Слово на Благовещение Пресвятой Богородицы. Св. Германа, патриарха Константинопольского

Let us triumph now, nations, languages, and all the numerous festive gatherings, let us triumph now in spiritual joy and interweave with all care the songs of God befitting the Queen from the line of David, let us form a triumph of the triumphs of our hope on the blessed day of our holiday. For now, truly, the heavenly spiritual Powers from above have bowed down with us earthly creatures to Her, with whose help the spiritual and God-king city, eternally fenced, is exalted. So, Rejoice, full of grace, golden container of manna and purple tabernacle, which the new Bezalel adorned. Rejoice, full of grace, surpassing all God-contained clouds and a source eternally flowing to everyone. Rejoice, full of grace, high and exalted throne of the Creator of all things, Who holds in His hand everything in heaven and on earth. Rejoice, full of grace, spiritual church of magnificent glory. Who became man for our sake and took on flesh for our salvation. Rejoice, full of grace, who nourishes the Nourisher and gives milk to Him who in ancient times drew forth water from the stone. Rejoice, full of grace, mountain of God, fat mountain, strewn mountain, uninfested mountain. Rejoice, full of grace, good intercession of all sinners. Rejoice, full of grace, strong intercession of those who confess You as the Mother of God with a pure heart. Rejoice, full of grace, who bore in the womb the Lover of Mankind for the common salvation of the human race. Rejoice, full of grace, dear refuge of all Christians and an excellent sight of indescribable beauty. We, mortals, offer this with unworthy lips to the Heavenly Bride, the Queen and the Mother of God, having learned from the inspired Scripture. But let us turn, beloved, to the Divine Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel and listen to what he preached when he came to Her - pure. The angel said: "Listen, O Most Glorified One, to the hidden words of the Most High: Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a Son, and call His name Jesus. I have come to tell You what is prepared before the foundation of the world." The Mother of God answered: “Get out of My city, O man, and quickly leave the upper room; get away from My thresholds, who spoke to Me, and do not bring such good news to My insignificance.” Angel: “Desiring to fulfill the ancient advice and have mercy on a lost man, the Lover of Mankind deigned to become a man; why do You, O grace-filled one, not accept my greetings"? Theotokos: “I see, young man, your beauty worthy of a brush and the appearance of your bright image, I hear from you words that I have never heard, and I wonder if you want to seduce Me?” Angel: “Know and believe that I was more amazed than You, having seen Your God-described beauty; and therefore, having seen You, I think that I will know the glory of my Lord.” Mother of God: “I hear a language unknown, - I contemplate a face never seen: but why do I not tremble, especially since I have a betrothed, and am completely unaccustomed to conversing with a stranger?” Angel: “Receive the worthy joy of the Annunciation and the praise befitting You: for that which is born of You will be called the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:35), and He will be We hold You, sanctified for the excellence of holiness.” Theotokos: "I am afraid of such words and suspect that you have not come to deceive Me, like Eve of old; but I will not follow her path. How can you greet a virgin whom you have never seen"? Angel: “I bring You good news of joy; I bring You good news of a birth incomprehensible; I bring You good news of the inexpressible coming of the Most High King.” Mother of God: “Since you predict and do not cease to predict similar things to Me, I will tell you that I do not believe such your gospel: for you have come to degrade My maiden dignity and to sadden My betrothed.” Angel: “The prophet Zechariah and the beloved of your relative Elizabeth will destroy your unbelief. Therefore, go to her in order to find out from him what will happen to him." Mother of God: "My parents Joachim and Anna represent a couple most noble and pure; how can I, their offspring, produce a sinner? Who will see and believe that Mary did not break the law"? Angel: "When what I have said in due time comes true, then You will understand the power of the highest sacrament: then You you will know the fulfillment of my words." Mother of God: “Having come from the house and fatherland of David, how will I serve such terrible and heavenly sacraments? And how will I receive the Holy Jesus sitting on the cherubim"? Angel: “You will be called the throne of God and the royal seat of the Heavenly King: since You are the Queen and Mistress, the daughter of the earth. king, and Your image is royal." Mother of God: "Explain to me, messenger, how will I become the throne of the Most High? How will mortal flesh touch that inviolable Solar Light? You are communicating impossible news." Angel: "Why, for what reason, Most Glorified One, do You not believe my gospel? and until what time will You not obey the angel sent from heaven? For I am not the one who deceived Eve. Theotokos: “I saw your significant face and heard the most wonderful words that no one has ever heard, and therefore I am not able to accept such good news.” Angel: “Although my appearance amazes You, I know that the words of my mouth will become a cause of joy; and heaven and earth will bless You.” Theotokos: “How will I know that what He has done will be completed? For I am a Virgin who was not in the palace, and I do not know at all the sin of voluptuousness... But I am the servant of the Lord who created Me.” Angel: “I will tell You clearly that Your relative Elizabeth will now give birth to a son in her old age; and many will rejoice and be surprised at his birth, and his name will be John.” Theotokos: “Take my gifts from Me, O messenger, and get away from Me; whether you are an angel or a man, I truly do not know; in the image I contemplate an angel, but with my gaze I recognize a man.” Angel: "Didn't you, blessed one, see me when you were in the Holy of Holies? You saw me and took food from my fiery hand. I am Gabriel, constantly standing before the glory of God." Theotokos: “I have a prudent, holy and righteous groom, who knows the art of woodworking, and I am afraid that he will see Me talking to you as a stranger, and especially alone." Angel: “I am full of eternal verbs; therefore I will tell You that the Lord, the King of kings, is about to be born from You - that He will reign in the house of Jacob, and to His kingdom there will be no end." Theotokos: “Now My soul trembles: I do not know how to understand this terrible vision. But I believe that your words are true, and Joseph will deliver Me into the hands of those who judge this.” Angel: “I marvel, O Most Glorified One, that You are so embarrassed by my coming from the heights: for it is more fitting for me to fear You, as She who has to become the Mother of my Lord, and to tremble before Your royal dignity. Behold, the King of glory, even at the time of my words, settled in Your palace." Mother of God: “You, who greet the unskilled Virgin and proclaim this to the unskilled Virgin, know the truth: “when and from where,” and how will this happen to me, where I do not know a husband?” Angel: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the head of the Most High will overshadow You: in the same way, the Holy One who will be born will be called the Son of God.” Do not be afraid, Mariam: for you have found grace with God.” Mother of God: "You brought Me an important sacrament from heaven, announcing the coming of the Holy Spirit; and tell Me, messenger: how could I no longer deny this glorious gospel?" Your name will be blessed." Mother of God: "Tell Me, young man, how I have to give birth to the Savior, according to your word. Truly, your gospel is strange for the angelic spiritual Powers and for the fiery and many-eyed ranks of Archangel." Angel: "Most glorified, Your words are pleasant and completely sweet: and therefore I will tell You that not from the will of the flesh, but from the influx of the Holy Spirit, Your fulfillment womb." Theotokos: "How will Joseph be convinced that I will conceive not from the lust of a man, but from the influx of the Holy Spirit? For since the beginning of time it has not been heard that an unskilled virgin gave birth to children." Angel: "Under Your mercy the whole human race will flow, and every tongue will bless You; and Your name will be glorified in every generation and generation: since through You the Lord, the Savior of the world, is to be born." Mother of God: "Who am I, having an earthly birth, and how will the human race resort to Me? How will I embrace Christ, the Light of the world? I tremble at the miraculousness the beginning of a birth that is alien to Me; I am also afraid of Joseph, and therefore I should go to the house of Zechariah, to my relative." Angel: “You will give birth to the propitiation of all Christians, and therefore again I proclaim to You with a decent voice: O full of grace! The Lord is with You. Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb." Theotokos: “Bearing the royal image, and brought up in the chambers of my Bethlehem, having remained in the Holy Place from childhood immaculate and remaining a virgin, how will I become the mother of My child”? Angel: “The Most High looked around the whole world and, not finding a mother like You, He Himself, out of love for mankind, deigned to be born fleshly from You, sanctified.” Theotokos: “I will sing praises to the Lord, as I look upon the humility of His servant: behold, from now on all generations will bless Me (Luke 1:48), and the people of the tongues will always praise Me.” Angel: “Oh, Virgin, the wine of heavenly joy, a pleasant and wonderful abode, the propitiation of the whole world, one truly blessed among women! Prepare for Yourself.” to the mysterious coming of Christ." Theotokos: "Oh, young man! the wine of heavenly joy, who came from the disembodied and conversed with clay! How long will I resist you, and how long will you not stop your words? Behold the servant of the Lord, wake me according to your word." – Thus spoke the all-validated and all-blessed Virgin; She said, of course, even more mysterious things. But let us listen, beloved, to what righteous Joseph also said to the Virgin. Joseph: "I received You chaste from the house of the Lord, I left You at home as a pure virgin; what do I see now? - a future mother, and no longer a virgin. Tell me quickly, reveal to me the whole truth, Mary." Mother of God: “Immaculate, as you say, I left Me at home, you find me clean and upon my return: since childhood I have hated clothes stained by the flesh; there is not a trace of voluptuousness in Me.” Joseph: “Fear, Mary, the strict assembly of judges, the truthful verdict of the Jewish synagogue and tell me directly, do not hide from me what is about to happen.” Mother of God: “Fear, Joseph, tribunal and the impartial judgment of the future age, before which even the sinless angels tremble; but do not worry about the earthly court and the king. " Joseph: “In the law of Moses it is written: if anyone finds a virgin who is not betrothed, and rapes her, he shall give the damsel’s father fifty didrachms (Deut. 22:28) ... What Will you respond to this? Theotokos: “It is written among the prophets: “They will give a book sealed to the man who keeps the scriptures... and says: I cannot read it, for it is sealed (Isa. 29:11). Apparently, this prophecy was spoken about you.” Joseph: “Release, Mary, the wicked of my house; name the one who disgraced him, and I will be the ax of the tree-breaker.” I will strike him as one who has dishonored my gray hairs, and then let all Israel laugh at me." Mother of God: “You are right and blameless; but, I hope, My God will reveal to you what is about to happen to Me, and in a dream he will show you the one whom you call a villain." my meal: instead of joy, you covered my gray hairs with grief and shame." Mother of God: "Wait, Joseph, and do not openly drive Me out of the house; I have not learned to wander and I do not know where to go and with whom to take refuge." Joseph: "Being between life and death, tell me the truth, Mary: who is the one who robbed me? Who spoke to you? What rank is he and from what city, so that I could find him.” Mother of God: “As the Lord lives!” I am pure and I don’t even know a husband; who appeared to Me, it seems, was an angel of the Lord in human form; He appeared before Me imperceptibly, as if from space, and began to speak quietly.” Joseph: “The guilt of desecration of marriage and contempt will fall on you and on me, who have grown old, and the guilt of reproof will wash over both of us.” Mother of God: “You have heard that Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, my relative, recently, beyond her dreams, conceived the Prophet and Forerunner: for if he had not been a prophet, he would not have welcomed the Lord whom I bear with joy.” Joseph: “I marvel at You and am greatly perplexed: I know that Your name will be on the lips of the children of Israel, and the Lord will strike me because, having taken You from the sacred dwelling under my supervision, I did not keep You as a virgin.” Mother of God: “The day of sorrow has come for Me; I am accused on suspicion; the interrogations of my husband torment Me; My womb exposes Me; and he who said to Me: “Rejoice,” the angel quickly disappeared, and I don’t know what to think.” Joseph: “I see the fruit of Your womb and I tremble all over. How can I show You, and where can I hide You from the Sanhedrin? Get out of my house, leave quickly.” Theotokos: “You are driving Me, Joseph, from home; but I do not know where to go; whether to return to the sanctuary, or to go to my parents; with what eyes will I appear to them?” Joseph: “Even if I keep silent about your sin, the stones will cry out: and the Holy of Holies will cry; for I received you from the priests to keep you, but I did not keep you as a virgin.” Theotokos: “So, I will hide in one of the caves of Bethlehem and wait for the appointed time of My pregnancy and find out who is to be born of Me: for I believe that God will look upon My humility.” Joseph: “Tell me directly who was that stranger and traitor who came to my house, like a spy, in my absence from the city of Nazareth”? Theotokos: “While I took a vessel to draw water to drink, I heard a still small voice saying: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Joseph: “It has not been heard from the ages that a virgin, who had not previously given birth, should conceive at the sound of words; nor did the fathers tell us that such a thing should happen in ancient times.” Mother of God: “Is it not written prophets: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son” (Isa. 7:14)? Wouldn't you say that the prophets also deceive? So, Joseph, you are mistaken, you are greatly indignant.” Joseph: “Now I will say, Mary, that you followed in the footsteps of your mother Eve, but she was excommunicated from paradise for paying attention to the one who whispered to her, and you will be expelled from my house as a guilty person." Theotokos: “I know that your mind is amazed by the glorious mystery of the miraculous pregnancy. But I was not the cause of the event that happened, for from childhood I learned to serve the Lord To the Creator." Joseph: “Didn’t I say to You: show me the wicked man of my house, and I will free You from such guilt? Didn’t I say to You: go quickly to Your beloved? What else do You hope for?” Mother of God: “I don’t know well where he is. I really would like to meet him, I would like to contemplate his beauty worthy of a brush and talk with him, for he said to Me: “Rejoice.” Joseph: "Am I not worthy of spitting? I took You as a virgin from the house of my Lord and did not keep You. How from now on will I draw near to the Lord my God and fulfill what is commanded by the law"? Theotokos: “Believe the prophets of God and do not give in to sorrow: for you will find it written among them: behold, a virgin is with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel.” Joseph: "The rod of the high priest persuaded me to take You from the house of prayer for safekeeping; and I left You with all care in my house; why did You not wait, Mary, until (in my absence) I completed the work"? Theotokos: "As the Lord lives! The defilement of an alien bed and the sin of carnal lust I do not know; but I heard an angelic voice calling: do not be afraid, Mariam: You have found favor with God.” Joseph: “Stay still in my house, especially since the time for the census of Caesar Augustus, now reigning, is approaching: I am afraid to write You down as a wife, and especially because of David’s kinship.” Mother of God: “I will keep your words in My heart and wait a little in your house; I will wait for the time of the census and the bearing of wombs, until we have fulfilled the duties of Augustus Caesar, the Roman king.” Joseph: “Probably there was an angel who appeared to me in a dream and said: Joseph son of David, do not fear, Mary has received your wife; Mother of God: “Yes, it was the one who called to me: “Rejoice!” Therefore, find the cave and a woman from our family: she will keep the secret and, according to custom, will serve Me." Joseph: “In any case, he will appear and show me both the place and the cave; and You, Mary, prepare swaddling clothes. And even if He were a prophet, we know that He will be called a Nazarite" (Matt. 2:23). Mother of God; “I believe that He who is to be born will be called King, for it is written in the prophets: Rejoice greatly, daughters of Zion: preach to the daughters of Jerusalem: this King is coming, righteous and saving” (Zechariah 9:9). Joseph; "I believe that the one who appears in a dream will reveal to me what will happen after this. However, I am also afraid of Herod, lest someone notify him, and lest he demand the child that is being born among us"? Mother of God: "A sign will appear in heaven, for it is written in the prophets: a star will rise from Jacob, and a man will arise from Israel and destroy the princes of Moab" ( Num. 24:17). Joseph: “Overwhelmed with suspicion, yesterday I insulted Your beauty; now, having received information from above, I worship Your greatness with piety and bless Your name.”... Amen 143. See Curs. Compl. Patrololog. Migne, series graeca, vol. XCVIII. col. 320–340. In the Great Chetya Menaion, under March 25 (fol. 605–611), the real word of St. Germana, Patr. Constantinople, attributed to St. John of Damascus. You might be interested in: