9

of the presence of Christ the nations were constituted, just as the blessed Isaiah, proclaiming good news to the people sitting in darkness, declared that they would see a great light. But since Israel, even if moderately, was nevertheless enlightened by the typological law, He did not speak of light upon him; but prophesied that he would inherit glory, recalling ancient history; that just as of old the wondrous Moses, having become a companion of God, had his face glorified; so also they, having through faith conversed with the divine light of the incarnation, and being illuminated by the power of the Spirit, will appear in glory, putting away the old veil, and being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as the Apostle says, as from the Lord, the Spirit.

46.1176. And the fact that the God-minded Simeon said that the Lord is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, shows by the agreement of the thoughts with the prophetic proclamations, that one and the same God and lawgiver has spoken both in the prophets and in the New Testament. For the prophetic word declared the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense to be the cause that those who believe in him will not be put to shame. Therefore, fall is for those who stumble out of unbelief at the lowliness of the flesh; but rising, for those who have recognized the firmness of the divine economy. But also by saying that a sword would pierce the soul of the Theotokos herself, he clearly prophesies the passion on the cross. For since the Theotokos held a higher and more God-befitting opinion of him on account of the things divinely said and done concerning him from his miraculous conception until the time of the passion (which were like one uncut body), we shall consider her to have suffered a kind of cut, as it were, in the ignominy of the crucifixion, even if the miracle of the resurrection effected a complete healing of the cut. But it signifies not only that she alone was held by such a passion, but foretells that from many hearts thoughts of doubt and dissension would be revealed; so that in the difference of opinions about him, the Virgin Mother of God might not have any turmoil. But since the prophetess Anna because of her old age utters something faint and not very audible, nor did the sublime Gospel reproduce her exact words; let us first learn from the evangelist who she was and from where she came, and for what reasons and when she was present at the temple, and then let us investigate the meaning of what she said. The blessed Luke, therefore, says that 'There was Anna the prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was advanced in many days, having lived with a husband for seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about eighty-four years; who did not depart from the temple, serving with fastings and prayers night and day; and she, coming up at that very hour, gave thanks to God and spoke of him to all who were awaiting the redemption in Jerusalem.' What is the reason that the evangelist made such an exact narrative about this prophetess, so as to mention her father and her tribe, which is found recorded of almost no one else? The exact reason for this, God himself of the saints alone would know, and those taught by His inspiration 46.1177 to speak mysteries in the Spirit, according to the divine Apostle; but according to what is possible for us, we say that there were others at that time with the same name as this blessed woman, and who held to the same sacred devotions as she, of persevering in fastings and prayers. Therefore, so that her person might be distinct, he added her particular identity by mentioning her father and tribe; and he crowned her with great praises, and they certainly have credibility among the hearers, to whom she also spoke about the Lord. But since, as has been said, the resounding and loud quality of her speech was taken away by old age, the ear as it were near her mouth

9

Χριστοῦ παρουσίας καθειστήκει τὰ ἔθνη, καθὼς καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἡσαΐας τὸν ἐν σκότει λαὸν καθήμενον εὐαγγελιζόμενος, τὸ μέγα φῶς αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν διηγόρευσεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, εἰ καὶ μετρίως, ὅμως γοῦν τῷ τυπικῷ ἐφωτίζετο νόμῳ, φῶς μὲν ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ οὐκ εἴρηκεν· δόξαν δὲ αὐτὸν κληρώσασθαι προεφήτευσε, παλαιᾶς ἱστορίας ἀναμιμνήσκων· ὅτι καθάπερ πάλαι ὁ θαυμάσιος Μωϋσῆς, τοῦ Θεοῦ συνόμιλος γεγονὼς, δεδοξασμένον ἔσχε τὸ πρόσωπον· οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ, τῷ θείῳ τῆς ἐναν θρωπήσεως διὰ πίστεως προσομιλήσαντες φωτὶ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος καταλαμφθέντες δυνάμει, ἐν δόξῃ φανήσονται, τὸ παλαιὸν ἀποθέμενοι κάλυμμα, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμενοι, ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, καθάπερ ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος

46.1176. Τὸ εἰρηκέναι δὲ τὸν θεόφρονα Συμεῶνα εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ κεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον, δείκνυσι τῇ συμβάσει τῶν νοημάτων πρὸς τὰ προφητικὰ διαγγέλματα, ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν Θεόν τε καὶ νομοθέτην ἔν τε προφήταις καὶ τῇ Καινῇ ∆ιαθήκῃ λελαληκέναι. Τὸν γὰρ λίθον τοῦ προσκόμματος καὶ τοῦ σκανδάλου τὴν πέτραν αἰτίαν τοῦ μὴ καταισχυνθήσεσθαι τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτὸν πιστεύοντας, ὁ προφητικὸς διηγόρευσε λόγος. Οὐκοῦν πτῶσις μὲν ἔστι τοῖς τῷ ταπεινῷ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐξ ἀπιστίας προσπταίουσιν· ἀνάστασις δὲ, τοῖς τὸ στεῤῥὸν τῆς θείας οἰκονομίας ἐπεγνωκόσιν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς Θεοτόκου ψυχῆς ῥομφαίαν διελαθῆναι λέγων, σαφῶς τὸ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ προφητεύει πάθος. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς παραδόξου συλλήψεως μέχρι τοῦ κατὰ τοῦ πάθους καιροῦ θεο πρεπῶς εἰς αὐτὸν εἰρημένοις τε καὶ πεπραγμένοις, ἓν ὥσπερ ἂν ἀδιάτμητον σῶμα, ὑψηλοτέραν τε καὶ θεοπρεπεστέραν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐχούσης τῆς Θεοτόκου ὑπόληψιν, τομὴν ὥσπερ τινὰ πεπονθέναι αὐτὴν νομιούμεθα, ἐν τῷ ἀδόξῳ τῆς σταυρώσεως, εἰ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως θαῦμα συνούλωσιν παντελῆ τῆς το μῆς ἀπειργάσατο. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μόνην αὐτὴν τῷ τοιού τῳ πάθει ἐνσχεθῆναι σημαίνει, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλῶν καρδιῶν διαλογισμοὺς ἀμφιβολίας τε καὶ διχονοίας ἀναφανῆναι προλέγει· ὡς ἂν ἐν τῷ διαφόρῳ τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ ὑπολήψεων, μή τινα κλόνον σχοίη ἡ Θεομήτωρ Παρθένος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ προφῆτις Ἄννα ἐκ τοῦ γήρως ἀδρανές τι καὶ οὐ λίαν ἐξακουστὸν φθέγγεται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ ὑψηλὸν Εὐαγγέλιον αὐτολεξεὶ τὰ ἐξ αὐτῆς λεχθέντα παρήγαγε· πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ πυθώμεθα, τίς τε καὶ πόθεν αὕτη καθέστηκε, καὶ ἐπὶ ποίοις καὶ πότε τῷ ἱερῷ ἐφέστηκεν, αὖθίς τε τίνων ἔλεγε διάνοιαν ἐρευνήσωμεν. Φησὶ τοίνυν ὁ μακάριος Λουκᾶς, ὡς Ἦν Ἄννα ἡ προφῆτις θυγάτηρ Φανουὴλ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἀσήρ· αὕτη προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ἡμέραις πολλαῖς ζήσασα μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἔτη ἑπτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς παρθενίας αὐτῆς· καὶ αὐτὴ χήρα ὡς ἐτῶν ὀγδοήκοντα τεσσάρων· ἣ οὐκ ἀφίστατο ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, νηστείαις καὶ δεήσεσι λατρεύουσα νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν· καὶ αὕτη, αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐπιστᾶσα, ἀνθωμολογεῖτο τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐλάλει περὶ αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς προσδεχομένοις λύτρωσιν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Τίς ὁ λόγος τοῦ τοιαύτην ἀκριβῆ τὴν περὶ τῆς προφήτιδος ταύτης τὸν εὐαγγε λιστὴν ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀφήγησιν, ὥστε καὶ τὸν ταύ της πατέρα, καὶ τὴν φυλὴν ἐν ἐπιμνήσει ποιήσασθαι, καὶ ὅπερ ἐπ' οὐδενὶ ἑτέρῳ σχεδὸν ἱστορημένον εὕρηται; Τὸν μὲν περὶ τούτου ἀκριβῆ λόγον μόνος ἂν εἰδείη αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ἁγίων Θεὸς, καὶ οἱ τῇ αὐτοῦ ἐπιπνοίᾳ 46.1177 Πνεύματι λαλεῖν κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον δεδιδαγμένοι μυστήρια· κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἡμῖν ἐφικτὸν, καὶ ἑτέρας κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τῇ μακαρίᾳ ταύτῃ συνωνύμους ὑπάρχειν φαμὲν, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνῃ ἔχεσθαι ἱερῶν σπουδασμάτων, τοῦ ἐν νηστείαις καὶ προσευχαῖς προσκαρτερεῖν. Πρὸς οὖν τὸ εὐκρινὲς εἶναι τὸ ταύτης πρόσωπον, τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς ἐπιμνήσει καὶ τῆς φυλῆς τὸ ἴδιον προσεγράψατο· μεγάλοις δὲ αὐτὴν ἐγκωμίοις ἐστέψατο, καὶ πάντως τὸ παρὰ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν ἀξιόπιστον ἔχουσιν, οἷς καὶ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου διελέγετο. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ, ὡς εἴρηται, τὸ τοῦ λόγου διηχημένον καὶ μεγαλόφωνον ὑπὸ τοῦ γήρως ἀφῄρηται, πλησίον αὐτῆς ὥσπερ τοῦ στόματος τὸ οὖς