Two words for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In the homily “Two words for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary” St. John of Damascus glorifies the Nativity of the Virgin Mary as a key event preceding the coming of the Savior into the world and marking the beginning of the redemption of the human race. The author especially highlights the parents of the Virgin Mary, the righteous Joachim and Anna, whose long childlessness and fervent prayers were heard by God. Their miraculous conception and birth of their daughter is presented as a victory over the sterility of human nature, stricken by sin, and as a prototype of the new creation. The Mother of God is called the “spiritual ladder”, the “new heaven” and the “chamber of the Heavenly King”, destined to be the receptacle of the Incontainable God. In the first word of Rev. John is focused on the joy and rejoicing of all creation on the occasion of this Christmas, seeing in it the dawn of salvation and the beginning of the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. It emphasizes the purity of Mary, chosen by God from eternity. The second word reveals how the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary prepared the way for the Incarnation and how through Her humanity regained contact with its Creator, glorifying Her as Queen and Intercessor. Come, all nations, the entire human race, every language, age and rank, let us joyfully glorify the birthday of universal joy. If the pagans - when demons secretly ensnared their minds with false fictions and obscured the truth - celebrated the birthdays of their kings with all honor, even those whose lives were often vicious, each bringing them gifts within their power; Should we not more than honor the birthday of the Mother of God, through whom the entire human race was renewed and the sorrow of the foremother Eve was changed into joy? Eve heard God’s definition: “in sickness give birth to children” (Gen. 3:16), and Mary was told: “Rejoice, full of grace!” (Luke 1:28); To that one it was said: “Your address is to your husband,” and to this one: “The Lord is with You!” But what will we bring as a gift to the Mother of the Word, besides the word? May all creation triumph and may the most sacred lettuce of sacred Anna be glorified! She gave birth to the world an inalienable treasure of good things; through Her, the Creator incarnate brought all creation to a better state. Man, placed between the spiritual and material worlds, connects with himself the entire visible creation with the invisible; so the Creator - the Word of God, united with human nature, united through Her with all creation. So, let us glorify the resolution of human infertility, because for us the barrier to bliss has collapsed. But why was the Virgin Mother born from a barren mother? Because with miracles it was necessary to prepare the way for the only news under the sun, the most important of miracles, and gradually ascend from lesser to greater. However, I also know another reason for this, much more sublime and divine, namely: nature yields to the power of grace and, overwhelmed with trepidation, stops, not daring to go further. Since the Virgin Mother of God was to be born from Anna, nature did not dare to warn the seed of Grace, but remained barren until grace produced fruit. She had to be born firstborn in order to give birth to “the Firstborn of all creation, ... in Him are all ... complete” (Col. 1:15, 17). O blessed couple, Joachim and Anna! All creation owes you gratitude. Through you, she brought to the Creator the most precious gift of all gifts - the pure Mother, the only one worthy of the Creator. O all-blessed loins of Joachim, from which came the most holy seed! O pure womb of Anna, in which the most holy fruit was quietly conceived, formed, and from which was born! O womb, which bore within itself the animate sky, the most spacious of all heavens! O land, which has brought an abundance of animal bread, as Christ Himself said: “Even though a grain of wheat falls on the earth and dies, it remains alone”! (John 12:24). O breasts that have milked the nurse of the Nourisher of the world. O wonders of wonders! Oh, the most amazing phenomenon of all! Such miracles were supposed to prepare the way for the unspeakable and condescending incarnation of God. What shall I say next? My mind goes out of itself: now fear, now pleasure occupies my soul; the heart is worried, the tongue is numb. I'm exhausted with delight; I fall before the greatness of miracles. But a strong feeling made me inspired; shut up the passion! get rid of the fear! Leap up the spirit's horse: "Let the heavens rejoice and the earth rejoice"! (Ps. 95:11). Now the barren gates are opened and the divine virgin gates appear, from which and through which - in the words of Paul, the hearer of ineffable verbs - “he who is above all is God,” clothed in flesh, enters the universe (Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:6). Now from the root of Jesse the rod has grown, from which will come the Divine color for the world. Now, out of mortal nature, He has prepared for Himself a heaven on earth, who of old wove the firmament out of the waters and spread it out in height. Truly, this sky is incomparably more divine and amazing; because the Sun of righteousness shone on him - He who established the sun in the sky. There are two natures in Him, although the Acephalians frantically arm themselves against this; one hypostasis, although the Nestorians share it. The Eternal Light from the eternal Light, originating from before the ages, immaterial and incorporeal, is incarnated from the Virgin, and like a bridegroom from the palace comes - God, who has become earth-born. He rejoices, as a giant mother-in-law is the way of our life, hastening through suffering to death, in order to bind the mighty and plunder his vessels (Matthew 12:29), i.e. to steal our nature and bring the lost sheep to heavenly pasture. Now the son of Tekton, the omnipotent Word of the One who created through Him every strong muscle of the Most High God, having sharpened the blunt ax of nature with His Spirit, as if with His finger, has built for himself an animated ladder, with the base established on the earth, and the top touching the sky itself, and on which God is established, the image of which Jacob saw, on which God, descending unchangeable, or better yet, bowing Himself, “appearing on earth and living with men” (Bar. 3:38). This descent means voluntary humiliation, residence on earth, communication of knowledge about oneself to those living on it. The spiritual ladder, that is, the Virgin, is established on earth: for She was born from the earth; Her head touched the sky: for like the head of every wife is the husband, and She did not know a husband, Her head was God and the Father, who, having overshadowed Her with the Holy Spirit, like a divine spiritual seed, sent His Son and the Word - omnipotent power. The Father deigned that not through natural communication, but from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary in a supernatural way, the Word became flesh immutably and dwelt in us; because God's communication with people occurs through the Holy Spirit. He who is able to contain, let him contain: if you have ears to hear, let him hear. Let us remove carnal concepts from ourselves. The Divine is impassive, O people! The Father, who dispassionately gave birth from the beginning by nature, again dispassionately gives birth to the same Son for the construction of the salvation of people, as David the Godfather testifies, saying: “The Lord spoke to Me: Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee” (Ps. 2:7). The word “today” cannot refer to pre-eternal birth, since it is timeless. Now the holy gates have been built on the east side, through which Christ will enter and go out, and “this gate will be closed” (Ezek. 44:1, 2), in which Christ is the door of the sheep. His name is East; through Him we have access to the Father, the source of light. Now quiet winds have blown, harbingers of worldwide joy. Let the heavens rejoice - let the mountain rejoice, and let the earth rejoice - down, and let the world sea splash in joy! in it a shell is born, which, through the highest divine radiance, will conceive in the womb and give birth to the most precious pearl - Christ. From Her the King of glory, clothed in the purple of flesh, will come out to the captives to preach liberation. May nature triumph! A Lamb is born, through which the Shepherd will become a lamb and tear apart the clothes of ancient deadness. Let virginity play! a “Virgin” was born, who - according to Isaiah - “will conceive in her womb and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14), i.e. God is with us. Know, Nestorians, and submit, for God is with us! Not a man, not an Angel, but God Himself will come and save us. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”; “God is the Lord and appear to us” (Ps. 118:26–27). Let's make a holiday in honor of the birth of the Virgin Mary. Anna rejoiced, you who were barren, who did not give birth, who did not suffer from stomach pain, cry out and cry. Rejoice Joachim: from your daughter a Son was born to us and was given to us; and His name is called the Angel of the Great Council for universal salvation, Mighty God. Let Nestorius be ashamed and let him cover his mouth with his hand! The Child is God: how could it not be the Mother of God who gave birth to Him? “Whoever does not confess the Holy Virgin as the Mother of God is an atheist.” These are not my words, although I quote them in my word: I received them, as a sacred heritage, from Father Gregory the Theologian. O most blessed and blameless couple, Joachim and Anna! By the fruit of your womb we will know you, as the Lord said nowhere: “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16). You led a life pleasing to God and worthy of the one you were born. Having lived chastely and righteously, you gave birth to the adornment of virginity: before the Nativity the Virgin, at the Nativity the Virgin, and after the Nativity the Virgin - one in mind, and in soul, and in body, ever-virgin. It was from chastity that the Virgin had to flourish, so that, by the good will of the incorporeal One who gave birth, she could bodily give birth to one only-begotten Light, not giving birth, but always being born, whose special personal property is fertility. Oh, what miracles and what a covenant this Maiden became the maker of! The generation of infertility, virginity giving birth, the union of Divinity and humanity, passion and dispassion, life and death, so that in all this the worst is defeated by the best. And this is all for my salvation, Lord! You loved me so much that You did not bring about my salvation through the Angels, nor through any other creature, but just as You created me, so You Yourself recreated me! Therefore, I play, sing, have fun, again return to the source of miracles and, carried away by delight, again I strike the spirit’s sword and sing the sacred hymn to birth. O pure pair of intelligent turtle doves - Joachim and Anna! By observing the integrity prescribed by the law of nature, you have been rewarded with something that is above the forces of nature. You gave birth to the world the inexperienced Mother of God; leading a pious and righteous life in human nature, they now gave birth to the highest daughter of the Angels, the Lady of the Angels. O most beautiful and sweetest daughter! O lily, growing among the withered stems from the noblest royal root of David! Through You the kingdom was enriched with the priesthood. Through You the law was changed and its spirit hidden under the writing was revealed, when the priestly dignity passed from the tribe of Levi to David. O rose, which blossomed from the thorns of Judea and filled everything with its divine fragrance! O daughter of Adam and Mother of God! Blessed are the loins and womb from which You came! Blessed are the hands that carried You, and the lips that enjoyed Your purest kisses - the lips of parents alone, so that You may always and in everything remain a Virgin. Now is the beginning of the salvation of the world. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, sing, rejoice and sound the trumpet! Raise your voice, raise it, don’t be afraid! for the Mother of God was born to us in the holy sheepfold, from whom it was deigned to be born the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Leap up the mountains - intelligent beings striving for the heights of spiritual contemplation! The glorious mountain of the Lord is born, surpassing every hill and every mountain in height and place - the greatness of Angels and men, from which the cornerstone, Christ, deigned to be cut off without hands in a bodily form, one hypostasis, uniting in itself various natures - Divine and human, and creating Angels and men, pagans and carnal Israel, into one spiritual Israel: “the mountain of God, a fat mountain, a strewn mountain, a fat mountain: a mountain in which God is pleased to live in It” (Ps. 67:16-17); the chariot of God in darkness is a thousand who consume divine grace, that is, Cherubim and Seraphim; the most holy top of Sinai, which is covered not by smoke, not darkness, not a storm, not a terrible fire, but the bright shine of the All-Holy Spirit. There the word of God inscribed the law on stone tablets with the Spirit, as if with his finger, but here the Word of God itself was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and virgin blood and gave itself to our nature as the most effective medicine of salvation. There is manna, here is the delight of manna. Let the magnificent tabernacle, built by Moses in the desert from precious substances of every kind, and before it the former tabernacle of the forefather Abraham, bow down; let the animated and intelligent Tabernacle of God bow down! This became not only a place of special action of God, but an essential container of the hypostatic Son and God. May the ark, gilded on every side, and the golden frame that bears manna, and the lamp, and the table, and everything ancient, recognize its insignificance before Her! All this was only important because it represented the spiritual tabernacle, since it was a shadow of the true prototype. Now the all-active God the Word, who came from the bosom of the Father, compiled a new scroll, written by the Spirit - the language of God, as if with a reed. It was given to a man who knew the letters, but this one did not understand it: that is, Joseph did not know either Mary or the power of the sacrament itself. O most sacred daughter of Joachim and Anna, sheltered from the authorities and forces and the kindled arrows of the evil one, who lived in the palace of the Spirit and was kept immaculate as the bride of God and by nature the Mother of God! O most sacred daughter, still at rest in her mother’s arms, but terrible for the powers that have fallen away! O most sacred daughter, nourished by mother’s milk and surrounded by angels! O God-loving daughter, glory to the parents! All your people will please you, as You truly said about Yourself (Luke 1:48). O daughter, worthy of God, adornment of human nature and correction of foremother Eve! Through your childbearing she rose from her fall. O all-holy daughter, adornment of women! Although Eve became the first criminal, and through her, who served as the instrument of the fall of the progenitor for the serpent, death entered the world; but Mary, submissive to the will of God, herself tempted the deceiving serpent and introduced immortality into the world. O ever-virgin daughter, who conceived without a husband, since the one carried in Your womb has an eternal Father! O earthly daughter, who bore the Creator in the Mother of God’s embrace! For centuries they competed to see who would get the glory of Your birth; but the predestined counsel of God, the Creator of the ages, overcame this struggle of the ages, and the last became the first, blessed by Thy birth. Truly, You have become more honest than all creatures: from You alone the Creator took a part - the foundation of our nature; His flesh is from Your flesh, and His blood is from Your blood; God fed on the milk of Your breasts, and Your mouth kissed the mouth of God. O incomprehensible and unspeakable miracles! The God of all, having foreknew Your dignity, loved You, having loved He ordained and in the last times fulfilled what was predetermined, making You the Mother of God, the Mother and Nourisher of His Son and Word. It is rightly said that the opposite serves as a cure for the opposite; but it cannot be said that the opposite comes from the opposite, although each thing contains within itself something that is, as it were, contrary to its property, from the excess of that from which it came. For example, how sin, which through a good cause caused my death, in this way became extremely destructive (Rom. 7:8); Thus, the author of all good (God), as if through the opposite, arranged what was done for our salvation. “Where sin abounds, grace abounds” (Rom. 5:20). If we had preserved the first union with God, we would not have been worthy of the best and most excellent; and now, although due to sin, they became unworthy of their former communion with Him, not preserving what they received, but by the mercy of God they were pardoned and were again accepted into such communion with Him, which no one is able to dissolve, since the one who accepted us is able to keep it inseparable. There was a time when the earth was in deep corruption and the people of God, carried away by the spirit of temptation, left the Lord their God - the One who acquired it for Himself with a strong hand and a high arm, brought it out of the house of slavery of Pharaoh in signs and wonders, led it through the Red Sea and guided it on its way in a cloud during the day and all night in the light of fire; when Israel turned their hearts to Egypt, and thus the people of the Lord became not the people of the Lord, those who had shown mercy were not shown mercy, those who were loved were not loved. Therefore, now the Virgin is born, alien to ancestral corruption, betrothed to God Himself, gives birth to the mercy of God, and not the people of God become the people of God, the unmerciful receives mercy, the unloved becomes beloved - because from Her the beloved Son of God is born, in whom is all the favor of God. The fruitful vine withered away from Anna, and the sweetest grapes ripened, pouring out sweet drink to the earthly ones into eternal life. Joachim and Anna sowed in truth and reaped the fruit of life; They lit the lamp of knowledge for themselves and sought the Lord, and the vegetation of righteousness appeared to them. Rejoice, O land, and the children of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God! The desert flourished; the barren woman brought forth her fruit. Joachim and Anna, like smart mountains, dug for the sweetness. Rejoice, most blessed Anna, that you have given birth to a daughter: this daughter is the Mother of God, the daughter of light, the source of life, the deliverance of wives from condemnation. The rich of the people will plead with this daughter (Ps. 44:13), the kings of the nations will come with gifts and worship Her. You will bring this daughter to the All-Tsar - God, clothed in the splendor of virtues, like a garment of gold and adorned with the grace of the Spirit. Glory is within. The glory of every other wife is the husband who comes from without; but the glory of Our Lady is within; this is the fruit of Her womb. O beloved and blessed daughter! Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb! O virgin, daughter of King David and Mother of the All-King God! O Divine animated image, upon which the Creator God looks with favor; for She has a mind governed by God and directed towards God alone; all desire is directed towards the One worthy of desire and love; hatred is only for sin and the culprit. You will have a life better than the natural life, you will have it not only for yourself, because you were not only born for yourself. You will live for God, whom you entered into life by grace to serve the salvation of the whole world, so that through You the ancient advice of God about the incarnation of the Word and our deification will be fulfilled. Your heart will delight in the word of God and drink from it, like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, like a tree planted at the springs of the waters of the Spirit, like a tree of life that will give its fruit at the predetermined time, that is, God incarnate, the eternal life of all. All Her thoughts are beneficial to the soul, free from everything superfluous, moving away from everything destructive to the soul; Her eyes are always directed towards the Lord, contemplating the eternal and unapproachable light; the ears through which the incarnate Word entered are tuned to listen to the word of God, delighting in the sweet-voiced sapling of the Spirit; the nostrils smell the fragrance of the ointment of the Bridegroom, who is the Divine ointment, freely poured out and anointing his humanity: for “thy name is poured out with ointment,” says the Holy Scripture (Song. 1, 2); lips will praise the Lord and kiss His lips; the tongue and larynx reason about the word of God and pour out divine sweetness; the heart is pure and immaculate, seeing and desiring the purest God; the womb in which the Incontainable One lived, and the breasts that fed the infant God Jesus with milk; the ever-virgin door of God; the hands that carried God, and the knees - a throne higher than the Cherubim, with which the weak hands and weak knees were strong; feet governed by the law of God, like a lamp of light, and steadily following it until they lead the beloved to the loving one. Everything is the palace of the Spirit; the whole is the city of the living God, which is rejoiced by the aspirations of the river, that is, the streams of grace of the Holy Spirit; all is good; everything is near God: because having ascended above the Cherubim and being exalted above the Seraphim, She approached God. O miracle above all miracles! The wife became higher than the Seraphim, because God appeared less than less than the Angels. Let the wise Solomon be silent, and let him not say that there is nothing new under the sun! O God-blessed Virgin, holy church of God, which was built and in which the spiritual Solomon, the Chief of the world, moved; a church adorned not with gold and soulless stones, but instead of gold shining with the Spirit, instead of precious stones having a pearl of great value - Christ, the coal of the Divinity! Beg Him to touch our lips, so that we, having been cleansed, will sing to Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of hosts, one Godhead in three persons! Holy is God and the Father, who deigned in You and from You to fulfill the sacrament that was predestined before the ages. Holy is the Mighty One, the Son of God and the Only Begotten God, who has now brought You forth from a barren Mother, so that He Himself, the Only Begotten of the Father and the First Begotten of all creation, may also be born the Only Begotten of You, the Virgin Mother, and the First Begotten of many brethren, like us having partaken of You in flesh and blood. But He did not produce You from one father or one mother, so that perfect only-begottenness would be a special property of one only-begotten; for He alone is the only begotten from the one Father and the only begotten from the one Mother. Holy is the Immortal, all-holy Spirit, who by the dew of His Divinity preserved You unharmed from the divine fire - as the bush of Moses symbolized. Rejoice, sheep font (Bethesda), most sacred church of the Mother of God! Rejoice, sheep font, ancestral dwelling of the Queen! Rejoice, sheep font - the ancient gathering of the sheep of Joachim, and now the heavenly Church of the verbal flock of Christ, which anciently once a year received the Angel of God, who disturbed the water, and only returned one sick person from illness to health, and now contains a whole host of heavenly powers, praising with us the Mother of God, the abyss of miracles, the source of universal healing. She received not a service Angel, but an Angel of the Great Council, who descended like blessed rain on a fleece, without noise, and returned all the suffering, tending towards decay, nature to unharmed health and ageless life. By His power, the weakened man lying in You jumped up like a tree. Rejoice, honest sheep font, may Your grace increase! Hail Mary, sweetest daughter of Anna! (love again draws me to You). With what words will I describe Your majestic step, Your clothing, the beauty of Your face, Your mature mind in an infant body? The clothes are modest, alien to luxury and bliss; the gait is important, calm, firm; a sedate disposition, not alien to gaiety, but unapproachable for men: witness the fear that greeted You at the unexpected greeting of an Angel. Quiet and submissive to her parents. The thought is humble, but immersed in higher contemplation. The speech is pleasant, flowing from a kind heart. What can we call You if not a dwelling worthy of God? All generations worthily please You, as the chosen adornment of humanity. You are the glory of the priests, the hope of Christians, the prolific branch of virginity: from You its color has developed everywhere. Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb! Those who confess You as the Mother of God are blessed, those who do not confess You are cursed! O sacred couple, Joachim and Anna! Accept my word in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. O daughter of Joachim and Anna, Lady! Accept a word from a sinful servant, but filled with fiery love and You alone have acquired joyful hope, the intercessor of life, the intercessor of Your Son and the undoubted guarantee of salvation. Remove the heavy burden of sins from me; dispel the dark cloud that surrounds my mind; soften the earthly roughness in me; stop temptations; manage your life happily; guide you to heavenly bliss. Grant peace to the world and to all the Orthodox inhabitants of this city, perfect joy and eternal salvation, through the prayers of Your parents and the entire Church. Wake up, wake up. Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You! Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb - Jesus Christ the Son of God! To him be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit to the endless ages of ages. Amen. Now creation brightly celebrates, accepting the new heaven - the Virgin. The Virgin was born on earth - the animated palace of the King of Heaven. The Young Lady was born, shining brighter than the rays of the sun. From the barren rose the Child, the most sacred church of virginity. Who doesn't hurry to the holiday? Who wouldn't bring holiday gifts pleasing to the Virgin? The best gift for those who lead a virgin life is chastity, for spouses - continence, for the rich - generosity, for the poor - gratitude, for rulers - meekness, for kings - justice, for priests - reverence, for everyone justice in everything. And when such gifts are brought and celebration is associated with them; then come - let us leap for joy, sing songs of thanksgiving, together with David, “let us rejoice in the Lord, let us shout to God our Savior” (Psalm 94:1). A church has been built for the Creator of all to receive Him; A hospitable home has been prepared for the Creator-Word; for the Sun of truth a bright cloud is spread; for the one who dresses the sky with clouds, the basis of the woven garment is made; the one who connects with the times of time and summer is shown the bridal chamber. Rejoice, virgins, for today is the birthday of the Virgin. Leap, mothers, for the Virgin is the fruit of the mother. Barren wives, be complacent, looking at the One who was previously barren, and then gave birth to the divine Child. And let the young women not cease to rejoice, celebrating the birth of She who alone is the crown and queen of the young women. “Blow the trumpet on the hills, shout on the high places, preach in Jerusalem,” as we are commanded through Hosea (Hosea 5:8). May David the Godfather rejoice; may Isaiah, the chief among the prophets, rejoice; the first, because from his loins, in accordance with the oath, comes the Queen, from whom God promised to place his fruit on his throne (Psalm 131:11); the latter - because his prophecy was fulfilled: “a rod will come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will arise from its root” (Is. 11: 1). The Virgin is the rod from which came the eternal color - the unartificed Christ. But why do I order this or that to rejoice, and do not express joy in a short word? “Let the heavens above rejoice, and let the clouds sprinkle righteousness; let the earth vegetate, and let mercy spring up, and let righteousness vegetate together” (Is. 45:8). Why? Because the tabernacle appeared to the God of Jacob; because the holy place is shown to the all-holy Word. Let Jacob, the most glorious of the patriarchs, exclaim: “How terrible is this place: this is not, but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:17). O ineffable events! Oh wonderful things! What does this new news mean? What does this amazing and ineffable parable mean? If “heaven and heaven do not suffice for You” (1 Kings 8:27), as Scripture says: then what earthly dwelling will be sufficient for God? “I will not fill the heavens and the earth with food, says the Lord” (Jer. 23:24). And where is there a place that can embrace such a great Being, exceeding any concept of capacity, since the infinite does not lie in quantity? “Heaven is My throne,” says the Lord, “and earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). What kind of house can be built for the inquirer (God)? Or what place could be found for His rest? But it was found and appeared. How, or in what way? This is the question. Wait not long, beloved, and you will receive the desired permission. When God, in His infinite goodness, wanted to bring man from non-existence into existence, then first the sky was spread out, the earth was established, the sea was contained within its limits, and everything that was needed to fill the earth and sea was brought into perfect order. Then the person, like a king, is placed in paradise to practice virtue. And if he had not violated the commandments, he would not have been expelled from a place convenient for the continuation of life. Having no need for clothing, if he had not opposed God's intentions, he would not have descended into a state subject to very many imperfections, so that instead of one God, he worshiped many gods. So, when all people - I will say briefly - were subjected to corruption, then the merciful God, not wanting the creation of His hands to be destroyed, creates another new heaven, earth and sea, in which the Incontainable One deigned to be contained for the re-creation of the human race. This is the blessed and glorious Virgin. Oh miracle! She is the sky, because the sun of truth emerges from impregnable treasures. She is earth, because from the undefiled loins of incorruption she sprouts the class of life. She is the sea, because from Her depths She wears out a spiritual pearl. So, a new creation of the Incomprehensible has already appeared; The royal palace of the All-Tsar has been prepared; a reasonable dwelling for the Inconceivable has been arranged. How majestic this world is! How worthy of wonder is creation, adorned with the growths of virtues, fragrant with the flowers of purity, shining with the rays of contemplation, having in abundance all other blessings; in short, it is worthy for God to dwell among people. True, the first world is quite amazing. “When the stars were created,” says the Lord, “all My angels praised Me with a great voice” (Job 38:7), and they sang. But nothing is as befitting of God as the blessed and wonderful Virgin. To verify the truth of this, listen to what the long-suffering Job says: the sky is not pure, and the stars are not blameless before God. But what is purer than Virgo? What is more pure than Her? God, the highest and purest light, loved her so much that through the invasion of the Holy Spirit he essentially united with Her and was born from Her as a perfect man, without changing or mixing his properties. Oh miracle! The most loving One was not ashamed to make His servant His Mother. O condescension! The Most Good One did not deny being born from His creation, having loved the One who is more beautiful than any creature, choosing the One whose dignity surpasses the heavenly powers. About Her, the wonderful Zechariah says: “Be proud and rejoice, daughters of Zion; I will come from behind, and will dwell in your midst, says the Lord” (Zechariah 2:10). About Her, as I think, the most blessed Joel exclaims: “Be of good cheer, O earth, rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has magnified what He has done for you” (Joel 2:21). It is the land on which the most sacred Moses received the command to throw off the shoes of the law (Ex. 3:5), which was the shadow of the grace that replaced it. She is the earth on which the Spirit founded according to the flesh He who founded “the earth upon its firmament” (Psalm 103:5). She is the earth that has not received seed and feeds with its fruits the One who gives food to everyone. She is the land on which the thorns of sin did not grow; on the contrary, through the plant that came from her, it was completely uprooted. It is not the land that was previously cursed, and whose fruits are filled with thorns and thistles, but the one on which the blessing of the Lord is, and on which “the fruit of the womb is blessed,” as the Holy Scripture says (Luke 1:42). Now let's see where the always living branch of virginity directly came from: who is Her father and who is her mother. This is Joachim and Anna, the glorious and all-honorable couple of the Word, a union that is more sacred than all marriages; because if the branch surpasses everything, then will not the root be very similar to it? However, the plant, which has good roots, is so majestic and beautiful, was barren. The purest source, but not pouring out a stream: the disaster is grave, the circumstances are deplorable and sorrowful. What then? “The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and delivered them from all their sorrows” (Psalm 33:18). So from afar, David, inspired, depicted this. “You have called,” he says, “the righteous.” It seems to me that this couple represented the face of all humanity. Therefore, they saw humanity as alien to the knowledge of God, they saw the world as widowed due to unbelief, since - in the words of the Psalmist - “everything has turned aside, and has become without keys” (Psalm 13:3). Sad disorder, sad barrenness! “Called the righteous,” that is, in your own garden. Why? Because sad sin arose from the garden, and there the God of all said to the foremother: “I will multiply your sorrows and your sighs: in sickness give birth to children; and your address is to your husband” (Gen. 3:16). What were they crying out for? About the fruit of the womb, that is, they asked for the fruitfulness of the knowledge of God and probably prayed like this: “Adonai, Lord God of hosts! You know the reproach of childlessness, you know the sorrow of barrenness. If You mercifully look upon the humility of Your servants and give Your servants a child, then we will bring him as a gift to You.” The Lord, quick to mercy and slow to anger, heard them, giving them the name Mary, such a glorious and great price for the redemption of Eve: The daughter became the mother’s medicine. Here is the new, the earth of divine re-creation, the all-holy firstfruits of our race, the root of the branch proclaimed by God, the joy of the progenitor! O good deed! O generosity! Isn’t it true that the sun itself shines more radiantly now, as if feeling great joy? All creation, as it were, exalts itself, in the hope of liberation from corruption, at the birth of She who will without seed conceive the Liberator of the world. Look at what follows. Listen carefully, beloved, and do not be lazy to explore. “Make milk,” says Scripture, “and there will be oil” (Proverbs 30:33). The place of prayer of the righteous (Joachim and Anna) is favorable. Having prayed in the garden, they gave birth to a much more blessed garden. There the whispering serpent easily seduced Eve; here Gabriel the Archangel, who announced the joyful event to Mary, although he confused her, did not seduce her. There, the obedience rendered to the serpent acquired a sad death; here, on the contrary, the words of the Angel brought people an always joyful life. There is a sad definition for one who gives birth after disobedience; here is the invasion of the Holy Spirit, joyful for She who, according to the prophetic words, escaped serious illnesses (birth). What a change of affairs! What news of events! “Ancient past” and – I must say – “it was all new” (2 Cor. 5:17). A real bright celebration, according to the most accurate study of it, serves as the beginning of the economy and the coming of God to people. You have, beloved, the solution to the question. You received the promised debt. Say the words of Isaiah with Isaiah: “O Lord my God, I will glorify You, I will sing praise to Your name, for You have done wonderful works, ancient true counsel” (Isaiah 25:1). Soon you will see the Blessed One entering the Holy of Holies. since She is already dedicated to the Most Holy God, - then in the womb of the Inconceivable One. Oh miracle! in a small body dwells He who contains a handful of everything. How can you, an opponent of Christ, call Him indescribable (I’m deviating a little from the subject)? “Because although He, you say, is similar to us, He is higher than us.” But so what? Difference and dissimilarity, not in human appearance, but in Divine nature. So, for example, according to humanity He fed on the milk of his mother’s breasts, but according to Divinity he brought life to the Mother. Like us, he spoke in an articulate voice, but, being above us, he commanded with divine power - and miracles happened. Like us he walked on earth, but, being taller than us, he also walked on the sea. Crucified in flesh on the cross, like us; but, being above us, he drove out hostile forces with the cross. One belongs to limited nature, since it is like us; and the other is unlimited, which is above us. Neither of the two natures, with a significant connection, destroyed the natural properties of the other, but each of them remained within its own limits. And you, being afraid to describe or depict (for this is the same thing), confuse the natures with the acephalites, and reject the economy with the Manichaeans. Your madness would be less (I will tell the truth) if you adhered to the teachings of the Jews than when you, calling yourself a Christian, rebel against Christ: he, not accepting the incarnation of God, does not portray Him and acts in accordance with himself; and when you, accepting the incarnation, do not depict, then you act inconsistently with yourself and become ridiculous to the Jew himself (I’m not even talking about dishonor). But it’s enough to talk to these people; we have gathered not to define dogma, but to celebrate. Having made a brief greeting to the Virgin, and mainly with those names that are given to Her in the Holy Scriptures, we will finish our humble speech. Hail Mary, or better Μυρία (limitless), according to the limitless greatness of glory. Even if someone attributed countless praises to You, they would not praise You worthily. Rejoice, Lady, as the Mother who has received the dominion of the Lord of all. Whoever says that everything serves You will not deviate from the truth. Rejoice, myrrh of the sea, who in the salt stream of life bears flesh dead to sin; From You comes the One who is sweetness and all desire and who says in the Songs: “The volumes of myrrh are filled with Your aromas” (Song. 5, 1). Rejoice, bush, miraculously engulfed in fire, inaccessible to sin (just as the bush that appeared to Moses was inviolable), and by His divine birth made heaven approachable to earth-born. Rejoice, O Ark, God-built dwelling, ruler of the newly created world, from whom comes Christ - the new Noah, filling the upper world with incorruption. Rejoice Rod, God-planted plant, one of all child-bearing virgins, the seedless flower of the God of all and the Highest Priest. Rejoice, stamna, golden vessel, separated from every vessel; from You the whole world receives manna - the bread of life, baked by the fire of the Divine. Rejoice Tabernacle, heaven of the Divine, surpassing the structure of the visible heaven; Through You, God personally spoke with people, and eternal cleansing came into the world. Rejoice, censer, golden vessel; You carry divine coal within you, and from You the fragrance of the Spirit has flowed, expelling fetid corruption from the world. Rejoice, meal, a mixture offered by God, a communion filled with all the benefits of virtues for the One who says in the Songs: You are “a cup that is worn out, not deprived of vengeance” (Song. 7:3). Rejoice, church, the cleanly built house of the Lord, about which David says: “Your church is holy, wondrous in righteousness” (Psalm 64:5-6), from which Christ, having built a church for Himself, that is, a body, made mortals churches of the living God. Rejoice, sanctification, God-poured fountain, filled with all holiness, from which came the Holy of Holies, cleansing the world from filth. Rejoice, place of the Lord, a land traversed by God, which incarnated Him who, according to Divinity, is not limited to any place; through You the simple became complex, the eternal became temporary, the indescribable became described. Rejoice, the house of God, shining with divine beauties, with an inherent threshold of purity; You are filled with the glory of the Lord, and you are brighter in spirit than the fiery Seraphim. Rejoice Virgin - the gate facing the east, from which came the east of life for people, reducing the west of death: a bush traversed by God, bearing the keys of virginity. Rejoice heaven - a dwelling that is more glorious than the place surrounding the world; You shine with the light of virtues, like stars; from You the Sun of righteousness has risen, making a day of salvation for people and knowing no west. Rejoice, throne exalted in glory, animated seat; You yourself represent the seat of God and provide God with better peace than rational powers. Rejoice Cherub - fiery mind; You are filled with divine thoughts, like eyes, and you attract great gifts of grace to You; Through You the non-evening light passes to people. Rejoice, husbandless Mother, alone among mothers is the pure Mother and together the Virgin - the newest miracle of all miracles. Rejoice, Virgin, who gave birth to the Son - one childbearing virgin among virgins, the Virgin and together the Mother - a miracle, the most amazing of all miracles. Rejoice, the royal seal, the King of all creation incarnate from You, imprinting in a body similar to Yours: for as is she who gives birth, such, of course, is what is born. Rejoice, the book is sealed, alien to all vain thoughts; through You the Lord of the God-given law, by Himself, is known virginally. Rejoice, the scroll of the new sacrament, completely new in incorruption, in which the Word, having no form, was depicted in human writing, that is, incarnate, becoming like us in everything except sin. Rejoice, the sealed fountain, the spring of incorruption, which poured out Christ, the source of life, while the seals of virginity remained intact; By receiving His communion we have received immortality, and we again enter the ageless paradise. Rejoice, enclosed helicity, fruitfulness incomprehensible to virgins; Your fragrance is like the fragrance of an entire field, blessed by the Lord who came from You. Rejoice, unfading rose, endlessly fragrant, which the Lord, having smelled, rested and through which, having blossomed, He destroyed the smell of the world. Rejoice, sweet apple, fruit born from a barren woman and having divine beauty; You say in the Songs: “Put me in the apple shop, for I am wounded by love” (Song. 2:5). Having taken the fruit of Your purity, Christ prepared an incense that was imperceptible to the world. Rejoice at the krin from which the born Jesus clothes the krin of the field: the fragrant flower garden of the spirit, from which Christ without seeds put on unspun clothing, superior to Solomon’s clothing. Rejoice, the color, which in the beauty of all virtues is superior to any variety of flowers; From You comes a flower like You, on which the seven spirits rest, as Scripture says (Is. 11:1-2). Rejoice, the spikenard flowing and watering the fragrant flowers of purity, the evaporation of which serves as a pleasant smell for the One who says in the Songs: “My spikenard has given its stench” (Song. 1, 11). Rejoice at the stakta (myrtle balm), from the virgin balm you poured out the stakta of sanctification, or milk, to Christ, and sing in the Songs: “Knitting the stakta of my beloved will be established in the midst of my breast” (Song. 1, 12). Rejoice kinnamon (cinnamon), coming from the spiritual paradise, the fragrant color of purity, the smell of which is pleasant to Him who says in the Songs: “Your summer plants are a garden of thorns with apple fruit; reed and cinnamon with all the trees of Lebanon” (Song 4:13). Rejoice, daughter, dedicated to God, the Maiden, for whom purity is desired and beauty is amazing for Him who said in the Songs: “Why are your feet adorned in your shoes, daughter of Pressure? Your belly is like a stack of wheat, fenced in with grains” (Song. 7:1-3). Rejoice, sister, named after our beautiful brother and most beloved to him, as He says in the Songs: “Thou hast attracted our heart, my sister, my bride; thou hast attracted our heart” (Song. 4:9). Rejoice, bride, whose guarantor is the Holy Spirit, and the groom is Christ, who says in the Songs: “You are all good, my neighbor, and there is no vice in you. Come from Lebanon, bride” (Song 4:7–8). Rejoice in myrrh, priceless composition of virtues; You are fragrant with all purity, from You came the Lord, who bears the same name as You (for it is revealed: “Thy name poured out with ointment” (Song. 1:2): the royal priesthood is anointed with it. Rejoice, censer, place of prayer offered up before the Lord for the whole world; You are filled with the fragrance of the Spirit; about You someone exclaimed in surprise: “Who is this rising from the wilderness, like a stalk of incense smoke? (Song. 3, 6). Rejoice, pure gold, tested by the fire of the Spirit and not having any uncleanness of evil, from which the lamp was made, and the table, and everything that according to the law was made of gold, in an allegorical meaning is applied to You, who has gold and many names. Rejoice, tree that does not rot; You did not allow the worm of sin to decay, and from You a spiritual altar was built to God, made not from trees that do not rot, but from a pure womb. Rejoice, royal purple! From Your virgin blood You have woven a purple robe for Him who says in the Songs: “The braiding of Your head is like scarlet. Why have you been adorned and why have you been delighted” ( Song 7:5–6 )? Rejoice, fine linen; You hid sublime, divine thoughts in Your mind and did not open the entrance to nasty seductions. “How will this happen,” You said, “I don’t know where I have a husband” (Luke 1:34)? Through You, a purple and gold robe has been prepared for the Priest of the highest powers. Rejoice hyacinth, wave of virginity, having a fiery appearance; God has mysteriously made a garment of flesh out of You. Rejoice, light cloud; You make earthly and heavy things light, like an airy tabernacle, and You contain the bread of life, as in an altar; The Lord rests on You, as Isaiah foretold (Is. 11:1-3). Rejoice, immaculate, inviolable adornment of virginity; You gave birth to the immaculate Word and from You virginity arose. Rejoice, pure one; You alone can boast that you have a pure heart; a mountain truly pleasing to God, from which the new Israel is cleansed better and more firmly than the ancient. Rejoice, unmade, like mothers, abounding in milk to nourish the Child, from whom He who nourishes all draws virgin milk. Rejoice, undefiled, alone worthy of God to dwell in You and having divine dignity by Your birth; therefore all the heavenly powers bow down to You. Hail fleece, symbol of Gideon's victory; Eternal dew figuratively flowed from You - He who himself says: “Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Rejoice, place of God, who has contained in the womb the One who cannot contain everything, who contains everything in a handful even when it is in Your hands. And even if this is expressed in words, it is not clear; even if it is understood, it is inexplicable. Rejoice, Mother of God, one servant of her own Son, and, moreover, by nature; after You there is no virgin mother, when blessed virginity has reached its former incorruption, which was in paradise. Rejoice, thou who has accepted God, light-like element of divine infinity; Your small womb embraces the Infinite One, who embraces all ends with Himself. Rejoice, Mother of God in the proper and true sense, the awe-inspiring union of people with God; through You the heavenly is united with the earthly, the human with God, the divine with man. Rejoice, the palace, adorned with virgin gifts for the One who says in the Songs: “I came down into My heirloom, My sister bride” (Song. 5, 1). His union with the flesh is spoken of in the following words: “Come out and see in King Solomon, in the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his betrothal and on the day of the joy of his heart” (Song 3:11). Rejoice, lamb, barren for marriage and who gave birth from Divine conception; from You came “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Rejoice, bright cloud, prayerfully overshadowing the new Israel in the desert of life; Grace-filled decrees have been heard from You; From You the Sun of Truth has risen, illuminating everything with the rays of incorruption. Rejoice, lamp, golden and solid vessel of virginity; the light of this lamp is the grace of the Spirit, and the oil is the holy body, borrowed from pure flesh: from here comes the non-evening light - Christ; You have shone with eternal life on those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. Rejoice, Blessed One; You - both in your deed and in name - are more desirable than any joy; from You Christ came into the world - unceasing joy, a cure for Adam’s sorrow. Rejoice, paradise, a place more blessed than Eden: in this paradise every plant of virtue grew green again and the tree of life appeared; By partaking of it, we return to our former life, while the flaming weapon “gives splashes,” as it is written. Rejoice, “the city of the great King” (Ps. 43:7) - I will say in the words of David - in which the Kingdom of heaven is opened and the earthly ones, written among the citizens, rejoice; in which are heard great and amazing stories for all tongues and minds, in Christ Jesus, who through You had mercy on me; for which I, poor and foolish, had to glorify Your countless perfections. To Him belongs all glory and honor and worship - with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Word for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. John of Damascus, placed in Christ. Thurs. 1828 Part XXXI, pp. 227–249, revised and corrected from the Greek text. It is the first among the Words of St. father for this holiday. Curs. Compl. Patrologiae, edit. Migne, Paris, vol. XCVI. col. 661–680. You might be interested in: