you shall call his name John. 17.317 Verse ιδʹ. And you will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth. Through condescension an angel appeared to Zacharias. For one cannot see an incorruptible body with the eyes of a corruptible body. And the angel of the altar was seen standing at the right, because he was about to announce to him auspicious things. But Zacharias was troubled when he saw him. For the startling sight, when appearing to a man, is not endurable. But nevertheless the angel turns Zacharias from his disturbance and recovers him, saying: Do not be afraid, Zacharias. Know, that God or the angels do not appear to everyone, but to those who have a pure heart, and are worthy to see. For he is found by those who do not tempt him, and reveals himself to those who do not distrust him. By the same. Since all who see angels were afraid, lest they have come as being about to take their souls, as Manoah also says; for this reason, releasing his anguish, the angel said: Do not be afraid. For not only do you not die, where there is sorrow and tears, but you both live and bear children, and great joy will be yours; For Elizabeth will bear you a son, than whom none greater has been born of women. Then he says: And many will rejoice at his birth. For even if not all Jews, yet many rejoiced at the presence of the forerunner announcing the coming of the Savior. According to contemplation, the silence of the Prophets is in the ancient people of God. For God no longer speaks to them, but the Word that was in the beginning has passed over to us. And among us he is not silent, but among them he has become silent. For this reason the prophet Zacharias is silent. And the gesturing, while remaining mute. Verse κβʹ. And when he came out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was gesturing to them, and remained mute. Verse κγʹ. And it happened, when the days of his service were completed, he went to his house. Verse κδʹ. And after these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying; Verse κεʹ. For thus has the Lord done in the days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men. Verse κʹ. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, whose name is Nazareth, Verse κζʹ. To a virgin betrothed to a man, whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. But what did he gesture to them? having heard beforehand that a lovely thing was about to befall him, he did not hasten to run 17.320 before the time, but remained to fulfill the liturgy; teaching that all things must be considered secondary to the honor due to God. And Elizabeth most prudently hid herself, until her womb was known, and the matter was beyond doubt; so that those who heard these things, not wishing to be persuaded by hearsay, would not suspect the same fault as Zacharias. The hyperbaton is thus: The angel was sent to a virgin of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary, betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph. But the angel was not sent to Joseph; since Joseph had nothing in common with the Lord's birth. Just as sin began from a woman, so also the good things had to begin from a woman. Verse λδʹ. But Mary said to the angel: How will this be? since I do not know a man. Verse λεʹ. And the angel answered, and what follows. The phrase, 'you have found favor,' was common. For others before her also found favor. But to say, 'you will conceive,' was no longer common, but peculiar to the promise, a strange thing for a virgin. For you have found favor with God. Therefore, do not be afraid. For the coming of the Savior is the removal of all fear. Verse λʹ. And behold Elizabeth your relative, and what follows. The Forerunner heard, moved by the working of the Holy Spirit, the greeting of Mary, which Christ the Word of God received, and he leaped with gladness in his mother's womb, for an emphasis of joy and a declaration of prophecy. For as if from that time Jesus began to make him a prophet, having granted to him inwardly the declaration of the mystery. But since not
καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην. 17.317 Στίχ. ιδʹ. Καὶ ἔσται χαρά σοι καὶ ἀγαλλίασις· καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπὶ τῇ γεννήσει αὐτοῦ χαρήσονται. ∆ιὰ συγκαταβάσεως ὤφθη ἄγγελος τῷ Ζαχα ρίᾳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ φθαρτοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμοῖς δύναταί τις ἰδεῖν ἄφθαρτον σῶμα. Ἐκ δεξιῶν δὲ ὤφθη ἑστὼς ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, ὅτι αἴσια αὐτῷ ἔμελλε προαγγεῖλαι. Ἐταράχθη δὲ Ζαχαρίας ἰδών. Ξενίζουσα γὰρ ἡ ὄψις ἀνθρώπῳ φαινομένη οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπομονη τική. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπιστρέφει ἀπὸ τῆς ταραχῆς τὸν Ζαχαρίαν ὁ ἄγγελος, καὶ ἀνακτᾶται αὐτὸν, εἰπών· Μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία. Ἴσθι, ὅτι οὐ παντὶ φαίνεται ὁ Θεὸς ἢ οἱ ἄγγε λοι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς καθαρὰν ἔχουσι τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ ἀξίοις τοῦ βλέπειν. Εὑρίσκεται γὰρ τοῖς μὴ πειράζουσιν αὐτὸν, ἐμφανίζεται δὲ τοῖς μὴ ἀπιστοῦσιν αὐτῷ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ πάντες οἱ ὁρῶντες ἀγγέλους ἐφοβοῦντο, μήπως ὡς μέλλοντες λαβεῖν αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχὰς παρεληλύθασιν, ὡς καὶ ὁ Μανωέ φησι· διὰ τοῦτο λύων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀγωνίαν ὁ ἄγγελος, εἶπε τό· Μὴ φοβοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐ τελευτᾷς, ἔνθα λύπη καὶ δάκρυα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζῇς καὶ τεκνοποιεῖς, καὶ χαρὰ μεγάλη ἔσται σοι· Γεννήσει γάρ σοι υἱὸν ἡ Ἐλισά βετ, οὗ οὐ γέγονε μείζων ἐν γεννητοῖς τῶν γυναι κῶν. Εἶτά φησι· Καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπὶ τῇ γεννήσει αὐτοῦ χαρήσονται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ πάντες Ἰουδαῖοι, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ ἐχάρησαν ἐπὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ προδρόμου διαγγέλλοντος τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίαν. Κατὰ τὴν θεωρίαν, ἡ σιωπὴ τῶν Προφητῶν ἐστιν ἐν τῷ πάλαι λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐκέτι γὰρ Θεὸς λαλεῖ αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ μεταβέβηκεν ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ λόγος πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν οὐ σιωπᾷ, παρ' ἐκείνοις δὲ σεσιώπηκε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο σιωπᾷ ὁ προφήτης Ζαχαρίας. Τὸ δὲ διανεύειν μένοντα κωφόν. Στίχ. κβʹ. Ἐξελθὼν δὲ οὐκ ἠδύνατο λαλῆσαι αὐ τοῖς, καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν, ὅτι ὀπτασίαν ἑώρακεν ἐν τῷ ναῷ. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν διανεύων αὐτοῖς, καὶ δι έμενε κωφός. Στίχ. κγʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο, ὡς ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς λειτουργίας αὐτοῦ, ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. κδʹ. Μετὰ δὲ ταύτας τὰς ἡμέρας συνέλαβεν ἡ Ἐλισάβετ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ περιέκρυβεν ἑαυτὴν μῆνας πέντε, λέγουσα· Στίχ. κεʹ. Ὅτι οὕτως πεποίηκεν ὁ Κύριος ἐν ἡμέ ραις, αἷς ἐπεῖδεν ἀφελεῖν τὸ ὄνειδός μου ἐν ἀν θρώποις. Στίχ. κʹ. Ἐν δὲ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ ἕκτῳ ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος Γαβριὴλ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς πόλιν τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ᾗ ὄνομα Ναζαρὲτ, Στίχ. κζʹ. Πρὸς παρθένον μεμνηστευμένην ἀνδρὶ, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰωσὴφ, ἐξ οἴκου ∆αυῒδ, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς παρθένου Μαριάμ. Τί δὲ διένευεν αὐτοῖς; προακούσας ἐράσμιον πρᾶ γμα ἑαυτῷ μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι, οὐκ ἔσπευσε πρὸ καιροῦ 17.320 δραμεῖν, ἀλλ' ἔμεινε πληρῶσαι τὴν λειτουργίαν· δι δάσκων, ὅτι δεῖ πάντα δεύτερα ποιεῖσθαι τῆς εἰς Θεὸν τιμῆς. Οἰκονομικώτατα δὲ περιέκρυβεν ἑαυτὴν ἡ Ἐλισάβετ, ἕως οὗ ἐγνώσθη ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀναμφίβολον ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα· ἵνα ἐξ ἀκοῆς μὴ βουλόμενοι πεισθῆναι οἱ ἀκούοντες ταῦτα, τῷ αὐτῷ ἐγκλήματι ὑποπτεύσωσιν, ᾧ καὶ Ζαχαρίας. Τὸ ὑπερβατὸν οὕτως ἔχει· Ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς παρθένον ἐξ οἴκου ∆αυῒδ, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς παρθένου Μαριὰμ, μεμνηστευμένην ἀνδρὶ, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰωσήφ. Οὐκ ἀπεστάλη δὲ πρὸς Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἄγγελος· ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν ἦν κοινὸν τῷ Ἰωσὴφ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου γέννησιν. Ὡς δὴ ἀρξαμένης τῆς ἁμαρ τίας ἀπὸ γυναικὸς, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ἔδει ἄρξασθαι. Στίχ. λδʹ. Εἶπε δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον· Πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο; ἐπεὶ τὸν ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω. Στίχ. λεʹ. Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὸ, εὗρες χάριν, κοινὸν ἦν. Εὗρον γὰρ πρὸ αὐτῆς καὶ ἄλλαι χάριν. Τὸ δ' εἰπεῖν, συλλήψῃ, οὐκέτι κοινὸν ἦν, ἀλλ' ἰδιάζον εἰς ἐπαγγελίαν παρθένῳ ξένον πρᾶγμα. Εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. ∆ιὸ, μὴ φοβοῦ. Παντὸς γὰρ φόβου ἀφαίρεσις ἡ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημία. Στίχ. λʹ. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ Ἐλισάβετ ἡ συγγενής σου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἤκουσεν ὁ Πρόδρομος, τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος κινούμενος, τὸν ἀσπασμὸν Μαρίας, ὃν ὑπέλαβεν ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ἐσκίρτα ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τῆς μητρὸς, εἰς ἔμφασιν χαρᾶς καὶ προφητείας δήλωσιν. Οἱονεὶ γὰρ ἔκτοτε αὐτὸν ἤρξατο προφήτην ποιεῖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἔνδον αὐτῷ παρασχὼν τοῦ μυστηρίου τὴν δήλωσιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ