Sermon on the description of the Mother of God

A DISCOURSE OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS ATHANASIUS, ON THE REGISTRATION OF SAINT MARY, AND ON JOSEPH.

Just as workers who have been allotted to mine the golden earth, when they find a vein bringing forth nuggets of what they seek, they tarry there, they dig alongside it there, as if with a guide to their gain; and they do not journey onward, not first leaving the place, until they seize the lair of what lies before them; in the same way, we too, the employers of the ecclesiastical work, holding the evangelist Luke in our hands, for the understanding of the treasure of the Master's birth from the Virgin, will not cease from our investigation, until we genuinely gather up the proposed wealth. For this reason also, we will trace the evangelist in order, so that we may leave behind none of the profitable things. For even if the words in the preface are small, yet the initiations into the mysteries of joy are great. And let no one be weary of the discourse, receiving in his hearing the small things that were read. For in relation to the power of the Master who was born, the things read were small and exceedingly small: swaddling clothes, and a manger, and an unsuitable place. And these things are small, but the things set forth are mystical: an ineffable womb, an incomprehensible bosom, a holy breast, strangely flowing milk, a nipple foreign to natural pasture, the Mother of the Lord becoming registered, the betrothed Joseph embracing the fellowship of a name, and not of a deed. You have just heard the evangelist Luke saying: "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be registered. This registration first took place when Quirinius was governing Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife, who was with child." Do you see how small are the words, and how great the initiations into the mysteries? The Lord was being carried in the womb, and the first registration was being decreed; He who has all creation registered, and who said to His own disciples, "Rejoice and be glad, because your names are written in heaven." In the small Roman codices He allowed his own mother to become registered. Who would not speak? Who would not marvel at the condescension of the Lord? Above free, and below registered; above Son, and below a servant; above a king, and below a hireling; above rich, and below in want; above worshipped, and below taxed; above a divine throne, and below a rustic cave; above the paternal and incomprehensible bosom, and below a small animal-feeder, and a manger. Who would not marvel at the great things above, and the small swaddling clothes below? He who looses was bound; He who nourishes was nourished; He who is incomprehensible appeared as a child; He who releases springs borrowed a breast; He who bears all things was ineffably borne; He who is nowhere absent was in a part, being uncircumscribably circumscribed. Oh, the paradoxical things! Elizabeth gave birth in a bright little house, and the Virgin gave birth in the small cave; John on a couch, and the Lord in a manger. Not simply was the birth of the Lord from a Virgin; not simply that He was wrapped in swaddling clothes; not simply that He drew from the breast; not simply that He was laid in a manger; not simply that He was summoned to the registration of Augustus; all things for some reason, and to some end, and enigmatic. From

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Sermo de descriptione deiparae

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΑΠΟΓΡΑΦΗΝ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΜΑΡΙΑΣ, ΚΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΩΣΗΦ, ΛΟΓΟΣ.

Ὥσπερ οἱ τὴν χρυσῖτιν γῆν μεταλλεύειν λαχόντες ἐργάται, ἐπὰν εὕρωσι φλέβα ψήγματα τοῦ ζη τουμένου προβάλλουσαν, ἐκεῖ σχολάζουσιν, ἐκεῖ παρορύττουσιν, ὡς ὁδηγῷ τοῦ κέρδους· καὶ οὐ κατόπιν ὁδεύουσι, μὴ πρότερον τὸν τόπον ἀμείβοντες, ἕως οὗ τὸν φωλεὸν τοῦ προκειμένου καταλάβωσι· τὸν αὐ τὸν τρόπον καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἐργασίας ἐργοδόται, τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν Λουκᾶν μετὰ χεῖρας ἔχοντες, πρὸς κατανόησιν τοῦ δεσποτικοῦ τῆς ἐκ Παρθένου ἀποκυήσεως θησαυροῦ, οὐ πρότερον τῆς ἐρεύνης παυσώμεθα, ἕως οὗ τὸν προκείμενον πλοῦτον γνησίως ἀναλεξώμεθα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ κατὰ τάξιν τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν ἀνιχνεύσομεν, ἵνα μηδὲν τῶν ἐπικερδῶν καταλείπωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μικρὰ ἐν προοιμίοις τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλ' ὅμως μεγάλα τῆς χαρᾶς τὰ μυσταγωγήματα. Καὶ μηδεὶς ἀκηδιάσῃ τῷ λόγῳ, μικρὰ τὰ παραναγνωσθέντα τῇ ἀκοῇ δεξάμενος. Ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ γεννηθέντος ∆εσπότου μικρὰ καὶ σφόδρα μικρὰ τὰ παραναγνωσθέντα, σπάρ γανα, καὶ φάτνη, καὶ τόπος ἀνεπιτήδειος. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν μικρὰ, τὰ δὲ προκείμενα μυστικά· γαστὴρ ἀνερμήνευτος, κόλπος ἀκατάληπτος, μαζὸς ἁγιόρι 28.945 ζος, γάλα ξενοῤῥυὲς, θηλὴ τῆς φυσικῆς νομῆς ἀλλοτρία, ἡ Μήτηρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐναπόγραφος γενομένη, ὁ μνηστὴρ Ἰωσὴφ ὀνόματος, καὶ οὐ πράγματος κοινωνίαν ἀσπαζόμενος. Ἤκουες ἀρτίως τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Λουκᾶ λέγοντος· «Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐξῆλθε δόγμα παρὰ Καίσαρος Αὐγούστου, ἀπογράφεσθαι πᾶσαν τὴν οἰ κουμένην. Αὕτη ἡ ἀπογραφὴ πρώτη ἐγένετο, ἡγεμονεύοντος τῆς Συρίας Κυρηνίου. Καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πάντες ἀπογράφεσθαι, ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν. Ἐπορεύθη δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐκ πόλεως Ναζαρὲθ, εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, εἰς πόλιν ∆αβὶδ, ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλεὲμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς ∆αβὶδ, ἀπογράφεσθαι σὺν Μαριὰμ τῇ μεμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ γυναικὶ, οὔσῃ ἐγκύῳ.» Εἶ δες πῶς μικρὰ τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ μεγάλα τὰ μυσταγωγήματα; Ὁ Κύριος ἐκυοφορεῖτο, καὶ πρώτη ἀπογραφὴ ἐνομοθετεῖτο ὁ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν ἐναπόγραφον ἔχων, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς φήσας· «Χαί ρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐγράφη ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.» Ἐν τοῖς μικροῖς Ῥωμαϊκοῖς κώδιξι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μητέρα ἐναπόγραφον γενέσθαι συνεχώρει. Τίς μὴ λαλήσῃ; Τίς μὴ θαυμάσῃ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου συγκατάβασιν; Ἄνω ἐλεύθερος, καὶ κάτω ἐναπόγραφος· ἄνω Υἱὸς, καὶ κάτω δοῦλος· ἄνω βασιλεὺς, καὶ κάτω μισθωτός· ἄνω πλούσιος, καὶ κάτω ἐν δεής· ἄνω προσκυνούμενος, καὶ κάτω φορολογούμενος· ἄνω θεϊκὸς θρόνος, καὶ κάτω ἀγροικικὸν σπήλαιον· ἄνω ὁ πατρῷος καὶ ἀκατάληπτος κόλπος, καὶ κάτω ἀλογο τροφεῖον μικρὸν, καὶ φάτνιον. Τίς μὴ θαυμάσῃ με γάλα ἄνω πράγματα, καὶ μικρὰ κάτω σπάργανα; Ὁ λύων ἐδέδετο· ὁ τρέφων ἐτρέφετο· ὁ ἀκατάληπτος παι δίον ἐφαίνετο· ὁ πηγὰς ἀπολύων μαζὸν ἐδανείζετο· ὁ πάντα φέρων, ἀνερμηνεύτως ἐφέρετο· ὁ μηδαμοῦ ἀπολιμπανόμενος ἐν μέρει ἀπεριγράπτως περιγραφό μενος. Ὢ τῶν παραδόξων πραγμάτων! Ἡ Ἐλισάβετἐν οἰκίσκῳ φαιδρῷ ἀπεκύησε, καὶ ἡ Παρθένος ἐν τῷ μικρῷ σπηλαίῳ ἐγέννησεν· Ἰωάννης ἐπὶ κλίνης, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν φάτνῃ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐκ Παρθένου γέννησις· οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸ τοῖς σπαργάνοις αὐτὸν κατειληθῆναι· οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸ μαζὸν ἑλκῦσαι· οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸ ἐν φάτνῃ ἀνακλιθῆναι· οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὸ τῇ τοῦ Αὐγούστου ἀπογραφῇ προσκληθῆναι· πάντα διὰ τὶ, καὶ πρὸς τὶ, καὶ αἰνιγματώδη. Ἐκ

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