dwelling, since she was made after the manner of angels, or rather assuredly above them — [0048] were it not that this manner of dispensation was being wrought, at once salutary and not to be caught by empty babblings: namely, that the Saviour chose for my sake to become man also, and above it was not possible to take up such a form; and that against those who were to teach the evil doctrine that this had not come to pass, he made the Virgin who bore him no feeble refutation. And she is manifestly clay, as having sprung from earthen parents; and the dust sounds its bell most clearly that the All-pure one too is its own conception — from which she by no means flew away, but, like those of the same nature with her, yielded, so to speak, to the fetters that come thence, neighbouring upon the things below.

9. Since, then, for these causes it was not possible for her to obtain an allotment above the earth — of which the blessed one was most worthy, if any of the angels was — God judged it just that the Virgin should dwell, apart at any rate from the things about the earth and from her kindred, in quarters loftier than a king's palace: I mean the Holy of Holies. And she would have remained, I think, within the sacred precinct until that other and final entry of hers into the heavens, seeing that it befitted the All-pure one alone — she for whose sake it had obtained both that name and the operation that answers to the name, as the discourse has shown. But that he might also show us a way, which he inaugurated for the entry of the Holy Places in the name of Jesus [var: NT Heb 10:19 *ἐν τῷ αἵματι Ἰησοῦ*, "in the blood of Jesus"] — this is the divine Paul's utterance — and further that she might first hallow the rest of the earth and the air, which assuredly the Master was a little after to sanctify more perfectly through her (and this, as I have said, is a divine law: to proceed from the simpler to the more perfect); and that to Joseph, that venerable man, and one who had come to experience of letters, this sealed book might be handed over — who neither was fit to spend his time in the inner sanctuary, and was otherwise able to expound that mystical and unutterable book: for these causes she both went out of that temple, and made herself — O strange marvel! — a temple of the uncontainable Maker; wherefore it would be among reasonable things to call this inexpressible dwelling-place of God not Holy of Holies only, but whatever is worthier of reverence than these.

[0049] 10. And this too is my own opinion: that the hierarch who entered those inner sanctuaries once would not have been filled with an equal vision of God when the all-queen was present in her own royal chambers and when this was not so, but that on account of that presence he had partaken of a far better contemplation than when the Lady was absent. For since the Virgin is of necessity nearer to God than all men and all hierarchs — more than one can even say — proportionately she also had the good fortune to enjoy lofty visions beyond all others; and he who was with her, when she received things so great, would in every way have been better than himself, just as, when lights are set out before a king, those present see more brightly.

11. But we must hymn the things concerning her from a little further back, that from her divine coming-forth into life the discourse may bear the All-pure one on, in order, to her entry into the Holy of Holies. There is born, then, this most God-radiant beauty, the most God-beholding mirror, the most God-formed looking-glass, the God-shining splendour, the God-delighting brightness, the God-befitting radiance, Mary the God-espoused and God-child: out of a womb barren indeed and unfruitful, but out of a soul many-bearing in fruits well-pleasing to God, and exceedingly fertile in offspring divinely inspired, and in such births as God takes his delight in.

12. For here too this had to lead the way: that from a small marvel — the barren woman bearing a child, I mean — the great and most marvellous thing, the Virgin's childbearing, might be wrought newly; so that the daughter might carry off the prize of victory even over a mother so illustrious, so wonder-working. For Anna — she who a little after became the mother of the fair-childed one — and the wondrous Joachim, that God-chosen and most righteous pair, prevailed over all men in everything else that makes for happiness; [0052] but as regards the begetting of children they were proved more luckless than paupers. Hence, then, streams of tears flowed daily from those righteous eyes, and constant supplication was sent up, unmixed with any turbidness, and such as God neither overlooks, but beholds as an odour of sweet savour; a promise more trustworthy than any contract, that they would give back what should be born to him who had given it.

13. But O righteous prayer, which puts every wing to shame by its swiftness, which goes up above the heavens, which approaches God with confidence, and receives from him with gladness! O those hearts, full of purity, and therefore beholding God as in a mirror, and receiving thence in return the accomplishment of their fervent outleapings! O pure lips, moved for God's sake, and as it were made for this very end, that the foreordained mystery might come out at their asking! O blameless souls, which God exceedingly admired, and which he loved to bring into kinship with himself! Most conspicuously they obtain their request, and bring forth a fruit, this most novel one, who has appeared as the beauty and the gravity of the whole inhabited world, and a mystical nourishment sweeter than honey beyond understanding, and a spectacle more soul-winning than any shady tree, and who, set here below, has appeared beyond all the grace of the most fragrant flowers. For it was needful that neither they — who had become so noble in soul, who had driven so far to the summit of righteousness, who so set God before everything under heaven, so God-shining in mind — should be styled the parents of any other than her; nor that the blessed one, whose venerableness the discourse, not having wherewith to say how great it is, passes over, should have become the child of others rather than of these; and further, that of that intercourse which was the cause of the Virgin's conception nothing else than intercourse with God should be the first cause and the antecedent — so that, as far as might be, the all-pure one alone should have it to escape that prophetic saying also, and to say of herself: I was not conceived in iniquities, me alone did my mother not conceive in sins, [var: LXX Ps 50:7 is affirmative and lacks *μόνην*: *ἐν ἀνομίαις συνελήμφθην, καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐκίσσησέν με ἡ μήτηρ μου*] this too being comprehended together with that in the [0053] catalogue of the great things which the Mighty One did for me. And this the parents showed by what they did, having come down from such intercourse with God to the intercourse that is the cause of childbearing. Most excellently, then, did this also, standing well, run together into the round of the marvels concerning her.

14. But when the splendid God-child had been made manifest into the light — she who is more translucent than all light, apart from whom neither light, nor heaven, nor the whole creation is of those things that can truly make the soul shine and make it God's own — when therefore one so great had been born, memory declares to the parents that what had been promised must be brought to its end. And they would, I think, have proceeded to the deed, bringing the child to the temple as soon as she was born, had it not seemed one of the unfitting things to snatch at the season beforehand; even as the Saviour afterwards displayed all things in their season, both his miracles and the divine washing, in conformity with which it was altogether needful that what accorded with them should be accomplished in his mother too, even before this appeared. For they would have seemed to be working something exceedingly portentous, attempting to carry an infant into those inner sanctuaries before she was parted from the breast, or had received any experience of speech and hearing. Or else, as one of those before us said, the three years were kept to afford the Virgin her entry into the untrodden places, that she might write beforehand what was to come: that she alone should in a most novel way bear the untrodden and uncomprehended One of the holy Trinity, and should appear, beyond all the saints, the abode and most venerable dwelling-place of the whole dread Trinity. For neither was it among things necessary that she should remain at home because the all-pure one had need of the teat; for as at three years old also, dwelling in that divine enclosure, she did not partake of the table that comes from men, but by a mystical dispensation the heavenly one partook of heavenly food, so, even if she was brought in to dwell in the untrodden places while still needing milk, [0056] by that same marvel she would have been sustained in some supernatural and unspeakable manner.

15. But either this came to pass for the causes I have given, or else because it was fitting that the parents should for a short time at least enjoy some infant grace from the child, who a little after was to be made over to God, and unseen by these her dearest parents; for whose sake, though they might have taken their delight, they chose to suffer hardship, and received her as the prize of those labours and of their many-flowing tears;

for which — for those so great labours, I mean — God judged this to be a worthy recompense, as it seems to me at least: the enjoyment, up to three years, of the graces of that most splendid child. For as much pleasure as other children, even the fairest, have it in them to implant in their fathers by many years of dwelling together, so much could the all-pure one lay down within three years; and I would say it was both more abundant and greater, by as much as she is set above all begotten things. For recompenses that come from the greatest are munificent, and answerable to the greatness of those who bestow them; and since those two both were righteous and were so called, it would not have been among things consequent to overstep the plumb-line of their appellation. For these causes, having received the just measure of the year — and this was the three years — they did well not to let their promise fall to the ground.

16. And since after a little the applause of the Queen and God-child was to set foot upon the ends of the inhabited world, Jerusalem is beforehand with every other land, having plaited her praise first, and chanted the sacred hymn over the Virgin, and warbled it reverently; and this with good reason, because they brought up my Jesus also, he says, to Jerusalem, to stand before the Lord, whose lineaments the mother displayed beforehand in herself. And so all the choicest of those who dwelt in that city, of men and women and young maidens — these for the father, these on account of the mother, and the rest on account of the all-hymned one — came together and went up to the temple, leading the all-pure one thither with torches, [0057] and bearing a song for her upon their tongue and chants with gladness, performing in every way what befitted the God-espoused one. Concerning whom, I think, that beatitude also was spoken beforehand for this cause: Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation; and by these preludes they signified what was to come: that the flashing light of this living torch would hide every beacon, and that she would fill with songs the souls that hymn her and chant the things of salvation. And I think that the whole intelligible order too then both sang with those torch-bearers and shone with them, and walked with the escorting company, showing how great was the reverence due to her who was being led forward, to those who were fenced off by this poor flesh, as by a kind of cloud, from seeing the splendour of the all-queen — unless indeed it had been foreordained, by reason of the dispensation which saved me and snatched me from the shameful and tyrannous hand, that even the angels should be ignorant of this mystery.

17. In the temple, then, in the manner that has been said, they bring that most sacred living vessel, the God-made jar of the God-working brightnesses, the highly-honoured and divine offering, to whose worth the whole creation together is inferior in the reckoning. And the high priest, from the things that were then seen, because those things showed forth more than what was customary, and because a divine co-perception had, as I think, shone round him within, perceiving the coming of the God-espoused one more loftily than what had gone before, and than what should be hereafter — there was nothing of the sanctuary which he did not open to the Virgin, and he voted that she should dwell there more properly than himself, even if any part were untrodden. And from this it is clear that he must have been altogether full of joy, foreseeing, as it were, the joy that was to go round the universe through the maiden who had just come to sojourn in the temple.

18. And this he would have proclaimed to the all-pure one, which the guileless multitude afterwards proclaimed to the Creator: Blessed is the Queen that cometh in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest. [var: NT Luke 19:38 has the masculine *ὁ ἐρχόμενος ὁ βασιλεύς*, "the King that cometh," and the order *ἐν οὐρανῷ εἰρήνη*] But he would also have addressed to her that joy-making utterance which Sophonias the seer proclaimed beforehand: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion — through whom the Creator both now rejoices, beholding thee, the most splendid house, already right beautifully raised up and fitted together for his own habitation, and will rejoice most manifestly when, showing this, that he rejoices in dwelling with thee, he shall announce the joy to thee by an angel, for which minds also shall exult [0060] and men shall leap and all creation shall be made bright. And further, such a thing as the God-receiving Symeon said afterwards to the Saviour, such a thing here too the hierarch who received the Theotokos would have said in season: Now have mine eyes seen the salvation, which has been prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of the people Israel; [var: NT Luke 2:30–32 *τὸ σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας*, "thy salvation, which thou hast prepared," and *λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ*] and together with this, the word of the divine Isaias concerning the Master: Now shall all flesh see, O maiden, through thee the salvation of God; [var: LXX Isa 40:5 *καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ*, without "now," without the address, and without "through thee"] enter therefore with confidence into thy holy temple, this lodging that is truly thine beyond all others, and forget the house of thy father, because the King shall desire thy beauty. And now I for my part open all the gates of this temple for thee alone, and grant thee to pass freely within the inner sanctuaries, wherever thou wilt; but thou shalt fling open the gates of thy heart to the Fashioner alone, and shalt make it ready for him to dwell freely within thee — thee whom alone he chose to inhabit, and whom out of all the daughters of Sion he elected. Now, though it be strange and beyond custom that every gate of the sanctuary is set free of its key, yet God is even now disposing something greater for thee above, and commands the heavenly gates to be lifted up for thee, that thou mayest come to him who alone is untrodden, with none standing in thy way, and mayest persuade him for thy radiance's sake to appear below, and to make the earth bright beyond the sun. For now I grant thee to dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days, to speak in the Psalmist's manner, there where the high priest is accounted to enter once in the year; but thou a little after shalt have the great high priest Christ within thyself, and shalt bear him a long while. Go therefore, O daughter, into the Holy of Holies, thou who art to receive the holiest of all holy things, and to sanctify the whole; draw near, O Queen, receiving these splendid and royal places, thou who art to prevail upon the King of all to bestow royal graces upon those on earth.

[0061] 19. To these words, then, the God-child lent her ear, and offering herself as it were obedient, gently withdrawing from those noble maidens who stood about her bearing torches, and appearing all gracious in both bearing and mind, she comes gladly to the hierarch, speaking to him with great joy, and showing by such motions as she had, and by her lispings, that she was in accord with his decision; and making it plain that she readily chose dwelling in the Holy of Holies instead of her parents and the other attendance of home; and, I will go in, she would have said in the words of the divine David, unto the altar of God, unto God who maketh glad my youth; for thou art my hope from my mother's breasts; upon thee was I cast from the womb, from my mother's belly thou art my God.

20. For this cause she also enters alone into the inner sanctuary of the temple, leaving behind her parents and the familiar ways of her father's hearth — which not even those who have come to the age of understanding are able to disdain — and that though the all-pure one was three years old; wherein, that is to say, in respect of this age, no one would be competent to tell the exceeding greatness of the marvel, if one should reckon what things she needed, being an infant, and what things she took in exchange. There, then, to speak in the manner of the Gospel, this child also grew, and waxed strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon it.

or — that I may add this too — she advanced in wisdom and in stature and in grace with God and men; concerning whom alone one might say that the utterance fits aptly which the Saviour spoke afterwards: Let the children come to me, and hinder them not; for of such is the kingdom of the heavens. [var: Mk 10:14, which Migne's own citation gives, reads ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, "the kingdom of God"; "of the heavens" is the wording of Matt 19:14, and the printed text has καὶ μὴ κωλύετε where Mark has the bare μὴ κωλύετε.]

21. And so this novelty of the entry too had to come to pass in the Virgin's case, that it might be consequent both upon her wondrous coming-forth into life and upon the things that were to be yet more wondrous for her; so that from the beginning the things that concern her might be marvellous, even up to the end, and those that came after loftier than those before them. For indeed she has been born after a newer fashion than the rest of men; and — more marvellous than this — not after the fashion of the other virgins either, in that at three years old she [0064] took up her sojourn in the temple. And what wonder does her entry even into the inner sanctuary not set beneath itself? All the rest, assuredly, and altogether — save only those things that came from her thereafter, by which, when it is worsted, it is not ashamed of its defeat.

22. But to me at least it seems that one would not miss the mark in calling this both the foundation and the root of the last and lofty things. For nothing is loftier — neither any of the things that concern her, nor any other of them all — than that God should be formed after our fashion out of her; and toward this the all-pure one obtained her fitness from that source. For while the all-august one passed her time in the untrodden places, since there was nothing of human things to see to which she might liken herself, but she was ever imagining God alone, speaking with God alone, and the meditation of her heart — to speak with the prophet David — was before God continually, and she alone obtained her nourishment from God: toward likeness to God she came to be formed beyond them all, men, I mean, and angels, having plainly made herself, so far as was possible, resemblant to that alone with which she constantly conversed and which, so to speak, was known to her. Wherefore the Fashioner also, beholding his own work made resplendent unto so great a height of lofty and divine beauty, thought it in no way unworthy that he himself too should put about him the form of the thing he had moulded — judging it rather just, or, that I may speak more intimately, loving toward man, that upon that which had gone up, so far as was possible, so as to become according to him, he should bestow the coming down, and the having shared with him both his image and the rest of his manner of life. Whence also, through the Virgin's likeness to God, God has become like us out of her.

23. For even if so much abounded to the all-pure one toward purity that, wherever she was present, the place became straightway a Holy of Holies, and she had need of little or nothing of withdrawal, or of any other assistance that comes from a place — yet one could not, from that untrodden dwelling, desolate of human things, grant that it did not work together toward the Virgin's divine exaltation, so long as the Saviour too, when present upon the earth, is shown rejoicing in withdrawal and in a mountain, for the sake of prayer and converse with the Father and God. Those untrodden places, then, truly afforded the blessed one to order her house prudently, and to give to her handmaids — [0065] I mean her venerable senses — in due season, according to the divine Luke, their measure of wheat. And the measure of wheat, as my account has it, would be the practice and the keeping-watch apportioned seasonably to each of her motions; and she, the All-pure one, having ordered this as wisely so also as marvellously, has been shown Lady over all that is God's. For to this, I think, those words of the Saviour are aimed: Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom the Lord will set over his household service, to give in due season the measure of wheat? Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing. Truly I say to you that he will set him over all his possessions. Concerning her, it seems to me, the divine David also spoke that word beforehand: Thou, Lord, hast settled me alone in hope. For that solitude became for the Virgin the procurer of attaining the true hope; and there the All-pure one would prophetically have said this, as I persuade myself: He heard my voice out of his holy temple; and my cry before him shall enter into his ears.

24. And I for my part think that that mystical and most secret dwelling of the Virgin among the sacred things bears also toward this image of her Son and Saviour. For just as the Master, in that he was man from her, was in fellowship with men and seen by them, but unseen as God, and without part in human companionship — so she who obtained the great things of the Mighty One was both seen and invisible. And inasmuch as she was of men and after our fashion, she was seen by the many until three years old, and, after her going out from the temple, until her ascent into the heavens; but inasmuch as her virtue was beyond us, and the new beauty of her soul, and, so to speak, an earthly God, she became unseen for no short time, dwelling upon that untrodden and divine floor — so that what she had sketched beforehand in herself, appearing visible and invisible, in the way that I have said, this might be set forth as a manifest image of the God who appeared from her, invisible and visible alike. [0068]

25. But that the untrodden places were opened to the Virgin, and that an angel coming down from heaven was with her for the sake of that wondrous meal, prompts me to write down beforehand this: that heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit came down in bodily form, when the Master received the divine washing in the Jordan. For neither, as to the Virgin, were the untrodden places opened to any other one of them all, and for the Saviour alone did heaven then set itself forth bare. But that the all-pure one was seen by the hierarch alone, who enters the inner sanctuary once [lat: the Latin gives *semel per annum in Sanctasanctorum introeunte*, "entering the Holy of Holies once a year"], is no small thing; this too gives her likeness to God to be figured in this respect as well. For just as it belongs to the consecrated men alone to see God, so far as is attainable by men — and not this always either, but whenever, separating themselves from the manifold and shadowy multitude below, and being with themselves alone, so far as is possible, they are in good case to spend their time among things divine and lofty, and such as are not passable for the many — so, that the Virgin's likeness to God might in this respect too be shown, for which cause also she bore God, O dread mystery! she was visible once only, and to the hierarch alone.

26. But not even when she was seen could the beholder discern how great was the majesty that pertained to her. For just as he to whom it was granted to attain the sight of God did not conceive all that is about God, so neither could there have been one who, having beheld her, held the whole height that pertained to her comprehensible. So has the Virgin painted herself with colours, so to speak, divine; so truly, according to David, was the light of the Lord's countenance signed upon her, that she preserves in herself clear God-formed resemblances. But I say that advantages incomprehensible, and to men well-nigh unspeakable, and God-working, belong to her also — yet never on an equality with God. Rather, as compared with us, you might call the all-pure one a God, by reason of her exceeding virtue; but as compared with God, the Virgin is this very thing that she is: a human being.

27. Nevertheless, as I said, she is set above all creation; and one might see, quite plainly, that she alone has it in her to lead men to the glory of God, more than all the making is able to do. For if angels, and heaven and sun, or the choir of the stars, and earth and sea, and the manifold and wondrous weaving of plants — if these things [0069] had not subsisted at the first, men would have come to think of God no less than now, once the unrivalled Virgin alone had appeared. The better things especially are splendid in themselves, and send forth no small voice of wonder; but as against the Queen, who bore the King of all and furnished to all things what is most profitable, it is not possible to discern by how much they have fallen below. And he who by pre-eminence is maker of a greater work — there is then no necessity that a lesser making should attach to him for praise; for every man would concede that he who is able to craft great things is the maker of the least things too. The all-pure one alone, then, as has been said, sufficed — even had no other of the begotten things subsisted — to proclaim the great-working glory of God, just as though all the rest were present too. But those things also came to be for this end, I would say: that it might appear in what manner, and by how much, she is better than things so many and so great; and further, that God might have, through her, those to whom he might supply more conspicuously the goodness that is from himself — the goodness whose work all creation is, while, if there is anything august in it, this it has received through the Virgin. So great a wonder of wonders is the all-august one; and of the things that are, nothing, apart from God, is more magnificent than she.

28. Whence, even if that also is matter of no small wonder which has now moved us to marvel — I mean the wondrous entry of the all-pure one into the inner sanctuary at that time of life — yet to me this seems not so marvellous as it would be had this not come to pass at all. For one ought not to marvel when the Mighty One displays the greatest things, but the contrary: if, when it is open to the Strong One to do new things, he yet chooses to walk the same road as the many. And since, even if we men should say something concerning her, we could never weave the applause that is fitting, while in the greatest matters silence sometimes becomes the token of wonder — now too, since the things of her who is hymned are beyond wonder, silence must be our choice. But may it be ours both to speak concerning her and to keep silence when that is better, by the grace of this all-hymned one, which we have as an anchor of the soul — to speak with the blessed Paul — sure and steadfast, and entering into that which is within the veil, where Jesus has entered as forerunner on our behalf; to whom belong the might and the adoration, together with the Father and the [0072] Holy Spirit, unto the unending ages of ages. Amen.

license_source: Public Domain Mark 1.0

license_translation: CC BY-NC 4.0

license_apparatus: CC BY-NC 4.0