title: Sermo I in Nativitatem B. Mariam Virginem

author: Isidore Glabas

source_edition: Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vol. 139, coll. 12–40

source_text:
[0012] ΛΟΓΟΣ Αʹ. Εἰς τὴν γέννησιν τῆς πανυπεράγνου καὶ Θεοχοήτορος καὶ Δεσποίνης ἡμῶν ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας. Εὐλόγησον, Πάτερ. Ἀʹ. Μωσῆς ἐκεῖνος, ᾧ θάλασσα μὲν ὑπεχώρει, γῆ δὲ παραδόξους ἐλειτούργει πηγὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὐρανὸς ξένην εἶκε δίαιταν καταπέμπων, τὴν τοῦ παντὸς ἀφηγούμενος γένεσιν, Ἀόρατος ἧν ἡ γῆ, φησὶν, έν ἀρχῆ καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος, καὶ σκότος ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου, ἕως ἡ τοῦ φωτὸς τὸ σκότος ἀπέκρινε γένεσις. Ἐγὼ δέ, καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς βίον ἐληλακότων, καὶ τὸ πολὺ τῶν ἐτῶν δεδαπανηκότων, ἀορασίαν ἄλλην φαίην ἂν τοῦ παντὸς καταχεῖσθαι, μέχρι; οὗ τῆς πανάγνου καὶ μακαρίας Παρθένου ἡ φωταυγὴς εἰς γῆν ἐξέλαμψε πρόοδος· ἧς ἡ φαῦσις ἀνέτειλε μὲν ἐκ τῶν κάτω, ἄνω δὲ καὶ κάτω φωτὸς πεπλήρωκεν ἅπασαν κτίσιν· καὶ οὔθ´ ἥλιος οὔτ´ ἄλλο τῶν ὡραίων οὐδὲν, ἀκτῖνας ἡδίους ἢ πλείους, ἢ διαυγεστέρας, ἢ τὸ ὡφέλιμον πλεῖον ἐχούσας, ἀφῆκε τῆς Παναχράντου· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἥλιος, καὶ τῶν δημιουργημάτων ὅσα τῶν ἄλλων προέχειν ἐδόκει, πρὶν φῦναι τὴν πάναγνον, τοσοῦτον οὐκ εἶχον ψυχῇ τι διαλάμπειν φαιδρὸν, ὥστε εἰσὶν, οἶ καὶ βαρυτάτην ὑπέστησαν τύφλωσιν, προσβαλόντες ἐκείνοις, ἅτε δὴ κακῶς ἐκεῖνα θεοὺς οἰηθέντες, καὶ ζωῇ συνῆσαν θανάτου δεομένη, ἵν´ ἀληθῶς ζήσωσιν, ὡς καὶ ἡ μεγαλόκροτος Παύλου Κολασσαεῦσι δηλοῖ φωνὴ, Εἰ οὖν ἀπεθάνετε σὺν Χριστῷ, φάσκουσα, ἀπὸ τῶν στοιχείων τοῦ κόσμου, τί ὡς ζῶντες ἐν κςσιῳ δογματίζεσυες Τὸ δὲ σκότος ἐκεῖνο, καὶ τὴν ταφόζωον ὡς εἰπεῖν ὕπαρξιν ἐκ μέσου πεποίηκεν ἡ Παρθένος φανεῖσα. Οὐκοῦν αὕτη καὶ τοῖς σεμνοῖς δήπουθεν τῶν κτισμάτων καὶ φωτεινοῖς φῶς ἐπέχεεν, ἴἵν´ οἱ προσέχοντες τἀληθὲς ὁρᾷν ἔχοιεν περὶ αὐτῶν, καὶ μηκέτι τῇ τῆς πλάνης νυκτὶ περιπίπτοιεν. Ηʹ. Ἔδει δὲ ἄρα, τοῦτ´ ἄν τις ζητήσειεν ἴσως, τὸ λυσιτελέστατον ποίημα τῇ πρώτῃ τῶν γενομένων συνδιαλάμψαι ποιήσει, ἅτε· δὴ τὰ μέγιστα ἔχον κοσμεῖν· καὶ ᾗ συνέπεσον οἱ παθόντες νόσῳ, τούτους μηδ´ ἐγγὺς γενέσθαι τὴν πρώτην ἐᾷν. [0013] Ἀλλ´ οἷμαι, καθύπερ τοῖς ἀτελέσιν ἔτι καὶ νηπιωδεστέροις οὐ πρότερον τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς προσιέναι συγχωροῦμεν τῶν ἔργων, ἕως ἂν ἐξῇ καὶ παρὰ τῆς ἠλικίας μειζόνων ἅπτεσθαι, εἰ βούλει δέ, ὥσπερ τοῖς τὴν ὄψιν ἀσθενεστέροις οὐ ταῖς ἡλιακαῖς προσβάλλειν αὐγαῖς, πρὶν ἂν ἱκανὴ προσγένηται ῥῶσις, ώς φίλῳ τῷ φωστῆρι προσομιλεῖν· τὸν ἴσον δὴ τρόπον καὶ τῶν ἁπάντων ὁ Κτίστης τὸ καινότατον δημιούργημα τοῦτο, τὸ ὑψηλότατον θέαμα, τὸν φωτοειδέστατον δίσκον, τὴν πολυύμνητον λέγω Παρθένον, τοῖς ἄλλοις συνυποστῆναι πρῶτον οὐκ ᾤετο δεῖν. Ἑπείπερ, ὡς ἄρτι τότε βρεφουργηθέντων, οὐδείς ἂν τῶν πάλαι τὸ μεγαλοπρεπέστατον τοῦτο καλλος, τὸ φαεινότατον καὶ περίδοξον ἔξαλμα, ἧ προσῆκεν, εῖχε κατανοεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν φέρειν ἀκτῖνα. Εἰ δέ τις καὶ ὕλης λόγον ἐπέχειν προσείποι καὶ οὐρανὸν, καὶ γῆν, καὶ θάλασσαν, καὶ ὅσα τῆς Παρβένου ποοῖλθε, διὰ τοῦτο προὖποστάντα, ἵν´ εἰς συντέλειαν τῷ πλάστῃ προτεθῇ, τῆς εἰδοποιηθείσης καινῆς τε καὶ ἀπαραμίλλου στήλης, φημὶ δὲ τὴν πάναγνον, μὴ πόῤῥω βάλλειν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ· ἢ δένδρεσι πάντα ἀναλογεῖν ἐκεῖνα, εἰ καὶ τοῦτο δοίη τις, τὸν ὡραιότατον δὴ τοῦτον καὶ παράδοξον ὡδίνουσι καρπὸν, οὐχ ἀμαρτήσειν ἡγοῦμαι τοῦ δέοντος. Τοῦτο δέ μοι δοκῶ καὶ τὸ θεῖον αἰνίττεσθαι λόγμον, Γῆ ἔδωκε, φάσκον, τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς· γῆν μὲν ὡσανεὶ τὰ γεγονότα διασημαῖνον, καρπὸν δὲ τὴν Πάντιμον· οὐ γὰρ δύο τῶν ποιημάτων ἢ τριῶν, ἢ δεκάκις τοσούτων συνδρομῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα πλειόνων πρὸς τελεσιουργίαν, τὸ καλλιπρεπέστατον τοῦτο καὶ θεῖον ἐδεῖτο κειμήλιον. Γʹ. Ἀλλὰ τί τοῦτο λέγω; Οὐδενὸς τῶν γενητῶν δεῖσθαι τὴν μακαρίαν πρὸς γένεσιν ἑαυτῆς, εἰς βάθος ὕανεῖται σκοποῦντι· μάλιστα γὰρ πᾶσα ἡ ποίησις ταύτης ἐδεῖτο πρός τε παραγωγὴν καὶ τὴν μετὰ τοῦτο διακόσμησιν. Τῆς γὰρ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἀλλοιώσεως ἡ Παρθένος σαφῶς πᾶσιν αἰτία κατέστη· καὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἔμελλεν, οὐδ´ ἂν ἐμέλησε τῷ Δημιουργῷ τῆς ἁπλῆς ἐκείνης δημιουργίας, ὥστε τὰ [0016] προῦπάρξαντα διὰ ταύτης ὑπέστη· καὶ ἦν ἄρα τὰ γεγονότα παραδόξως τῆς γενησομένης πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι δεόμενα, καὶ μόνη καινῶς τοὺς πατέρας προέτεκε· τοσοῦτον ἡ Παρθένος τῶν τὸν βίον προειληφότων οὐδενὸς ἐδεήθη. Δʹ. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ πρὸς πάντα παρήλλακται· τί γὰρ τῶν γενομένων πώποτε γένοιτ´ ἂν παραπλήσιον τῷ ξένῳ τούτῳ τεχνήματι, οὗ τοῦ κάλλους καὶ ὁ πλάστης ἑάλω, καὶ εἰς μεγίστην ἑαυτῷ συνέδησε τοῦτο συγγένειαν; Μητέρα γὰρ τὸ παραδοξότατον γενεσθαι παρεσκεύασεν ἑαυτοῦ, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἀποχρῆν ἄλλως ἡγούμενος ἐνδείξασθαι τὴν τῆς πανάννου μεγαλειότητα, εἰ μὴ τῇ πρώτη τῶν ἐκ συγγενείας οἰκειώσει χρήσαιτο πρὸς αὐτὴν, λέγω δὲ τῇ τῆς μητρὸς, ἦς οὐδὲν οὕτ´ οἰκειότερον κατ´ ἀνθρώπους ἴσμεν οὔτε σεβασμιώτερον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν μετέσχε μορφῆς καὶ ἡ πάναγνος, δι´ οὐδὲν, εἴποιμι ἂν, ἔτερον ἀλλ´ ἢ πάντως ἴν´ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ σεμνότης, οἷς κεκοινώνηκε, μορφωθῇ· ἵν´, ὥσπερ σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς μακαρίας καὶ θείας ἐκείνης εἰκόνος (υγχωρήσειε δ´ ἄν μοι καὶ Παῦλος ὁ λαμπρὸς ὑπὲρ τούτου τοῖς ἐκείνου χρήσασθαι ῥήμασιν), οὕτω καὶ τῶν χαρίτων κοινωνήσωμεν ταύτης. Καὶ γοῦν τὸ ὑπερφυὲς τουτὶ μεγαλούργημα, τὸ καινοπρεπὲς λγαλμα, ἡ εἰς τοῦτο ἐφθακυῖα δόξης, ὡς καὶ οἰκητήριον Θεῷ χρυσουργηθῆναι προσῆκον, ὅτι γεγέννηται πανηγυρίζομεν σήμερον, καὶ τῶν ταύτης γενεθλίων τὴν τελετὴν ἑορτάζομεν, μυστήριον ὑψηλόν καὶ σεβάσμιον, τὸ τῆς Παρθένου γενέθλιον πᾶσι πιστοῖς καταγγέλλοντες. Εʹ. Σκοπῶμεν δὲ ἤδη· τὰ σύμπαντα παραγαγὼν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι καλὰ μεθ´ ὑπερόολῆς ψηφίζεται περὶ αὐτῶν· τῶν δὲ ὁρωμένων τούτων καὶ καλλίστων ἁπάντων τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἄρχοντα καθιστᾷ· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θανάτου κρείττω καὶ φθορᾶς, καὶ δόξης, ἧς ἀπέτυχεν φθονηθεὶς, ἀπολαύσοντα, φησὶ δὲ τὴν ἰσοθεὶαν, ὅση χοῖκῷ προσῆκεν, εἰ μὴ, τῆς δοθείσης ἀποπηδήσειεν ἐντολῆς. Ἀλλὰ τοῦ πλάστου μὲν οὗτος ἀποσκιρτήσας, τῷ δὲ πλάνῳ τὴν ὑποταγὴν ἐγχειρίσας, γυμνὸς, ἐλεεινὸς, αἰχμάλωτος, οἴμοι! προὔκειτο, τῆς προτέρας εὐγενείας πάσης ἀφῃρημένος· καὶ τὰ καλὰ πάντα ἐκεῖνα καὶ [0017] λίαν καλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἄπταιστον τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ ψῆφον εἰς κατήφειαν ὡσανεὶ μετεποιήθη, τὸν οἰκεῖον δεσπότην, τὸν ἄνθρωπον λέγω, περιηγκωνισμένον καθάπερ ἑωρακότα τῳ πολεμίῳ· γῆ γὰρ, καὶ θά λασσα, καὶ ἀστέρων κύκλος, καὶ βουνοὶ καὶ ὅσα τοῦ Κτίστου πρὸς ανον ὁ προφήτης καλεῖ, σιγὴν ἀπήνει, μὴ τὸν ὕμνον ἀναβαλλόμενα, ὡς τοῦ πλήκτρου, φημὶ δὲ τὴν γλῶτταν, τὴν τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου κιθάραν κρούειν βιαζομένου· ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης κήρυκες οὐρανοὶ σχολὴν ἦγον, καὶ τοῦ Κκροτεῖν καὶ διηγεῖσθαι τὰ λαμπρὰ πρὸς λήθην ἧκον· καὶ ἀπλῶς ἄπαν ὅ τι καλὸν τὴν ἰδίαν ὥραν ἀπέθετο, μὴ ἔχοντα ὅ τι φανῆναι καλὰ, τοῦ διερμηνέως, δι´ ὃν ἐκείνης ἤκουσαν τῆς φωνῆς, ἑτέροις προσεσχηκότος ἤθεσιν. ϛʹ. Ἔκειτο τοίνυν πᾶσα ἡ τερπνὴ ποίησις ἐκείνη ἄφωνος, ἀκαλλὴς, καὶ οἷον νεκρά. Ἐπεὶ δ ὁ παρασχὼν ἑαυτῷ τε καὶ κτίσει τῇ λοιπῇ τῆς συμφορᾶς τὴν αἰτίαν, τὸ μέγα τοῦτο πλάσμα, ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν, ἔδει δ´ ἐλέους ὑπερβολῇ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ρεοῦ τοῦτον ἐπανελθεῖν· τί γίνεται; καὶ τί τερατουργεῖται θαυμάσιον;

Γῆν αἱρεῖται πατῆσαι Θεός· καὶ ὁ τοῦτον ὑποδεξάμενος ἄνθρωπος ἐρευνᾶται, ἵνα καὶ τῆς δουλείας λύσῃ τὸ γένος, καὶ τὴν καλλονὴν ἀναζωγραφήσῃ τῇ κτίσει· ἄλλοτε ἄλλων πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων ἐπιφανέντων, οἷος ἦν ὁ παραδόξων αὐτουργὸς Μωῦσῆς θεαμάτων, καὶ ὁ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ θυρωρὸς, ὡς εἰπεῖν, Ἡλίας, καὶ ὁ πολὺς ἄλλος τῶν σεμνῶν ἐκείνων ἀνδρῶν καὶ προφητῶν κύκλος ἀντίῥῥοπος ἦν οὐδεὶς τοῦ ζητουμένου. Ὁψὲ δὲ καὶ μετὰ πολλὴν ἡλίου περίοδον καὶ ὁ « καινὸς ἄνθρωπος, τὸ μέγα καὶ ζωογόνον ἀληθῶς στοιχεῖον, ἡ οὐράνιος ὅρόσος, τὸ θεοδόχον σκεῦος, ἡ καλλίπαις ἐπιλάμπει τῷ βίῳ Παρθένος· καὶ λύτται μὲν διὰ ταύτης τῆς συμφορᾶς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἀναιρεῖται ἀξίωμα, καὶ βασιλικῶς ἐπικάθηται διαπαίζων τὸν πλάνον, καὶ ἅπερ, ὡς ἀνδράποδον, πρὶν εἰλκε δεσμὰ, αὐτὸν δὴ τούτοις τὸν θηράσαντα περιβάλλει· ἡ δὲ ποίησις πᾶσα τὴν ἑαυτῆς ἐπιδείκνυται αὖθις εὐπρέπειαν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Κτίστου ῥητορεύει μεγαλουργίαν· ὅτι τὸν ὑμνοπλόκον εὖρε, τὸν σοφὸν καταγγελέα τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ ἐπιστήμης, καὶ νῦν ἀτεχνῶς τοῖς προφητικοῖς ὑπείκει λόγοις, πρὸς αἶνον τοῦ Κυρίου διανισταμένη. Καὶ [0020] ἶνα συνελών εἴπω, ἡ τῆς ἀειπαρθένου καὶ Θεοτόκου Μαρίας γέννησις ἀναγεννήσεως πᾶσι καὶ ἀναπλάσεως καὶ ὡραῖσμοῦ καὶ ἀνακαινίσεως πέφηνε πρόξενος. Τοσούτων ἡ τῆς Παρθένου πρόοδος γέμει χαρίτων! Οὕτως ἡ τῶν γενεθλίων αὐτῆς ἡμέρα χαρμόσυνα καὶ νικητικὰ διεσάλπισε πᾶσι! Τοσοῦτον ἡ παροῦσα πανήγυρις μυστικῆς θεωρίας προτίθησιν ὄψοςἰ χὗ Ἀλλὰ τίς ἂν ἰσχύσειεν ἢ κατ´ ὁξίαν ἐννοῆσαι, ἢ γλώττης ἔργον οἰκονομῆσαι, ἢ τὴν σεμνότητα, ἣν πᾶσα ἡ ποίησις διὰ ταύτης δὴ τῆς παμβασιλίδος ἔχει λαμπρῶς περιβαλλομένη, ἢ τὴν ταύτης μεγαλειότητα, δι´ ἢν καὶ Θεὸν ἔνοικον αὐτῇ σχεῖν ἐξεγένετο, καὶ πάντα ἐκεῖνα προαγαγεῖν, τά τε αὐτῇ καὶ τῇ κτίσει λαμπρὰ καὶ περίδοξα Ἐπεὶ γὰρ, καθόσον ἄν τις ἑαυτὸν ἀποξέῃ πρός γε τὸ ἐοικέναι Θεῷ, κατὰ τοσοῦτον καὶ συμπλοκῆς καὶ δώρων καταλλήλων ἐκεῖθεν τυγχάνει, ἵν´ ὅτον ἡ Παρθένος Θεῷ προσωμοίωται, τοῦτ´, οἷμαι, δείξῃ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ Πλάστης, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ξένη μετ´ αὐτῆς αὐτοῦ διέλαμψεν ἕνωσις, καὶ ἡ δημιουργία πᾶσα τὴν ἱστουργίαν δι´ αὐτῆς περιβέβληται τὴν σεμνοπρεπῆ. Περὶ ταύτης, ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ, καὶ ὁ προφήτης Δαβὲ σὺν θαύματι προδιεκωδώνισε, Τίς ἐν νεφέλαις ἰσωθήσεται, φάσκων, τῷ Κυρίφ, ὁμοιωθήσεται τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν υἱοις Θεοῦ; Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τῶν γενομένων τὴν μακαρίαν ὕπερ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ τῶν νεφελῶν ὕψος πρὸς ὁμοίωσιν ἀναβέβηκε θείαν· ἀλλ’οὺδ´ ἂν εἶς τῶν ἐσομένων ἔσται, τῶν ἁπάντων οὐδεὶς, τοσοῦταν ὑψωθησόμενος· αὖτη γάρ ἐστι τὸ μετεωρότατον ὄρος, ὃ εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς κατοικεῖν ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἔνθεν καὶ τοῦτό τις ἀξίως, οἶμαι, προσερεῖ τῇ βασιλίδι, ὃ πρὸς τὸν Δεσπότην ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἀββακούμ· Ἐκάλυύεν οὐρανοὺς ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτῆς, καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτῆς πλήρης ἢ γῆ. Εἰ δὲ, καθάπερ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις δ θεῖος ἐκήρυξε Λουκᾶς, τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὑύη λὸν, βδέλυγμα ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ πόσον ἄρα τὸ ὑπὲρ πάντας ἀνθρώπους, φαίην δ´ ἂν ἔγωγε, καὶ ἀγγέλους, ὑψηλὸν παρ´ αὐτῆς, ὃ καὶ Θεὸν εἰς γῆν κατήγαγε, λογίζεσθαι χρή; Διὰ ταῦτα καὶ μάλα σώζων ἄν τις τὸ δέον ἐπάνω πάντων, Θεοῦ πλὴν, τὸ θώηλότατον τοῦτο καλέσειε γέννημα· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ ἥκειν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ θεολογικωτάτη καὶ πάντα περιηχοῦσα φάσκει φωνή· Ὁ ἐξ οὐανοῦ ἐρχόμενος ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν. [0021] Πʹ. Ἔγωγε μὴν, ἐπεὶ πάλαι κακῶς εἶχεν ἡ γῆ, καὶ ἦν ἅπασα σάλου καὶ μανίας ἐμπιπλαμένη, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ σειομένη τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, καὶ παρ´ ἑαυτῆς ὅπως τι βλαστήσειεν ἀποροῦσα φάρμακον, ἵν´ ἐκεῖνο τὸ δεινὸν κατακλύσῃ καὶ ἀποκαθάρῃ τὴν νοσον, Κὁοὐρανὸς εἴποιμ´ ἂν ὅτι περ ἐλείπετο, καὶ χεῖρα ὁρέξαι, καὶ παρ´ ἑαυτοῦ τι χορηγῆσαι τῇ καμνούσῃ σωτήριον· ὥστ´ εἴ τις τὸν κλόνον ἐκεῖνον ἔστησε καὶ τὸ τῆς ὁσμῆς ἀπήλασεν ἄχαρι τοῦ δεινοῦ, οὗτος δὲ ἦν ὁ λαμπρὸς ἰατρὸς ἡ Παρθένος, καὶ οὐράνιος ἁν εἰκότως κληθείη. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο φέρειν ἐκεῖνο δοκεῖ τοῦ Οείου Δαβίδ· Γῆ ἐσείσθη, καὶ γὰρ οἱ οὐρανοὶ Κσταξαν· οἷμαι δὲ, καὶ τῆς ἔσταξαν λέξεως διὰ τοῦτ´ ἐδέησε τῷ προφήτῃ, ἵν´ ὑποφήνῃ ὡς οὐ θανασίμους ἀφειδῶς ἀνοιγνύμενοι, οἷα πάλαι κατέῤῥαξαν ὑετοὺς οὐρανοί, ὡς ἂν καὶ κιβωτοῦ μικρὰ τοῦ γένους σπέρματα διασωζούσης ἄνθρωποι δεηθεῖεν, ἢ μετὰ τὴν σωτηρίαν σάλον ἄλλον εἰς γῆν ἀπέθετο τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς παροινίας· ἀλλ´ εὐλαβῶς πως ἂν εἴποις, καθάπερ οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηθούμενοι τὸ εὐωδέστατον ἄνθος, τὸ τερπνὸν δὴ τοῦτο, τὴν Πάναγνον, τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐνέσταξαν μύρον. Εἰ δ´ οὐκ ἄδηλον εὐμενῶς δι´ αὐτῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπιβλέψαι Θεὸν, εὔδηλον ἄρ´ ὡς κἀκεῖνο περὶ αὐτῆς· Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπέβλεψεν ὁ Κύριος· οἷθε κάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξ ἑτοίμου κατκητηρίου αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δ´ ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ καὶ θρόνος ἡ Πάναγνος, ἀναμφισβήτητον πάντη καὶ τοῦτο πάντως δι´ αὐτήν· Κύριος ἐν ναῷ ἀγίῳ αὐτοῦ· Κύριος ἐν οὐρανῷ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ· δι´ ἃ δήπουθεν καὶ οὐρανὸν καὶ οὐρανῶν κύημα οὐκ ἄν τις ἀμάρτοι, κατά γε τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον, τὴν Παρθένον προσονομάζων. Εἰ δὲ τοῦ πηλοῦ καὶ τῆς Ἀδαμιαίας ἐκείνης μοίρας οἱ τῆς Παρθένου γεννήτορες, οὐδέν τι δέος τῷ λόγῳ, οὐρανὸν κἀξ οὐρανοῦ τὴν μακαρίαν ἀνακηρύττοντι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ γῆ μὲν ἀνίησι φυτὰ, τῆς ἄνω δὲ τὸ πᾶν δρόσου, ἵνα καὶ τέκῃ, καὶ χρήσιμον ἐκθρέψῃ καρπόν· καὶ ἀνδριάντα μὲν ἐκ χρυσοῦ στιν ὃς συνεστήσατο, οὐ παρ´ ἑαυτοῦ δὲ καὶ τὸν [0024] χρυσὸν συνεισήνεγκε, τὴν δὲ τῆς τέχνης ἐπιτηδειότητα μόνην. Θʹ. Ὅτι δʹ, ἧπερ ἔφημεν, πάντων τε ἡ Παρθένος ἐπάνω καὶ γῆθεν οὐκ ἔστιν εὐρεῖν ἐμφερῆ πρὸς ταύτην εἰκόνα, γνοίη τις ἂν ἐνθένδε· ἅπασι μὲν γὰρ τοῖς γεννωμένοις ἀνάγκη τῶν γεννώντων, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρὸς οὐδὲν ἴσως ἕτερον, ἀλλὰ δι´ αὐτὴν δήπουθεν δεῖσθαι τὴν γέννησιν, ὡς ἄρα φυτά τε καὶ ζῶα πάντα τρανὴν κηρύττει τὴν μαρτυρίαν. Ἀννα δὲ ἡ σεβάσμιος μήτηρ ἀναγεννηθῆναι τῆς παιδὸς ἐδεῖτο γεννῶσα, καὶ ἦν, ὅτ´ ἐκύει, καινόν τινα κυοφορουμένη τρόπον. Καὶ οὐχ ἡ προσευνῆς αὔτη μήτηρ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ προπάτορι ταύτης ἐδέησεν, ὅσαπερ οἱονεὶ μητρὶ χρήσασθαι, πρὸς στεῤῥάν τε διάπλασιν καὶ ἀμετάπτωτον, ὡς τῆς πρώτης ἐκείνης μητρὸς ἐρείψιμον ἐχούσης τὴν σύστασιν, ἐπείπερ ἦν χοῦς, καὶ βολαῖς ἡττωμένην πνευμάτων· καὶ οὐ Ἀδὰμ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ πολὺς τῶν ἐξ ἐκείνου σύλλογος τῆς θείας ἄχρι παιδὸς ταύτης, καθάπερ οἰκείας ἔκαστος ἐξωβελικότες μητέρας, ὡς ἀτελῆ τικτούσας, καὶ οἷον πηρὰ, τὴν καινὴν δὴ ταύτην ἐζήτουν καὶ τελεσιουργικωτάτην καὶ φωτοδότιδα μητέρα· ὅθεν ὡδίνοντό τε καὶ διεμορφοῦντο· καὶ τότ´ ἀληθῶς προῆλθον εἰς φῶς, ὅτ´ εἰς γῆν αὕτη προελθεῖν ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν ἐμὸν ἐκαινούργησε Σωτῆρα. Ἑνθεν τοι καὶ κατὰ τὴν βροντόφωνον γλῶτταν θαῤῥήσειεν ἄν τις λαμπρὸν φθέγξασθαι καὶ τοῦτο περὶ αὐτῆς· Ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτῆς, δόξαν ὠς μονογενοῦς Μητρὸς Θεοῦ· πλήρης χόριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.

Οὐ τοῖς πάλαι δὲ μόνον καὶ πρὸ αὐτῆς ἡ εἰς τὸ φῶς παρ´ αὐτῆς ὃν εἴρηται τρόπον δεδώρηται πρόοδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντὶ τῷ ἁπ´ ἐκείνης ἱερῷ συστήματι ἀναγέννησις καὶ ζωὴ ἀληθὴς, καὶ φωτὸς ἔλλαμψις· ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐσαεὶ διατελέσει βλύζουσα τὰ τοιαῦτα ἡ πολυύμνητος, ἕως ἂν τὸ μέγα καὶ τελευταῖον ἄδυτον ἐπιλάμψῃ φέγγος, ὃ δὴ τῆς πολυτόκου ταύτης καὶ τοῦτο, καὶ παιδὸς, καὶ μητρὸς, καὶ παρθένου πέφυκε κύημα. Ὃθεν εἰπεῖν ἔξεστι περὶ αὐτῆς μικρὸν παρῳδήσαντας, ὃ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ μακάριος εἴρηκε Παῦλος· ὅτι Ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν ἐκέκρυπτο σὺν αὐτῇ, ναὶ Ὅτε αὐτη πεφανέρωται ἡ λωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν αὐτῇ ἐρανερώθημεν ἐν δόξῃ κἀνταῦθα [0025] καὶ τὸ τοῦ σεμνοῦ Ἀββανοὺμοὐκ ἀπεικότως, ἐμοὶ δοκῶ, μεθαρμόσειεν ἄν τις· Ἐξῆλθες εἰς σωτηρίαν χαοῦ σου, τοῦ σῶσαι τοὺς χριστούς σου ἐλήλυθας. Ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἔφησεν ὁ θεόπνευστος· Ἐκεσκέψατο ἡμᾶς ἀνατολὴ ἐξ ὑψους, ἐπιφᾶναι τοῖς ἐν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου καθημένοις. Ἐκιὰ γὰρ ἀτεχνῶς ἐκεῖνα τὰ πάλαι, καὶ σκότου μηδὲν ἀποδέοντα· ἅπερ ἅπαντα καὶ ὤδινε παραδόξως ἡ μακαρία πρὸ τοῦ φανῆναι, καθὰ προέφημεν, καὶ γεννηθεῖσα, πρὸς ἀληθῆ γέννησιν ἤγαγε καὶ φῶς ὥσπερ οὐκ ἀνασχομένη, μὴ καὶ ἄλλοις ὡν ἐπλούτησε μεταδοῦναι, λέγω δὲ τὴν φωτεινὴν ὕπαρξιν, οἷόν τι κάλλιστον μύρον, οἷς ἂν κοινωνήσειε, τὴν παρ´ ἑαυτοῦ χορηγοῦν ἀρετήν. Ἐντεῦθεν τοίνυν, μυστικόν τινα λόγον, οὐ καλλίπαις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολύπαις γέγονεν ἡ Παρθένος, Ἀχὰβ ἐκείνου καὶ Τεδεών κρείττων τῇ πολυτεκνίᾳ γνωριζομένη. θαυμαστὸν δὲ οὐδὲν, εἰ τόκους οὔτω καινοὺς, οὕτω πολλοὺς καινοτοκεῖν ὁ λόγος δείκνυσι τὴν Παρθένον, ὅτι καὶ, τὸ καινότατον, τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων ἔτεκε δημιουργὸν καὶ τοκέα. Ιʹ Ἄξιον δὲ κἀκ τίνων, καὶ ὅπως ἔφυ διαλαβεῖν τὸ πάσης ἡλικίας νουνεχέστερον βρέφος, τὸ γης ἁπάσης καὶ οὐρανοῦ πλατύτερον γέννημα, ἡ ὑπερφυὴς καὶ ἀπόῤῥητος Μητρόπαις. Ἰωακεὶμ καὶ Ἄννα δυὰς ἐτύγχανον πάλαι τῷ βίῳ δικαιοτάτη· νόμου τε φύλακες ἀκριβεῖς καὶ φιλοσοφίαν φιλοῦντες, ὅση τε ἦθος εὖ ζωγραφεῖ, καὶ οἶκον εἰρηναῖον τίθησι καὶ ἀστασίαστον· σφόδρα τε περίβλεπτοι διὰ ταῦτα, καὶ τὸ περιὸν εἰς μετάδοσιν, οἰς ἐδέησεν, ὧν ἐκέκτηντο· ἦσαν γὰρ καὶ πλούτου μετειληφότες βαθέος. Ὅθεν τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἕκαστος ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ μόνον τὰ δῶρα τῶ Κυρίῳ προσῆγον· οὗτοι ὁ´ ἀφθονίᾳ βίου, μᾶλλον δὲ γνώμης ἐλευθερίᾳ, καὶ πρὸς τὸ γένος φίλτρῳ, ἑαυτῶν τε ἕνεκα καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παντὸς διπλῆν ἐποιοῦντο τὴν προσένεξιν· διὸ καὶ εἰς πρώτους ἐτέλουν τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἐκείνης καὶ βασιλικωτάτης φυλῆς. Τούτοις οὖν γάμου μὲν ἦν ἐπιπολὺ κοινωνία, παιδὸς δ´ εὐκληρία προσῆν οὐδαμοῦ· τοῦτο δὲ λίαν ἀνιαρὸν ἐδόκει, καὶ πλῆττον οὐ μικρὰ τὴν καρδίαν· καί ποτε γοῦν, τῆς μεγίστης παρ´ ἐκείνοις ἑορτῆς ἐπιστάσης, τὰς ἐν ἱερῷ κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἐκόμιζον προσφοράς· ὁ δὲ τῆς ἱερατείας τότε Ῥουβὶμ πρὸς λειτουργίαν τελῶν οὔτε λαμβάνει τὰ δῶρα, καὶ ὀνείδεσι [0028] βάλλει πικροῖς τὴν λαμπρὰν ξυνωρίδα, Οὐκ ἔξεστι, λέγων, ὑμῖν δῶρα Θεῷ προσενεγκεῖν, καθότι ἐν τῷ Ἰοραὴλ σπέρμα οὐκ ἐποιήσατε. Δάκνει τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα τὴν δικαίαν συζυγίαν ἐκείνην, καὶ ὀδυρμοῦ τίθησι πλήρεις, καὶ στεναγμὸν ἐκ βάθους βαρὺν παρεσκεύασεν ἀφιέναι, τὴν ἀπαιδίαν γοερῶς ὀλοφυρομένους. ἸΑʹ. Ἀλλ´ ὃ δικαίοις καὶ τηλικούτοις προσῆκε, πρὸς τὸν δυνάμενον ἐκ λίθων ἐγεῆραι τέκνα καταφεύγουσι Θεὸν, Σάῤῥας ἐκείνης, καὶ Ῥεβέκκας, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Μανωὲ γυναικὸς, καὶ πολλῶν ἄλλων ἐπιμ ησθέντες, ὅπως γονῆς δι´ εὐχῆς ἔτυχον ἐξ ἀκάρπου γαστρόσ. Παρ´ ἀλλήλων τοίνυν ἡ καλὴ ξυνωρὶς ἀλλήλοις βουλὴν παρασχόντες, πείθει μὲν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν ἄνδρα μὴ παρὰ γνώμην τι καινοτομῆσαι Θεοῦ, καθάπερ Εὔα τὸν σύνευνον ὁμοῦ καὶ πατέρα ἐκεὶνον, ἢ ὡς Ἰεζάβελ θύειν τῇ Ἀστάρτῃ τὸν Ἀχὰβ, ἀλλὰ Θεὸν μόνον τοῦ πάθους ῥύστην νομίσαι· κἀκεῖθεν ἐλπίσαι χαρᾶς αἰτίαν γονὴν, οὐκ αὐτοῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλοις πλείστοις δοθῆναι· τὰ δ´ αὐτὰ συνειτενεγκόντι καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἠκολούθησε προθύμως ἡ Ἄννα. καθάπερ τῷ Ἰακὼβ Ῥαχὴλ ἐκείνη καὶ Λεία, τῆς οἰκίας ἀπαίροντι κηδεστοῦ· οὕτω τοίνυν συμψηφισάμενοι, καὶ τὸ τεχθησόμενον δοτὸν Θεῷ ποιἡσειν ἑπαγγειλάμενοι, ἀποστάντες ἀλλήλων, καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ὅλας ἡμέρας διηνυκότες ἐν δάκρυσι καὶ νηστείᾳ, καὶ συντόνω δεήσει, ἑκάτερος ἰδίᾳ παρὰ θείου ἀγγέλου τὴν τῆς θεογράφου πλακὸς δέχονται ἀγγελίαν, πλακὸς ἐκείνης μακρῷ τῶν Μωσέως ὑψηλοτέρας πλακῶν· ἃς δὴ κἀκείνας ἴσος ἐλάξευσεν ἡμερῶν ἀριθμὸς, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὄρος, ὡς ἄρα κἀνταῦθα καὶ τὸν Ἰωακεὶμ ὄρος εἰχεν εὐχόμενον. Ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ τόπος, ὃς Ἁννης εἶδεν εὐχὰς, τῷ τῆς προμήτορος παραπλήσιον ἦν· παράδεισος γὰρ καὶ ὧδε, εἰ καὶ μὴ κατάλληλος ἐτρυγήθη καρπός· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ κατάρα, χαρὰν δὲ ὁ νέος ΙΒʹ. Τῇ οὖν τοιαύτῃ τῆς εὐχῆς καταστάσει ἐνδιατριβόντων, ὡς εἴρηται, τῶν δικαίων, Εἰσηκούσθη [0029] σου ἡ δέσσις, φησὶν ὁ ἄγγελος ἔκατέρῳ, καὶ τεχόήσεται ὑμῖν παιδίον, οὖ ἡ δόξα ἐν ὅλη διαδραμεῖται τῇ οἰκουμένῃ. Ἐκόαίνει μὲν οὐν εἰς πέρας τὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου μήνυμα· καὶ ἡ θεόπαις τὸ καινὸν πλάσμα, τὸ νεοφανὲς ὑπέρλαμπρον θέαμα, τὸ νεοθαλὲς ὡραιότατον βλάστημα, τὸ ἀειθαλὲς ψυχαγωγικώτατον σκίασμα, τὸ παγκόσμιον περιήχημα, τὸ ἰαματικώτατον ἐτέχθη φυτόν. Ἐξεστι δὲ ἄρα θαῤῥούντως τοῖς δικαίοις ἐκείνοις τὸ τοῦ θείου φάναι περὶ αὑτῶν Ἡσαΐου· Διὰ τὀν ρόβον σου, Κύριε, ἐν γεστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ἀδι ήσαμεν καὶ ἐτένομεν πνεῦμα σωτηρίας σου, ὃ ἐκυήσαμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· γέννημα γὰρ ἦν ἀληθῶς εὐχῆς καὶ φόβου Θεοῦ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦτο κύημα, ὃ Θεοῦ δακτύλῳ ἀνεκφράστοις χαρίτων κάλλεσι διεζωγραφήθη τε καὶ κατεποικίλθη. Πʹ Κυνθείσης δὲ τῆς φαεινοτάτης καὶ θείας ταύτης εἰκόνος, ἔστη καὶ Ἄννα τοῦ κύειν· οὔτε γὰρ ἔδει τῇ μητρὶ ταύτῃ προσθήκης ἑτέρου παιδὸς, λειτουργήσοντος οἱονεὶ τὸ τοῦ πρωτοτόκου ὑστέρημα, ἅτε δὴ τὸ πᾶν δυναμένου τοῦ γεννηθέντος, οὔτ´ εἶχε τίκτειν παραπλήσιον τῇ Πανάγνῳ. Εἰ οὗν καὶ δεύτερον ἔτικτεν, ἐδόκει μήτηρ ὁποτέρου ἂν εἰη παιδὸς ἀμφιβαλλομένη· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἷόν τε τῆς Παρθένου τὴν ἀρετὴν ἔγγιόν που φανῆναι τῶν ἐν γεννητοῖς ἔτερον· ἐκ δὲ τούτου μέγα ἂν ἀφῃρεῖτο τῆς προσούσης νῦν αὐτῇ δόξης παρὰ τῆς μονογενους. Ἄλλως τε οὕτε ἄνθρωποι, οὔτε ἄγγελοι, οὔτε τις ἑτέρα κτίσις τῆς οὕτω καλλιτόκου μητρὸς καὶ δεύτερον ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐδεῖτο καρπόν· γέγονε γὰρ αὐτάρκης ἡ μεγαλοδύναμος καὶ ὑπερφυὴς μόνη παῖς πρὸς καλλονὴν ἁπάσης ποιήσεως· Ἐν αὐτῇ γάρ εἰσι, κατὰ τὸν θαυμάσιον Παῦλον εἰπεῖν, πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι· διὰ ταῦτα καλῶς Ἄννα ποιοῦσα οὐδένα τοῦ τκτειν ἔξῆς πεποίηται λόγον. Ἀλλ´ ἐπῄει μοι καὶ τοῦτο θαυμάσαι, ὅπως κατ´ ἑξοχὴν ἡ τοῦ δικαίου ἐπωνυμία τοῖς θεοπάτορσι προσνενέμηται, ὡς ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς δείκνυται τελεταῖς, ἔνθα τοῦ καταλόγου μεμνημένοι τῶν ἁγίων, παρά [0032] τοὺς λοιποὺς μόνους τούτους ἁγίους ὁμοῦ καὶ δικαίους καλεῖν εἰώθαμεν. Μή ποτε γοῦν, ὡς τὸ δέον ἐαυτοῖς τε καὶ τῇ κτίσει διανενεμηκότες, τῷ μὴ παῖδα λέγω τεκεῖν ἕτερον, μόνοι δίκαιοι μυστικῶς προσηγορεύθησαν;

Ἢ τούτου τοίνυν ἕνεκεν, ἢ καὶ διὰ ταῦτ´, ἂν ἴσως εἴποι τις, ὡς ἢ τοῦτο προσωνομάσθησαν, ὃ καὶ ἐτύγχανον ἐναργῶς, διὰ πάσης ἀρετῆς εὐ ἣκοντες δηλαδὴ, δῆλον δ´ ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ, ἢ ὅτι τοὺς γεννήτορας ἡ καλλίστη θυγάτηρ τῆς εὐτεκνίας ἀμειβομένη, ἢ μόνη διέκυψεν ἀληθὴς ἐν ἀνθρώποις δικαιοσύνη, τῆς τοιαύτης μετέδωκε προσηγορίας. ΙΑʹ. Ἀλλ´ οὕτως ἤδη καὶ ἐκ τοιούτων, ὡς ὁ λόγος ἔδειξε, πατέρων ἡ καλλίστη γεγέννηται βλάστη, ἡ τὴν οἰκουμένην εὐωδιάσασα, καὶ τοῦ καύσωνος κατασκιάσασα τῶν παθῶν, καὶ τροφὴν ἡδίστην ὑπὲρ νοῦν θρέψασα καὶ ἀπόῤῥητον, ὁ καινοπρεπὴς καὶ ἐξαίσιος ἄνθρωπος, ὃς δὴ μόνος τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐλεεινῶς Θεοῦ χωρισθέντα, ὃν οὕτε οὐρανὸς, οὕτε ἥλιος, οὔτε τι τῶν ὁρωμένων, οὔτ´ εἴ γε πᾶσα ἡ´ κτίσις συνήρχετο, ἢ συναγαγεῖν, ἢ μικρόν τι ψυχαγωγῆσαι δεδύτηνται, τοῦτον ὑπὲρ λόγον εἰς μέλη Θεοῦ μετέπλασε· τῶν γὰρ αὐτοῦ μελῶν κεφαλὴν ἐπεκάθισε τὸν Δεσπότην. Ὃ δὴ συνιδεῖν οὕτως ἔνεστι. Πλάττει μὲν ἐκ γῆς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀρχῇ τὸν Ἀδὰμ, τῆς δὲ βοηθοῦ μήτηρ ἢ τούτου κατεβλήθη πλευρά. Ἐπεὶ δ´ ἐκπεπτώκασιν, οὔτε γῆς αὖθις ἐδεήθη Θεὸς, ἵνα νέον ἀπεργάσηται ἄνθρωπον· ὡς γὰρ εὔπτωτον οἰονεὶ τὸν χοῦν παρεγράψατο, οὔτε μέλους ἀνδρὸς, ἢ ὅλου τοιούτου· ὡς ἔοικε γὰρ, ἅτε δὴ τὴν πλευρὰν ἐλλιπὴς ὁ ἀνὴρ, παυορᾶται καὶ οὗτος. Ἀλλ´ ὃ μήτ´ ἐκ γῆς πρωτον συνέστη, μήτε τι τῶν μελῶν ἀφήρηται, εἴη δ´ οὐδ´ ἂν ἕν, οὐχ ἔν τι τῶν ἁπάντων πρὸς ταῦτ´ οἰκειότερον ἢ ἡ Παρθένος· οὔτε γὰρ ἐκ γῆς, ὡς εἰπεῖν, δι´ ὃν ἔφημεν τρόπον, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἅπασαν κτίσιν τελειοτάτη, [0033] τοῦτο τῆς νέας λαμβάνει δημιουργίας ὄργανον, ἵνα καὶ μετὰ λαμπρᾶς τῆς προσθήκης τὸ δάνειον ἀποδῷ λέγω δὲ τὴν πλευράν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο γεννᾶται ὁνέος Ἀδὰμ, ὁ ἐμὸς Χριστὸς, οὐ τέλειος μόνον, ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ ὑπερτελὴς, παρὰ τῆς ἄρτι γεννηθείσης τελείας, ὅσα φημὶ κατ´ ἀνθρώπους, θεόπαιδος καὶ μητρὸς, ἥπερ ἐντεῦθεν μέλη Θεοῦ ἡμᾶς ἀπειργάσατο. ΙΕʹ. Εἶεν. Ἄπασι μὲν οὖν τοῖς γενομένοις καὶ τὸν λεῖπον ἀκολουθεῖν ἀνάγκη, ἡ φθορὰ δηλαδὴ, ἄνευ μέντοιγε τῶν ἀσωμάτων, οἷς ὁ Πλάστης ὑποστήσας καὶ ταῦτα, μὴ πρὸς τέλος ὁρᾷν ἐχαρίσατο, ἵν´ ἡ πολυποίκιλος αὐτοῦ σοφία κἀντεῦθεν, οἶμαι, φανενωθῇ, ὅτι τῶν ὑπὸ γένεσιν ἔνια μὲν φθορὰν ἐπι.σπεύδειν, τῶν δ´ αὐτῶν ἔτερα διαμένειν ἐδημιούρΚγησεν ἄφθαρτα. Τὴν πάναγνον δὲ, εἰ καὶ μηδενὶ τῶν γενητῶν τὴν τοιαύτην ἀνάγκην διαφυγεῖν ἐνῆν, πόθεν ἄν τις τούτῳ γε ὑποπίπτειν τῷ πάθει δοίη δικαίων, ἡς γενομένης, ἀληθὴς πᾶσιν ἀνάπλασις ἐπήνθησε καὶ ζωὴ, ἧπερ ὁ λόγος ἔδειξε φθάσας; Ὡς γὰρ οὐδενὸς τῶν οὐκ ἐπαινουμένων ἀνθρώποις δέδεικται κοινωνὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγγέλων ἁγιωτέρα μόνη, καὶ μόνην ἐχρῆν μὴ τοῖς ἄλλοις τῆς κοινῆς κοινωνεῖν δισκληρίας· ἀλλ ἔδει γʹ, ἐπεὶ τηλικαύτη γεγέννηται μήτηρ οἰονεὶ γενέσεως καὶ πηγὴ, δι´ ὃν εἴρηαι λόγον, γένεσιω μόνον ἀεὶ τὸ κατ´ αὐτὴν καὶ εἶναι καὶ ὀνομάζεσθαι· καθὰ καὶ ἄγγελοι, ὡν ὑπερτέρα καθίσταται, γεγονότες, ἀθάνατοι μένουσι καὶ φθορᾶς ἀνώτεροι. Ιϛʹ. Ἀλλ´ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι οὐχ οὕτως, ἵν´ ἡλίου διαδειχθῇ τηλαυγέστερον ἡ τῆς Παρθένου μεγαλειότης· ὅτι, τῆς ἐνύλου λαχοῦσα μοίρας, δῆλον δ´ ἐξ ὡν τὸν [0036] τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀδιάβλητον οὐ διέφυγε νόμον, τῆς ἀμιγοῦς καὶ ὑψηλῆς, λέγω δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὑψηλότερα διεπράξατο φύσεως· εἰ γὰρ καὶ φθορᾶς ἐδείκνυτο κρείττων, ἑτέρας ἂν εἶναι παρὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀθλου δημιουργίας ἐδόκει· καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἦν οὕτω θαυμαστὸν, τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῆς παναμώμου διειμγασμένης ἐκεῖνα. Εἰ δὲ τὸ παναγέστατον ὑποδεξαμένη γῆ τῆς πανἀννου σῶμα οὐκ ἀνήλωκεν, ὡς τὰ καθ´ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ ὅτι μὲν παρ´ αὐτῆς, διὰ τοῦτ´ ἐδέξατο· ὅτι δ´ ἵνα δείξῃ κρεῖττον ἢ κατὰ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα σώματα, καὶ οἶον καταπολὺ τῷ δεσποτικῷ ἐοικέναι σώματι, οὐ παρακατέχειν ἔσχεν ἐπιπολὺ, ὡς διεξοδικώτερον ἐν πῷ περὶ τῆς κοιμήσεως τῆς μακαρίας δείκνυμεν λόγῳ. Εἰ τοίνυν διὰ ταῦτα μὴ συγχωρεῖν τις ἐνταῦθα βούλεται τὴν φθορὰν, λέγω δὲ, τῷ μὴ καθάπερ τὰ ἡμέτερα διεφθορέναι κἀκεῖνο, οὐκ ἀντιλέγοντας ἕξει καὶ ἡμᾶς. ἸΖʹ. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ἡ τῆς φθορᾶς προσωνυμία οὐκ ἐπὶ σωμάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ ψυχῆς κατηγορεῖται. Καὶ σώματος μὲν ἡ τῆς συνεχούσης τάξεως διάλυσις, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνα, ὅθεν συνέστηκεν, ἀναχώρησις· ψυχῇ δὲ τοῦτ´ ἂν εἴη φθορὰ, ἡ Θεοῦ ἀλλοτρίωσις, καὶ πρὸς ἃ μὴ πέφυκε παρὰ φύσιν οἰκείωσις· καὶ οἷον εἰπεῖν, τοῦθ´ ἑκατέρῳ θάνατος,, ἡ τῆς καταλλήλου διάζευξις ἁρμονίας, εἰ καὶ πρὸς ἄλληλα τρόπον ἕτερον, ὡς ἂν φαίη τις ἴσως, ἀκατάλληλος ἑκατέρῳ συμβέβηκεν ἡ τελευτή· ἐπείπερ, ὡς ἔφημεν, σώματι μὲν φθορὰ ἡ πρὸς τὴν στοιχειώδη καὶ πρώτην αὐτοῦ ἀρχὴν ἀνάλυσις, ψυχῇ δὲ θάνατος τοὐναντίον ἡ τῆς πρώτης ὄντως ἀρχης ἀπόστασις. Πλὴν κατά γε τὸν εἰρημένον τῆς φθορᾶς, ὅς ἐνθεωρεῖται τῇ ψυχῇ, λόγον, εἴπερ τις, ἡ πάναγνος φθορᾶς ἀνεπίδεκτος. Πάντη μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδεὶς ἁμαρτίας ἡστινοσοῦν ἄψαυστος γέγονεν, ἐκείνου δίχα, τὸν καινόν φημι τῆς μακαρίας τόκον, [0037] Κοὺδὲ εἰρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦς· κατὰ δὲ τὸ μηδὲν ἀμαρτεῖν οὐδεὶς τῆς πανάγνου μᾶλλον τὴν πρὸς Χριστὸν ἐμφέρειαν φέρει· ἔδει γὰρ μεῖζον ἤ τινα τῶν ἀπάντων τὴν τεκοῦσαν ἀφομοιοῦσθαι τῶ ἐξ´ αὐτῆς· οὐκοῦν ἀνθρώπων μὲν πάντων ἡ πάναγνος, καὶ οὐδ´ ὅσον λογίσασθαι, ἀνωμολόγηται καθαρωτέρα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μόνη πρὸς τούτους ἄφθαρτος πάντως. Ἄγγελοι δέ πάλαι μὲν ὅτι περιπίπτειν εἶχον τῇ κατὰ ψυχὴν προαποδοθείσῃ φθορᾷ, ὁ πάντων τῶν τῆς ἐκείνου μανίας ἐξ ἐκείνου καὶ δι´ ἐκείνου μετειληφότων ἐπέκεινα Θεοῦ χωρισθεὶς δείκνυσιν ἐναργῶς ἀσώματος, ὃς ἐκ τῆς ἄνω καὶ φωτεινῆς ἀξίας, τὴν κάτω καὶ ζοφερὰν εἴληφε τάξιν· ὅτι δ´ ἄτρεπτοι μένουσι νῦν, μετὰ τὸν ἀπόῤῥητον τῆς Παρθένου τόκον εὑρηκέναι πιστεύεται. Εἰ δ´ ᾧ καὶ ἄγγελοι συνέπεσον, τούτου κρείττων ἡ πολυύμνητος πεφανέρωται, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἀτρεψίαν παρέσχεν ἐκείνοις, ταυτὸ δ´ εἰπεῖν ἀφθαρσίαν, καθ´ ὅν φαμεν ἐπὶ ψυχῆς τῆς φθορᾶς λόγον· κἀκείνων ἄρα μακρῷ μέτρῳ βελτίων ἡ πάναγνος, καὶ τούτῳ γε ἀφθαροτέρα τῳ μέρει. [0040] Πάσαις τοίνυν ψήφοις ἄφθαρτος ἡ πανὰμνητος, ὃν εἰρήκαμεν τρόπον· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφθαρσίας, ἣν ὁ λόγος ἔδειξεν, αἰτία τῷ νοητῷ φαίνεται διακόσμῳ, ὡς καὶ γενέσεως, οἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦτο δέδεικται πᾶσιν. ΙΗʹ. ἂλλὰ τί ἄν τις τὸ θεουργικώτατον τοῦτο προσειπὼν καὶ πλαστουργικώτατον, ὡς εἰπεῖν, γέννημα, μὴ πόῤῥω τοῦ πρὸς ἀξίαν δόξειε φράζειν; Ἡ τίνα ἂν τὸν εἰκότα πλέξαντες ἀποδοίημεν ἔπαινον Εθεν τοσάῦτα εὐηργετήθημεν; Ἀλλ´ εἰ καὶ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὥς γε κἀμοὶ συνδοκεῖ, ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν ταύτης χαρίτων κοινῇ μετ´ ἀγγέλων· πείθομαι γὰρ κάκείνους τὴν πάναγνον συνυμνεῖν· τὸ θεῖον ἐκεῖνο μήνυμα τῇ Θεοτόκῳ προσείπωμεν· Χαῆρε κεχαριτωμένη, δι´ ἧς χαίρει πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις· ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ, ὅς σοι παρῆν καὶ πρὸ τοῦ βίου, καὶ γεννηθείσῃ, καὶ πρό γε τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ, καὶ κατ´ ἐκεῖνον δὴ, καὶ μετ´ ἐκεῖνον τρόπον ἕτερον. Ἀνθ´ ὧν ο´ ἀπελαύσαμεν δωρεῶν ἐκεῖθεν, ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς διασώσω. μεν, οἵους διὰ τῆς ἀναγεννήσεως ἐνεούργησεν· οὗ μᾶλλον οὐδενὶ τῶν ἁπάντων ἡ πάναγνος χαίρει· οὗ καὶ τυχεῖν ἀξιωθείημεν λιταῖς τῆς παναχράντου καὶ ἀμωμήτου Θεόπαιδος εἰς δόξαν τῆς πανσθενοῦς καὶ ἀγίας Τριάδος, ᾗ πρέπει δόξα εἰς ἀπεράντους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

english:
[0012] SERMON I. On the Nativity of the all-surpassingly pure Mother of God and our Lady, the ever-virgin Mary. Give the blessing, Father.

1. That Moses — before whom the sea gave way, and for whom the earth ministered fountains beyond expectation, nay, for whom heaven too yielded, sending down a strange fare — recounting the genesis of the universe, says: The earth was invisible, in the beginning, and unformed, and darkness was above the deep — until the genesis of light parted the darkness. But I would say that, even after men had entered upon life and had spent the great part of the years, another unseeing lay poured over the universe, until the light-beaming coming-forth of the all-pure and blessed Virgin shone out upon the earth; whose shining rose indeed from the things below, but has filled all creation, above and below alike, with light; and neither sun nor any other of the beautiful things ever sent forth rays sweeter, or more abundant, or more translucent, or holding more of profit, than those of the All-immaculate; nay rather, both the sun and as many of the created works as seemed to excel the rest, before the all-pure one came to be, were so far from being able to make any brightness shine upon the soul, that there are those who even underwent the heaviest blinding by casting their gaze upon them — since indeed they wrongly supposed those things gods — and lived with a life that stood in need of death, that they might truly live, as the great-resounding voice of Paul to the Colossians shows, saying: If then you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you submit to decrees? But that darkness, and that — so to speak — tomb-bound existence, the Virgin by her appearing has taken out of the way. Therefore she poured light even upon those of the creatures that are, no doubt, august and luminous, that those who attend to them might be able to see the truth about them, and might no longer fall into the night of error.

2. And yet — someone will perhaps inquire into this — the most profitable of works ought surely to have shone out together with the first making of the things that came to be, seeing that it had power to adorn the greatest things; and ought not to have suffered those who fell to come even near, at the first, the disease into which they fell. [0013] But I think: just as we do not allow those still unperfected and more childish to approach the loftier sort of works, until age too permits them to take hold of greater things — or, if you will, just as we do not allow those weaker in sight to cast their eyes against the sun's rays before sufficient strength has been added, so as to converse with the luminary as with a friend — in the same manner the Creator of all things did not think it needful that this newest of created works, the loftiest spectacle, the most light-formed disk — I mean the much-hymned Virgin — should come into being first, together with the rest. Since — men being then but newly wrought as babes — none of the ancients could have contemplated, as was fitting, this most magnificent beauty, this most radiant and far-famed outleaping, or borne the ray that came from it. And if one should say further that heaven, and earth, and sea, and all that came forth before the Virgin, hold the rank of matter, having subsisted beforehand for this — that they might be set before the Fashioner toward the completion of the new and unrivalled statue that was to be given form (I mean the all-pure one) — he does not, it seems to me, cast far from the truth; or that all those things answer to trees in travail with this fairest and wondrous fruit — should one grant this too, I hold that he would not miss the mark of what is right. And this, I think, the divine oracle also hints at, saying: The earth has given her fruit — by "earth" signifying, as it were, the things that have come to be, and by "fruit" the All-honored one; for it was not the concurrence of two of the works, or three, or ten times so many, but of far more still, that this most beautiful-seeming and divine treasure required for its full working-out.

3. But why do I say this? To one who looks into the depth it will appear that the blessed one needed none of the things that have come to be for her own genesis; rather, all creation stood in need of her, both for its bringing-forth and for its adornment thereafter. For the Virgin has plainly been established, for all things, as the cause of the change toward the better; and had this not been to come, the Maker would not even have taken thought for that simple making — so that the things [0016] that existed beforehand subsisted through her; and so the things that had come to be stood, wondrously, in need of her who was yet to come to be, in order to come to be at all; and she alone, after a new fashion, bore her fathers before her: so far was the Virgin from needing any one of those who had received life before her.

4. And further, she stands apart from all things; for what among things that have come to be could ever be comparable to this strange work of art, by whose beauty even the Fashioner was captured, and bound it to himself in the greatest kinship? For — the most wondrous thing of all — he prepared her to become his own mother, as though judging it insufficient otherwise to display the majesty of the all-pure one, unless he should employ toward her the first of the intimacies of kinship — I mean that of the mother, than which we know nothing among men more intimate nor more venerable. And if the all-pure one also shared the same form with us, it was for nothing else, I would say, but altogether for this: that holiness and gravity might be given form in those with whom she has held communion; that, as we have become planted together with the likeness of that blessed and divine image (and the illustrious Paul would surely pardon me for using his words in this matter), so we might also become partakers of her graces. And so it is that we keep festival today because this work of might beyond nature, this statue of new-fashioned beauty, she who has attained to such a pitch of glory as to be wrought in gold, a dwelling-place meet for God, has been born; and we celebrate the rite of her birthday, announcing to all the faithful a mystery lofty and venerable, the nativity of the Virgin.

5. But let us now consider. God, having brought forth the universe, pronounces upon it that it is good exceedingly; and over all these visible and fairest things he sets man as ruler; and not this only, but makes him superior to death and corruption, and destined to enjoy the glory which, being envied, he failed of — I mean equality with God, so much as befitted one of clay — if only he should not leap away from the commandment given him. But he, bounding away from the Fashioner, and handing over his subjection to the deceiver, lay exposed — naked, pitiable, captive, alas! — stripped of all his former nobility; and all those things good and [0017] exceedingly good by the unerring verdict of the Maker were remade, as it were, into dejection, having seen their proper master — man, I mean — pinioned elbow-bound by the enemy; for earth, and sea, and the circle of the stars, and the hills, and whatever else the prophet calls to the praise of the Creator, kept silence, not striking up the hymn, since the plectrum — I mean the tongue — was being forced to strike the stranger's lyre; nay, even the heavens, the heralds of the glory of God, kept holiday, and came to forgetfulness of applauding and recounting his splendors; and, in a word, everything that was beautiful laid aside its proper bloom, having nothing whereby to appear beautiful, since the interpreter — through whom they had been heard in that voice — had given his attention to other ways.

6. So then all that delightful creation lay voiceless, unlovely, and as it were dead. But since he who had furnished to himself and to the rest of creation the cause of the calamity — this great moulded work — was man, and it was needful that by the exceeding mercy of the good God he should return: what comes to pass? and what marvel is wrought for a wonder?

God chooses to tread the earth; and a man is sought out who shall receive him, that he may both loose the race from slavery and paint anew the beauty of creation. For though at one time and another many great men had appeared — such as Moses, himself the worker of spectacles beyond expectation, and Elias, the doorkeeper, so to speak, of heaven, and all that other great circle of those august men and prophets — not one was a counterweight to what was sought. But late, and after many a circuit of the sun, the « new man, the great and truly life-engendering element, the heavenly dew, the God-receiving vessel, the fair-childed Virgin, shines out upon life; and through her man is loosed from the calamity, and takes up again his first dignity, and sits enthroned in kingly fashion, mocking the deceiver, and the very bonds which before he dragged after him like a slave he now casts about the hunter himself; and all the making displays once more its own comeliness, and plays the orator upon the Creator's mighty work, because it has found its hymn-weaver, the wise herald of the knowledge that is in it, and now, plainly, yields to the prophetic words, rising up to the praise of the Lord. And [0020] to speak in sum, the nativity of the ever-virgin and Theotokos Mary has shown itself the procurer, for all, of regeneration and refashioning and adorning and renewal. With such graces is the Virgin's coming-forth laden! So has the day of her birth trumpeted out to all things of joy and of victory! So high a summit of mystical contemplation does the present festival set before us!

7. But who could be strong enough either to conceive worthily, or to manage the tongue's work upon, either the gravity wherewith all the making is splendidly clothed through this all-queen, or her own majesty, through which it fell to her both to have God as her indweller and to bring forward all those things splendid and far-famed, both for herself and for creation? For since, in the measure that a man polishes himself toward likeness to God, in that same measure he obtains from thence both conjunction and gifts to match — in order, I think, that the Fashioner might show men how far the Virgin has been made like to God — for this cause also his strange union with her shone forth, and all the creation has been clothed, through her, with that august weaving. Concerning her, it seems to me, the prophet David also sounded the bell beforehand, with wonder, saying: Who among the clouds shall be made equal to the Lord? shall be likened to the Lord among the sons of God? [var: LXX repeats the interrogative — *καὶ τίς ὁμοιωθήσεται*, "and who shall be likened"] For there is none of the things that have come to be above the blessed one, nor one that has ascended, beyond the height of the clouds, to the divine likeness; nay, nor shall there be so much as one of those yet to be — not one out of them all — who shall be exalted so far; for she is that loftiest mountain, wherein God was well pleased to dwell. Whence one will also, I think, worthily address to the Queen this word which the inspired Habakkuk addressed to the Master: Her valour covered the heavens, and the earth is full of her understanding. [var: LXX *ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτοῦ … αἰνέσεως αὐτοῦ*, "his valour … his praise"] But if, as the divine Luke proclaimed in the Gospels, that which is lofty among men is an abomination before God — how great, then, must we reckon the loftiness that is hers, above all men and, I would say, above angels too, which even brought God down to earth? For these reasons a man would also, and quite keeping what is fitting, call this loftiest offspring above all things, God alone excepted; and if this, then that it has also come from heaven; since the most theological voice, which resounds through all things, says: He that comes from heaven is above all.

[0021] 8. For my part, since of old the earth was in evil case, and was wholly filled with tossing and madness, and shaken, as it were, by sin, and at a loss how she might put forth from herself any remedy to flood away that dread thing and purge the disease — I would say that heaven alone was left, both to stretch out a hand and to furnish of its own something saving to her that laboured; so that if anyone stayed that turmoil and drove off the graceless stench of the dread thing — and this was that splendid physician, the Virgin — she would fittingly be called heavenly too. For to me that word of the divine David seems to bear on this as well: The earth was shaken, for the heavens also dropped down; and I think the prophet needed the word *dropped down* for this very reason: that he might hint that the heavens did not, opening themselves unsparingly, hurl down deadly rains as of old, so that men had need even of an ark preserving a few seeds of the race — which ark, after the salvation it brought, laid up on the earth another tossing, that which came of drunkenness — but that reverently, one might somehow say, the heavens, filtering it as it were, distilled upon men that most sweet-scented flower, this delight, the All-pure one, as an ointment. And if it is not unclear that God looked graciously upon us through her, then that word too is quite clear concerning her: From heaven the Lord looked down; he saw all the sons of men out of his prepared dwelling-place. And if it is altogether beyond dispute that the All-pure one is God's temple and throne, this too is wholly said for her sake: The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord, his throne is in heaven; wherefore, doubtless, a man would not err — by my reckoning at least — in naming the Virgin both a heaven and a conception of the heavens. And if the Virgin's parents were of the clay and of that Adamic portion, there is no fear at all for the argument that proclaims the blessed one a heaven and from heaven. For the earth indeed sends up plants, but the whole is of the dew from above, that she may both bear and rear a useful fruit; and there is one who has put together a statue out of gold, yet did not contribute the [0024] gold too from himself, but only the fitness of his art.

9. And that, as we said, the Virgin is above all things, and that from the earth no image resembling her can be found, one might know from this: all things that are begotten must needs have those who beget them — if perhaps for nothing else, yet surely for the sake of the begetting itself — as indeed plants and all living things proclaim in clear testimony. But Anna, the venerable mother, in bearing her child needed to be born again of her, and, when she conceived, was herself being carried in the womb after some new fashion. And not only she, this mother by prayer, but her forefather too had need — so far as to use her, as it were, as a mother — for a firm and unfailing formation, since that first mother had a crumbling constitution, seeing she was dust, and was overcome by the buffets of the winds; and not Adam only, but the whole great assembly of those from him, down to this divine child — each of them having struck out his own mother with the obelus, as bearing offspring unfinished and, as it were, maimed — sought this new mother [lat: the Latin column gives *communem*, "common"], most perfecting and light-giving; whence they were travailed with and given form; and then truly did they come forth into light, when she wrought newly that my Saviour too should come forth from her upon the earth. Whence indeed, after the thunder-voiced tongue, one might be bold to utter this splendid word also concerning her: We beheld her glory, glory as of the only-begotten Mother of God; full of grace and truth. [var: Gk John 1:14 *παρὰ πατρός*, "from the Father"]

And not to those of old alone, and before her, has the coming-forth into light been granted from her in the manner spoken of, but to the whole sacred body that is from her there has come regeneration, and true life, and the shining of light; and further, the much-hymned one will continue for ever gushing forth such things, until the great and last unsetting radiance shall shine out — which is itself the conception of this many-bearing one, at once child and mother and virgin. Whence it is permitted, with a little parody, to say of her what the blessed Paul said of the Saviour: that Our life was hidden with her, and When she has been made manifest, our life, then we also were made manifest with her in glory; [var: Gk Col 3:3–4 *ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ … ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ … ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε* — "your life is hidden with Christ … when Christ shall be manifested … you shall be manifested with him"] and here too [0025] one might, not unfittingly I think, refit the word of venerable Habakkuk: Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people; to save thine anointed ones thou art come. [var: LXX Hab 3:13 has no *ἐλήλυθας*, "thou art come"] And indeed Zacharias too, the God-inspired, said: The dayspring from on high visited us, to give light to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. [var: Gk Luke 1:78 *ἐπισκέψεται*, future, "shall visit"] For those things of old were plainly shadow, and fell nothing short of darkness; all of which the blessed one travailed with, wondrously, before she appeared, as we said before, and, once born, led to a true birth and to light; as one who could not endure not to impart to others also the riches she had — I mean the luminous existence — which, like some most excellent ointment, furnishes its own virtue to those with whom it is shared. From this, then, in some mystical sense, the Virgin has become not only fair-childed but many-childed, known to surpass that Ahab and Gideon in the multitude of her children. And it is no wonder if the argument shows the Virgin new-bearing births so new and so many, since — the newest thing of all — she bore the Maker and begetter of all things.

10. And it is worth while to take up also from whom, and how, she came to be — that babe more prudent than any age, that offspring wider than all earth and heaven, the Mother-Child beyond nature and beyond speech. Joachim and Anna were of old a pair most righteous in their life: exact guardians of the law, and lovers of that philosophy which paints character well and makes a household peaceable and free from strife; and exceedingly conspicuous on these accounts, and for the surplus of what they had gotten, given over to sharing with those who had need — for they had a deep share of wealth as well. Whence, whereas all the rest brought their gifts to the Lord each for himself alone, these, out of the abundance of their living — or rather out of the liberality of their mind, and their love toward their kindred — made a double offering, both for themselves and for the whole people; wherefore they were also reckoned among the first of that Judaic and most royal tribe. Now these had long had the fellowship of marriage, but the good fortune of a child was nowhere theirs; and this seemed exceedingly grievous, and smote the heart not a little. And so once, when the greatest of their feasts was at hand, they were bringing their offerings in the temple according to custom; but Rubim, who then held the priesthood for the liturgy, neither receives the gifts, and pelts [0028] the illustrious pair with bitter reproaches, saying: It is not lawful for you to offer gifts to God, inasmuch as you have made no seed in Israel. This word bites that righteous couple, and fills them with lamentation, and made them send up a heavy groan from the depth, wailing piteously over their childlessness.

11. But — as befitted the righteous, and such as they — they take refuge with the God who is able to raise up children from stones, calling to mind that Sarah, and Rebecca, and the wife of Manoah, and many others, how by prayer they obtained offspring from a barren womb. So then the goodly pair, giving counsel to one another each from the other, the wife persuades the husband not to attempt any innovation against the mind of God — as Eve did to that man who was at once her bedfellow and her father, or as Jezebel persuaded Ahab to sacrifice to Astarte — but to hold God alone the deliverer from their affliction, and thence to hope that an offspring would be given, a cause of joy not to them alone but to very many others as well; and when the husband too had contributed the same counsel, Anna followed him readily, as Rachel and Leah followed Jacob when he was departing from his father-in-law's house. Thus, then, having voted together, and having promised to make what should be born a gift given to God, they withdrew from one another; and, having completed forty whole days in tears and fasting and strenuous supplication, each of them apart receives from a divine angel the announcement of the God-written tablet — that tablet far loftier than the tablets of Moses; for an equal number of days hewed out those too, and a mountain besides, as here also a mountain held Joachim at his prayer. And indeed the place too that saw Anna's prayers was very like that of the first mother; for here also was a paradise, though the fruit gathered was not the same: for there a curse, but joy the new [ed: Migne's Greek continues, but our Calfa source breaks off here, mid-construction, and resumes at the next section number; the leaf carrying this column is missing from the Paris scan (patrologiaecurs63migngoog), so the loss cannot be repaired from our files.]

12. While, then, the righteous were persisting in such a posture of prayer, as has been said, the angel says to each of them: Thy supplication [0029] has been heard, and there shall be born to you a child, whose glory shall run through the whole inhabited world. So then the angel's message comes out to its end; and the God-child was born — the new moulded work, the newly-appeared exceeding-bright spectacle, the fresh-blooming most beautiful shoot, the ever-blooming most soul-winning shade, the world-wide echo, the most healing plant. And so it is permitted to those righteous ones to say boldly concerning themselves the word of the divine Isaiah: Because of thy fear, O Lord, we conceived in the womb, and travailed, and brought forth the spirit of thy salvation, which we carried in the womb upon the earth; [var: LXX Isa 26:18 ends *πνεῦμα σωτηρίας σου ἐποιήσαμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς*, "we wrought the spirit of thy salvation upon the earth"; the Vulgate makes the clause negative] for this saving conception was truly the offspring of prayer and of the fear of God, which was painted out and embroidered by the finger of God with unutterable beauties of grace.

13. And when this most radiant and divine image had been conceived, Anna also ceased from conceiving; for neither did this mother need the addition of another child, to supply as it were the deficiency of the firstborn — since she who was born availed for the whole — nor could she bear one comparable to the All-pure one. If then she had borne a second, it would have seemed doubtful of which child she was the mother; for it is not possible that any other among things begotten should appear anywhere near the Virgin's excellence, and from this a great part would have been taken away from the glory that now belongs to her from the only-begotten. Besides, neither men, nor angels, nor any other creature required that a mother so fair-bearing should bring forth a second fruit; for the mighty-in-power and supernatural child alone became sufficient for the beauty of all the making. For In her, to speak after the wondrous Paul, are all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge hidden away; [var: Gk Col 2:3 *ἐν ᾧ*, "in whom" — of Christ] and for these reasons Anna did well in making no further account of bearing. But this too came upon me to wonder at: how the surname of the righteous has been assigned pre-eminently to the God-ancestors, as is shown in the sacred rites, where, commemorating the catalogue of the saints, we are accustomed, beyond [0032] all the rest, to call these alone at once holy and righteous. Can it be, then, that because they had distributed what was due both to themselves and to creation — by not bearing, I mean, another child — they alone were mystically named righteous?

Either, then, for this reason, or for these — as one might perhaps say — namely, either that they were surnamed that which they plainly also were, being well advanced, that is, through every virtue, as is clear from the fruit; or because the fairest daughter, repaying her parents for their good childbearing — she who alone peered forth as the true righteousness among men — imparted to them such a title.

14. Thus, then, and from such parents, as the argument has shown, has the fairest shoot been born: she who made the inhabited world fragrant, and overshadowed it from the burning heat of the passions, and nourished it with a food most sweet, beyond mind and beyond speech; the human being of new-fashioned and extraordinary sort, who alone remoulded into members of God, beyond all speech, that man who had been piteously separated from God — whom neither heaven, nor sun, nor any of the visible things, nor even if all creation had come together, could either gather back or console in any small degree; for she set the Master as head over his members. This may be discerned thus. God at the beginning fashions Adam out of earth, and the rib taken from him became the mother of the helpmeet. But when they had fallen, God had no further need of earth, that he might work a new man — for he barred out the dust, as it were, as prone to falling — nor of a member of a man, nor of any such whole; for it seems that the man too, as lacking his rib, is passed over. But that which neither was first composed out of earth, nor has had any of its members taken away — and there could not be so much as one such — no, there is not one thing out of them all more suited to these ends than the Virgin; for she is not, so to speak, from earth, for the reason we have stated, and she is most perfect above all creation. [0033] This he takes as the instrument of the new creation, that with a splendid addition he might repay the loan — I mean the rib; and for this cause the new Adam, my Christ, is born, not only perfect but even beyond perfect, from her who had just now been born perfect (so far, I mean, as goes with men), the God-child and mother, who from thence wrought us into members of God.

15. So be it. Now upon all things that have come to be, that which fails must needs follow — corruption, that is — apart, however, from the bodiless ones, to which the Fashioner, having given these also subsistence, granted that they should not look toward an end; that his manifold wisdom might from this too, I think, be made manifest: that of the things under genesis he created some to hasten toward corruption, and others of the same to abide incorruptible. But the all-pure one — even if it lay with none of the begotten things to escape such a necessity — on what ground would one who judges rightly grant that she at least falls under this affliction, at whose coming to be a true refashioning and life blossomed for all, as the argument has already shown? For as she has been shown the partaker of none of the things not praised among men, but alone holier than the angels also, so she alone ought not to share with the rest in the common ill-fortune; but it was fitting, since she was born so great a mother and as it were a fountain of coming-to-be, for the reason stated, that what pertains to her should always be, and be named, coming-to-be only; even as the angels also, above whom she is set, once they have come to be, remain immortal and above corruption.

16. But the reason why it is not so is this, that the Virgin's majesty might be displayed more far-shining than the sun: namely that, having obtained the material portion — as is clear from the fact that she did not escape the [0036] blameless law of men — she accomplished loftier things than the unmixed and lofty nature, I mean that of the angels. For if she had been shown superior to corruption as well, she would have seemed to be of another and immaterial creation, other than man; and it would not have been so wondrous that the All-blameless one had wrought out those lofty things. And if the earth, when it received the all-holiest body of the all-pure one, did not consume it as it does our own, but received it because it was indeed from her, and yet — that it might show it to be better than after the manner of human bodies, and in great measure like the Master's body — could not hold it back for long, as we show more at large in the discourse upon the Falling-asleep of the blessed one: if, then, for these reasons someone wishes not to concede corruption here — I mean, on the ground that that body was not corrupted as ours are — he will not have us contradicting him.

17. Moreover, the name of corruption is predicated not of bodies only, but of the soul as well. And of the body it is the dissolution of the order that holds it together, and the withdrawal into those things out of which it was composed; but for the soul this would be corruption: estrangement from God, and, against nature, attachment to the things it was not born for. And, so to speak, this is death for both: the disjoining of the harmony that suits them — though, set one beside the other, in another way, as one might perhaps say, the end has befallen each of them in unsuited fashion; since, as we said, for the body corruption is the resolution into its elemental and first beginning, whereas for the soul death is, on the contrary, the standing away from the first beginning that truly is. Yet according at least to the account of corruption just given, which is contemplated in the soul, the all-pure one, if any is, is incapable of corruption. For no one of men has ever been altogether untouched by sin of any kind whatsoever, apart from him — I mean the new offspring of the blessed one — [ed: Migne's Greek carries here a clause our Calfa source has lost at the foot of col. 0035: ὃς μόνος οἷα θεάνθρωπος ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, "who alone, as God-man, did no sin"; verified against the Paris scan, patrologiaecurs63migngoog.] [0037] nor was guile found in his mouth; but in respect of sinning in nothing, no one bears a closer likeness to Christ than the all-pure one; for it was fitting that she who bore him should be likened to him who came from her more than any one of them all. Therefore the all-pure one is confessed purer than all men — and that beyond all reckoning — and for this reason she alone, as compared with them, is altogether incorruptible. That the angels of old were liable to fall into the corruption of the soul assigned above, that bodiless one who was separated from God shows clearly — he who is beyond all those who from him and through him have partaken of his madness, and who from the high and luminous dignity received the low and gloomy rank. But that they now remain unchangeable is believed to have been obtained after the ineffable childbearing of the Virgin. And if the much-hymned one has been shown superior to that into which the angels also fell, and furthermore granted them unchangeableness — which is the same as to say incorruption, according to the account of corruption we give in the case of the soul — then the all-pure one is by a long measure better than they too, and in this part at least more incorruptible.

[0040] By all votes, then, the all-hymned one is incorruptible, in the manner we have said; and not this only, but she appears also as the cause, to the intelligible order, of that incorruption which the argument has shown, even as she is of coming-to-be for all those things concerning which this has been shown above.

18. But by what name might one address this most God-working and, so to speak, most fashion-working offspring, and not seem to speak far short of her worth? Or what fitting praise might we weave and render, from whom we have been so greatly benefited? But if it seems good to you also, brethren, as indeed it does to me, then for her graces let us, in common with the angels — for I am persuaded that they too join in hymning the all-pure one — address to the Theotokos that divine message: Rejoice, thou that art highly favoured, through whom all creation rejoices; the Lord is with thee, who was present with thee even before thy life, and when thou wast born, and before the salutation, and at that salutation itself, and after it in another manner. And in return for the gifts we have enjoyed from thence, let us preserve ourselves such as she made us new through the regeneration; for in nothing of all things does the all-pure one rejoice more than in this. Which may we also be counted worthy to attain, by the prayers of the All-immaculate and unblemished God-child, to the glory of the all-powerful and holy Trinity, to whom is fitting glory unto the unending ages of ages. Amen.