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.
On the 25th of March, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the ANNUNCIATION OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY, THE THEOTOKOS
AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Fourth Tone
TODAY is the fountainhead of our salvation and the manifestation of
the mystery which was from eternity. The Son of God becometh the
Virgin’s Son, and Gabriel announced the good tidings of grace; for
this cause, let us cry to the Mother of God with him: Rejoice, thou
who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Kontakion Hymn. Plagal of Fourth Tone
WHEN the bodiless one learned the secret command, in haste he
came and stood before Joseph’s dwelling, and spake unto the
Maiden who knew not wedlock: The One Who hath bowed the
Heavens by His descent is held and contained unchanging wholly
in thee. Seeing HIm receiving the form of a servant in thy womb,
I stand in awe and cry to thee: Rejoice, thou Bride unwedded.
The Annunciation ( Gr. Evaggelismos) is the Great Mystery of the Incarnation of God the Logos/Word. It’s one of hte sublime feasts of the Mother of God (Theotokos) celebrated by the Holy Orthodox Church. The narrative we are about to read are about the most important events in world history, THE INCARNATION OF THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD. Saint Photios (810-895 A.D.) remarks that "THIS FESTIVAL IS THE BEGINNING OF ALL THE OTHER FESTIVALS, IN THAT IT GIVES US THE CONTRACT FOR HEAVENLY COMMERCE, ENRICHES THE WORLD WITH THE INVIOLATE WEALTH OF THE LORD’S ADVENT, AND BOTH EFFECTS THE CLEANSING OF OUR HUMAN FRAME AND OFFERS US THE ENJOYMENT OF THE UNDEFILED GOODS; FOR TODAY, THE VIRGIN, ON BEHALF OF OUR WHOLE RACE, IS BEING BETROTHED TO THE COMMON LORD. Verily, the betrothal of the Ever-virgin is the foundation and groundwork of our salvation… With good reason does humanity bear itself proudly and rejoice; for upon receiving the news of a marriage contract with the Lord, it casts off the shameful yoke of slavery."
TODAY IS REVEALED THE MYSTERY FROM ALL ETERNITY
On the day of the Annunciation, the Logos/Word of God ENTERED MANKIND IN A WAY HITHERTO: THE FATHER SENT THE SON; THE SON WAS MADE FLESH BY THE POWER AND OPERATION OF THE SPIRIT. "The Co-eternal Logos/Word of the Father without beginning, not being parted from the things on high, has now descended here below, in His infinite compassion taking pity upon fallen men; and ASSUMING THE POVERTY OF ADAM, HE HAS PUT ON A FORM THAT IS ALIEN TO HIM."
In the dismissal hymn (apolytikion) of this feast, we chant: "Today is the fountainhead of our salvation and the manifestation of the mystery which was from eternity. The Son of God bcometh the Virgin’s Son, and Gabriel proclaimeth the good tidings of grace; wherefore, we also cry to the Theotokos with him: ‘Rejoice, thou who hast been shown grace, the Lord is with thee.’
Saint Irenaeos, Bishop of Lyons (130-200 A.D.), comments that "just as Adam had been created by the Logos/Word of God from the unworked and virgin earth, so also the Logos/Word of God created flesh for Himself from a virgin womb when the Son of God became the new Adam, so as to correct the fall into sin of the first Adam."
THE PROPHETS SPEAK
Let us now hear the renowned hymnographers Saint John of Damascus (675-749 A.D.), Saint Theophanes, and Basil the monk bring forward the Prophets of the Old Testament, who spoke of the Virgin.
In the "Book of Exodus, the bush and the fire showed a strange marvel to Moses, the initiate in sacred things (Exodus 3:2). Seeking its fulfillment in the course of time, he said, ‘I shall observe it brought to pass in the pure Virgin.”"
"The rod of Aaron once put forth shoots (Numbers 17:8), prefiguring O undefiled Virgin, they divine birth. For without seed thou shalt conceive and not suffer corruption; and after bearing child shalt thou remain virgin, giving suck to a Babe Who is God of all."
The Prophet Ezekiel spoke of the Holy Virgin as the Gate through which none might pass, save our God alone [Ezekiel 44:1-3]. Through her did the Lord go; from her did the Most High come forth, yet left her still sealed delivering our life from corruption.
THE SALUTATION OF GABRIEL
"And the angel entered and said to her, ‘Rejoice thou
who hast been filled with grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women" [Luke 1:28], "Be rejoicing, thou who has been filled with grace. Saint Theophylact (1090-1110 A.D.): "Thou didst find grace before the face of God"; this is the meaning of the Greek word keharitomene, "to find favor before God, " that is, "to be pleasing to God." But this indeed is common. For many other women found grace before the face of God, but that which follows was not yet heard of." Saint Basil the Great says, :"The Holy Virgin had received within herself EVERY GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT."
Saint Photios the Great: "The Virgin found favor with God because SHE HAD MADE HERSELF WORTHY BEFORE HER CREATOR; FOR, HAVING ADORNED HER SOUL WITH THE FAIRNESS OF PURITY, SHE HAD PREPARED HERSELF AS AN AGREEABLE HABITATION OF HIM… SHE FOUND FAVOR WITH HIM NOT ONLY BECAUSE SHE HAD KEPT HER VIRGINITY INVIOLATE BUT ALSO SHE HAD MAINTAINED HER DESIRES UNSULLIED."
NEW EVE
Saint Gregory of Nyssa (335-395 A.D.) comments that Mary the Virgin WON SALVATION FOR US. He takes up the Eve-Mary theme: "Woman was defended by woman; the first opened the way to sin; the PRESENT ONE SERVED TO OPEN THE WAY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. The former followed the advice of the serpent, the latter BROUGHT FORTH THE SLAYER OF THE SERPENT AND BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE AUTHOR OF LIGHT. The former introduced sin through the tree, the latter BRINGS IN GRACE THROUGH THE TREE" –that is, THE TREE OF THE CROSS."
Six months after the Forerunner’s conception, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, a town of Galilee, unto Mary the Virgin, who had come forth from the Temple a mature maiden. According to the Holy Tradition handed down by the Holy Fathers of the Church, she had been betrothed to Joseph four months. On coming to Joseph’s house, the Archangel declared: "Rejoice, thou Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." After some consideration, and turmoil of soul, and fear because of this greeting, the Virgin, when she had finally obtained full assurance concerning God’s UNSEARCHABLE CONDESCENSION and the INEFFABLE DISPENSATION that was to take place through her, and believing that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THE MOST HIGH, answered in humility: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And at this, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPON HER, AND THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH OVERSHADOW HER ALL-BLAMELESS WOMB, and the Son and Logos/Word of God, Who EXISTED BEFORE THE AGES, WAS CONCEIVED PAST SPEECH AND UNDERSTANDING, AND BECAME FLESH IN HER IMMACULATE BODY (Luke 1:26-38).
Bearing in her womb the Uncontainable One, the Blessed Virgin went with haste from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, where Zacharias had his dwelling; for she desired to find Elizabeth her kinswoman and rejoice together with her, because, as she had learned from the Archangel, Elizabeth had conceived IN HER OLD AGE. Furthermore, she wished to tell her of the great things that the Mighty One had been well-pleased to bring to pass in her, and she greeted Elizabeth and drew near to her. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, SHE FELT HER SIX-MONTH-OLD BABE LEAP IN HER WOMB FOR JOY. By leaping thus even before he had beheld the Light of Life, her babe, Saint John the Baptist, PROPHESIED OF THE DAWNING OF THE SPIRITUAL SUN. Immediately, the aged Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized her AS THE MOTHER OF HER LORD, and with a great voice blessed her and the Fruit that she held within her-self. The Virgin also, moved by a supernatural rejoicing in the spirit, GLORIFIED HER GOD AND SAVIOR, SAYING, "MY SOUL DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD, AND MY SPIRIT HATH REJOICED IN GOD MY SAVIOR," and the rest, as the divine Luke has recorded (1:39-55). [Resources: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church and the Great Horologion)
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"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
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 