Gregory of Nyssa, On the Annunciation

In annuntiationem

Encomium of Gregory, bishop of Nyssa, on the annunciation of the most holy Theotokos.

Whenever I remember the disobedience of Eve, I weep; and when I see again and comprehend the fruit of the Theotokos Mary, I am renewed. Come, peoples, let us all sing hymns to the one born of a virgin, the glory and character of the Godhead existing before the ages has become subject to the same suffering as our poverty, the magnificent power, existing in the form of God, took on the form of a servant, he who is praised by myriads of angels upon the cherubim lives as a citizen in the world, he who was before and saves the whole world was born of a holy virgin, so that he might again give life to the first-formed man.

Come therefore, we too, beloved, hastening to the harbor of our savior of divine grace, with Gabriel saying "hail, full of grace," let us praise the holy virgin. Because from her came forth the true light, which enlightens us with his goodness; for she was a hallowed sanctuary and a pure temple of God, the golden altar of incense, because of her insurmountable purity, the divine incense of the composition and the holy oil of anointing, the precious alabaster jar of pure nard, the priestly diadem, indicating the ineffable will of God, being the only one holy in body and spirit, the gate looking towards the east and which, through the Lord's entrance and exit, enlightened the world, the fruitful olive tree, from which the holy spirit, taking the mystical twig of the lord, set in order the storm-tossed race of men. She is the boast of virgins and the exultation of mothers, receiving the archangelic message and divine gospel; "hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you and again from you," for the Lord, having been pleased to be conceived by the holy virgin, sent forth the archangel to announce the good news. And he, coming from the ineffable powers above to Mary, first proclaimed to her the "hail, full of grace" and immediately again added: "The Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." But she was troubled and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Fittingly, therefore, has grace chosen the holy virgin Mary, for the holy one was wise in all things out of all generations among women, no one has ever been like her. Not as the first virgin Eve, being alone in paradise, with a vain mind received the word from the serpent and thus the sentiment of her heart was corrupted and through her the whole struggle of the saints came to be; but in the holy virgin alone has that one's error been rectified. Not as Sarah, when the good news was announced concerning the conception of her son, rashly laughed; not as Rebecca willingly received the ornaments and eagerly watered the camels of the suitor; not as every woman who received the graceful greeting without inquiry; but with a strong mind, with a bright spirit she was perplexed within herself and said: "What sort of greeting might this be? From where does the gift have its origin? From where has this one brought the blessing to us? From where has the pearl of the word from treasures been sent to us? I wish to know what the gift is and who the bearer is and who the sender is. You have come from heaven, you show the appearance of a man, I see a man, and you flash with torches of light."

These things she was perplexed about in herself and said; but with such words the archangel resolved Mary's doubt; "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore you will conceive and bear a son; and you will call his name

In annuntiationem

Γρηγορίου ἐπισκόπου Νύσης ἐγκώμιον εἰς εὐαγγελισμὸν τῆς ὑπεραγίας θεοτόκου.

Ἀεὶ ὅταν μνησθῶ τῆς Εὔας τὴν παρακοὴν δακρύω· καὶ ὅταν ἴδω πάλιν καὶ

κατανοήσω τὸν καρπὸν τῆς θεοτόκου Μαρίας ἀνακαινίζομαι. ∆εῦτε, λαοί, τὸν ἐκ παρθένου τεχθέντα πάντες ἀνυμνήσωμεν, δόξα καὶ χαρακτὴρ πρὸ αἰώνων ὑπάρχον θεότητος ὁμοιοπαθεὶς γέγονεν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ πτωχίᾳ, ἡ μεγαλοπρεπὴς ἐξουσία ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων μορφὴν δούλου ἀνέλαβεν, ὁ ἐπὶ χερουβὶμ ὑπὸ μυριά δων ἀγγέλων ἀνυμνούμενος ἐμπολιτεύεται κόσμῳ, ὁ πρὸ ὢν καὶ σώζων ὅλον τὸν κόσ μον ἐξ ἁγίας παρθένου ἐτέχθη, ἵνα τὸν πρωτόπλαστον πάλιν ζωοποιήσῃ.

∆εῦτε οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀγαπητοί, ἐπὶ τὸν λιμένα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ὁρμήσαντες τῆς θείας χάριτος μετὰ τοῦ Γαβριὴλ τὸ "χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη" λέγοντες, τὴν ἁγίαν παρθένον ὑμνήσωμεν. Ὅτι ἐξ αὐτῆς προῆλθε τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, τὸ φωτίζον ἡμᾶς τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητι· ἱερὸν γὰρ ἡγιασμένον καὶ ναὸς θεοῦ ἀκραιφνὴς ἐτύγχανε, τὸ χρυσοῦν τῶν θυμιαμά των θυσιαστήριον, διὰ τὴν ἀνυπέρβλητον αὐτῆς καθαρότητα, τὸ θεῖον θυμίαμα τῆς συνθέσεως καὶ τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαιον τῆς χρήσεως, τὸ πολύτιμον τῆς πιστικῆς νάρδου ἀλά βαστρον, τὸ ἱερατικὸν διάδημα, τὴν ἀπόῤῥητον τοῦ θεοῦ μηνύουσα βούλησιν, ἡ μόνη σώματι καὶ πνεύματι ἁγία ὑπάρχουσα, ἡ πύλη ἡ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς βλέπουσα καὶ διὰ τῆς δεσποτικῆς εἰσόδου τε καὶ ἐξόδου τὸν κόσμον φωτίσασα, ἡ κατάκαρπος ἐλαία, ἐξ ἧς τὸ μυστικὸν τοῦ κυρίου λαβὸν κάρφος τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα τὸ χειμαζόμενον τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος διεκόσμησεν. Αὕτη τῶν παρθένων καύχημα καὶ τῶν μητέρων ἀγαλλίαμα, τὸ ἀρχαγγελικὸν μήνυμα καὶ θεῖον εὐαγγέλιον δεχομένη· "χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ κύριος μετά σου καὶ πάλιν ἐκ σοῦ", κυοφορηθῆναι γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου εὐδοκήσας ὁ κύριος τὸν ἀρχάγγελον εὐαγγελιζόμενον προσαπέστειλε. Ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω ἀφράστων δυνάμεων πρὸς τὴν Μαρίαμ παραγενόμενος, πρώην τὸ "χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη" αὐτῇ προσεκήρυξεν καὶ εὐθέως πάλιν ἐπήγαγεν· "Ὁ κύριος μετά σου, εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξί, καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου". Ἡ δὲ διεταράχθη καὶ διελογίζετο ποταπὸς εἴη ὁ ἀσπασμὸς οὗτος. Προσήκοντος ἄρα τὴν ἁγίαν παρθένον Μαρίαμ ἡ χάρις ἐκλέ λεκται, σοφὴ γὰρ κατὰ πάντα ἡ ἁγία ἐτύγχανεν ἐκ πασῶν γενεῶν ἐν γυναιξί, οὐδε μία αὐτῇ ὅμοια γέγονε ποτέ. Οὐχ ὡς ἡ πρώτη παρθένος Εὔα ἐν παραδείσῳ ὑπάρχουσα μόνη, χαύνη τῇ διανοίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ ὄφεως τὸν λόγον ἐδέξατο καὶ οὕτως ἐφθάρη τὸ τῆς καρδίας φρόνημα καὶ δι' ἐκείνης ἅπας ὁ ἀγὼν τῶν ἁγίων ἐγένετο· ἀλλ' ἐν μόνῃ τῇ ἁγίᾳ παρθένῳ τὸ ἐκείνης ἀνασέσωσται σφάλμα. Οὐχ ὡς ἡ Σάῤῥα εὐαγγελισθεῖσα πε ρὶ τῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ συλλήψεως προπετεία ἐγέλασεν· οὐχ ὡς ἡ Ῥεβέκκα αὐτομόλως τὰ κό σμια ἐδέξατο καὶ τὰς καμίλους τοῦ μνηστῆρος προθύμως ἐπότισεν· οὐχ ὡς πᾶσα γυνὴ τοῦ χαριεντοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ ἀπεριέργως ἐδέξατο· ἀλλ' ἐῤῥωμένῃ διανοίᾳ φαιδρῷ τῷ φρο νήματι ἐν αὐτῇ διηπόρει καὶ ἔλεγεν· "Ποταπὸς εἴη ὁ ἀσπασμὸς οὗτος; πόθεν ἡ δωρεὰ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν κέκτηται; πόθεν ἡμῖν οὗτος τὴν εὐλογίαν ἐκόμισε; πόθεν ἡμῖν θησαυρῶν ὁ μαργαρίτης τοῦ λόγου ἀπέσταλται; γνῶναι βούλομαί τι τὸ δῶρον καὶ τίς ὁ φέρων καὶ τίς ὁ πέμψας. Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ παραγέγονας, ἀνθρώπου χαρακτῆρα δεικνύεις, ἄνθρω πον θεωρῶ, καὶ λαμπάδας φωτὸς ἀπαστράπτεις".

Ταῦτα ἐν ἑαυτῇ διηπόρει καὶ ἔλε γεν· τοιούτοις δὲ λόγοις τῆς Μαρίας τὴν διάκρισιν ἔλυσεν ὁ ἀρχάγγελος· "Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπί σε καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι· διὸ συλλήψῃ καὶ τέξῃ υἱόν· καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ