Venerable Theodore the Studite
If we have the help of the Mother of God and the saints, then who will overcome us? Nobody, ever!
Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirović)
Never has any messenger brought more joyful news to the earth, cursed for its alienation from God and for its alliance with the dark Satan, than the radiant and wondrous Archangel Gabriel. Whose lips will not praise him, whose heart will not thank him! Never has any spring water been such a pure mirror of the sun as the Most Pure Virgin Mary was a mirror of purity.
Saint Ignatius Brenchaninov
Just as the Lord replaced Adam with Himself, so He replaced Eve with the Mother of God. Eve, being created as a virgin, transgressed the commandment of God and could not retain in herself the holy sensation of virginity... The Mother of God, being conceived and born in the sin of her forefathers, prepared Herself with a chaste and God-pleasing life into a vessel of God.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov
The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Ever-Virgin took place twice. The first time the Holy Spirit descended on her after the good news delivered by the Archangel Gabriel, he cleansed Her, pure according to human understanding, making her grace-pure, capable of receiving God the Word into Himself and becoming His Mother... The second time the Holy Spirit descended on the Virgin on the day of Pentecost... destroyed the dominion of eternal death and original sin in Her, raised Her to a high degree of Christian perfection, made Her a new person in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Saint Ambrose of Milan
She was a Virgin not only in body, but also in soul: humble in heart, careful in words, prudent, reticent, a lover of reading... hardworking, chaste in speech, considering not man, but God as the judge of Her thoughts. Her rules were not to offend anyone, to be kind to everyone, to honor elders, not to envy equals, to avoid boasting, to be sensible, to love virtue. Has She ever offended her parents, even with the expression of her face, or been in disagreement with her relatives, been proud of herself in front of a modest person, laughed at the weak, or shirked the poor? There was nothing stern in her gaze, nothing imprudent in her words, nothing indecent in her actions; modest physique, quiet gait, even voice; so Her appearance was a reflection of the soul, the personification of purity.
Bishop Theophan the Recluse
Annunciation and establishment of the sacrament of Body and Blood. What a combination! We partake of the true Body and true Blood of Christ - those same ones that, in the Incarnation, were received from the immaculate blood of the Most Pure Virgin Theotokos. Thus, in the Incarnation, which took place at the hour of the Annunciation, the foundation was laid for the sacrament of the Body and Blood. And now this is brought to the memory of all Christians, so that, remembering this, they honor the Most Holy Theotokos as their true Mother, not only as a prayer book and intercessor, but also as a nourisher of all. Children feed on their mother’s milk, and we feed on the Body and Blood, which come from the Most Holy Virgin Mary.
Venerable Nicodemus the Holy Mountain
When you see the icon Holy Mother of God, turn your heart to Her, the Queen of Heaven, and thank Her for the fact that She appeared so ready to submit to the will of God, that she gave birth, nurtured and raised the Savior of the world, and that in our invisible battle Her intercession to help us never fails.
Saint John Chrysostom
The Holy Spirit shone in a pure mirror, in the immaculate body of the Virgin, forming a perfect Man not according to the law of nature, not in time, not from human seed, but with one appearance, spiritual and holy power, he moved the Virgin to birth, inexplicably searching for the Embryo in Her, as if what kind of fabric to save people.
Saint Gregory Palamas
The Virgin Mother is, as it were, the only boundary between the created and uncreated Divine nature. And all who see God will recognize Her as the place of the Inconceivable. And all who praise God will sing Her after God. She is the cause of the blessings and gifts that preceded Her to the human race, and the Giver of the present, and the Intercessor of the eternal. She is the foundation of the prophets, the beginning of the apostles, the foundation of the martyrs, the foundation of the teachers. She is the glory of those on earth, the joy of those in heaven, the adornment of all creation. She is the beginning, source and root of the hope prepared for us in heaven, which may we all be worthy to receive through her prayers for us.
Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
The Virgin Mary became heaven for us, God's throne, because the highest Divinity descended and dwelt in Her in order to magnify us... In Her the Divinity was clothed in a robe for us, so that through it we might receive salvation.
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt
The sacrament that took place on this day amazes not only human, but also all angelic, high minds. They are also perplexed, how God, without beginning, immense, unapproachable, descended to the form of a slave and became a man, without ceasing to be God and without in the least diminishing the glory of the Divine? How could the Virgin contain the unbearable fire of the Divine in her most pure womb, and remain undamaged, and remain forever the Mother of God incarnate? So great, wonderful, such Divine wisdom is filled with this sacrament of the Annunciation by the Archangel to the Most Holy Virgin of the incarnation of the Son of God from Her! Rejoice, earthly beings, rejoice, especially faithful Christian souls, but rejoice with awe before the greatness of the sacrament, as if surrounded by the filth of sin; rejoice, but immediately with sincere and living, deep repentance, cleanse yourself with the grace of God from the filth of sin.
Closing speech at the III Ecumenical Council
You are the crown of virginity, You are the Virgin Mother! And which of the people is able to adequately praise the all-sung Mary? Oh miracle! She is both Mother and Maiden!
Have you noticed, dear readers, what a glorious day today is? And my soul feels good. And the world is pleased with good news: the fighting in Naborny-Karabakh has subsided, the Dutch did not allow Ukraine into the EU (the Ukrainians will soon understand that this is good for them). Annunciation now!
On April 7, the Church celebrates the day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - one of the 12 main (twelfth) holidays in the Orthodox calendar.
Annunciation means “good” or “good” news. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced to Her about the coming birth of Jesus Christ - the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
Until the age of 14, the Blessed Virgin was raised in the temple, and then, according to the law, she had to leave the temple as having reached adulthood and either return to her parents or get married. The priests wanted to marry Her off, but Mary announced to them her promise to God - to remain a Virgin forever. Then the priests betrothed Her to a distant relative, the eighty-year-old elder Joseph, so that he would take care of Her and protect Her virginity. Living in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and solitary life as at the temple.
Four months after the betrothal, an Angel appeared to Mary while She was reading the Holy Scriptures and, entering Her, said: "Rejoice, full of grace! (that is, filled with the grace of God - the gifts of the Holy Spirit). The Lord is with You! Blessed are You among women." Archangel Gabriel announced to Her that She had acquired the greatest grace from God - to be the Matter of the Son of God.
Mary, in bewilderment, asked the Angel how a son could be born to someone who does not know her husband. And then the Archangel revealed to Her the truth that he brought from Almighty God: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” . Having comprehended the will of God and completely surrendering herself to it, the Blessed Virgin answered: "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."
"The event called the Annunciation means the conception of Jesus Christ, – reminds theology professor Deacon Andrey Kuraev. – Through the action of God's grace, the development of a new human life began in the womb of Mary. Mary did not conceive from God the Father, not from the Archangel Gabriel, and not from her betrothed husband Joseph. It is better to keep cynical “physiological” arguments to yourself - Christians know the laws of biology no worse than skeptics, and that is why they talk about a Miracle. And the miracle consists not so much in the fact that the Virgin, who did not know her husband, began to bear a child, but that God Himself identified Himself with this child and with everything that would happen in His life. God does not just inhabit the Virgin. Through the Archangel Gabriel, He (the Almighty, the Master and the Lord) humbly asks for the consent of the young woman. And only when He hears human consent. Let it be done to me according to Your word,” - only then does the Word become flesh.
This is how it begins gospel story. Ahead are Christmas and the flight to Egypt, temptations in the desert and healing of the possessed, the Last Supper and arrest, the Crucifixion and Resurrection...”
History of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The date of the Annunciation in both the West and the East is considered to be March 25. This date is exactly 9 months away from December 25, which since the 4th century, first in the West and then in the East, has been considered the day of the Nativity of Christ. In addition, this number is consistent with the ideas of ancient church historians that the Annunciation and Easter, both historical events, occurred on the same day of the year.
For the first time, this date appears in the writings of Western authors of the 3rd century Tertullian and the Hieromartyr Hippolytus of Rome as the day of the Crucifixion of the Savior according to the Roman calendar (back in the 6th century, St. Martin of Braga wrote that many Gallic bishops considered Easter a fixed holiday). At the same time, Hippolytus, based on a comparison of a number of biblical verses and their literal interpretation, argued that the Nativity of Christ occurred 5500 years after the creation of the world.
The source near which the Annunciation took place
The belief about the 5500-year age of creation at the time of the coming of the Savior into the world and about the coincidence of the dates of the creation of the world and the coming of Christ in the flesh passed into the Alexandrian tradition, but here the decisive date was not the Nativity of Christ, but the Annunciation: St. Athanasius the Great wrote that Christ was incarnated in the womb of the Virgin on the 25th day of March, because on this day God originally created man.
Since the 5th century, the place of the date of the Crucifixion was taken by the date of the Resurrection, and the time of the earthly ministry of the Savior from the Incarnation to the Resurrection began to be considered a multiple of an integer number of years.
In the Byzantine tradition, the date March 25 is of great importance - it is the day not only of the Annunciation, but also of the creation of the world, and the Resurrection of Christ; the dates of other holidays are counted from it: the Nativity of Christ, the Conception and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.
The Day of the Annunciation was often considered the day of the beginning of the church or even civil year, both in the East and in the West. The conviction that the historical date of the Resurrection of Christ coincides with March 25 led to the fact that this day was called “Kyriopaskha” (Kyriopaskha – Lord’s (i.e. real, normal) Easter; sometimes there is an incorrect etymology – the Lord’s Easter). Nowadays, Kyriopascha is the coincidence of the holidays of Easter and Annunciation that occurs every few years.
In Russia, due to the Church's use of the Julian calendar, March 25 falls on April 7 according to the Gregorian ("civil") calendar).
Images of the Annunciation are already present among the paintings of the catacombs of the 2nd half of the 2nd - 1st half. III centuries, however, it can be said with a high degree of probability that the establishment of a special holiday of the Annunciation occurred no earlier than the IV century.
Annunciation, Nativity, Presentation. XII century, St. Catherine's monastery, Sinai
Discovery of St. Equal to the Apostles Helen at the beginning of the 4th century. holy places of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the construction of temples she began at these places (in particular, in Nazareth) caused an increase in interest in the event of the Nativity of Christ and the mystery of the Incarnation; Perhaps the establishment of the Annunciation as a separate holiday is connected with this. At the beginning of the 8th century. Armenian author Grigor Asharuni wrote that the feast of the Annunciation was established by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, that is, in the 3rd quarter of the 4th century.
Since information about the Constantinople worship of the V-VI centuries. are few in number, nothing definite can be stated about the celebration of the Annunciation during this period in Constantinople, but by the end of the 7th century. This is one of the most revered holidays here. All Byzantine monuments of the 8th and subsequent centuries name the Annunciation among the most important holidays; The service of the Annunciation is invariably celebrated on March 25.
In the West, information about the Feast of the Annunciation dates back to approximately the same time as in the East. From the writings of Western Church Fathers and writers, the words for the Annunciation are known, attributed to Latin authors of the 5th century. Blessed Augustine, Saints Peter Chrysologos and Leo I the Great. The liturgical veneration of the day of the Annunciation is clearly mentioned in the Liber Pontificalis of the time of Pope Sergius I (687-701), where the Annunciation is one of the 3 holidays dedicated to the Mother of God, when a solemn procession took place in Rome.
Annunciation. French miniature from the late 13th century
The name of the holiday was not stable in ancient times; the modern Greek name “evangelismos” appears only in the 7th century. In the works of ancient authors there are names: Greek. "day of greeting", "annunciation" or "day/holiday of the Annunciation"; lat. “annuntiatio angeli ad beatam Mariam Virginem” (Annunciation of an angel to the blessed Virgin Mary), “Mariae salutatio” (greeting to Mary) and a number of other names with similar meaning. The Annunciation was perceived both as the Lord's and as the Feast of the Theotokos. Unlike the Orthodox Church, where the Annunciation is considered one of the most important holidays (the full name is the Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary), in Catholicism it is a second-class holiday (the full name is Annuntiatio beatae Mariae Virginis - the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
Annunciation. Chinese icon, 18th century
The meaning of the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh explains this way:
“The Annunciation is the day of good news that a Virgin has been found throughout the human world, so believing in God, so deeply capable of obedience and trust, that the Son of God can be born from Her. The Incarnation of the Son of God, on the one hand, is a matter God's love– the godmother, affectionate, saving – and God’s power; but at the same time, the incarnation of the Son of God is a matter of human freedom. St. Gregory Palamas says that the Incarnation would have been just as impossible without the free human consent of the Mother of God as it would have been impossible without the creative will of God. And on this day of the Annunciation, we contemplate the Virgin in the Mother of God, who with all her heart, all her mind, all her soul, all her strength managed to trust God to the end.
And the good news was truly terrible: the appearance of an Angel, this greeting: Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, could not but cause not only amazement, not only trepidation, but also fear in the soul of a virgin who did not know a husband - how is this could be?..
And here we grasp the difference between the wavering - albeit deep - faith of Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, and the faith of the Mother of God. Zechariah is also told that his wife will have a son - naturally, despite her old age; and his answer to this message of God: How can this be? This can't happen! How can you prove this? What assurance can you give me?.. The Mother of God poses the question only this way: How can this happen to me - I’m a virgin?.. And to the Angel’s answer that this will happen, She responds only with words of complete surrender of Herself into the hands of God; Her words: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; wake me according to your word...
The word “slave” in our current usage speaks of enslavement; In the Slavic language, a person who gave his life and his will to another called himself a slave. And She really gave Her life, Her will, Her destiny to God, accepting with faith - that is, with incomprehensible trust - the news that She would be the Mother of the incarnate Son of God. Righteous Elizabeth says about Her: Blessed is she who believed, for that which was spoken to Her by the Lord shall be done...
In the Mother of God we find an amazing ability to trust God to the end; but this ability is not natural, not natural: such faith can be forged in oneself by the feat of purity of heart, by the feat of love for God. A feat, for the fathers say: Shed blood and you will receive the Spirit... One of the Western writers says that the Incarnation became possible when the Virgin of Israel was found, Who with all her thought, with all her heart, with all Her life was able to pronounce the Name of God so that It became flesh in Her.
This is the gospel that we have now heard in the Gospel: the human race gave birth, brought God as a gift to the Virgin, who was able in Her royal human freedom to become the Mother of the Son of God, who freely gave Himself for the salvation of the world. Amen".
Annunciation. Mosaic of the Temple of Santa Maria Maggiore. 1295
Prayers of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Troparion to the Forefeast Day
On this day of universal joy, the first fruits of the pre-feast command to be sung: behold, Gabriel comes, bringing good news to the Virgin, and cries out to Her: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Today, the beginning of worldwide joy, they are ordered to sing hymns before the holiday, for behold, Gabriel brings the good news to the Virgin, and exclaims: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!
Troparion
The day of our salvation is the main thing, and since the beginning of time the mystery has been revealed, the Son of God, the Son of the Virgin, is born, and Gabriel preaches the good news, and we also cry out to the Mother of God with him: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Now is the beginning of our salvation and the discovery of the mystery that was presented before all ages: the Son of God is the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel preaches grace. Therefore, we too will exclaim to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!
Kontakion
To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil, let us sing in gratitude to Thy servants, O Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride. Having been delivered from troubles, we, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, sing a victorious and grateful song to You, the Supreme Military Leader. You, as having invincible power, free us from all troubles, so that we cry to You: Rejoice, Bride, who has not entered into marriage!
Greatness
The Archangel's voice cries out to You, Pure One: Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You. In the words of the Archangel we cry to You, O Pure One: “Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You
Choruses
Bring, O earth, great joy; praise, O heavens, God's glory. Earth, proclaim great joy, heavens, praise the glory of God!
Irmos of the 9th song
Like the animate ark of God, / let the hand of the wicked never touch it. / The mouth of the faithful, O Mother of God, is silent, / the voice of the Angel is chanting, / let them cry out with joy: / Rejoice, O full of grace, / The Lord is with Thee. Let the animate Ark of God / not be touched by the hand of the uninitiated, / but the lips of the faithful without stopping, / chanting the cry of the Angel, / let the Mother of God cry in joy: / “Rejoice, full of grace, / the Lord is with you!”
Quotes about the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Archpriest Andrey Tkachev:
“A worthy admirer of the Annunciation must from time to time immerse himself in reading the Word of God and concentrate on what he read, as the Blessed One among Women was in the habit of doing.
One of the goals of a devotee of the Mother of God should be the desire for a life that is quiet and removed from the bustle, but at the same time internally rich and deep.
Conditions of existence may not give a person such a gift, and he himself may be incapable of long-term concentrated living. But every person who raises his eyes to heaven and repeats Gabriel’s words: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you,” is obliged to strive for silence and prayer, to sigh from time to time about their absence.
Protopresbyter Alexander Schmeman:
“To the lie about man, to his reduction to the earth and to the belly, to the base and animal, to his subordination to the immutable and impersonal laws of nature, the Church responds with the image of Mary, the Most Pure Mother of God, She to Whom, in the words of the Russian poet, one always ascends” from of great fullness, the sweetest human tears." The joy that, therefore, that untruth, that lie about man, with which the world is constantly filled, is overcome. The joy of admiring, the joy of possession - for this image is always with us, as consolation and encouragement, as inspiration and help."
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh:
“And in the feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, these two moods are intertwined mysteriously and fearfully, fearfully and wonderfully. On the one hand, how not to rejoice, how not to be amazed and tremble at the thought that the voice of the Lord reached the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God and the angel announced to Her that He Himself God, through Her, will become a man, will enter this world, and that by the coming of God the whole world will already be transformed, will no longer stand face to face with its Creator only in awe and reverence, but will rejoice that in it, in its core, He Himself God: not only that man is so great that God could unite with him, but that all material and visible creation is mysteriously united with Him..."
Icons of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Holy Fathers on the Annunciation
Saint Elijah Minyatiy. Word on the Annunciation of the Mother of God:
“How different God and man are from each other! But God, having become a man, did not abandon the nature of the Divine in the perception of the flesh. And how different the Virgin and Mother are! But the Virgin, having become the Mother, did not lose the glory of virginity in maternal pregnancy. What a strange communication of two natures - Divine and human, inextricably united into one hypostasis! The Divine nature adopted the characteristics of the human, and God became a perfect man; the human became involved in the properties of the Divine, and the same man became a perfect God.
In the same way, what an extraordinary combination of girlish purity and maternal pregnancy, which were strangely combined in one Wife! Virginity gave the Mother the purity that the Mother of God should have had, all pure, all immaculate, beautiful as the sun, chosen as the moon, as the Holy Spirit calls Her (see: Cantos 6, 9). Wombbearing gave virginity the blessing that the Virgin should have had in accordance with how the archangel greeted Her: Blessed are You among women (Luke 1:28).
There this wonderful union was born - the God-Man; here another connection takes place, equally wonderful, the Virgin Mother. “Strange and wonderful and in many ways deviating from ordinary nature: one and the same Virgin and Mother, abiding in the sanctification of virginity and inheriting the blessing of childbearing,” proclaims the unappearing Basil. Such a Son, I repeat, must have such a Mother; the Son, who was born a man and did not cease to be God, has a Mother who gave birth to the Son and did not cease to be a Virgin."
Saint Nicholas (Velimirović):
"Never has any spring water been such a pure mirror of the sun as the Most Pure Virgin Mary was a mirror of purity. ("O purity, creating joy in the heart and transforming the soul into heaven! O purity, good acquisition, not defiled by beasts! O purity, in the souls of the meek and abides the humble and creates these people of God! O purity, in the midst of the soul and body, like a flower that flourishes and fills the whole temple with incense!" St. Ephraim the Syrian. On purity.)
And the morning dawn, giving birth to the sun, would be ashamed before the purity of the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Immortal Sun, Christ our Savior. Which knee will not bow before Her, which mouth will not cry: “Rejoice, O Most Gracious One! Rejoice, Dawn of the salvation of man! Rejoice, Most Honest Cherub and Most Glorious Seraphim! Glory to Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible , now and ever, at all times and unto ages of ages. Amen."
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. "The Beginning of Salvation" (Word on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary):
“The sacrament that took place on this day amazes not only human, but also all angelic, lofty minds. They are also perplexed as to how God, beginningless, immense, unapproachable, descended to the form of a slave and became a man, without ceasing to be God and in no way diminishing the glory of the Divine? How could the Virgin contain in her most pure womb the unbearable fire of the Divine, and remain undamaged, and remain forever the Mother of God incarnate? So great, wonderful, such Divine wisdom is filled with this sacrament of the Annunciation by the Archangel to the Most Holy Virgin of the incarnation of the Son of God from Her! Rejoice, earthly ones, rejoice, especially faithful Christian souls, but rejoice with awe before the greatness of the sacrament, as if surrounded by the filth of sin; rejoice, but immediately with sincere and living, deep repentance, cleanse yourself with the grace of God from the filth of sin.
Magnify with pure hearts and lips the Mother of God, exalted and exalted above all creatures, Angels and men, exalted by God Himself, the Creator of every creature, and remember that the mystery of the incarnation and incarnation of the Son of God took place for our salvation from sin, the curse righteously pronounced upon us in the beginning from God for sins, and from death, temporal and eternal. With fear and joy accept the Lord, who is coming to us to establish on earth, in our hearts and souls the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and hate God-hating sin, malice, impurity, intemperance, pride, hard-heartedness, unmercifulness, selfishness , carnal knowledge, all untruths. Christ came to earth for this purpose, in order to raise us to heaven.”
Traditions of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2016
On the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to ancient Russian tradition, after the Liturgy in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin, the Patriarch, clergy and children release birds into the wild. This custom was revived in 1995 and is now performed in many temples.
According to the words of His Holiness the Patriarch, this tradition, full of deep meaning, “symbolizing that the birds are no longer in a cage, but in freedom, reminds us that in our free will is the search for the Kingdom of God.”
In pre-revolutionary Russia, before the Annunciation, birds were bought on Okhotny Ryad. Now, on the day of the holiday, pigeons raised by the Federation of Sports Pigeon Breeding soar over the Kremlin cathedrals.
The starting speed of such a sports pigeon is 175 kilometers per hour. After circling a little over Cathedral Square, the flock of pigeons quickly dissolves in the sky. There, the birds are divided into groups, each of which returns to its own nursery located in Moscow or the Moscow region.
In addition to pigeons, Patriarch Alexy II also released seven of his own birds - titmice.
Annunciation. His Holiness Patriarch Alesius. Photo: Patriarchia.ru
Poems about the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Valery Bryusov
Annunciation
You were one of us
During the day your dream was dominated by yarn,
But to You, Holy One, in the evening hour
The angelic guard has arrived.
O queen of all worldly queens,
The virgin foretold by the prophet.
Gabriel entered and bowed down
Before You in deep humility.
Hearing the incomprehensible to the mind,
You submissively lowered your eyes.
Be with me according to your word,
Marina Tsvetaeva
On the day of the Annunciation
Arms crossed
The withering flower is watered,
The windows are wide open, -
Annunciation, my holiday!
On the day of the Annunciation
I solemnly confirm:
I don’t need tame pigeons, swans, or eaglets!
Fly wherever your eyes look
On the Annunciation, my holiday!
On the day of the Annunciation
I smile until the evening
Saying goodbye to the feathered guests.
I don't need anything for myself
On the Annunciation, my holiday!
Konstantin Balmont
Annunciation and light
The willows turned white.
Or there is definitely no grief,
Right, really?
Evangelism and laughter
The kidneys turned red.
And on the streets for everyone
Blue flowers.
How many blue flowers
Taken from the snow.
The world is fresh and new again,
And there is bliss everywhere.
I see old Moscow
In young attire.
I laugh and I live
The sun is in every gaze.
From the ancient Kremlin
The ringing floats like a wave.
And the earth lives in ditches
Young grass.
In the slightly broken grass
Dream of spring and summer.
Annunciation in Moscow -
It's a festival of light!
Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov
Holy Annunciation -
Great day in Rus',
With him you feel young
Resurrect in a hard heart;
Respond with your soul, like youth,
With your chest full
For shining joy,
To the smile of spring days.
Observing the holiday strictly,
On this day people say,
Even the little bird praises God
And he doesn’t build a nest for himself;
On this holiday, going out to the field
With a handful full of grain,
Good-natured birds released
Published by an old man.
Easter days are approaching
Clears up a frown
From alien sides
Swallows fly to visit.
And inspiring the thought of brotherhood,
About the gifts of good love,
As if arguing about wealth
Heaven with sinful earth.
Everyone listens with a keen ear
Anthem of golden dawns,
Wrapped in soft fluff
Young willow branches.
And looks at us, shining
The inaccessibility of miracles,
This eternity is blue
Triumphant skies.
From the editors of NOVO24. And for our resource, April 7, a wonderful day, is also a holiday because today the site celebrates its first birthday. We are one year old. We were born to bring good, good news to the world. And we hope that we will bring many more good news to our friends.
Subscribe to NOVO24
« Revealing the Eternal Council to You, the Young Lady, Gabriel appeared..." the Holy Church sings at the beginning of the festive service of the great feast of the Annunciation.
Until the age of 14, the Blessed Virgin was raised in the temple, and then, according to the law, she had to leave the temple as having reached adulthood and either return to her parents or get married. The priests wanted to marry Her off, but Mary announced to them her promise to God - to remain a Virgin forever. Then the priests betrothed Her to a distant relative, the 80-year-old elder Joseph (he already had two daughters and four sons), who was also a descendant of King David, so that he would take care of Her and protect Her virginity.
The Holy Fathers of the Church - Athanasius the Great, Basil the Great, John of Damascus - indicate that, under the guise of marriage, the Lord protected the Blessed Virgin Mary from the malice of the enemy of the human race, the devil, thus hiding from him that She is the very Blessed Virgin prophesied by Isaiah. Living in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and solitary life as at the temple.
One day the Blessed Virgin Mary was reading the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and stopped at the place where it was said “ behold, a virgin will receive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Emmanuel"(what God means with us) (Is. 7:14) and reflected on the greatness of the One who will be worthy to be the Mother of God. With all her heart, Saint Mary wanted to see the Chosen One of God and in deep humility she wanted to be Her last servant.
And then an angel appears to Her and greets Her: “ Rejoice, Blessed One. The Lord is with You: blessed are You among women" These words became the first “good news” for humanity after its fall.
When she saw him, she was embarrassed by his words and wondered what this greeting meant.
And the Angel said to Her: “ Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end. - Mary said to the Angel: how will this be when I don’t know my husband? The Angel answered Her: The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God... Then Mary said: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. And the Angel departed from Her"(Luke 1:28-38).
It is believed that it was at this moment that the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God took place.
If righteous Sarah received the news of the birth of Isaac from her with confusion, and righteous Zechariah, with a similar foreshadowing of the birth of the Forerunner of the Lord, demanded a sign from the angel, then how much higher than the most righteous is the Most Holy Virgin Mary, when the annunciation of the birth from Her of Christ the Savior, the Son of God , supernatural, incomprehensible, Divine, accepts without confusion, without distrust.
It’s scary to even think what could have happened if there had not been found on earth one most worthy of receiving the highest Gift of God:
According to the interpretation of Irenaeus of Lyons, the obedience of the Virgin Mary balances the disobedience of Eve. Mary becomes the "new Eve". The text of the famous hymn Ave maris stella (9th century) says that the name Eva is an anagram of the word Ave, with which Gabriel addressed the “new Eve”. In other words, to mention Eve was to also mention Mary. Jerome deduced a condensed formula: “ death - through Eve, life - through Mary" Augustine wrote: " through a woman - death, and through a woman - life».
The mysterious conception of the Virgin Mary, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, refers to the great mystery of piety: in it, humanity brought as a gift to God its purest creation - the Virgin, capable of becoming the mother of the Son of God, and God, having accepted the gift, responded to it with the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit. According to the words of St. John of Damascus, he knows how and in what way the insertion of the Son of God into the womb of the Blessed Virgin takes place, “ only God Himself, and man should not speculate about the nature of that which is inscrutable and incomprehensible”.
The Orthodox Church firmly believes that Mary remained a Virgin even after the birth of her firstborn Jesus, according to prophecy (Ezek. 44:2). " And the Lord said to me: This gate will be shut and not open, and no man will enter through it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered through it, and it will be shut." The icons of the Mother of God depict three stars - on the shoulders and on the head cover of the Blessed Virgin. They symbolize the virginity preserved by Her before Christmas, at Christmas and after the Nativity of Christ.
According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, the Annunciation is closely connected with the establishment of the sacrament of Body and Blood. " We partake of the true Body and true Blood of Christ, the same ones that were received in the Incarnation from the immaculate blood of the Most Pure Virgin Theotokos. Thus, in the Incarnation, which took place at the hour of the Annunciation, the foundation was laid for the sacrament of the Body and Blood. And now this is brought to the memory of all Christians, so that, remembering this, they honor the Most Holy Theotokos as their true Mother, not only as a prayer book and intercessor, but also as a nourisher of all. Children feed on their mother’s milk, and we feed on the Body and Blood, which come from the Most Holy Virgin Mary. Eating this way, we essentially drink milk from Her breasts.».
The date of the Feast of the Annunciation is connected with the date of the Nativity of Christ: March 25 is exactly 9 months from December 25. It is believed that on the same day, March 25, the Creation of the world took place - thus, humanity was given a second chance.
Saint John Chrysostom called the Annunciation “the root of the holidays,” the beginning of all others. Among the ancient Christians he wore various titles: “The Conception of Christ”, “The Annunciation of Christ”, “The Beginning of Redemption”, “The Annunciation of the Angel to Mary” - and only in the 7th century was it forever given the name “Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary”. During the 5th-8th centuries, due to heresies that humiliated the Face of the Mother of God, the holiday was especially exalted in the Church. In the 8th century St. John of Damascus and Theophan, Metropolitan of Nicaea, compiled festive canons, which are still sung by the Church.
According to the rules, on this day, despite Lent, the full liturgy must be celebrated, even if the Annunciation occurs on Good Friday (liturgy is excluded on this day). Due to its greatness, the Feast of the Annunciation is not canceled even if it falls on Easter. It very rarely happens that the Annunciation coincides with Easter and the holiday seems to double. Then it's called Easter Kyriopaskha. Such a coincidence occurred in 1817, 1828, 1912, 1991. The next Kyriopascha will be in 2075.
The events of the Annunciation were described by the only evangelist - the Apostle Luke. There are still apocryphal texts, but they do not change general history Annunciation, but add a number of details to it. The apocrypha - the so-called “Proto-Gospel of James” and the “Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew” (“The Book of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary and the Childhood of the Savior”) tells of two appearances of an Angel. First, Gabriel appeared to the Virgin at the well and only then in Joseph’s house, where She, by fate, was spinning a purple curtain for the Jerusalem temple. These apocryphal traditions significantly influenced the iconography of the holiday.
The plot of the Annunciation has long been popular in religious painting. His iconography began to take shape very early. Its main attributes are: lily- a symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary; spinning wheel, spindle (with red yarn) - the image of the flesh of Christ; book the prophet Isaiah, which is read by Mary; heavenly branch in the hand of the Archangel Gabriel; the olive branch is a symbol of the reconciliation of God and creation; well- a symbol of Mary's purity. The first images appeared already in the 2nd century in the Roman catacombs, for example, on the wall of the tomb of St. Priscilla. They were finally formed in the Middle Ages, finding their most complete embodiment in the works of the 15th century.
In Western European painting of the proto-Renaissance, it is especially worth noting the works of Fra Beato Angelico, Simone Martini; from the Renaissance works - paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli, and from the northern works - Jan van Eyck, Robert Campin and Rogier van der Weyden. In the next era, El Greco painted several memorable paintings. Starting from the Baroque era, as happened with other subjects, many liberties and deviations penetrate into the interpretation of the plot.
In the iconographic tradition, it is customary for one wing of the archangel to remain extended behind his back, and the other to be raised as a sign of greeting. This symbolic movement has become part of the Orthodox liturgical system and is performed by the deacon when pronouncing the litanies. He picks up right hand orarion - an image of raising the Archangel's wing as a sign of greeting and respect. The Annunciation is translated from Greek as good news. Traditionally, in the Orthodox Church, the icon of the Annunciation is placed on the Royal Doors, surrounded by four evangelists. Thus, all the symbolism of the Royal Doors turns out to be connected with the gospel: “... through the Annunciation, the Word became the flesh that we can taste in Communion. And we can take part in this Eternal Meal only because we are called by the apostles and evangelists.” The gates are an additional symbol of the Mother of God (an image from the Old Testament prophecy of Ezekiel about the “closed” doors facing the east, through which the Lord enters).
The earliest “Annunciation” in Russian art (1040s) is a mosaic on two pillars in the Kiev Cathedral of Hagia Sophia.
Annunciation, mosaics on two pillars of St. Sophia of Kyiv, c. 1040
The oldest depiction of a scene in Russian art. In the hands of the Mother of God is red yarn that comes from apocryphal stories.
Among the Russian icons on this subject, it is worth noting the “Ustyug Annunciation”, painted in the 12th century in Veliky Novgorod, the icons of Rublev and Daniil Cherny, as well as the fresco of Dionysius in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. The works of Borovikovsky date back to a later period.
Annunciation of Ustyug. 30-40s XII century
In the Moscow Kremlin, the miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously especially revered. Tradition says that during the reign of Ivan the Terrible she miraculously appeared written on the wall of the Kremlin tower. Her appearance was associated with prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos for her release of a certain innocently convicted prisoner held in the tower. Having learned about the “self-painted” icon, Tsar Ivan the Terrible freed the prisoner. Soon miraculous icon a wooden chapel was built, then a stone church, and the tower began to be called Blagoveshchenskaya.
One of the most famous temples dedicated to this holiday is Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, founded as a house temple of the royal family at the Kremlin palace. And the protopresbyter of the Annunciation Cathedral was the confessor of the august persons until the 20th century. In March 1584, from the porch of the Annunciation Cathedral, Ivan the Terrible saw a cruciform comet. “Here is the sign of my death,” he said, and a few days later he was gone.
Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin
On this day, according to ancient Russian tradition, after the Liturgy in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin, the Patriarch, clergy and children release birds into the wild. This custom was revived in 1995 and is now performed in many temples.
According to the words of His Holiness the Patriarch, this tradition, full of deep meaning, “symbolizing that the birds are no longer in a cage, but in freedom, reminds us that in our free will is the search for the Kingdom of God.”
This tradition of the feast of the Annunciation was very fond of St. Patriarch Tikhon, on this holiday he completed his path of confession, releasing his soul to God.
The Gospel words of the Archangel Gabriel and the righteous Elizabeth formed a well-known prayer - the Song of the Most Holy Theotokos: “ Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls».
In the Catholic tradition, it corresponds to the Ave Maria prayer - one of the most beautiful and famous chants in the world. Many pieces of music have been written based on the text of the prayer. Among the authors of the music are Palestrina, Gounod (based on a prelude by Bach), Dvorak, Verdi, Mascagni, Caccini, Liszt, Saint-Saens.
Franz Schubert's "Third Song of Ellen" is often inaccurately called "Schubert's Ave Maria", although in fact the text on which this music is set is taken from a German translation of Walter Scott's poem about the Celtic Lady of the Lake ("Maiden of the Lake", 1810) and includes only the first two words of the prayer. Subsequently, Ave Maria began to be sung in its entirety to the music of this song by Schubert, although the composer did not have this in mind.
In Rus', the Feast of the Annunciation has always been treated with reverence. The Orthodox did not work on this day and strictly observed this rule. They said that on this day “the maiden does not braid her hair, and the bird does not build a nest.” The Day of the Annunciation was considered a day of mercy. People visited prisoners in prisons and gave alms. Dinners were held for the poor in the royal chambers, during which the Emperor himself bestowed generous alms on the poor.
Svetlana Finogenova
Troparion of the holiday, ch. 4
The day of our salvation is the greatest, and the sacraments have been revealed since the ages; The Son of God is the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel preaches grace. In the same way, we also cry out to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with You!
Kontakion of the holiday, ch. 8
To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as if we were delivered from the evil, let us sing in gratitude to Thy servants, O Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.
>
On April 7, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - one of the 12 main (twelfth) holidays in the Orthodox calendar.
This holiday on Holy Mount Athos, in the Lot of the Mother of God, has been honored since ancient times with special love and reverence. After all, he is directly connected with the Abbess of Mount Athos...
Annunciation means “good” or “good” news. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced to Her about the coming birth of Jesus Christ - the Son of God and the Savior of the world. In fact, the sacred gospel story begins with this event; it precedes Christmas, the saving mission of Jesus Christ, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.
The editors of the portal “Russian Athos” have collected 10 sayings of the Athonite ascetic and hesychasm theorist St. Gregory Palamas about the meaning and meaning of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which we invite our readers to get acquainted with.
1. God sends the Archangel to the Virgin, Who, while observing Her virginity, makes Her Mother by the power of a single annunciation; because if She had conceived from the seed, then the Born One would not have become a new Man, He would not have been sinless, nor would He have been the Savior of sinners; for the movement of the flesh towards the creation of children, randomly mixing with the plan established by God for us, thus takes possession of our abilities and reveals them not entirely free from sin.
2. So, if the conception of God occurred from a seed, then He would not be a new Man, nor the Head of a New and by no means aging life; for if He had been a participant in the old coinage and the heir of that ancestral sin, He could not have carried within Himself the fullness of pure Divinity, and made His flesh an inexhaustible source of sanctification, just as He could not have washed away the desecration of these Ancestors with an excess of power, nor sufficient for sanctification of all things, subsequently. Therefore, not an Angel, not a man, but the Lord Himself, having become incarnate in the womb of the Virgin and remaining the unchangeable God, came and saved us.
3. It was also fitting for the Virgin to be a witness to His seedless conception and an assistant in what was accomplished in the work of the House.
4. Lordly, bearing with true majesty the significant name of the Virgin, She had complete possession of purity, being a Virgin both in body and soul and in the powers of the soul, and rich in all bodily senses, without the slightest blemish; and everything is completely and confirmed to such an extent, and so to speak - as befits the Lady, in everything unbroken for all times; as She is the closed Door of the treasury and the sealed book, keeping hidden writings from sight.
5. But for another reason, the Virgin is Mistress in dignity, namely, as ruling over everyone, as having conceived in virginity and divinely given birth - by nature, the Ruler of the whole world.
6. And one more thing - She is the Mistress, not only as free from slavery and a participant in divine dominion, but also as the source and root of the liberation of the human race, and especially by virtue of Her ineffable and joyful Birth.
7. Understanding Her as the concentration of divine and human gifts, and adorned with all the graces of the Divine Spirit, the Archangel truly proclaims Her “Blessed.” Seeing that She seemed to have already conceived the One in Whom are the Treasures of them all, and foreseeing that this pregnancy of Her is not associated with burdens and the birth will be without illness, He invites Her to rejoice, and declares Her the only Blessed and Glorious in justice among wives: for there was no other woman, even glorified, who would be so glorious in the abundance of glory that she would be equal to the Virgin Mary.
8. This Virgin-Mother is both the Bush and the Ticks, having received the Divine Fire in Herself through conception, during the service of the Archangel, who through Her united the Remover of the sin of the world with the human race, and through this indescribable combination completely cleansed us.
9. So, the Virgin Mother is the only, as it were, border between created and uncreated (Divine) nature; and all who know God will recognize Her as the Place of the Incontainable; and all who praise God will also sing of Her after God.
10. She is the Cause of those who came before Her (blessings and gifts to the human race) and the Representative of the present and the Intercessor of the eternal. She is the Foundation of the Prophets, the Beginning of the Apostles, the Establishment of the Martyrs, the Foundation of the Teachers. She is the Glory of those on earth, the Joy of those in heaven, the Ornament of all creation. She is the Beginning and the Source and the Root, prepared for us in heaven, of hope, which may we all receive through Her prayers for us, to the glory of Him who was born before the ages from the Father, and in the last times incarnate from Her - Jesus Christ our Lord.
The use of materials is possible
provided that an active hyperlink is indicated
to the portal "AFONIT.INFO" ()
We give here his story with brief explanations. In the sixth month after Elizabeth's conception, St. John the Baptist Angel Gabriel, or Archangel, as he is commonly called, (the name Archangel is the highest angel) was sent by God to the little-known Galilean town of Nazareth to the Virgin Mary, betrothed to a husband named Joseph. The reader should pay attention to the fact that the Evangelist Luke does not say: “To the virgin who is married,” but to “betrothed to her husband” because the Virgin Mary was only formally, from the point of view of the law, considered the wife of Joseph, but was not his wife in reality. An ancient legend explains why this happened. Even before the birth of Mary, Her parents, then childless, Joachim and Anna, made a vow, if they had a child, to devote him to serving God. In their old age, God sent them a daughter, whom they named Maria. When Mary was three years old, her parents sent her to be raised at the Jerusalem Temple. Living here for ten years in an atmosphere of prayer and contemplation of God, young Mary loved God so ardently that, of her own free will, she decided to devote herself entirely to Him and promised not to marry. When Mary turned 14, She could no longer stay at the temple, but had to either return home to her parents or get married. However, Her parents had already died several years before. The High Priest, knowing about Her vow of virginity and wanting to help Her fulfill Her intention, formally betrothed Mary to Her elderly relative, known for his righteous life - Joseph. At that time, Joseph was a widower and had a large family from his first marriage. He lived in Nazareth, located in the southern part of Galilee, where he worked as a carpenter (). So, the good old man Joseph agreed to take care of his young niece. Both of them were descendants of King David and were awaiting the coming of the Messiah.
But let's return to the gospel story. Appearing to the Virgin Mary, Angel Gabriel greeted Her: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”“Graceful” means having acquired the special love and favor of God. The appearance of the Angel and his extraordinary words confused Mary, and She began to reflect on their meaning. Calming Her, the Angel predicts to Mary the birth of a Son from Her, who will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign in the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
The ancient kingdom of David, in which He Himself nominated kings, which was governed by the laws of God and all forms of civil life of which were imbued with the idea ministry God was an image of the coming Kingdom of God. The main feature of David's kingdom was not its civil structure, but its spiritual ideal - as a society striving to live according to the will of God. After the kingdom of David ceased to exist as a result of the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar six hundred years BC, his ideal continued to inspire Jewish believers who awaited the coming of the Messiah-Savior. These included the Virgin Mary and Her parents, Elder Joseph, the parents of John the Baptist, righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, Elder Simeon the God-Receiver, the prophetess Anna, the Bethlehem shepherds and many other simple and believing Jews. The prophets predicted that with the coming of the Messiah, the kingdom of David would be restored and transformed into the Messianic Kingdom. Believing people from many nations and it will remain forever(Look , , , , ).
Saint Mary, wanting to remain a Virgin, asks the Angel in bewilderment: “How will it be (that I will become a Mother), when I don’t know my husband?” The angel reassures Her, explaining that Her vow will not be broken, since She will give birth to a Son supernaturally, without a husband. Here seedless conception will be carried out by the Holy Spirit, by whose action “The power of the Most High will overshadow Her,” that is, the Son of God Himself will descend into Her womb (According to the figurative comparison of the church song, the Holy Spirit, like the mysterious cloud that overshadowed the Old Testament tabernacle, will descend on the Virgin at the moment of conception,,). The Most Holy Virgin did not demand evidence from the Angel, but the Angel Gabriel himself, in confirmation of the truth of his words, pointed Her to Elizabeth, who conceived the Prophet John the Baptist in old age, by the will of God. After all, nothing is impossible for God. The Virgin Mary, seeing the will of God in all this, humbly answered: “Behold, the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”
The voluntary consent of the Virgin Mary to become the Mother of the Messiah was absolutely necessary for the incarnation of the Son of God, because it always protects the gift of free will which He has endowed on man. Moral freedom is a most valuable property that elevates us above soulless nature and above the animal world. Without it, we would be something like programmed robots, incapable of moral improvement. Being morally free, we can grow spiritually, improve and, thus, become like our Creator (In contrast to God, the devil strives to deprive a person of the God-like property of freedom; he tries to enslave a person - first morally, and then physically). Thus, after the free consent of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit overshadowed Her, and at that moment the greatest mystery was accomplished, incomprehensible, in fact, even to the angels: The inconceivable, unapproachable and eternal Lord descended into the virgin’s womb and, without incinerating her, took from her human nature, consisting of a body and a rational soul. The further development of the Fetus in the virgin’s womb proceeded according to the natural laws of nature, and the Virgin carried the Child within her until the day of His birth in Bethlehem (By the grace of God, the incomprehensible Miracle of the Incarnation of the Son of God is, as it were, repeated at every liturgy, when the Holy Spirit descends on the bread and wine lying on the throne, and transforms them into the Body and Blood of Christ. Thus, in the sacrament of Communion, the Lord introduces us to His Divine nature).
The meaning of the Annunciation
On the day of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, the ancient prediction of Isaiah was fulfilled that the Virgin would receive in Her womb and give birth to a Son, Who would be called Emmanuel, which means God is with us (). On this day he moved into the womb of the Virgin and became a man in order to free the world from sin and the power of the devil. The miracle of the conception of the eternal Child cannot be understood; it is the secret of piety, accessible only to faith (). In the appearance of Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary he sees “Our salvation is paramount”– i.e. Start our salvation. The Annunciation is the first ray of dawn after a long, tedious night. On this day we brought our world to God best fruit, the brightest, purest thing that he could only create - the Most Pure Virgin Mary. The Lord accepted this gift of humanity and responded to it with the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit. In the mysterious meeting of fallen humanity with the all-good God, which took place in the pure heart of the Virgin Mary, one can already hear the first unique, jubilant sound of that angelic song, which, according to the conditions of earthly time, could be fully heard on earth only nine months later: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”() “Glory to God” - the Virgin Mary carried in her heart and - “peace on earth” the Savior promised Her for this.
In the caution with which the Virgin Mary reacted to the greeting and promise of the Angel Gabriel, the holy fathers of the Church see a sign of a great virtue called “ prudence” (or “reasoning”). They contrast the wise caution of the Virgin Mary with the gullibility of Eve, who thoughtlessly listened to the advice of the devil, who took the form of a serpent, and instead of happiness found grief.
The appearance of the Angel to the Virgin Mary is framed by two events: the conception of John the Baptist and the visit of the Most Holy One. Virgin Mary of the Righteous Elizabeth. During this visit, St. John the Baptist, an unborn six-month-old uterine baby, is the first to greet the Most Pure Virgin with his movements in the womb of Elizabeth. At this moment, righteous Elizabeth is rewarded with the Holy Spirit and exclaims: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” and then adds - “And where does it come from for me that the Mother of my Lord came to me!”(). Here righteous Elizabeth began her greeting with the same words with which Archangel Gabriel ended his greeting. From these welcoming words, that wonderful prayer was created that we so often hear in church: “Virgin Mother of God! Hail, full of grace Mary, the Lord is with You: blessed are You among women (among women) and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb. For (because) you gave birth to the Savior of our souls.”
The state of tenderness, holy, heavenly joy in which the Virgin Mary was on the day of the Annunciation is captured in the icon of “Tenderness.” On it, the Virgin Mary is without a Child, with her arms crossed on her chest and with the words around her halo: “Hail, unbrided Bride.” The Monk Seraphim of Sarov prayed on his knees all day and night in front of this icon, and died in front of it.
The first word of greeting from Archangel Gabriel was “ Rejoice.” And the Feast of the Annunciation is, first of all, a holiday of quiet, heavenly joy! Joy over reconciliation with God and grace returned to earth. At the same time, the Annunciation is a holiday of triumph humility, purity And chastity, a holiday of unshakable faith in the omnipotence of God and the boundless Love of God for perishing man.
From this holiday, “the main thing of our salvation,” begins that spring of “living water,” which later turns into a wide river and, finally, into a boundless sea of New Testament miracles, sacraments and the Grace of the Holy Spirit, with which the Lord, “who gives the Spirit without measure, ” so generously gave drink to those thirsty for truth! The Annunciation is the feast of the Marriage of Heaven and Earth, when blue sky descends to the earth and combines with it. Annunciation is a “blue” holiday! In the eyes of a believer, on this day everything turns blue, everything becomes cleaner and more transparent. The sky becomes even bluer, deeper. The air and waters turn blue, reflecting the cloudless sky; the first flowers turn blue - snowdrops and violets; at night the stars turn blue. Human souls also turn blue, becoming capable of perceiving the heavenly music of this wondrous holiday.
The proverb, which states that even a bird does not make a nest on the Annunciation, allegorically calls us on this day to put aside everyday vanity and direct our thoughts to Heaven, to joyful communication with God. According to ancient Russian custom, birds are released on this day as a sign of the liberation of the human soul from sin.
“I have become available for consolation” - (Pushkin writes, having released the bird) - “why should I grumble at God; when I could give freedom to even one creature!” Another poet, Tumansky, observing the released bird, writes: “she disappeared, drowning in the radiance of a blue day; and she sang as she flew away, as if she was praying for me.”
Feast service
The Annunciation is celebrated on April 7 (March 25 church calendar). Among ancient Christians, the feast of the Annunciation had different names: “The Conception of Christ,” “The Annunciation of Christ,” “The Beginning of Redemption,” “The Annunciation of the Angel to Mary,” and only from the 7th century it received its final name: “The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” The establishment of this holiday dates back to ancient times. Also St. Athanasius the Great, in the 4th century, called it “the first in a series of holidays,” the beginning of the economy of people’s salvation. In the 5th–6th centuries, in contrast to the Nestorian heresy, which humiliated the Virgin Mary, the solemnity of this holiday increased significantly (Nestorius incorrectly taught that the Blessed Virgin gave birth to a simple man with whom the Divinity united after his birth. The name “Theotokos” in relation to the Virgin Mary means , that Jesus Christ at the moment of His conception in Her Virgin womb was the true Son of God. Therefore, the Virgin Mary carried in Her womb and later gave birth to the God-man. Both natures - Divine and Human - at the moment of conception united in the person of Christ and have not merged since then in Him and do not change in their essence).
Due to the fact that this holiday sometimes falls during the Lenten period, and sometimes during Easter, its liturgical order is somewhat complex. If the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday of any week of Great Lent, then the All-Night Vigil begins with Great Compline. If the Annunciation happens on Sunday or Monday, then the All-Night Vigil is performed as usual, that is, it begins with Vespers (See our leaflet about the All-Night Vigil, number 38). When the Annunciation occurs on Easter, there is no polyeleos, but the canon of the Annunciation is combined with the Easter canon and after the sixth ode the Gospel is read.
In the stichera (songs of the all-night vigil) of the Feast of the Annunciation, the story of the Annunciation of the Mother of God by the Archangel Gabriel is recalled and attention is drawn to the humility of the Virgin Mary. It talks about the incomprehensibility of the Nativity of the Savior from the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of God is compared to a “bush” (a thorn bush that burned in the Sinai desert and was not consumed. Like this bush, the Virgin Mary remained unharmed, having accepted God into Herself). Compares it to the “ladder” seen by Jacob (a ladder that rested on the earth and reached to heaven). It is said that thanks to the birth of the Lord from the Mother of God, heaven is united with earth, renewed, Eve is freed, and we become partakers of the Divine nature and the “church,” i.e. temple of God. Heaven and earth are invited to triumph and rejoicing, because the Son of God, co-throne with the Father, by His goodness enters the virgin’s womb and takes on human nature. At Vespers the following proverbs are read: (excerpts from Old Testament books) , , , , . At the All-Night Vigil and the Liturgy of the Annunciation, the following prayer is sung, called the troparion.
Troparion
The day of our salvation is the main thing, and the sacrament has been revealed since the ages: the Son of God is the Son of the Virgin and Gabriel preaches grace. In the same way, we cry out to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Today is the beginning of our salvation and the fulfillment of a mystery foreordained from eternity: the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin and Gabriel proclaims the good news of grace. Therefore, we too will exclaim to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
The canon at the all-night vigil (a canon is a part of the service compiled according to a certain model, see below) speaks of the condescension of the incarnate Savior to people and points to the greatness of the Blessed Virgin, who received God into herself. The prophecies and various instructions of the Old Testament about the incarnation of the Son of God from the Woman are also mentioned, the power of the All-Holy Spirit, who overshadowed the Mother of God with His descent, is spoken of, and the brief but significant words of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary are explained.
Before the reading of the Apostle at the liturgy, the following prokeimenon is sung: Preach the gospel day by day(daily) the salvation of our God. The Apostle () expresses the idea that in order to save people it was necessary for the Son of God to take on human flesh. The Gospel () tells of the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The next one is sung at the end of the canon and also at the liturgy instead of the song “It is worthy to eat” (which is why it is called “for (i.e. instead of) the worthy one”).
Worthy
Bring great joy to the earth, praise the heavens of God's glory.
Like the animate ark of God, let the hand of the wicked never touch it, but on the lips of the faithful to the Mother of God the voice of the Angel ceaselessly sings with joy and cries out: Rejoice, O full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.
Earth, proclaim great joy, heavens praise the glory of God.
The hand of the uninitiated (unclean) should not at all dare to touch You, the Animated Icon of God. The lips of believers, constantly singing the Angel’s greeting to the Mother of God, exclaim in joy: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
At the liturgy before communion it is sung
Involved
The Lord has chosen Zion, and made it His dwelling place.
The Lord chose Zion and desired it as a dwelling place for Himself.
In established liturgical practice, when the Annunciation coincides with Easter, the light of the feast of the Good News does not fade even in the dazzling sea of light of St. Easter and the music of the Archangel's voice is not drowned out by the jubilant sea of sounds of the symphony of the Resurrection of Christ. This is explained by the fact that the nature of the feasts of the Annunciation (“head” - the beginning of salvation) and the feast of the Resurrection of Christ (the final event in the salvation of the world) is the same!
Canon of the Annunciation
The canon for the Feast of the Annunciation was written in the 8th century by Saint John of Damascus and Theophan, Metropolitan of Nicaea. The Orthodox Church, in its liturgical practice, considered it necessary to supplement this conversation with a special service that explains it - the canon of the Annunciation, which is an extended dialogue of the Virgin with the heavenly messenger.
Song 1
Irmos: I will open my mouth, and it will be filled with the Spirit; and I will speak a word to the Queen Mother, I will appear brightly triumphant and in joy I will sing Her miracles ().
David, Your forefather, Lady, sing to You, striking the spiritual lyre: hear, daughter, the joyful voice of the Angel; for he proclaims to You joy unspeakable ().
Angel: In joy I cry to You: incline Your ear and listen to me, who proclaims the seedless conception of God; for You, the All-Pure One, have found such grace before God that no other wife has ever been awarded ().
Mother of God: I would like to know the power of your words, Angel. Tell me more clearly: how will what you say come true? How will I, a young virgin, conceive? And how can I become the mother of My Creator? ()
Angel: You seem to think that my words are deceitful; I rejoice seeing Your caution. Be bold, Lady, for when God pleases, the extraordinary is easily accomplished ().
Song 3
Irmos: Mother of God, living and never-failing source! Confirm Your singers, who created (this) celebration, spiritually and in Your divine glory, reward them with crowns of glory.
Mother of God: The prince of the tribe of Judah has passed away, and the time has already come when the hope of the peoples - Christ - will appear. Explain how I can give birth to Him, being a virgin? (; )
Angel: Do you wish, Virgo, to learn from me the image of Your conception? But he is inexplicable! The Holy Spirit will accomplish it, overshadowing You with creative power ().
Mother of God: My foremother, having accepted the suggestion of the serpent, is deprived of divine pleasure in paradise. That is why I, fearing a fall, am afraid of your strange greeting.
Angel: I, who stand before God, have been sent to proclaim to You the will of God. Why do You, All-Immaculate One, fear me, when I myself fear You much more? Why are You, Lady, terrified of me, when I myself am in awe of You?
Song 4
Irmos: Seated in glory on the throne of the Divine, the divine Jesus came on a light cloud, carried by an imperishable hand, and saved those who called. Glory, Christ, to Your power (; ).
Mother of God: I heard the words of a prophet who in ancient times predicted that a certain sacred Virgin would give birth to Emmanuel. But I want to know how the nature of mortals can withstand union with the Divine? ()
Angel: The bush, engulfed in flames and remaining fireproof, foreshadowed the wonderful mystery taking place in You, O Blessed One, glorified by all; for even at birth you, pure, will always remain a virgin ().
Mother of God: Gabriel, herald of truth, illuminated by the radiance of God Almighty! Tell me the very truth: how can I give birth in the flesh to the disembodied Word, keeping My purity intact?
Angel: With fear, like a slave before his mistress, I stand before You, with reverent awe I now look at You, Young Lady. For, like rain on a meadow, the Word of the Father will descend on You, according to His good pleasure ().
Song 5
Irmos: Everything is amazed at Your divine glory. For You, the Virgin, who did not know marriage, had the Most High God in your womb and gave birth to the flightless (eternal) Son, giving peace to all who sing of You.
Mother of God: I cannot fully comprehend the meaning of your words, for there were often miracles performed by Divine power, signs and images of the law. But a maiden has never given birth without a husband ().
Angel: You are surprised, All-Immaculate. And truly, the miracle of Your conception is wonderful. For You alone will receive in the womb the King of all who will be incarnate, and You are typified by the sayings and fortune-telling of the prophets and the signs of the law ().
Mother of God: Incomprehensible to nothing and invisible to no one, how can he move into the womb of the Virgin, which He Himself created? And how I will conceive God the Word, co-beginning (the Word is the Son of God. He is co-beginning, that is, has no beginning, like the Father and the Holy Spirit). Father and Spirit? ().
Angel: He who promised Your forefather David to elevate the Fruit of Your womb to the throne of His kingdom, He, the beauty of Jacob, chose You alone for a reasonable village (; ).
Song 6
Irmos: Transforming the three-day burial of the Lord, the prophet Jonah, praying inside the whale, exclaimed: deliver me from corruption, Jesus, King of hosts!
Angel: You have been given divine joy, Mother of God. To you, Bride of God, all creation exclaims: Rejoice! For You alone, pure, are predestined to be the Matter of the Son of God ().
Mother of God: Through Me now let Eve’s condemnation be destroyed, through Me now let her debt be extinguished; through Me may this ancient debt return with profit ().
Angel: God promised, O Pure One, to the forefather Abraham that in his seed the nations would be blessed. Now through You this promise is fulfilled (;).
Song 7
Irmos: The godly youths did not serve the creature instead of the Creator, but courageously trampled upon the threatening fire and rejoiced, singing: Blessed are You, the glorified Lord and the Fathers.
Mother of God: Proclaiming that the immaterial Light, out of great mercy, unites with material flesh, you now proclaim to Me the joyful gospel, the divine sermon: blessed, All-Pure, is the fruit of Your womb ().
Angel: Rejoice, Lady Virgin, rejoice, all-pure one, rejoice, receptacle of God; Rejoice, lamp of Light, restoration of Adam, redemption of Eve, holy mountain, bright sanctuary and chamber of immortality ().
Mother of God: The influx of the All-Holy Spirit cleansed my soul, sanctified my body, created Me as a temple containing God, a tabernacle adorned by God, an animated sanctuary and the pure Mother of Life ().
Angel: I look at You as a bright candle and a well-appointed palace. You, Bride of God, like a golden ark, now accept the Giver of the Law, who through You was pleased to deliver the corruptible human being ().
Song 8
Irmos: Hearken, O maiden, pure Virgin. May Gabriel announce the original true will of the Most High. Be ready to perceive God, for through You the Inconceivable One began to live with mortals. Therefore, in joy I exclaim: all the creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord (;).
“Every mortal mind,” answered the Virgin, “is exhausted, trying to comprehend the words that you speak to Me. I listen to your words, but in amazement I fear lest by seduction, like Eve, you remove Me from God. However, I exclaim: All the creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord and exalt Him forever ().
“Behold, Your bewilderment has already been resolved,” Gabriel says to this. “For You rightly, with the words of Your mouth, called this matter incomprehensible. Obey and do not doubt it as if it were fiction, but believe as if it were a real event, for I exclaim with joy: All the creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord and exalt Him forever.
This is the law from God to mortals,” answers the Immaculate One, “so that birth occurs from mutual love.” But I do not know the pleasures of marriage at all: how do you claim that I will give birth? I'm afraid you're cheating. However, I exclaim: All the creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord and exalt Him forever ().
The words that You speak to me, Venerable One, the Angel calls again, refer to the ordinary birth of mortal people. I proclaim to You that the true one, in an ineffable and incomprehensible way, as He Himself knows, is incarnated from You, therefore in joy I exclaim: All the creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord and exalt Him forever ().
“You are a broadcaster of truth to Me,” answered the Virgin. “For you have come as a harbinger of universal joy; and since I am purified in my soul along with my body, let it be done to Me according to your word. May God dwell in Me, to whom I cry with you: All the creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord and exalt Him forever.
Song 9
Irmos: Let the hand of the uninitiated (unclean) not touch the animated ark of God (the ark, or ark of revelation, was the place where God appeared to Moses;), but the lips of the faithful, chanting incessantly the appeal of the Angel to the Mother of God, let them exclaim in joy: O full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.
Having incomprehensibly conceived God, You, the Young Lady, surpassed the laws of nature: for You, being perishable by nature, did not experience at birth what is characteristic of mothers. Therefore, it is worthy to hear: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you ().
Human language cannot explain how You exude milk, O pure Virgin. For You manifest a deed that is alien to nature, exceeding the limits of the laws of birth. Therefore, it is worthy to hear: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you ().
IN scriptures It speaks mysteriously about You, Mother of the Most High. So Jacob in ancient times, seeing the ladder that represented You, said: This is the way of God, therefore you deserve to hear: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with You ().
The bush and the fire predicted a wondrous sign for the cleric Moses. Seeking its fulfillment later, he said: I see this in the pure Virgin, to whom, as the Mother of God, let it be said: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you ().
Daniel calls You a mental mountain; Isaiah - Mother of God; Gideon sees You in the form of fleece (sheep's skin, miraculously watered).
And so, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a joyful day for an Orthodox person. He was especially so for our pious ancestors, who fell in love with the Virgin Mary for Her virtues, so akin to the soul of the Russian person: humility, meekness and the desire for the ideal. Russian people dedicated many churches and monasteries to the Most Holy Theotokos and called their fatherland “The House of the Most Holy Theotokos.” The Virgin Mary responded to the love of the Russian people for Her with Her heavenly help and many miraculous icons.
The Feast of the Annunciation reminds us of great love God to people and that the Son of God became man in order to make us partakers of His Divine nature. The Feast of the Annunciation calls us to imitate the Most Pure Virgin in Her feat of purity and chastity and to strive for Heaven, where angels and saints rejoice in eternal light.
On the day of the Annunciation, we all acquired in the person of the Virgin Mary a warm Intercessor at the throne of God. Let us thank God for His mercies towards us and ask the Most Pure Virgin to help us reach the quiet haven of the Kingdom of Heaven.
