Sermon of St. Tarasius, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople,
from 25 December 784 until his death on 25 February 806.
The Blessed Virgin is prepared for her
mission by her hidden life.
Today heaven and earth make common celebration,
and together they praise the Maker of all things who chose a girl (God's
daughter) from the race of mortals to be his dwelling-place. Today is made
ready the home of that mystery prepared before all ages to appear at the end of
time. Today the daughter born by promise to Joachim and Anne is offered by them
as a most precious gift to him who at a later time will deign to be born of
her. Today she who took away the curse of sterility is offered as a gift to the
Holy of holies. Who does not stand amazed before such a wonder? Who is not
struck with admiration for this miracle?
This is the start of God's union with us. This is
the pattern of man's future intercourse with angels. This is the first copy to
be hammered out of our renewal. This is our firm deliverance from a life of
thorns and our former sentence, where it was said: The ground through thy
act is under a curse: thorns and thistles it shall yield thee; and: Thou
shalt earn thy bread with the sweat of thy brow. And this is our redemption from that
punishment: Many are the pangs, many are the throes I will give thee, and:
With pangs thou shalt give birth to children.
And what was the Blessed Virgin doing in the Holy
of holies? Preserving her virginity like an immaculate dove she prayed to him
who had made the temple and the heavens and the earth, and with gratitude she
opened her heart and said: "I sing to thee, highest and almighty one, for
you have taken from me the reproach of Eve my first mother. And through your
mercy which is beyond all telling you mean to send your only begotten Son on to
this earth that he may converse with men, and for that reason I shall become
his dwelling-place, pure and undefiled."
But we who are God's people, children of grace,
celebrate the Virgin's entry into the temple with pure hearts, unsoiled lips,
and many sounding tongues and cry out with reverence and a holy joy, that Hail
of the angel Gabriel: Hail delight of the Father, through whom the knowledge Of
God has stretched to the ends of the earth. Hail dwelling of the Son, from whom
he came forth clothed in the flesh. Hail ineffable home of the Holy Spirit.
Hail unutterable joy of the world. Hail Patron Queen Of peace. Hail spotless
glory of mothers. Hail wide throne Of the Word. Hail strong staff of age. Hail
divine leader of the young. Hail shining bulwark of children. Hail mediator of
all who dwell under heaven. Hail restorer of all the world. Hail heaven and
earth's great holiday. Hail full of Grace, the Lord is with thee, the
Lord who is before thee, and from thee and lives with us.
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