Слово на Рождество Пренепорочной Госпожи нашей Богородицы и Приснодевы Марии. Григория, митрополита Никомидийского 202

Now the earth shines with spiritual glory under the sky and surpasses the underground sky in significance, since it receives the highest heaven, the born, brightest and most expansive Sun, which does not set, but appears unset to the world, adorned not with visible stars, but with spiritual light. This is our current celebration, this is real joy! None of those called to the premium joy is separated: let us all take part in the upcoming feast: for it is equally offered to everyone, and joy and glory are prepared for everyone. What great thing has been given by God that can be compared with anything that is present? What earthly power and might are in comparison with that with which the Lord now reigns over everyone in heaven. What is shown to the prophets who see God is not clear, in visions, in the subtle breath of the wind - compared with the fact that He Himself, Who previously appeared, now appeared in reality and graciously dwelt in us? What is the election of the prophets and the righteous and the glory that came through them compared to the fact that the Mother of the righteous God was accepted as the praise of our nature, and through her gave us this glorious honor? This is our excessive glorification! True joy precedes the joy of the sacred economy - it precedes not as different in greatness, but as guiding us to the most faithful and proper thing for us, giving us complete joy. Therefore, it is necessary that those who join this celebration and triumph, in view of the joy that has appeared, crown the present triumph with praises, and rejoice more spiritually than carnally; they must compete in a joy of a sublime and divine kind. Of course, the choir of angels precedes with consonant speech and now sings to the One in whom the purpose of the sacrament is visible; anticipate and honor the heavens and heights of a new and higher foundation. While all true nature rejoices in its freedom in this way, I will especially cry with a loud voice: “Come to me, every age and every dignity of both the worldly and subworldly order; priests and kings; those standing above all superiors and those below, superiors and subordinates, elders and youths, virgins and mothers, barrens and babies, let us meet this day of salvation with Divine joy and spend it with all kinds of joy. Consider the election of all the righteous and prophets, look at the immeasurable height of Joachim and Anna; look at their excellent and illustrious dignity. Truly, God the Creator chose them to restore the ancient world (from among them he chooses the Mother, for whose sake he wanted to provide for a new education); With their blood, as with royal virtue, he clothed the human race with royal purple, and thereby placed them above all the righteous. Their excellent dignity lies in the fact that they alone above all are chosen and brought in due time and chosen for the purpose of the sacrament. So, pay attention how every excellent comparison flees from them: this is proven not by words, but by deeds. However, it will be in accordance with triumph if we present something brief from their previous history: for such is the obvious truth of what we read. Among the ten tribes of Israel there was a certain Joachim, very rich and the only one in righteousness, superior to all his fellow tribesmen. Truly, he was adorned with extreme wealth. He did not thirst for transitory wealth, reducing it every day to a sufficient extent, since he brought double gifts to his Lord, saying to himself: “Let it be from my abundance to all the people and from my house to the Lord my God. For all the people, let there be everything that is beyond necessity.” O, most just in thought and judgment! O wealth collected in sacred cages! Joachim became so elevated in virtue that he gave not only from what was sufficient, but also from what was necessary. When, according to custom, he brought holiday gifts, he was subjected to reproaches from his fellow tribesmen for being childless, such as: “You cannot bring your gifts, since you will not leave seed in Israel.” Although the righteous man towered over those who hated him, and themselves had nothing in life of what they accused him of: however, childlessness was set as the reason that he did not act according to the law. Scolded, as if rejected, the righteous one grieves even more: not because he was struck in words and dishonored in deed, but because he feared that some of the commandments of God that he had not noticed would create a distance from God; That’s why he takes care to bring her to the notice through people. Thus, he remains in the fulfillment of the law and in the study of the knowledge of the sacrament: thus, he considered the Divine Providence about everything he had, and therefore was not tormented and did not rebel in words. At the same time, he strives for God, the Tester of mysteries; indulges in solitude as a means of facilitating conversion to Him, and abandons concern for domestic and external affairs. Who in our time will show such undoubted trust in God and contempt for the present as to consider such fulfillment not difficult in times of legal virtues? Let us remember what happened during the patriarchate of Abraham. It will seem to some that in that ancient age, under the reign of righteousness, disasters were easily endured; however, if anyone wanted to investigate this, he would see a great exaggeration of what was said. In fact, Abraham was shown the migration and the land in which he would dwell; Sarah's liberation from barrenness was announced to him; and, keeping this in promise, he nurtured hope and delighted his spirit with the thought of what he asked (and what is more pleasant than the promise of seeing God?). Joachim, having received no promise from God, supported by faith in the One who could transform their nature, firmly trusting in His secret providence, withdrew from his relatives and, with constant thanksgiving, acted in accordance with the Divine covenants. And Abraham, of course, had the necessary sign of both future dominion over the earth and the multiplication of his family, and was only waiting to see how these promises should be fulfilled. Joachim, as he showed his undoubted intelligence in prayer, accepted the good news from the angel about the Descendant who would be born from him, and did not at all ask for proof of this blessed gospel to appear, and did not expect signs that would show the future healing of his nature. Abraham made the sacrifice according to Divine command, and Joachim - of his own free will. That one made a sacrifice by his relocation, this one actually made a sacrifice, unconditionally surrendering to God and thereby sacrificing himself. There is the patriarch of the clan and the righteous, and here is the Mother of God and the most righteous Lady of the patriarchs. Such a great beginning is above not only the present, but also any comparison in general. See what omens and exceptional honors distinguish this righteous man. Pay attention to the existence of barrenness and supernatural constancy, which should be called angelic life. History tells that he spent forty days and nights in fasting and prayer, fueled by one hope in God: he fasted for forty days and nights, saying: “I will not deign to eat or drink.” This seems surprising to us, but impossible to others. They are surprised at the fast of Moses for an equal number of days; but if anyone wanted to examine the constancy of both, he would find a difference here too. Moses was restrained both by the previously received definition, and by the protection of the laws and, finally, by the very expectation of the Lawgiver, which, with the promise of the best, eased both the burden of a long time and the need of nature. Joachim, inspired by nothing else, but supported only by his unfalse hope in God, devotes himself to desert life and ascetic deeds and sends up unceasing prayer. Who will not marvel at this and recognize that by their greatness they overcome every thought? If one were to penetrate into their requests, what their consequences are, then everyone would bow to the righteous man rejected by everyone. And how great and amazing are the deeds of a wife adorned with the same virtues! She accomplished double feats of patience: she was the same both during separation and during her husband’s presence. For their childlessness, both were surrounded by ridicule, fighting against which they won with the help of faith and hope. But then such abuse of her was intensified: this abuse came not so much from strangers as from her closest relatives, especially from those subordinate to her. Having withdrawn from the world, having taken off her sad clothes and put on clean clothes, like spiritual clothes, she prepares to pray for both worlds, so that she can remain pure in much cleaner clothes. And without leaving the household of the church, she sends everyone’s prayers to God, seeking a serene and secluded place of paradise in this seemingly unsuspected cage: she offers prayers in secret sorrow. They retired to the church and in everything they propitiated the Creator of all things, bringing prayers to the God of all creatures, which He produced from nothing or wonderfully renewed - to the God who transforms the nature of all creatures. This is how the thanksgivings of the righteous are performed: so Abraham and Sarah, so Anna and Samuel. As a result, the prayer of Blessed Anna gains much wisdom through spiritual contrition, and the power of her petition was preserved not in words and thoughts, but in humility. In her tears she reveals her insignificance and, considering herself lower than every creature, she calculates in detail the benefits that are the visible work of the Creator. She confirms with these words the most merciful providence of the Creator God: “I,” says the wise and pure woman, “am more useless than all creatures, since they serve Your command, Lord; I am completely deprived of such a blessing and unworthy of the happiness of the human race. Plants bear healthy and sweet fruits, and those who receive them with thanksgiving, thereby send you thanks. I consider myself to be more unworthy than these, Your creations.” What extraordinary humility is shown in these words! What firmness of heart was demonstrated by the soul that expressed these thoughts! Such are the exploits of the righteous! It was fitting that out of the abundance of virtues the most holy riches should flow forth; it was fitting that from a noble root a noble sprout should appear—that from good loins should emerge a better sprout, the ever-greening and life-giving glory of this race. Such a branch is wonderful: from it, an immortal flower spreads the eternal pleasantness of its smell, from the fruit of which life and health are produced for its participants. The prayers of the righteous, supported by such works and words, according to Divine definition, achieve their goal: for angels appearing to announce that prayers are heard; angels preach the conception of the purest angels; angels foretell liberation from infertility, and declare that through Her the mediastinum of sin has been destroyed; angels precede the liberation from the torments of the birth of She, for whose sake the ancestor’s sorrows ceased. The removal of barrenness heralds the renewal of nature; and the Born appears as proof of the newest sacrament of birth; in Herself She receives the sure proof of an amazing birth. In the miracle of our parents we learn an even more secret mystery. This glorification is, without a doubt, older than that, and through its fulfillment it proclaims true proof of what is proclaimed. Here is barrenness, driven out by nature’s own efforts, there is the Virgin, strengthened by untainted chastity; here is the fruit of deeds and prayers, there, in addition to incomparable virtue and outstanding purity, the ineffable conception is renewed; here - an angel-messenger of liberation from sorrows, there - an archangel-harbinger of a miraculous conception. He proclaimed the promise of the real gospel much more clearly in relation to Her. “Your birth will be announced to everyone,” says the one who appeared to Anna, “it will be announced and glorified not only on earth, but also in heaven.” Look how David foretold this, announcing the accomplished fulfillment of what was expected, and denoting by the past tense the true truth of the future. Glorious words were spoken about you, the city of God (Ps. 86:3): glorified above all revealed glory; glorified by the highest Powers, respected and loved by homogeneous people; was the subject of the aspirations of the patriarchs, was honored by the forefathers and described by the prophets. All creation rejoices in Him, the angelic army rejoices, the whole world is glorified in Him, the earthly race now admires Him, welcoming Her for whose sake they achieved the most perfect decoration, through Whom we have access to grace, the gates to salvation have been opened for us. Through the vastest heaven, now created, we were written for heavenly life. You, the Creator of present and future joy, - You, in addition to the joy of Your solemn meetings, inherit a rich feast, decorating the present meeting with both sensual and spiritual joy. Supported by our hope in this, we despise the humiliation of our condition and forget our earthly, mortal life. Here we hope to rise from the earthly and reach the heavenly; here for us is the true hope of the blessings ahead; here is the expectation of the eternal. Therefore, let us strive with love for this Divine celebration of the Lord, who foresees everything in His glory (and the Motherly glorification and salvific adornment of those who obey), and let us give thanks to Christ, the Author and Giver of blessings. To Him belongs honor and worship and glorification with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen 203. See Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne, series graeca. tom. C, col. 1375–1400. You might be interested in: