Homilia in laudes Mariae deiparae

Of our holy father Epiphanius, bishop of the city of Constantia, in the island of Cyprus, an encomium to the holy Mother of God. The gleaming radiances of the Mother of God, fearful and incomprehensible powers, a mystery of heaven and the inhabited earth, a wonder, a propitiation—having described these, wretched I, my heart’s thought leaping within me to a more precise understanding, attempting to bear the wonder of deep memory and most lofty contemplation, great and terrible fear and trembling seized me, O beloved. For the memory of the awesome vision, having brought my soul to trembling and my heart to a state of horror, punished me not moderately but tormented me powerfully. For the memory of the greatest vision rebukes my mind, as of an incomprehensible mystery, being unable to speak it. For who is able to describe such a mystery? What mouth can utter it, or what tongue speak it? It has escaped; it cannot speak. Now I will dare concerning the only Mother of God as far as I comprehend; and again I am afraid. I have no tongue to speak worthily of such great things. For I am weak-voiced and slow-tongued, and not eloquent, so to speak, concerning the renowned, holy, ever-virgin, and Mother of God Mary, mother of the Lord; concerning whom not easily will a human tongue speak. For it is weak-voiced before her, and the tongue draws back, not being worthy to speak. For she astonished even the powers of the heavens; all angels, archangels, principalities, powers, thrones, dominions, the cherubim and the seraphim, and the whole host of angels were seized with fear and terrible trembling.

For they beheld in her upon earth the one who is in the heavens, and they trembled. They saw the Virgin, heaven and throne, and were constrained with fear, beholding the one without beginning from a cherubic throne seated in a virginal womb. O blessed root; from where did it sprout this one? Concerning her the prophet Isaiah chirps like a swallow, crying out with fiery tongue: A rod shall arise from the root of Jesse, and a flower shall ascend from the root, and the Spirit of the fear of God shall rest upon it. From the root of Jesse came David the king, and from the tribe of David the king came the holy Virgin, the daughter of the holy of holy men, whose parents were Joachim and Anna, who in their life were pleasing to God, and who sprouted such fruit, the holy Virgin Mary, both temple of God and mother. Joachim and Anna and Mary, the three clearly served the Trinity. For Joachim is interpreted as preparation of the Lord; for from him the Virgin was prepared as a temple of the Lord. Anna again is similarly interpreted as grace; for Joachim and Anna received grace, that they might sprout such fruit through prayer, having obtained the holy Virgin. For Joachim prayed on the mountain, and Anna in her garden. And when Anna became pregnant, she bore heaven and a cherubic throne, the holy maiden Mary. For she is found to be heaven and temple and throne. For Mary is interpreted as lady, but also as hope. For she bore the Lord, the hope of the whole world, Christ. Again Mary is interpreted as myrrh of the sea.

Myrrh she will call, and I say, concerning immortality, because she was about to give birth to the immortal pearl in the sea, that is, in the world. Sea he will call the whole world, to which the Virgin gave calm, having borne Christ the harbor. Therefore again the blessed name of the reverend maiden Mary is interpreted, illuminated, who was illuminated by the Son of God, and illuminated those who believed in the Trinity to the ends of the earth. For the holy Mother of God, the maiden Mary, is the bride of the Trinity, the all-renowned treasure of the economy; to whom Gabriel said: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Gabriel reminded, and the Father sent the Holy Spirit as a betrothal gift from heaven, impelling the Virgin toward the only-begotten Son, a heavenly bride, whom the Father loved, the Son dwelt in, the Holy Spirit yearned for. For she is both bride and bridal chamber, and from her the bridegroom Christ goes forth, the virginal garment, according to the melody of the prophet David: He placed his tabernacle in the sun, and he himself goes forth like a bridegroom from his bridal chamber. O the desire of the bridegroom for purity! Gabriel impels his own handmaid, bride, and mother; he became the mediator of the Virgin, joining the incense of heaven and earth; whom the prophets clearly delineated, proclaiming the order of the marriage, how the Virgin is found to be both a heavenly bride and mother, she who received the Holy Spirit as prenuptial gifts, and as dowry both heaven and paradise.

The Virgin therefore sought to see the one she longed for, and said: Where is the bridegroom whose beauty I desire? Where is the beauty brighter than the sun? Where is the ineffable glory of all comeliness? Where is the inextinguishable light, which I seek, longing for it? Where is the sun that seeks a ray? Where is the cithara of the Cherubim? Where is the unsleeping eye of the Seraphim, Christ? Where is the adoration of the angels, which Gabriel announced? Where is the only-begotten Son of the only Father, whom the Virgin, longing for and loving and seeking, embraces? To her Gabriel said: Hail, full of grace. The infinite grace of the holy Virgin. Hail, full of grace, adorned with many virtues, Virgin bearing the inextinguishable light brighter than the sun. Hail, full of grace, the bait of the intelligible hook; for in you the hook is the divinity. Hail, full of grace, the intelligible ark of glory. Hail, full of grace, the golden jar holding the heavenly manna. Hail, full of grace, you who have filled the thirsty with the sweet water of the ever-flowing spring. Hail, full of grace, intelligible sea, holding the heavenly pearl, Christ. Hail, full of grace, the bright heaven, holding the God who is uncontained in the heavens. Hail, full of grace, you who flash forth the cherubic throne of divinity. Hail, full of grace, having the circle of heaven, and God uncontained, but in you contained and not cramped. Hail, full of grace, pillar-like cloud, holding the God who led the people in the desert. What shall I say? And what shall I speak? How shall I bless the wholly-rooted glory? That without God alone she is above all.

She is more beautiful than the cherubim and seraphim, and than the whole angelic host; for her, the tongue of heaven and earth will not suffice, nor perhaps even that of angels. For they themselves offered hymn, praise, honor, and glory, but they were not able to speak worthily. The angels rejoiced, as if they alone possessed God, but the all-holy Virgin surpassed them, having borne God in heaven on earth, so as to draw the angelic hosts down to earth among men. For she became the mediator of heaven and earth, creating unity. O blessed Virgin, pure dove, heavenly bride Mary, heaven and temple and throne of the divinity; you who have Christ, the sun that shines in heaven and on earth; you, the luminous cloud, who shone forth Christ, the all-bright lightning from heaven to the world; you, the heavenly cloud, who brought down to the world the thunder of the Holy Spirit hidden within you, who poured down the rain of the Holy Spirit upon the whole earth for the fruitfulness of faith. Rejoice, full of grace, the gate of the heavens, about whom the prophet cried out, saying: Behold, the gate is closed, and no one will enter through it, nor will anyone go out, except the Lord God alone; and the gate will be closed to the leader, because the leader himself will be called, and into him

all nations will hope. Concerning this gate, in the Song of Songs, the prophet clearly and plainly declares, crying out: "My sister, my bride, an enclosed garden; an enclosed garden, a sealed spring." The holy and venerable maiden Mary, the luminous cloud, who bore within her the God Word, remained in virginity. To her the great-voiced Isaiah says: "Behold a light cloud, and it will come to Egypt." The mountain not hewn, she who has the steep rock Christ, concerning whom the most wise Daniel says: "A stone was cut from a mountain without hands." That is, without a man, the Virgin gave birth to the solid rock Christ. The incomposite temple, she who has the heavenly stone Christ, the thunderous cloud, who bore the lightning within her womb. And the divine Scripture bears witness to my word, saying: "Your belly is a heap of grain fenced in with lilies." The unplowed land, who received the Word as a grain of wheat and sprouted the sheaf. The spiritual oven, who has the fire and the bread of life. The holy mother of the Savior, who bore the Word of the Father made flesh from you. To her Isaiah says: "Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel." O holy Virgin, holy mother of the Lord; blessed bride of the undivided Trinity; blessed are you among women, who bore on earth as an infant the God creator of all; blessed are you among women, the only one on earth to give birth to the heavenly God; blessed are you among women, whose breasts were suckled by the one who nourishes all things.

Blessed are you among women, who have now given birth to the one who once formed Adam from clay in paradise, holy Mother of God, virgin Mary. For you are Theotokos, having given birth to the Logos incarnate from yourself; you are Theotokos, having conceived the God Logos in the form of a servant; you are Theotokos, because you bore the God Logos, having received him incarnate; you are Theotokos, the only one who gave birth to the only begotten Son of God, the only one; you did not give birth to a temporary God, but to the eternal God, who existed before you and before all, incarnate from you; the spotless sheep, who gave birth to the lamb Christ; the heifer never yoked, who gave birth to the calf; the spiritual table of faith, who provided the bread of life to the world. What shall I say? And what shall I speak of her wholly rooted glory? Concerning this holy maiden, ever-child and virgin, God says through the prophet: "From you a leader will come forth for me, to be a ruler in Israel; and his departures are from the beginning of the days of eternity. For this reason he will give them until the time of the one giving birth; she will give birth, and the rest of his brothers will return to the sons of Israel; and he will stand, and will see, and his flock in strength, the Lord." O holy virgin, mother of eternal light; of the light that illuminated the armies of angels in the heavens; of the light that illuminated the ineffable eye of the seraphim; of the light that illuminated the sun with bright torches; of the light that illuminated the ends of the world with the Trinity; of the light that said, "I am the light of the world"; of the light that said, "I, light, have come into the world.

of the light that was taken up and illuminated all things in the heavens and on the earth. O all-holy Virgin, who gave hospitality to the armies of angels! For a strange wonder in the heavens, a woman bearing the light in her arms; a strange wonder in the heavens, another cherubic throne; a strange wonder in the heavens, the son of a woman, who is herself and the father of the ages; a strange wonder in the heavens, the bridal chamber of a Virgin, having the Son of God, God the bridegroom, Christ; a strange wonder in the heavens, the infant of the Virgin is the Master of the angels. O all-holy Virgin, mother of the Savior, who gave birth to the beginningless Logos, the Son who is co-throned with the Father, the consubstantial one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the pre-eternal one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the one who vaulted the heavens, the one who founded the earth. Hail, all-holy Virgin, who, like a burning bush, holds the fire of the divinity unburned, the intelligible oven, who brought forth the fire and the bread of life hot for the world to eat; concerning which the

Savior of the world, Christ: Take, eat; this is my body, broken for you for the remission of sins. The all-virtuous table of virginity is rich, O beloved; the holy Virgin and mother of Christ, who bore the luminous lamp Christ shining in heaven and on earth, bestowed upon the world an abundance of all good foods for enjoyment. To her the prophet Zechariah says: Behold a golden lampstand and the lamp upon it. Therefore also David proclaims this melodious song: A lamp for my feet is your word, and light for my paths. O virgin lampstand, that drives away darkness and sheds light. O virgin lampstand, that brought fire and oil inseparable for illumination. O virgin lampstand, that received from the highest throne a three-light one fire, unquenchable, consubstantial, and shone forth for the illumination of the world. O virgin lampstand, concerning which God says through the Prophet: There I will cause a horn to spring forth for David, I have prepared a lamp for my Christ. The royal crown, having the precious pearl-like stone Christ; the royal purple, having clothed the king of heaven and earth with the purple-hued garment of the body; the spotless faith of Christians; the incomprehensible book, that read aloud the Word and Son of the Father to the world.

The blessed one among women, who bore from yourself the Word made flesh—the Word who is the Son of the Father, the Word who is the pre-eternal God, the Word without beginning and everlasting, the Word worshipped together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Word enthroned with the Father, the Word seated upon the cherubim, the Word whom the four-formed living creatures glorify, the Word who created the angels, the Word who made the principalities and powers to exist, the Word who stretched out the heavens and established the earth, the Word who is the true God, Jesus Christ our Lord—whom you bore, all-holy Virgin, and after childbirth again a virgin, you who bore the pearl and wove the royal crown. O blessed Virgin, you who sprouted the heavenly glory, you who filled the world with fragrance from many flowers of paradise. The Virgin is a spotless lily, having given birth to the unfading rose, Christ; she is the vine of truth, fruitful and unplucked in virginity, not dug up, yet bearing a cluster, she who sprouted the ripe cluster, Christ. How then did you sprout? Persuade us, all-holy Virgin. How did you appear on earth as the Mother of God, having received the pre-eternal Word? I, the virgin who carried in my womb, am incorruptible; I have become an undefiled temple of the Word of God, the unwedded one who dwelt in me.

Carrying Emmanuel in an undefiled womb, a pure belly, likened to a cherubic throne; into whom the Word of the Father became flesh, the beginningless and invisible, visible by economy, the God who became man. Having known no experience of a man, I bore the pre-eternal God, Jesus Christ. For I am a virgin even now after the birth, purer than before. I gave birth without pain, not as every woman does; for the matters between me and them are dissimilar. Human nature did not know my birth, except only the God who dwelt in me. O Virgin, dread treasure of the Church, the great mystery that has occurred, it calls the virgin both priest and altar; who, bearing the heavenly bread as on a table, gave us Christ for the remission of sins. O undefiled womb, having heaven as a circle, and bearing the uncontainable God, who is containable in you. O womb, broader than heaven, not constricting the God in you. O womb, a seven-cycled heaven, and being greater than them. O womb, higher and broader than the seven heavens. O womb, the eighth heaven, above the firmaments. O womb, having the inextinguishable light of sevenfold grace. What shall I say, or what shall I speak concerning the revered and holy Virgin? Desire draws me to speak of the Mother of God, and fear holds me back to be silent, not worthily.

Having the ability to speak. The mind summons, and fear is repelled; one draws me, the other pulls me back. Since I am constrained by both, it is better for me to speak about the great-named and holy Virgin. For I call her both heaven and throne and cross; for having extended her holy arms, the cherubic, cross-shaped, heavenly throne bore the Master, about whom I peer through the Scriptures in the heavens and see her worshipped by angels. Hence first Gabriel greets the Virgin: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; hail, full of grace, the bright heaven; hail, full of grace, you who have the sun Christ, the ray flashing from heaven with bright torches." The Virgin has become a seraph, the many-named and many-eyed one of the incomprehensible vision; a kind of noetic shelter found through an ecumenical body, surpassing the cherubim. For they turn away, unable to gaze at the noetic fire of the divinity. But she, with clear eyes gazing at the incomprehensible and sleepless eye of Christ, yearned and kissed him in greeting. Armies of angels, falling at the feet of the Savior as a footstool, are unable either to see or to touch him; but she, joining lip to lip, greeted the incomprehensible one. O Virgin, bearing the wonder of an incomprehensible mystery, you have proclaimed the thrice-desired faith to the world. The Virgin has become higher than angels, greater than the cherubim and seraphim, pleasing to Christ the King, honored as a worthy servant and mother before God. Holy, undefiled mother, you who bore Christ before you, who said:

Before Abraham came to be, I am. I am she who glorified the cave and magnified the manger. For a virgin, a cave, and a manger, having the circle of heaven, bore God, who cannot be contained, and the three clearly served the Trinity, when the Virgin, without pain, gave birth to the Lord of heaven and earth in the cave and placed him in the manger. Then also the ranks of angels surrounded the Virgin, crying out and saying: Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace, good will among men. Whence also shepherds abiding in the fields heard such doxology of the angels concerning the Savior, and hastening on the run, they worshipped the light, having beheld a strange wonder: the handmaid of the Lord and the earthly virgin, a heavenly bride. For she appeared both as bride and bridal chamber and mother of God in the cave, when she bore the infant Christ, according to the prophetic voice of Isaiah: that a child has been born to us; a son has been given to us, whose beginning is upon his shoulder, and his name is called Angel of Great Counsel, mighty God, ruler, Prince of Peace, Father of the coming age. Then it says after these things: Magi from the east, illuminated and guided by a bright star, having traversed the length of the road from the east, came to worship the one born in Bethlehem. Whence also, having reached the city of Jerusalem, the star was hidden from them; and they, troubled, having lost the guide, under the compulsion of necessity, questioning those in the city, inquired of them: Where is Christ born? And it was considered a strange wonder by all.

When Herod heard of this, he was greatly disturbed, and summoning the priests, he inquired of them where Christ was born. They spoke and did not deny; they confessed and did not lie. They could not hide the rays of the sun; they bore witness to the voice concerning the Savior, made clear through the prophet, saying: In Bethlehem Christ is born. For thus it cries out through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah; for from you shall come forth one to be a ruler in Israel. O disobedient Israel! You confessed the matter of the law, and denied the lawgiver; they themselves bore witness where Christ is born, and they themselves again denied the Christ who was born. What then of the magi? Those whose mind was altered, whose heart was greatly disturbed and was quenched in grief, whose groans like the force of waves were sinking the ship, whose eyes with pearl-like tears were bedewing the earth, whose affliction was unbearable, seeking the guide of the East, whom they did not have, having him they sought: Where is the star, the guide of the magi? In what manner the star is hidden from them, consider the truth, and see the wonder and the revelation. For this reason the star is hidden from them, so that when these inquire of the unbelieving priests, the mystery of heaven and earth might become manifest to all. Hence after all have learned, the star appears again to the magi, until it came and stood above the infant in the cave, or rather in the heaven. For where Christ is, there is heaven; for the cave appeared as heaven on earth.

When they saw the star, or rather the Saviour, they rejoiced with great joy, and bowing down they worshipped, and bringing forth their gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh: gold as to a king, frankincense as to God, and myrrh as to a mortal—rather, that they might also signify the entombment of the Creator and Maker of all, Christ, whom the heavenly bride Mary bore, the heaven and temple and throne of the divinity, the ineffable treasure of paradise. Angels once reproached Eve, but now they glorify Mary: she who truly glorified the weakness of women, she who raised up the fallen Eve, and sent the Adam cast out of paradise into the heavens, she who opened the closed paradise, and through the thief again planted Adam. For through you the dividing wall of enmity was broken down, O holy Virgin; through you heavenly peace was granted to the world; through you the ends of the inhabited world were illuminated; through you men have become angels; through you men have been called friends, and servants, and children of God; and through you men have been deemed worthy to become fellow servants and companions of angels; through you heavenly knowledge and doxology are sent up from earth to the heavens; through you men have boldness in heaven before the Most High; through you the cross shone forth throughout the whole inhabited world, on which your infant Christ our God hung; through you death is trampled and Hades is despoiled; through you the idols have fallen, and heavenly knowledge has been raised up.

through you we have come to know the only-begotten Son of God, whom you bore, all-holy Virgin, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all angels and men, prostrating themselves, say: the Father without beginning, the Son without beginning, the Holy Spirit without beginning, glorifying the inseparable and consubstantial Trinity unto the ages of ages. Amen.