THE GREAT FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION: “TODAY IS THE CROWN OF OUR SALVATION…” Part II

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

The Great Feast of the Annunciation: "Today is the crown of our salvation…"
[Part II]

The Archangel Gabriel called the Panagia "full of grace." He said to her "Rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women" [Luke 1:28-29]. The Panagia is called "full of grace" and is characterized as "Blessed" because God is with her. According to Saint Gregory Palamas, as well as other holy Fathers, the Panagia had already been full of grace before the day of the Annunciation. Living in the Holy of Holies of the Temple, she had reached the Holy of Holies of the spiritual life, which is THEOSIS (DEIFICATION). It is well known that in the Christian era the Narthex was intended for the catechumens and the impure, the Temple proper for the illuminated, the members of the Church, and the Holy of Holies for those who HAD ATTAINED THEOSIS.

Thus the Panagia was already deified before she received the visit of the Archangel. She had used a special method for knowing God and communing with Him, as Saint Gregory Palamas interprets in a wonderful and inspired way: it is hesychia, the hesychastic way. The Panagia understood that one can reach God NOT by logic, sensation, imagination and human fame, but THROUGH ONE’S ‘NOUS’, WHICH IS SOMETIMES CALLED THE EYE OF THE HEART. Thus the silenced all the powers of her soul which derive from sensation, and through noetic prayer she activated her nous. In this way she reached ILLUMINATION AND THEOSIS (Deification), and she therefore was granted to become the Mother of Christ, to give her flesh to Christ. She had not only virtues but THE DEIFYING GRACE OF GOD.

The Panagia (the Mother of God) had the fullness of the grace of God, in comparison with other people. To be sure, Christ, as the Logos/Word of God, has the whole fullness of the graces, the Panagia received the fullness of grace from the fullness of the graces of her Son. She is lower than Christ because Christ has grace BY NATURE, while the Panagia has it BY PARTICIPATION, but she is higher than other people. The Panagia had the fullness of grace from the fullness of the graces of her Son BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE CONCEPTION. Before the conception the fullness of grace was perfect, during the conception it was more perfect, and after the conception it was most perfect.

The Panagia (Mother of God) was born with the ANCESTRAL ("original") sin, she had all the consequences of decay and death in her body. When she entered the Holy of Holies she had attained theosis (deification). But this theosis (deification) was not enough to rid her of those consequences which meant corruption and death, just because the Divine Nature had not been united with the Human Nature in the Person of the Logos/Word. Thus it was at the moment when by the power of the Holy Spirit the Divine Nature was united with the Human Nature in the womb of the Panagia that the Panagia first tasted her RELEASE FROM THE CO-CALLED ANCESTRAL SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. Furthermore, at that moment there took place what Adam and Eve had failed to do in their FREE PERSONAL STRUGGLE.

On the day of the Annunciation w have DIRECT CONCEPTION OF CHRIST BY THE POWER AND ENERGY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. In one theotokion hymn we chant: "As Gabriel proclaimed unto thee, O Virgin: "Rejoice! with that cry did the Lord of all become incarnate." This means that it did not take several hours, and days for the conception to take place, but that it happened at that very moment. The Archangel Gabriel said to Joseph, the betrothed of the Holy Theotokos: "Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" [Matthew 1:20]. The Panagia gave birth to Christ AS MAN, but the conception was of the Holy Spirit…

"This UNION of the DIVINE and HUMAN Nature in the hypostasis of the Logos/Word within the womb of the Theotokos constitutes THE IMMEDIATE DEIFICATION (THEOSIS) OF THE HUMAN NATURE. Saint John of Damaskos says characteristically: "NO SOONER FLESH THAN FLESH OF THE LOGOS/WORD OF GOD." This means that no time intervened between the conception and the deification (theosis) of the HUMAN ADDITION, BUT IT HAPPENED AT THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION…Therefore the Panagia is called THEOTOKOS (BIRTH-GIVER OF GOD) and NOT Christotokos (BIRTH-GIVER OF CHRIST). The CHRISTOLOGICAL DOCTRINE also affects the THEOTOKOLOGY. The Panagia IS THEOTOKOS precisely because she conceived Christ BY THE HOLY SPIIRT.

This must be emphasized because in the early time HERETICAL TEACHINGS caused a great theological discussion about whether the Panagia should be called Theotokos. But in the Third Ecumenical Council there was FINAL VALIDATION of the teaching THAT THE PANAGIA GAVE BIRTH TO GOD, AND THAT THE DEIFICATION (THEOSIS) TOOK PLACE AT THE MOMENT WHEN HE ASSUMED HER HUMAN NATURE.

CHRIST IS GODMAN, PERFECT GOD AND PERFECT MAN, and each nature acted "IN COMMUNION WITH THE OTHER" in the Person of the Logos/Word… Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, speaking of the Annunciation, also goes on to personal and existential approach to this event. For it is not enough just to celebrate the events of the Divine Incarnation outwardly, but we need to approach them existentially and spiritually. For this reason he collected many passages from Saints which speak of this existential approach.

This saying of the Prophet Isaiah is characteristic: "In fear of Thee, Lord, we were with child, we suffered pain, we have given birth. We have brought forth a spirit of salvation upon the earth" [Isaiah 26:17-18]. According to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, THE WORD OF GOD IS A SEED, THE NOUS AND THE HEART OF MAN IS A WOMB. TRHOUGH FAITH THE WORD OF GOD IS SOWN IN THE HEART OF MAN AND IMPREGNATES IT WITH THE FEAR OF GOD, THE FEAR LEST MAN REMAIN FAR FROM GOD. With this fear the struggle to purify the heart and acquire VIRTUES begins, which is like the labour and pains of childbirth. In this way the spirit of salvation is born, which is deification (theosis) and sanctification.

According to the Holy Fathers of the Church [Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Maximos the Confessor, Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Saint Niketas Stethatos, etc.] what happened physically in the Panagia happens SPIRITUALLY IN EVERYONE WHOSE SOUL IS LIVINIG IN VIRGINITY, THAT IS TO SAY, IS PURIFIED OF PASSIONS. Christ, Who was once born in the flesh, always wants to be born in the spirit in those who wish it, and so He becomes an infant, forming Himself in them through the virtues.

The Annunciation to the Theotokoks is AN ANNUNCIATION TO THE HUMAN RACE, INFORMATION THAT THE Son and Logos/Word of God has become INCARNATE (TAKEN ON FLESH). This universal feast should contribute to our PRESONAL FEAST, OUR PERSONAL ANNUNCIATION. WE must accept the preface to our salvation, which is the great piece of news in our life. [Source: The Twelve Feasts of the Lord by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos HIEROTHEOS]

THE LENTEN PRAYER OF SAINT EPHRAIM

Lord and Master of my life, cast away
from me the spirit of laziness, idle
curiosity, lover of power and vain talk.

But grant me, Your servant, the spirit of
moderation, humility, patience and love.

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my
own faults and not to judge my brothers
and sisters.

For You are Blessed forever. Amen.

______________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George