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Homilia in nativitatem Mariae

7. A discourse by the same, on the nativity of our most holy Lady, the Theotokos.

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1. Creation splendidly celebrates today, receiving the Virgin as a new heaven. A Maiden has been born on earth, the ensouled chamber of the King of heaven. A young woman has come into the light, flashing more brightly than the sun's ray. A babe has shone forth from a barren woman, the most holy precinct of virginity. Who will not come to meet the festival? Who will not bring festival gifts, beloved by the Virgin? The most beautiful gift for virgins is incorruptibility, for the married, chastity, for the rich, sharing, for the poor, thanksgiving, for rulers, gentleness, for kings, justice, for priests, holiness, for all in all things, good order. Since such are the gifts, and with such is the splendid celebration, come, let us leap for joy. Let us sing thanksgiving, with David: Let us rejoice in the Lord, let us shout to God our Savior. For the Creator of all, a temple of reception has been built; 96.681 for the creative Word a lodging of hospitality has been prepared; for the Sun of righteousness a cloud of light has been spread out; for Him who covers the heaven with clouds, a loom of a divinely woven garment is set up; for Him who mixes the seasons and years with the hours, a bridal chamber has been revealed.

2. Dance, young maidens; for the birthday is of a virgin. Leap, mothers; for the virginal one is a mother's fruit. Barren women, be hopeful, looking to her who was formerly barren, then bore a child of God. And let no maidens be left out of the dance, celebrating the birthday of the sole crown and queen of maidens. Blow the trumpet on the hills; sound it on the heights; proclaim in Jerusalem, what is commanded to us here also through Hosea. David, the forefather of God, rejoice; Isaiah, the mighty prophet, be gladdened. And the one, because from your loins according to the oath the queen comes forth, from whom God promised to place the fruit of your body upon your throne; the other, because your prophecy has reached its fulfillment, A rod shall come forth from the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up from the root. The rod is the Virgin, from whom, without marriage, the blossoming and everlasting Christ comes forth.

3. But why do I prescribe rejoicing for this one and that one, and not signify the exultation with a comprehensive voice? Let the heaven above rejoice, and let the clouds rain down righteousness. Let the earth spring forth, and let mercy blossom, and let righteousness spring forth together. Why? Because a tabernacle for the God of Jacob has been revealed; because a holy place has been shown for the all-holy Word. How awesome is this place, let Jacob the greatest of patriarchs cry out, this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven! O ineffable hearings! O wondrous results! What is this new narrative? What is this strange and secret parable? If the heaven of heaven is not sufficient for You, as says the Word, what natural dwelling is sufficient for Him? Do I not fill heaven and earth, says the Lord? And where for such a One, and so great a One, and One who surpasses every comprehensible supposition? for an enclosing space will not be found for the infinite in quantity. Heaven is My throne, He says, and the earth is the footstool of My feet. And what house will be built for the One who asks? or what place of His rest might be found? but yet it has been found, and

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Homilia in nativitatem Mariae

Ζʹ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ Λόγος, εἰς τὸ γενέσιον τῆς ὑπεραγίας ∆εσποίνης ἡμῶν Θεοτόκου.

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αʹ. Λαμπρῶς πανηγυρίζει ἡ κτίσις σήμερον, καινὸν οὐρανὸν τὴν Παρθένον λαμβάνουσα. Κόρη ἐπὶ γῆς γεγέννηται, τοῦ Βασιλέως τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐψυχώμενος θάλαμος. Νεᾶνις εἰς φῶς ἐλήλυθε τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος φανότερον ἀστράπτουσα. Βρέφος ἐκ στείρας ἀνέλαμψε, τῆς παρθενίας τέμενος ἱερώτατον. Τίς οὐχ ὑπαντήσει πρὸς τὴν πανήγυριν; τίς οὐ δωροφορήσει ἑόρτια, καὶ τῇ Παρθένῳ φιλούμενα; ∆ῶρον κάλλιστον παρθενεύουσιν ἡ ἀφθαρσία, γήμασι σωφροσύνη, πλουσίοις μετάδοσις, πένησιν ἡ εὐχαριστία, ἄρχουσιν ἡ ἡμερότης, βασιλεῦσιν ἡ δικαιοσύνη, ἱερεῦσιν ἡ ὁσιότης, τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐν ἅπασιν ἡ εὐνομία. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοιαῦτα τὰ δῶρα, καὶ μετὰ τοιούτων ἡ λαμπροφορία, δεῦτε σκιρτήσωμεν εὐφρόσυνα. Ἄσωμεν χαριστήρια, μετὰ ∆αβίδ· Ἀγαλλιασώμεθα τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀλαλάξωμεν τῷ Θεῷ τῷ Σωτῆρι ἡμῶν. Τῷ Κτίστῃ τῶν ἁπάντων, ναὸς ὑποδοχῆς ᾠκοδόμηται· 96.681 ὅτι τῷ δημιουργῷ Λόγῳ καταγώγιον ξενισμοῦ ἡτοίμασται· ὅτι τῷ Ἡλίῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης νεφέλη φωτὸς ἐξήπλωται· ὅτι τῷ περιβάλλοντι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐν νεφέλαις, θεοϋφάντου περιβολαίου ἱστὸς ἀνίσταται· ὅτι τῷ κιρνῶντι ταῖς ὥραις τοὺς καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτοὺς συνακτήριον νυμφικὸν ἀναδέδεικται.

βʹ. Χορεύσατε, νεάνιδες· παρθενικὸν γὰρ τὸ γενέθλιον. Σκιρτήσατε, μητέρες· μητρικὸς γὰρ καρπὸς ἡ παρθενεύουσα. Στεῖραι, εὐέλπιδες ἔστε πρὸς τὴν πρὶν στειρεύουσαν, εἶτα θεόπαιδα γεννήσασαν ἀποσκοπεύουσαι. Μηδέ γε κόραι τῆς χορείας ἀπολειπέσθωσαν, τῆς μόνης κορῶν κορωνίδος ὁμοῦ καὶ βασιλίδος τὸ γενέσιον πανηγυρίζουσαι. Σαλπίσατε σάλπιγγι ἐπὶ τοὺς βουνούς· ἠχήσατε ἐπὶ τῶν ὑψηλῶν· κηρύξατε ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, δι' Ὠσηὲ ἡμῖν κἀνταῦθα τὸ προσταττόμενον. ∆αβὶδ ὁ Θεοπάτωρ, εὐφράνθητι· Ἡσαΐας ὁ προφητοκράτωρ, φαιδρύνθητι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν, ὅτι ἐξ ὀσφύος σου κατὰ τὴν ὁρκωμοσίαν ἡ βασιλὶς προέρχεται, ἐξ ἧς θήσειν ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον σου τὸν καρπόν σου Θεὸς ἐπηγγείλατο· ὁ δὲ, ὅτι ἡ προφητεία σου πέρας εἴληφεν, Ἐξελεύσεται ῥάβδος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ, καὶ ἄνθος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης ἀναβήσεται. Ῥάβδος ἡ Παρθένος, ἐξ ἧς ἀπειρόγαμος τὸ ἀνθηρὸν καὶ ἀένναον Χριστὸς ἄνεισιν.

γʹ. Ἀλλὰ τί μοι τῷ δεῖνι, καὶ τῷ δεῖνι τὸ χαίρειν περιγράφειν, καὶ μὴ φωνῇ περιληπτικῇ διασημᾶναι τὴν ἀγαλλίασιν; Εὐφρανθήτω ὁ οὐρανὸς ἄνωθεν, καὶ αἱ νεφέλαι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην. Ἀνατειλάτω ἡ γῆ, καὶ βλαστησάτω ἔλεος, καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἀνατειλάτω ἅμα. ∆ιὰ τί; ὅτι σκήνωμα τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακὼβ πεφανέρωται· ὅτι τόπος ἅγιος τῷ παναγίῳ Λόγῳ ὑποδέδεικται. Ὡς φοβερὸς ὁ τόπος οὗτος, βοάτω Ἰακὼβ ὁ πατριαρχικώτατος, οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀλλ' ἢ οἶκος Θεοῦ, καὶ αὕτη ἡ πύλη τοῦ οὐρανοῦ! Ὢ ἀποῤῥήτων ἀκουσμάτων! ὢ παραδόξων ἀποτελεσμάτων! Τί τοῦτο τὸ καινὸν διήγημα; τίς αὕτη ἡ ξενίζουσα παραβολὴ καὶ ἀπόῤῥητος; Εἰ ὁ οὐρανὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐκ ἐξαρκέσουσί σοι, ὡς ὁ Λόγος, καὶ τίς ἡ ἐξαρκοῦσα αὐτῷ φυσικὴ κατοίκησις; Οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ, λέγει Κύριος; Καὶ ποῦ τῷ τοιούτῳ, καὶ τηλικούτῳ, καὶ ὑπεραίροντι πάσης καταληπτικῆς ὑποθέσεως; οὐ γὰρ ἐν ποσότητι τὸ ἄπειρον, περιληπτικὸν χωρίον ἐξευρηθήσεται. Ὁ οὐρανός μοι, φησὶν, θρόνος, καὶ ἡ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου. Καὶ ποῖος οἰκοδομηθήσεται οἶκος τῷ ἐρωτῶντι; ἢ τίς ἐξευρεθείη τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεως αὐτοῦ; ἀλλ' ὅμως εὕρηται, καὶ