Sermo in annuntiationem Mariae

Fifth. A discourse of John, monk and presbyter, of Damascus, on the Annunciation of our most holy Lady, the Mother of God. Now the royal, imperial, and most wondrous feast and assembly of the Queen has shone forth beyond the golden rays of the sun. Now the catholic and apostolic Church is adorned, rejoicing greatly. Now the lovers of spectacles and celebrants, keeping festival of festivals, gather in multitudes. Now let the heavens, the earth, the underworld, and all the creatures within them rejoice. Now let the all-praised one be praised, as a fair name with all-fair praises. Now let the divinely magnified, divinely ordained, and divinely named Virgin be magnified. Now let the truly many-named and many-eyed one, supreme over all creation, be praised. Now let the divinely conversant, divinely contained, and world-venerated ark of God be blessed. For today truly joy and exultation occur everywhere in the inhabited world. Today let the assemblies of feast-lovers cry out. Today let all peoples cry out to the Queen from David, saying with David, Glorious things are spoken of you, the city of God, of the great King. Today let the divinely written book of the prophets be opened, and let it speak of the ever-child and ever-virgin Mary. Today let the cities of all Judea rejoice because of the living city. Today let Gabriel, the chorus-leader of this all-festal assembly, cry out from above to the Queen, and say: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Today let us also cry out, we who are clay-tongued, and say to the most glorious and light-bearing Mother of our God and Savior Jesus Christ certain joyful words, celebrating with gladness and saying: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Hail, full of grace, you who were chosen from all generations, tribes, tongues, nations, and peoples. Hail, favored one, you who were predestined before the ages for the maker and king of the ages. Rejoice, you who are the conclusion of the Old and New Testaments. Rejoice, you who are the many-flowered blossom of the God-bearing Fathers and patriarchs. Rejoice, you who are the name foretold from eternity by the holy prophets. Rejoice, you who are the descendant of the world-father and God-formed Adam. Rejoice, you who are the daughter of the world-adorned and first among women, Eve. Rejoice, you who are the living antitype of Noah’s ark. Rejoice, you who sprang from the thigh of the nation-father Abraham according to God’s promise, without falsehood. Rejoice, you who are the heaven-reaching ladder that the great among patriarchs, Jacob, once saw. Rejoice, you who are the flame-bearing bush that the renowned Moses once saw on Mount Sinai. Rejoice, you who are the holy-sprouting rod of Aaron, truly conspicuous among priests. Rejoice, you who are the new, purple-embroidered tabernacle that the craftsman Bezalel newly fashioned. Rejoice, you who are the golden, jewel-studded, and gold-woven breastplate. Rejoice, you who are the mercy seat overshadowed by the two Seraphim. Rejoice, you who are the priestly Ephod of the high priestly vestment. Rejoice, you who are the golden censer of incense, which all my angels praised with a loud voice.

Hail, you in whom He who says in Isaiah, “I am God first, and I am after these things,” dwelt in the flesh for our sake. Hail, O God-bearing treasure of God, you who contained in the flesh the one who is in no way contained. Hail, O God-bearing treasure of God, and the highest hearing of every hearing. Hail, rejoice for this, that you have borne a child, concerning whom Jacob hints, saying, “A lion’s cub of Judah, from a shoot, my son, you have ascended.” Hail, that you have borne a child, concerning whom the fatherly David says, “That he will live, and gold of Arabia will be given to him.” Hail, that you have borne a child, whom thousands of thousands of angels attend, according to Daniel. Hail, that you have borne a child, whom the whole creation of heavenly and earthly beings hymns, glorifies, and blesses. Hail, that you have borne a child, whom the many-eyed Cherubim theologize, and the six-winged Seraphim lordologically name. Hail, that you have borne a child in the much-named city of David. Hail, that you have borne a child pre-eternal and recent, descended from the springs of Israel. Hail, that you have given birth to an infant, the craftsman of infants, and the binder-together of all things. Hail, that you have given birth to an infant, co-potent and co-glorious with the Father. Hail, that you have given birth to an infant, as the marvelous Luke declares, in the forty-first year of the reign of Caesar Augustus. Hail, that you have given birth to an infant, on whose account angels in full number occupied the earthly realm. Hail, that you have given birth to an infant, on whose account shepherds, night-watchmen sleeping in the fields, marveled. Hail, that you have given birth to an infant, on whose account angels sang, saying:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account there is tumult and shouting. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account Herod, raging in wrath, is troubled. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account your kinswoman Elizabeth becomes an exile. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account Zacharias, the most great priest, is slain between the temple. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account Bethlehem is searched by soldiers. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account sword-bearing executioners are sent. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account newborn and imitative-voiced infants are consumed limb by limb. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant on whose account Rachel, weeping like a river, sends forth a heavy-throated song. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant circumcised on the eighth day according to the law of Moses. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant who carved the law on tablets, and came under the law, and fulfills the law. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant whom, at the completion of forty days, you brought to the Temple of Solomon. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant, childlike in appearance, whom the gray-haired priest Symeon, seeing, hastened to be released. Hail, for you have given birth to an infant who was acclaimed as Lord by the prophetess and widow Anna before all the people. Hail, O full of grace, hail through whom there shone forth for us the one born before all hills, God, I say, the all-powerful. Hail, through whom the supramundane one shone forth for us, who adorned the unadorned cosmos and created uncreated creation.

Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who was born from the unbegotten Father before the mountains came to be and the earth and the inhabited world were formed. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who stretched out the heaven like a skin and set the dry land upon the abysses of waters. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who bridled with sand the vast, world-containing, and wondrous-to-behold sea. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who with pure and not-hand-fashioned hands hand-fashioned the first man among men, Adam. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who said to Abraham, “Truly, blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who long ago through Moses delivered the Israelite people from Egyptian slavery and drowned the Pharaonic king in the sea. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who appeared generation after generation among both Patriarchs and prophets, and to all who are called according to purpose. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who through the bowels of mercy became man for the sake of man. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who alone is holy among the holy, and alone glorious among the glorious, and alone highest over all the earth. Hail, through whom there has appeared to us the one who alone is impassible, and alone compassionate, and alone truthful, and alone the only-begotten Son of the only God, and God. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom is born to us the self-begotten, and grows the self-grown, and increases the perfect one. Hail, O

Lady Theotokos, through whom the bodiless one is embodied for us, and the beginningless one begins, and the uncontainable one is contained. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom the self-living one is given life, and the measureless one is measured, and the fleshless one is made flesh. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom the uncreated one is created, and the rich one becomes poor, and the highest one becomes an infant. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom the intangible one is touched, and the untouchable one is grasped, and the one who carries all things is carried. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom the caretaker, nourisher, and governor of the universe, God, is fed with milk. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom the Son of God and Word has become a Son of Man bodily, by ineffable good will. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom the motherless one becomes fatherless, and the new Melchizedek is gathered. Hail, O Lady Theotokos, through whom the one fair in beauty beyond the sons of men has passed. Hail, only Mother of God, who from one end of heaven to the other holds, maternally and in Davidic fashion, the refuge of protection. Hail, only Mother of God, the magnificent and greatly luminous glory of the heavenly, earthly, and subterranean realms. Hail, only Mother of God, brighter than every ray, and purer than every purity. Hail, only Mother of God, more venerable than every object of veneration, and a hearing surpassing every sound. Hail, only Mother of God, sweeter than every sweetness, and more noble than every noble one, and richer than every flowing wealth. Hail, only Mother of God, the one truly and genuinely most beautiful and most longed-for name of Christian creation.

Hail, only Mother of God, venerable throughout the ages, and glorious throughout the ages, and praiseworthy for endless ages. Hail, only Mother of God, magnified in every generation of generations by angels and men alike with one voice in awe. Hail, only queen among queens, daughter of kings, but mother of Christ the king of all, and the strength of pious kings. Hail, only queen among queens, clothed in gold-woven raiment, adorned, as the great psalmist David proclaimed. Hail, only blessed among women, who corrected the error of the foremother Eve. Hail, only blessed among women, who raised up the most lowly race of women lying prostrate. Hail, only blessed among women, illumined and marvelled at, because you alone conceived Christ the God-man without a husband, and bore him without pain. Hail, only truly blessed and glorified among women, who conceived and gave birth without burning to the one of the thrice-luminous and most holy Trinity. Hail, only blessed among women, because you alone contained without constriction the one whom the world cannot contain. Hail, only bride unwedded, who is prefigured in the nuptial Song of Songs. Hail, only Virgin among virgins, who remained a virgin before birth, in birth, and after birth. Hail, only gate among gates that is closed, and only city among cities that is fortified. Hail, truly full of grace, hail, because you are holier than the Angels and more honorable than the Archangels.

Hail, full of grace, for you are more wondrous than the Thrones, and more lordly than the Lordships, and more powerful than the Powers. Hail, full of grace, for you are higher than the Principalities, and more exalted than the Authorities. Hail, full of grace, for you are more beautiful than the Cherubim, and more venerable than the Seraphim. Hail, full of grace, for you are loftier than the heavens, and purer than the shining sun. Hail, full of grace, for you are nobler than all things under the sun’s risings, and more royal than all the kingdoms of mortal substance. Hail, full of grace, for you are better than that truly good and bountiful land flowing with honey and milk. Hail, full of grace, for you have been whitened beyond snow, and sweetened beyond honey. Hail, full of grace, for you have been fragrant beyond lilies, and reddened beyond roses, and have blossomed beyond the many-colored spring. Hail, full of grace, for you have been adorned beyond Jerusalem, and magnified beyond the Temple of Solomon. Hail, then, hail, and again I say, hail, full of grace, for heaven and earth are full of your majesty. Hail, through whom we, the humble, piously venerate the second and light-bearing birth of Christ. Hail, through whom we have come to know the world-creating and life-originating and eternally reigning Trinity. Hail, through whom we, the Christian people, have been named after your Son and God. Hail, through whom we have been enrolled in the one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Hail, through whom we hold the soul-saving and light-bearing faith.

Hail, through whom we venerate the much-worshipped and healing cross. Hail, through whom we are baptized with the sanctifying and three-light baptism. Hail, through whom we, being pure, dare to approach and partake of the awesome flesh at the awe-fully accomplished table. Hail, through whom we taste the true and immortal bread. Hail, through whom we were raised from the gates of Hades to the heavens. Hail, through whom we were delivered from the curse and deemed worthy of ineffable joy. Hail, through whom we venerate the Christ-formed and venerably-worshipped icons. Hail, through whom we trample upon the gold-wrought and demon-shaped idols of the Greeks. Hail, through whom we oppose the ancient and boastful rebel. Hail, through whom the empire of the Romans is pacified. Hail, through whom to emperors is given to rule, and to generals the command is entrusted. Hail, through whom often victories are accomplished in battle against alien and foreign-speaking nations. Hail, through whom foreign tribes fall like leaves, and the lawless are pursued as by winds with none pursuing. Hail, through whom the armed and shield-bearing are broken, and the iron-clad are struck before engagement. Hail, through whom ambidextrous archers are shot back at, and nations desiring war are bruised. Hail, through whom the barbarian-born and flesh-loving dog Ishmael is slain by the sword. Hail, through whom faithful captives held pitiably in iron fetters flee from among the armed. Hail, through whom the whole world is sheltered and forever preserved.

Hail, through whom every good thing has been delivered to us, both in heaven and on earth. Hail, through whom blessing has flowed to us the faithful, since we are your people, even if we are entangled in chains of sins. Hail, through whom the grassy substance of weak males is blessed, and also the utterly wandering and unstable nature of sickly women. Hail, through whom the impious, becoming pious, piously practice piety and venerate your all-venerable offspring. Hail, through whom the lovers of gold become lovers of Christ, and the lovers of silver become lovers of humanity, and the lovers of wealth become lovers of the poor. Hail, then, hail, O full of grace, because many have despised many riches for your sake, in order to gain you, the only good one. Hail, because many pious kings have often considered mud for your sake to be gold, and ash to be silver. Hail, because many Christ-loving queens have considered for your sake jeweled crowns and gold-woven purple robes cheaper than a spider's web. Hail, because many of the noble have for your sake despised Indian and crystal-like stones. Hail, because many, I may say, even of noble women have for your sake considered as nothing the admirable linen, scarlet, purple-bordered, and all-silk garments. Hail, because many even of adulterous women have considered for your sake jewel-studded earrings and bracelets for the right hand as weaker than leaves. Hail, because many of the renowned and illustrious, but not indeed wealthy, have often considered for your sake as refuse thousands of gold and silver coins. Hail, because many even of young maidens have for your sake rejected white and gold-shining robes.

Hail, because through you many of the gold-wearing women, so to speak, have chosen to wear the woolen garment and the hair-shirt continually. Hail, O full of grace, because you have become a refuge for us, and you intercede for us, the clay-born, with your Son, and your God, and our God. Hail, O full of grace, hail, the common salvation of all the ends of the earth together, and the Christian protection of all Christians. Hail, the only effective help of the helpless, and the only mighty power of the powerless. Hail, O full of grace, hail, the only raising up of the lowly, and the only support of the poor, and the only mother of orphans, and the poor, and widows. Hail, O full of grace, hail, the only consolation of the afflicted, and the only shelter of the unsheltered. Hail, O full of grace, hail, the only ransom of captives, and the only recall of the exiled and banished. Hail, O full of grace, hail, the only visitation of the sick, and the only healing of the ailing, and the only restoration of the possessed. Hail, O full of grace, hail, the only steering of those who sail, and the only fellow-traveler and companion of those who journey by night. Hail, because the eyes of all of us hope in you, the only pure one, and gaze constantly toward you. Hail, O full of grace, hail, you who always stand before us, the lowly, and deliver us from every just wrath and threat. Hail, O full of grace, hail, you who always guard and shelter our poor-born race in temptations, in dangers, and in various misfortunes.

Hail, O full of grace, hail, because no one besides God has ever inherited so great a name or attained such glory as you. Hail, O truly most blessed, hail, through whom we today celebrate this supercosmic day in a supercosmic manner. Hail, O truly most blessed, hail, through whom we today celebrate a feast of feasts and a panegyris of panegyreis with all the people. Hail, O truly most blessed, hail, through whom we today gather in crowds in your holy-trodden temples and acclaim you with loud voices. Hail, O truly most blessed, hail, through whom we today, assembling like bees, multiply our hymnody, as you multiply your protection. Hail, O full of grace, hail, through whom we today, bearing light splendidly in the Church, magnify you. Hail, O truly most blessed, hail, through whom we today have set in motion the oracles of David with David and those of the angel with the angel. Hail, O truly most blessed, hail, through whom we today, captive encomiasts, have woven this fourfold pentacontad of joyful prophecies. But extend your mercy, O all-good Lady, to those who know you, and look upon your servants and upon your works, and guide all into the way of peace, for the eyes of all hope in you, and through your mediation we have obtained reconciliation with your Son and God, and our God; to whom glory, to whom power, to whom strength, together with his beginningless Father and the consubstantial and Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the endless ages of ages. Amen.