ACC ~ Luke 1 v30 - 33

GOD BORROWS MARY’S FLESH TO LEAD HUMANITY TO GLORY

ANONYMOUS: Revealing to you the pre-eternal counsel, Gabriel came and stood before you, maid, and in greeting said, “Rejoice, earth that has not been sown; rejoice, burning bush that remains unconsumed; Rejoice, unsearchable depth; Rejoice, bridge that leads to heaven; Rejoice, ladder raised on high that Jacob saw; Rejoice, divine jar of manna; Rejoice, deliverance from the curse; Rejoice, restoration of Adam, the Lord is with you!”

“You appeared to me in the form of a man,” said the undefiled maid to the chief of the heavenly hosts. “How then do you speak to me of things that pass human power? For you have said that God shall be with me and shall take up his dwelling in my womb. How shall I become the spacious habitation and the holy place of him that rides upon the cherubim? [1] Do not amuse me with deceit; for I have not known pleasure, I have not entered into wedlock. How then shall I bear a child?”

Then the bodiless angel replied, “When God so wills, the order of nature is overcome, and what is beyond humankind comes to pass. Believe that my sayings are true, all-holy and immaculate lady.” And she cried aloud, “Let it be to me according to your word, and I shall bear him that is without flesh, who shall borrow flesh from me, that through this mingling he may lead humankind up to his ancient glory, for he alone has power so to do!” STICHERA OF THE ANNUNCIATION. [2]

MOTHER YET VIRGIN

PRUDENTIUS:

A heavenly fire engenders him, not flesh

Nor blood of father, nor impure desire. [3]

By power of God a spotless maid conceives,

As in her virgin womb the Spirit breathes.

The mystery of this birth confirms our faith

That Christ is God: a maiden by the Spirit

Is wed, unstained by love; her purity

Remains intact; with child within, untouched

Without, bright in her chaste fertility,

Mother yet virgin, mother that knew not man.

Why, doubter, do you shake your silly head?

An angel makes this known with holy lips.

Will you not hearken to angelic words?

The Virgin blest, the shining messenger

Believed, and by her faith she Christ conceived.

Christ comes to men of faith and spurns the heart

Irresolute in trust and reverence.

The Virgin’s instant faith attracted

Christ into her womb and hid him there till birth.

THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST 566-84. [4]

[1] Ps 18:10 (17:11 LXX).

[2] FM 268.

[3] Jn 1:13.

[4] FC 52:24.

JESUS IS SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN

BEDE: We should carefully note the order of the words here, and the more firmly they are engrafted in our heart, the more evident it will be that the sum total of our redemption consists in them. For they proclaim with perfect clarity that the Lord Jesus, that is, our Savior, was both the true Son of God the Father and the true Son of a mother who was a human being. “Behold,” he says, “you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son”—acknowledge that this true human being assumed the true substance of flesh from the flesh of the Virgin! “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High”—confess too that this same Son is true God of true God, coeternal Son forever of the eternal Father! HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.3. [1]

[1] CS 110:22.

JESUS WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM SIN

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: The words “in the sixth month” are reckoned in relation to Elizabeth’s pregnancy. “The angel was sent to a virgin,” and he said to her, “Behold, in your virginity you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” He was speaking about him who was to appear in the body. He did not say to her, “that name which is called Jesus,” but “you shall call his name.” This shows that this name is of the economy which is through the body, since Jesus in Hebrew means “Savior.” For the angel said, “You shall call his name Jesus,” that is, Savior, “for he shall save his people from sins.” This name therefore refers not to his nature but to his deeds. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 25. [1]

[1] ECTD 52*.

MARY’S CONCEPTION OF JESUS HERALDS THE RE-CREATION OF THE WORLD

ANONYMOUS: The captain of the angelic hosts was sent by God Almighty to the pure Virgin to announce the good tidings of a strange and secret wonder: that God as man would be born a child of her without seed, fashioning again the whole human race! Proclaim, people, the good tidings of the re-creation of the world! EXAPOSTEILARION OF THE ANNUNCIATION. [1]

[1] FM 458-59**.

MARY CONCEIVES THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS

ANONYMOUS: Gabriel flew down from the vault of heaven and came to Nazareth; standing before the virgin Mary, he cried to her, “Rejoice! You shall conceive a son more ancient than Adam, the Creator of all things and Savior of those who cry to you. Rejoice, pure virgin!”

Gabriel brought from heaven good tidings to the Virgin, and he cried out to her, “Rejoice! You shall conceive him whom the world cannot contain; he shall be contained within your womb. You shall bear him who shone forth from the Father before the morning star!” [1]

The coeternal Word of the Father who has no beginning, not being parted from the things on high, has now descended here below, in his boundless love taking pity on fallen humankind. He has assumed the poverty of Adam, clothing himself in a form strange to him. STICHERA OF THE ANNUNCIATION. [2]

[1] Ps 110:3 (109:3 LXX).

[2] FM 459**.

MARY’S GENEALOGY:

HOUSE OF DAVID AND LEVI

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: From what the angel said to Mary, namely, “Elizabeth, your kinswoman,” it could be supposed that Mary was from the house of Levi. Nevertheless up to this, the prophecy was established within the framework of the husbands. The family of David continued as far as Joseph, who had espoused her, and the birth of her child was reckoned through the framework of the men, for the sake of the family of David. It is in Christ that the seed and family of David are brought to completion. Scripture is silent about Mary’s genealogy since it is the generations of men that it numbers and reckons. If Scripture had been accustomed to indicate the family line through the mothers, it would be in order for one to seek the family of Mary. But, lest the words “Elizabeth, your kinswoman” were to show that Mary was also from the house of Levi, take note that the Evangelist has said elsewhere, concerning Joseph and Mary, that “they were both of the house of David.” [1] The angel did not say to Mary that Elizabeth was her sister but “Elizabeth, your kinswoman.” COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 1.25. [2]

[1] See Lk 1:27; 2:4.

[2] ECTD 53-54*.

THE MYSTERY OF THE TIMELESS ENTERING TIME

JOHN THE MONK: Wonder! God is come among humanity; he who cannot be contained is contained in a womb; the timeless enters time, and great mystery: his conception is without seed, his emptying past telling! So great is this mystery! For God empties himself, takes flesh and is fashioned as a creature, when the angel tells the pure Virgin of her conception: “Rejoice, you who are full of grace; the Lord who has great mercy is with you!” STICHERA OF ANNUNCIATION. [1]

[1] FM 443-44*.

THE HOUSE OF DAVID AND JACOB IS THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

BEDE: The time had come when, having redeemed the world through his blood, he was to be acknowledged as king not of the house of David alone but also of the whole church; moreover, that he was maker and governor of all generations. Hence the angel properly said afterwards, “and the Lord God will give him the seat of David his father,” and he immediately added, “and he will reign in the house of Jacob forever.” Now the house of Jacob refers to the universal church, which through its faith in and confession of Christ pertains to the heritage of the patriarchs—either among those who took their physical origin from the stock of the patriarchs or among those who, though brought forth with respect to the flesh from other countries, were reborn in Christ by the spiritual washing. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.3. [1]

[1] CS 110:23*.

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