Instruction for the Day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God

The mystery hidden from all ages is revealed this day, and the Son of God becomes the Son of Man, that He might make Adam a god (Sticheron of the Praises, Tone 2).

A wondrous mystery, past the reach of mortal minds, is remembered and celebrated this day by the holy Church: the incarnation and the becoming man of the Creator of the ages and of the worlds—the Son of God. The uncontainable God is contained within the pure womb of the Maiden of God; the bodiless takes on a body; the one without beginning is conceived; the unapproachable becomes approachable; the Word takes on flesh; the infinitely great is made small, and the boundless is bounded; God is intermingled with men and is not ashamed to name them brothers (Hebr 2:11). So the mystery hidden from all ages, from the beginning, unknown even to the Angels, is revealed this day, and the Son of God becomes the Son of Man, so that, having taken up what is lesser—that is, our nature—He might grant us what is incomparably better: sanctification, renewal, and deification. It is fitting to cry out now in exultation: let creation be glad, let all nature keep joyful festival—that is, both the whole human race, granted such an honor from God, and all creation, heaven and earth, seeing God, out of His boundless tenderness of heart, descend to His creature and take upon Himself the nature of that creature, for its salvation. O mystery incomprehensible, mystery most joyful, ravishing every soul that spiritually understands it, but at the same time a fearsome mystery too! For the cause of such a condescension, such a self-emptying, is our sins. Only the all-good, all-wise, and almighty God could devise so extraordinary a means for the salvation of ruined man—and so abase Himself, in order to heal us by His own example from pride and from every sin, and to teach us humility and obedience and every virtue. A most joyful mystery, I say, one that ravishes the soul! How greatly we all, brothers and sisters, are honored by the incarnation of the Son of God from the most pure Virgin, how magnified, how gladdened, how comforted! God is with us: He has become our Intercessor, our Redeemer, our Savior; the Mother of God has become our Mother by grace, our Intercessor, our Protectress, our Covering. Imagine what would have become of mankind, if the Son of God had not so wondrously, so graciously condescended to us sinners, darkened, a thousand times wretched because of sin and enmity with God! How poor, how pitiable, how comfortless, how inconsolable humanity would be amid its countless calamities! But now, what unfailing comfort there is for the believing and repentant, in the Son of God incarnate for our sake! He is the hope, the cleansing, the sanctification, and the salvation of all repentant sinners; the defense of the wronged; the comfort of all who mourn; the encouragement of the despondent; the rest of the weary and burdened; the reward of those who strive; the light of the darkened; the strength of the weak; the Helper in good labors; the Fellow-warrior in spiritual battles; the delight of all the righteous; the eternal life of all who believe in Him — he who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live (Jn 11:25), says the Lord. But the incarnation of the Son of God is at the same time also a fearsome and instructive mystery, if we consider what brought the Son of God down to such a self-emptying, and to what we, mankind, are called and bound by the incarnation of the Son of God. On God’s side, the cause of His becoming man was boundless love for us, His creatures, the love of the Archetype for His own living, rational image, fallen, perishing—for we are His image; but on our side, it was our sins, our fearsome fall, our unavoidable eternal ruin. And so, what is required of us by the incarnation of the Son of God? Immediate, sincere, unfeigned, and firm repentance for all sins, correction of the heart, and a righteous, holy life. Be holy, for I am holy, the Lord your God (Lev 19:2). Come out from the midst of the corrupt and be separated, and do not touch uncleanness, and I will welcome you, and I will be to you a Father, and you will be to Me sons and daughters, says the Lord, the Almighty (2Cor 6:17-18). That this—that is, holiness and righteousness—is exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ requires of us, you may be convinced every day by the very prayer the Lord taught us, Our Father, in which He, the Lord, teaches us to pray first of all that we might live holily and righteously, according to the will of God and not our own: may Your name be sanctified, may Your kingdom come, may Your will come about, as in heaven and on earth (Lk 11:2-4; Mt 6:9-10). And so, this is the unfailing obligation that the incarnation of the Son of God lays upon us, brothers and sisters: to live righteously and holily, reverently and honorably, and to keep far from every sin, from every unrighteousness and impurity. Otherwise we shall be unworthy of the Son of God and of His kingdom, and shall prepare for ourselves a heavier condemnation, both here and in eternity. Amen.