The Blickling Homilies of the Tenth Century

THE ANNUNCIATION OF SAINT MARY.

[Jesus came into the world in order that his divine] nature might be manifested, and that sin might be eradicated; and the doom of Eve’s infelicity, which was denounced against her (that she should bring forth her children in pain and in sorrow) was reversed when Mary brought forth the Lord with rejoicing. Eve conceived through carnal lust, Mary in her womb conceived the merciful and the innocent Christ. Eve bare tears in her womb, Mary brought forth through herself the everlasting joy for all the world. Eve brought forth her child in pain because she had conceived in sin. The Holy Ghost sowed the pure seed in the undefiled womb (of Mary), wherefore she, being a virgin became a mother, because, being a virgin, she had conceived. Each of these circumstances was miraculous, both that she had conceived without defilement, and that in child-bearing she continued ever immaculate. Gabriel was the messenger of these nuptials. What spake he to her, or what heard she when he spake 1 ‘Hail, Mary! full of grace, the Lord is with thee! ‘And through this greeting (salutation) she conceived, because he brought her everlasting salvation upon his tongue; but the devil, through the venom-bearing (venomous) adder (serpent), deceived the first woman with his evil suggestions and treachery, wherefore the angel spake to our Lord’s mother, and thus addressed her: ‘Hail (Mary) full of grace, the Lord is with thee!’ The grace was brought for the sin of the first woman. She was called ‘ full,’ and not ‘ empty/ because she was filled with grace, and [through her] sin was eradicated. Let us hear now, in what manner, rejoicing and exulting in her song, the pious and holy virgin sang, and thus said: ‘He filleth the hungry with good things, and the rich he sendeth away empty.’ The angel said to her, ‘Hail Mary! full of grace, the Lord is with thee, in thy heart and in thy womb, and is also with thee as thy helper. But rejoice, thou virgin; for Christ shall descend from his heavenly exaltation, and from his angelic majesty, into thy womb; and he shall so far humble himself that he [shall come] from his paternal bosom, [and choose] thee as his mother.’ .... because it receiveth him, it does not comprehend him, but the faith must be proclaimed from earth up to heaven. Lo! we have now heard that the Heavenly King entered the humble womb of the ever-pure virgin — that was the temple of piety and of all purity. The angel said to her, ‘Blessed be thou among all women, for blessed is the fruit of thy womb/ In the words of the angel was heard, that through her offspring should be healed all man and womankind. The first mother of mankind brought affliction (vengeance) into the world when she brake God’s behests, and into this affliction was she cast. She brought upon herself and all her kin the greatest misery. And moreover that affliction was so grievous, that every man should come with sorrow into tins world, and here live in sorrow, and depart in pain. And now this holy virgin Mary brought to all believers these blessings, and eternal salvation; therefore, let all mankind love and honour her with word and with deed — because .... she concealed much, she received into her humble bosom the Son of God the Father, whom heaven and earth are unable to comprehend. Let us love our creator, and praise him according to our means with all our might, even as we may hear that the holy virgin did, who loved him with sincerity of heart; and with a joyful mind she sang in her psalm, and thus said, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit doth rejoice in God my Saviour, for he hath seen the meekness of his handmaiden, and from thenceforth all generations have called me blessed; for he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name; and his mercy is great towards Israel, and towards all mankind who fear him/ The Lord came into the world among the people of Israel, and set forth to them example of eternal life, and invited them to heaven’s kingdom, through his miracles and evangelical lore (teaching). And then men despised his teaching and gave way to envy, and hung him on the cross, and he through his passion overcame the old traitor, and put down the devil’s kingdom on this earth, and then was excluded the lamentation of Eve through the ever-pure virgin. It is to be observed that, after the blessing and salutation of the angel, Mary pondered a long time, and silently considered what the greeting might be. Then the heavenly messenger explained it to her, and said, ‘Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God — thou shalt bring forth a son and shalt call him Saviour (Jesus).’ When the virgin heard the beginning of this divine issue, then spake she thus: ‘How may this be, seeing that I have known no man ] ‘Then said the angel unto her, * The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall encompass thee, and he that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ And again he spake: ‘Open now thy fairest and pure bosom, and let the tabernacle of thy womb be expanded, and let the inspiration of the Heavenly embrace be blown into thee; and the natural heat, through the might of the Holy Ghost, shall be quiescent in thee, and let thy expansive womb be decked with all adornments. The redness of the rose glitters in thee, and the whiteness of the lily shines in thee; let Christ’s bride-bower (chamber) be adorned with every variety of flowers that are produced.’ Then the angel spake again, ‘Answer, thou virgin, wherefore delayest thou to illumine the earth? And the angel of the Lord awaiteth thy permission. Lo! thou hast just heard how it may come to pass that the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall shine around thee, and thou shalt bring forth the King of all purity, and thy virginity thou shalt not impair. Now, for a long time, the door of heaven’s kingdom, through which I have been sent hither, stands closed through [the sin of] the first persons, but now through thee they shall be unclosed. O thou blessed Mary, all this captive world awaiteth thy consent; for God hath appointed thee as a surety here in this world, and through thee shall intercession be made for Adam’s guilt to him who formerly, on account of man’s sin, was so angry that he closed the holy home; but through thee shall the entrance again be opened, and thou shalt succour mankind. Wherefore the Heavenly King shall prepare thy womb as a bridal chamber for his son, and also great joy in the bride-chamber; and he shall forgive all offences whatsoever this world has previously committed against him.’ O dearest men, great was this messenger, and a great message brought he, wherefore his name signifies ‘the strength of God.’ Well was he so named, since he whose coming he spake of and announced had power over all creatures; and neither the beginning of his kingdom, nor his might nor his majesty shall ever be diminished, but he shall be ever eternal. Then the evangelist informs us that the blessed virgin St. Mary was affrighted, and with trembling voice meekly replied, and thus said, ‘I am the handmaiden of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.’ 0 what beautiful meekness was there found in the ever pure virgin! The angel said to her that she should be the mother of her creator, and she called herself a ‘ handmaiden.’ Then the heavenly messenger returned home unto the kingdom above, from whence he previously was sent. The Lord in the chamber of the virgin, in that seemly throne, took a bodily garment for his divinity. Then was sent the treasure of divine majesty into the bond (receptacle) of the pure womb [of the virgin]. And after an interval of nine months he came forth, as the prophet declared concerning him, thus saying: ‘The Lord hath set his house in the sun, and from it hath gone out as a bridegroom from his bridal chamber.’ That came to pass when the King of Glory, upon this earth, came forth from the womb of the ever pure-virgin; and then the exulting giant as Lord dwelt joyfully on the earth until he came to the throne of the rood, in the ascent of which all our lives he supported; and he gave his red gem, which was his holy blood, and thereby made us participators of the heavenly kingdom; and it shall come to pass on Doomsday that he will come to judge the quick and the dead. Then shall all creatures, both the hosts of heaven and of earth, be afraid. Let us rejoice then in the union of God and men, and in the union of the bridegroom and the bride, that is Christ and the holy church. Let us honour Christ set in the manger, because, through meekness, he hath filled fourfoldly this earth with believers. Let us honour also the clothes of his person (humanity), by which our nature (or original condition) was renewed. Let us honour St. Mary, for we ought to praise and bless her, because hosts of angels called her blessed. So must we believe that angels earnestly beheld her from the day that they knew that the blessed Mary had conceived of the Holy Ghost. In her was fulfilled what was sung in the Song of Songs, thus saying: ‘Solomon’s bed was surrounded by guards, that is by sixty men, the strongest that were in Israel, and each of them had a sword girt to his hip (side), on account of the terror of the night.’ Now then what was Solomon’s bed else but the holy womb of the ever pure virgin? The peace-loving king, our Lord Jesus Christ, chose and sought that womb. But what meant the sixty strong men who were standing about the bed for fear of nightly alarm % That was when the holy virgin was encompassed with the heavenly hosts of angels for protection, because they knew that in her abode the heavenly king. So then the heavenly angels shield and guard all holy souls in which the king of peace abides. On this day descended the heavenly treasure into this world from the throne of our creator, that was Christ, the son of the living God, who came for the adorning and honouring of his bride, that is, all who are holy. Therefore let us love our Lord with all our lives, and above all other things, because, of his great mercy, he so humbled himself, that he sought (visited) us in this our exile and gave us a healthful mind and heavenly behests. Therefore we must lead our whole life in meekness after the example of the holy queen of God, for she perceived that the living son of God had sought her. Then was she in all things the meeker, as she manifested in the words with which she praised the Lord, thus saying: ‘My soul magnify the Lord.’ She praised him not only with words but with all her heart. Let us love him now and magnify his name, not only in prosperous circumstances but also in adverse circumstances, then he will not permit us to be tempted beyond measure. If we through meekness endure all things, then will our Lord be the firmest support and the best shield against all the temptations of the devil. She said ‘I am the handmaiden of my Lord, let it be unto me according to thy word.’ That was undoubted humility when she called herself ‘ handmaiden,’ and the angel had announced to her that she was chosen as the mother of her creator, and had made known to her that she was the most blessed above all womankind. “Well it seemed then that she was humble who bore the humble and merciful king, who concerning himself thus spake to his disciples: ‘Learn of me, for I am merciful and lowly;’ and most fitting was it too that he should descend to earth through the pure members of the holy virgin, that we may the more assuredly know that he is the origin and teacher of all purity, and we believe therefore and know assuredly that Christ’s dwelling-place or abode is not in the heart of any man who hath no mercy. Now then, dearest men, let us believe in our Lord, and love him and keep his behests, then shall be fulfilled in us what he himself hath declared — ‘Blessed be the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ In that sight shall be all believers, and of his bliss there shall be no end, but ever may they rejoice with him, where he liveth and reigneth, ever without end everlastingly. Amen.