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Sermo in annuntiationem Mariae

5. Of John, monk and presbyter of Damascus, a discourse on the Annunciation of our most holy Lady, the Theotokos.

96.648 Now the royal and most wondrous feast and festival of the Queen has shone forth beyond the golden rays of the sun. Now the catholic and apostolic Church is beautifully adorned, greatly rejoicing. Now the lovers of spectacles and celebrants, celebrating a feast of feasts, gather together as one people. Now let the heavens, the earth, the underworld, and all the creatures within them rejoice. Now let the all-praised be praised, as praiseworthy with all-praiseworthy praises. Now let the Virgin magnified by God, and ordained by God, and named by God, be magnified. Now let her of many names indeed and many eyes, and supreme over all creation together, be praised. Now let the ark of God, she who conversed with God, and was God-containing, and world-venerated, be called blessed. For today truly throughout all the inhabited world there is joy and exultation. 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, O city of God, of the great King. Today let the God-written book of the prophets be opened, and let it speak of her, the ever-maiden, and Ever-virgin Mary. Today let the cities 96.649 of all Judea exult because of the living city. Today let Gabriel, the chorus-leader of this all-festive festival, cry out from on high to the queen, and say: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Today let us also, we of clay tongues, cry out, and say to the most greatly glorified, and light-bearing mother of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, joyfully acclaiming some joy-making words, 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, who was chosen from all generations, and tribes, and tongues, and nations, and peoples. Hail, you who are graced, who before the ages was predestined for the maker and king of the ages. Hail, the conclusion of the Old and New Testament. Hail, the many-flowered blossom of the God-bearing Fathers and patriarchs. Hail, the name foretold by the holy prophets from of old. Hail, descendant of the world-father and God-fashioned Adam. Hail, daughter of the adorner and first among women, Eve. Hail, the antitype of Noah's ark, a living ark. Hail, you who truly sprang from the loins of the nation-father Abraham according to the promise of God. Hail, the ladder reaching to heaven, which the great among patriarchs, Jacob, once saw. Hail, the flame-bearing bush, which the all-famed Moses once saw on Mount Sinai. Hail, the holy-budding rod of Aaron, who was truly conspicuous among priests. Hail, the new tabernacle, variegated with purple, which the embroiderer Bezalel made new. Hail, the golden oracle, set with precious stones and woven with gold. Hail, the mercy-seat overshadowed by the two Seraphim. Hail, the priestly Ephod of the high-priestly robe. Hail, the golden [censer] of incense ...... all my angels praised with a loud voice. Hail, in whom for our sake he who says in Isaiah, 'I am God, the first, and I am after these things,' dwelt, having pitched his tent in the flesh. Hail, O God-bearing treasure of God, who in the flesh contained the uncontainable. Hail, O God-bearing treasure of God, and highest tidings of all tidings. Hail, for this reason hail, because you have borne a child, of whom Jacob speaks in riddles, saying: 'Judah is a lion's whelp; from a shoot, my son, you have gone up.' Hail, because you have borne a child, of whom the God-ancestor David says: 'Because

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Sermo in annuntiationem Mariae

Εʹ. Ἰωάννου μοναχοῦ καὶ πρεσβυτέρου τοῦ ∆αμασκηνοῦ, λόγος εἰς τὸν Εὐαγγελισμὸν τῆς ὑπεραγίας ∆εσποίνης ἡμῶν Θεοτόκου.

96.648 Νῦν ἡ τῆς βασιλίδος βασιλικὴ καὶ ὑπέρξενος ἑορτή τε καὶ πανήγυρις ὑπὲρ τὰς χρυσαυγεῖς ἀκτῖνας τοῦ ἡλίου ἐξέλαμψε. Νῦν ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ Ἐκκλησία ὡραΐζεται λίαν ἀγαλλομένη. Νῦν οἱ φιλοθεάμονες καὶ πανηγυρισταὶ ἑορτὴν ἑορτῶν ἑορτάζοντες, πανδημεῖ ἐπαθροίζονται. Νῦν εὐφραινέσθωσαν τὰ οὐράνια, τὰ ἐπίγεια, τὰ καταχθόνια, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὑτοῖς ποιήματα. Νῦν εὐφημείσθω ἡ πανεύφημος, ὡς εὔφημος πανευφήμοις εὐφημίαις. Νῦν μεγαλυνέσθω ἡ θεομεγάλυντος, καὶ θεοπρότακτος, καὶ θεοχρημάτιστος Παρθένος. Νῦν ἐπαινείσθω ἡ πολυώνυμος ὄντως καὶ πολυόμματος, καὶ πάσης ὁμοῦ τῆς κτίσεως ὑπερτάτη. Νῦν μακαριζέσθω ἡ θεόμιλος, καὶ θεοχώρητος, καὶ κοσμοσέβαστος τοῦ Θεοῦ κιβωτός. Σήμερον γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης χαρὰ καὶ ἀγαλλίασις γίνεται. Σήμερον βοάτωσαν φιλεόρτων αἱ σύγκλητοι. Σήμερον βοάτωσαν πάντες λαοὶ τῇ ἐκ ∆αβὶδ βασιλίδι, ∆εδοξασμένα, λέγοντες μετὰ ∆αβίδ, ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ Βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου. Σήμερον ὑπανοιγέσθω ἡ τῶν προφητῶν θεόγραφος βίβλος, καὶ λεγέσθω περὶ τῆς ἀείπαιδος αὐτῆς, καὶ Ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας. Σήμερον ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν 96.649 διὰ τὴν ἔμψυχον πόλιν αἱ πόλεις πάσης τῆς Ἰουδαίας. Σήμερον Γαβριὴλ, ὁ τῆς νῦν πανεόρτου πανηγύρεως χορίαρχος, βοάτω ἄνωθεν τῇ βασιλίδι, καὶ λεγέτω· Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. Σήμερον βοήσωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ πηλινόγλωσσοι, καὶ εἴπωμεν τῇ μεγαλοδοξοτάτῃ, καὶ φωτοφόρῳ μητρὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ Σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ῥητά τινα χαροποιὰ χαρμονικῶς ἀνευφημοῦντες, καὶ λέγοντες· Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ· εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξὶ, καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου. Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ἡ ἐκ πασῶν ἐκλεχθεῖσα γενεῶν, καὶ φυλῶν, καὶ γλωσσῶν, καὶ ἐθνῶν, καὶ λαῶν. Χαῖρε, κεχαρισμένη, ἡ πρὸ αἰώνων προορισθεῖσα τῇ ποιητῇ καὶ βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων. Χαίροις, τὸ τῆς Παλαιᾶς καὶ Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης συμπέρασμα. Χαίροις, τὸ τῶν θεοφόρων Πατέρων καὶ πατριαρχῶν πολύανθον ἄνθος. Χαίροις, τὸ τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος ἁγίων προφητῶν προκατάγγελτον ὄνομα. Χαίροις, ἡ ἀπόγονος τοῦ κοσμοπάτορος καὶ θεοπλάστου Ἀδάμ. Χαίροις, ἡ τῆς κοσμήτορος καὶ πρώτης ἐν γυναιξὶν Εὔας θύγατερ. Χαίροις, ἡ ἀντίτυπος τῆς τοῦ Νῶε ἔμψυχος θήκη. Χαίροις, ἡ ἐκ μηροῦ τοῦ ἐθνοπάτορος Ἀβραὰμ κατ' ἐπαγγελίαν Θεοῦ ἀψευδῶς φυεῖσα. Χαίροις, ἡ οὐρανόφθαστος κλίμαξ, ἣν εἶδε πάλαι ὁ μέγας ἐν πατριάρχαις Ἰακώβ. Χαίροις, ἡ φλογοφόρος βάτος, ἣν εἶδέ ποτε ὁ παμβόητος ἐν ὄρει Σινᾷ Μωϋσῆς. Χαίροις, ἡ ἁγιόβλαστος ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν, τοῦ ὄντως ἐν ἱερεῦσι περιβλέπτου. Χαίροις, ἡ πορφυροποίκιλτος νέα σκηνὴ, ἣν ὁ ποικιλτὴς ἐκαινούργησε Βεσελεήλ. Χαίροις, τὸ χρυσοῦν διάλιθον καὶ χρυσοΰφαντον λόγιον. Χαίροις, τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν δύο Σεραφὶμ κατασκιαζόμενον ἱλαστήριον. Χαίροις, τὸ ἱερατικὸν τῆς ἀρχιερατικῆς στολῆς Ἐφούδ. Χαίροις, τὸ χρυσοῦν τῶν θυμιαμάτων ...... ᾔνεσαν ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ πάντες ἄγγελοί μου. Χαίροις, εἰς ἣν δι' ἡμᾶς σαρκὶ σκηνώσας ᾤκησεν ὁ λέγων ἐν Ἡσαΐᾳ· Ἐγὼ Θεὸς πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα. Χαίροις, ὦ Θεοῦ θεοφόρον κειμήλιον, ἡ σαρκὶ χωρήσασα τὸν μηδαμῶς χωρούμενον. Χαίροις, ὁ Θεοῦ θεοφόρον κειμήλιον, καὶ παντὸς ἀκούσματος ἀνώτατον ἄκουσμα. Χαῖρε, διὰ τοῦτο χαῖρε, ὅτι τέτοκας παιδίον, περὶ οὗ αἰνίττεται Ἰακὼβ λέγων· Σκύμνος λέοντος Ἰούδα, ἐκ βλαστοῦ, υἱέ μου, ἀνέβης. Χαῖρε, ὅτι τέτοκας παιδίον, περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ πατρόθεος ∆αβίδ· Ὅτι