Беседа на Благовещение Пресвятой Богородицы. Святейшего Фотия, патриарха Константинопольского

Joyful is the festival of this day; to all the ends of the earth it brings bright triumph and heralds joy, which ends ancient sadness, cancels the condemnation of the world, confirms the uprising of the ancient fallen and promises salvation to us all. The angel talks with the Virgin and the serpent’s malice is abolished, his insidious attack is repelled. The angel talks with the Virgin, and Eve’s seduction (2 Cor. 11:3) loses its power, the condemned nature becomes higher than the sentence, as before, and is enriched by the acquisition of paradise as its property (Acts 26:18). The angel talks with the Virgin, and Adam gains freedom for himself, the author of evil, the serpent, is deprived of his power over the human race and now learns that he fought in vain against creation: for his powers have no trick against us, after our disembodied nature received the news of the invincible sign of triumph over sin - the cross of Christ and His voluntary suffering in the flesh (the angel now preaches about it), by whom death and sin are victoriously swallowed up (1 Cor. 15:54). An angel is sent to the Virgin, and human nature is renewed: for, having received the gospel of salvation and, as it were, having taken a medical remedy, it completely spews out the poison of the serpent and is cleansed of the signs of illness. An angel is sent to the Virgin, and the handwriting of sin is torn apart, the punishment for disobedience is removed, and the calling of all is announced. Now the gospel of joy has come, because the Archangel is speaking with the Virgin, because the Archangel of the heavenly Powers is speaking with Mary, betrothed to Joseph, predestined and preserved for Jesus. But what is he talking about and what has he brought with him? about what? ABOUT! the meaning of the great sacrament is incomprehensible and the image of the wonderful speech inexpressible! However, I am moved to say what he has announced, and I am faint in spirit with fear. I tremble, having begun to measure the abyss of Divine love for mankind; I am horrified, prompted to explore the depth of the Divine economy. And my mind is embarrassed to begin, the ability to speak disappears, my tongue does not obey. But you, wisest of the Evangelists, begin your speech here with me, and with your defense instill in me boldness. In the sixth month, says Saint Luke, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, whose name was Nazareth, to a betrothed virgin to a man, whose name was Joseph, from the house of David; and the name of the virgin, Mariam. And an angel came to Her, saying: Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with You (1:26-28). Do you see what he brought and what he announced? Do you see the reason for the conversation? Rejoice, she says, full of grace: the Lord is with you. Oh, wonderful mystery, surpassing all mind and all understanding! Oh, a mystery worthy of faith, not curiosity, - wonder, not testing, - worship, not investigation, - glorification, not searching, - veneration, not weighing, - love, not understanding. An angel is sent to the Virgin to reveal the coming of the Lord, to announce the appearance of God among people, to proclaim the re-creation of our image. An angel is sent to the Virgin to proclaim the way of the Lord, and the Lord is present at this. The angel brings the gospel, and the Lord agrees with his words. The angel calls to the Virgin: Rejoice, full of grace, and the Lord truly fulfills Her joy. He Himself exclaims to the Virgin: Rejoice, full of grace, and the whole world enjoys the fruits of this joy. He reveals joy to the Most Pure Virgin; but the Virgin is embarrassed by the unusualness of the greeting, and all creation triumphs over the saving gospel. The honest Virgin is embarrassed, but does not move away; she is embarrassed by words, but does not reject a good deed. Having seen it, says the Evangelist, she was troubled by his words and thought. what will this kiss be like (Luke 1:29). She was embarrassed, but thought about the meaning of the greeting: what this kiss would be like. "I see,” says the Virgin, that the greeting is not limited to ordinary limits, exceeds the laws of nature and is not similar to human affairs: what kind of kissing will this be? I see the messenger reverently presented and ready to accept his message with joy; but he talks about the marriage matter, changes joy into fear and confuses My soul with this news. I see that his face is distinguished by modesty, but he speaks to Me about the groom; I see that he is talking reasonable, but he utters words about conception, and love for virginity prompts us to assume a kind of seduction: what this kiss will be like. Therefore, I am embarrassed, weighing this matter equally: on the one hand, the appearance of the messenger and his modesty show that the message comes from God, and on the other, the speeches about the groom encourage one to disagree with the messenger." Therefore, the Evangelist says: having seen, she was embarrassed. What did the Virgin see and why was she embarrassed? She saw an angel looking at Her with pure eyes, but bringing Her the news about her husband, - looking with an immaculate gaze, but speaking about the marriage contract, Seeing this, the Holy Virgin was confused by nasty thoughts, possessed by chaste fear, and marveled at the strangeness of the greeting. But what does the angel say to Her? Did he leave Her to be confused by conflicting thoughts? Didn't he notice that She was overwhelmed by waves of bewilderment? And how could he turn out to be an unkind performer of behavior? Would he be unfairly punished for leaving the Virgin in confusion? What is he saying? Do not be afraid, Mariam (Luke 1:30): "I did not come to deceive you to talk with You, but to proclaim the destruction of deception; I did not appear to mislead, but to announce liberation from deception; I did not come to take away virginity, but to proclaim the coming of the Creator and Preserver of virginity. Do not be afraid, Mariam: I am not the servant of the treacherous serpent, but the messenger of the Destroyer (Heb. 2:14) of the serpent: he with his speech put poison into human nature and, mixing in death, poured out destruction on everyone, and I, according to the Lord's command, appeared to graft in those who had fallen away (Rom. 11:22–23) endless life, by which illness is plucked from the family and bliss is given in paradise; he, by the deception of godlikeness, persuaded Adam to disobey and, instead of a carefree life, gave him a life full of hard work, and I preach the good news that the Creator of everything in Your virgin and immaculate womb will indeed make man godlike and destroy the deception of godlikeness. I appeared as a good messenger, not an evil one; I am the cause of joy, not sorrow; I proclaim salvation, not destruction. Do not be afraid, Mariam: I, by Divine command, will heal Your thoughts, I will resolve the bonds of bewilderment. You have found grace from God (Luke 1:30): this greeting is a matter of the grace of God, and not of nature, - of Divine grace, and not of human decision and bodily communication, - of grace that surpasses human understanding; Therefore, whenever you, a human being, hear about grace, do not think that this gift was given to the Virgin in vain, and do not consider it excessive generosity. The Virgin found grace from God because she made herself worthy of the Creator and, having adorned her soul with the virtue of chastity, prepared herself for a pleasant dwelling for the Word, who established the heavens (Psalm 32:6). She found grace with God because she not only preserved pure virginity, but also preserved an immaculate heart and will, because from childhood she was dedicated to God and served the King of glory with an animated and inviolable church, which was created by the purity of the body, the radiance of virginity, immaculate chastity, holiness of the will, the inflexibility of the soul to sin, and steadfastness in virtue. Therefore, conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son (Luke 1:31), Whom the cherubim praise with trembling, Whom the ranks of angels are horrified to see, and Whom all creation cannot contain. Conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, the Creator of an intact womb, who did not violate virginity, but strengthened the keys of virginity. Conceive in the womb of the One who exists everywhere and is not contained anywhere, Whom only your womb cannot contain. Conceive in the womb of the Creator, Your forefather. The Prophet also exclaimed about You, saying: Behold, the Virgin will conceive in her womb, and give birth to a Son, and you will call his name Immanuel, as it is said, God is with us.... Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to come (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Is. 9:6). What was foretold about You and I now preach the gospel to You, not on my own telling You good news, but fulfilling the command of Him who sent me. He inspired the prophet Isaiah to prophesy about You, and again today he entrusted me with the gospel of the fulfillment of the outcome of the then prophecy. And behold, you conceived in your womb and gave birth to a Son, and you called his name Immanuel, as we say, God is with us (Matthew 1:23). since they will receive salvation from Him, they will call the One who saved them from their sins Jesus; from good deeds - name, from meaning - name, from deeds - good fame. They will be called Jesus, because from Him flows the inexhaustible wealth of salvation, because through Him the sting of death is broken, and the grace of immortality is given (1 Cor. 15:54, 56), the dominion of sin falls, and the nature of the fallen triumphs in victory. This one will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32). He will be great, as he was, although he will take on humble flesh and put on a lowly body; will be great, since the perception of humanity will not diminish the greatness of the Divine, but humble humanity will be exalted from communication with the Divine. It will be great even after the incarnation (John 1:14), as well as after labors (John 4:6), sweat falling to the ground in the form of drops of blood (Luke 22:44), and other similar things that the flesh usually endures. Therefore, even if you knew that He hungered, labored, was subjected to humiliation and scourging, and finally crucified, died and was buried, do not allow anything unworthy of God in relation to the Divine Word: for He will be great, as He was, even if, according to the law of our nature, in His flesh voluntarily assumed carnal properties. This one will be great, and He will be called the Son of the Most High, that is, you will not name and give Him a name, but He will be named. And who will he be called? It is clear that the Father is consubstantial and fully aware of the Divine nature, because no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son (Matthew 11:27). For from Whom is the ineffable and eternal birth of the Son, He possesses His true understanding; He who has true knowledge of the Begotten One is worthy to give Him the appropriate name. Therefore, the God of all and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ says: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: listen to him (Matthew 17:5). So, He always exists, although now, for our teaching and understanding, a name is given to Him; That’s why he says: He will be called, but will not be, because He previously sat on the throne with the consubstantial Father. This you will conceive in the womb and will be proclaimed His Mother; Your virgin womb will contain Him Whom the heavenly space could not contain, Who embraces everything in a handful (Isaiah 40:12), and by Whose providence everything exists and is preserved; This is what you will conceive in your womb.” What does the Blessed Virgin answer to this? Was She not immediately captivated by the words, or, bowing her ears joyfully, did she not express Her consent, without any hesitation? No. But what does She say? How will this happen if I don’t know where my husband is (Luke 1:34)? How will I have a son whose father is unknown? - "But who knows how to explain the Lord's counsel? Who dares to indicate the reason for the royal command and reveal the meaning of the mysterious economy? Who can proclaim the image of a miraculous birth? Who is able to explore the incomprehensible mystery? How will this happen? - I know one thing, I have been taught one thing, I have been sent to say one thing; this is what I say: the Holy Spirit will come upon Thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow Thee (Luke 1:35). He (The Spirit) will teach You and explain how You have conceived. He, as a co-reign, is a participant in the Lord’s council, and I am a servant, a servant of the Lord’s commandments, but not an exponent of them; I am a servant of the will, but He does not govern everything, for the Spirit tests all things, even the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10), but I exclaim only: Rejoice, gracious one, I sing the miracle, I worship Your Son, but I cannot explain the image of the conception. If You want to strengthen faith in prediction by examples, likening the great to the small and being confident in the future on the basis of the past, then (I tell You) You will conceive in the womb and give birth to a Son, just as Aaron’s rod fell uncultivated (Num. 17:8), just as rain fell from heaven on the fleece (Psalm 71:6), just as there was dew on the fleece and all over the earth. dry land (Judges 6:37). Your forefather David also foretold this, saying: it will fall like rain on the fleece, and like a drop falling on the ground (Psalm 72:6). Just as the fire engulfed the bush, and it, feeding the flame, did not burn (Exodus 3:2): so, when you conceive a Son, you give Him flesh and nourishment with immaterial fire, and in return you will receive immortality. All this prefigured Your conception, explained Your birth and depicted it from ancient times. If you wish, You have an example in Your relative Elizabeth: and she conceived a son in her old age: and this sixth month is called unfruitful for her: for with God every word fails (Luke 1:36-37). God resolves the bonds of barrenness, He has the power to revive a barren root into a fruitful tree and to turn dry land into fertile soil.’ This is what the Archangel said to the Most Pure Virgin. What did the Immaculate Virgin, the heavenly palace, the holy mountain, the sealed source (Song of Songs 4:12), kept for the one who sealed, answer to this? - “You clearly told Me: the Holy Spirit will come upon You; therefore, I no longer contradict or object: be with Me according to your command (Luke 1:38). If I am considered pleasing to the Lord, then I will gladly submit to His will; if the Creator wishes to make the creation His church, then let Him create a dwelling for Himself as He pleased; if the Creator rests in His creation, then let Him give life to His flesh in Me, as the servant of the Lord knows and desires: be unto Me according to your word; let your words about Me be fulfilled in practice, let them turn out to be in agreement with reality.” Having expressed her obedience to the messenger of the Lord with these words, the Holy and Immaculate Virgin stopped the conversation. What shall we add from ourselves to the Virgin? What joyful praises shall we compose in Her honor? Who else but those, the foundation of which was first given to us by the Archangel Gabriel, saying: Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with Thee, blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb (Luke 1:28, 42). Rejoice, because from You the Sun of Truth has shone for us, which illuminated the heavenly and earthly worlds, dispersed the darkness of sin and shone the universe with the radiance of grace. Rejoice, full of grace, because You, having grown the soul-nourishing tree uncultivated for us, have destroyed the seeds of the soul-harming branch. Rejoice, because You have given us life-giving bread as a saving food, having destroyed, like kvass (Ex. 12:15), the destruction of deadly food. Rejoice, because You have grown for us a fruitful tree of life (Apoc. 22:14), which dried up the shoots of the tree of food (Gen. 3:6) and bestowed the sweetness of knowledge. Rejoice, full of grace, for You have preserved pearls of great value (Matthew 13:46) and have spread the wealth of salvation to the ends of the world (Psalm 18:5). Blessed are You in women, because You called forth the consequence of the fall of the woman, changing the reproach of sin into the praise of the race - because He who once created Adam from the virgin soil now in You, the Virgin, recreates man - because You, having woven the garment of the Word from flesh, covered the nakedness of the first-created (Wis. Sol. 7:1). But why list them separately? Rejoice, full of grace, because a superhuman deed has been accomplished with You, and for Your sake the bounties of all kinds of blessings have been abundantly poured out on us. And now, Virgin and Mother, show us a new and wonderful act - give us Your intercession and intercession, send Your help and protection. Strengthen your faithful servant and our pious king 147 with virtue and piety, God-wisely leading you in the management of the helm of the present kingdom and making you the heir of the future kingdom of Christ, our true God, Your Son and Lord. May it be granted to all of us to achieve the same kingdom, by the grace and love of Christ, our true God, seedlessly conceived, inexplicably grown in the womb and inexplicably born. For He created us, and not we: we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 99:3), and we send up glorification and worship to Him with the co-originating and consubstantial Father, with the life-giving, consubstantial and co-eternal Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen 148. The reference is to the Byzantine Emperor Michael III (842–867). This conversation was delivered by Patriarch Photius on March 25, 865 in the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The Greek text of the conversation was published by the great logophot of the Church of Constantinople S. Aristarchos in the journal “Ἐκκλησιαστικη Ἀλἡϑεια” for 1882 (No. 11, pp. 163–168), from which text the present translation of the conversation into Russian was made; compare "Church. Led." 1899, No. 12, countries. 483–489. You might be interested in: