Photo: azbyka.ru Majestic and resplendent is the celebration of this present feast; yet, through the fervor of those gathered, it appears even more exalted. Undoubtedly, this feast is, in and of itself, splendidly magnificent; yet its grandeur becomes evident through the abundance of those assembled. By the multitude of people, the feast itself assumes a joyous appearance, and, in turn, brings delight to all with the brilliance of its splendor.
This increase in magnificence that the feast receives does not stem from anything we contribute to it. On the contrary, as it lavishly pours forth and spreads its radiance upon those gathered, it simultaneously expands its own brilliance. Just as the visible sun, though sometimes hidden from sight, possesses within itself an inherent ability to illuminate gloriously, so too, when it rises and emerges from behind the lofty peaks of mountains, it casts its rays upon the enchanting creations below. Thus, by illuminating them on all sides, the majesty of the wondrous spectacle is magnified.
So it is with this feast. Radiating an immeasurable spiritual light of beauty, it possesses within itself a perpetual brilliance. Yet this very splendor is marvelously enhanced in proportion to the multitude of those who gather and are illuminated by it. Since this feast emits the mystical rays of the Spirit and enlightens all who come together to partake in it, nothing better remains for us than to desire that everyone approaches it willingly, becomes enlightened, illumined in mind, and filled with that light which cannot be obscured by fleeting clouds.
Such is the brilliance that pours forth from this present feast, and such is the reason why it bestows upon those gathered an unfading and radiant light.
Today, as the spreading of the spiritual cloud is proclaimed, the rays of the unfading light are first revealed to the world, and the reigning darkness of unbelief begins to diminish and disperse. Today, as the establishment of the divine tabernacle is announced, firm foundations of piety are laid, and the strongholds of impiety are utterly shaken. Today, as the royal purple is being woven, the coming of the King of all is foretold, the reconciliation of former enemies is prefigured, and the trophies of victory over the adversary are proclaimed.
Today, it is foretold of the root of all blessings, destined to grow within the barren depths, so that our nature, once withered by evil, may bring forth the fruits of piety. Today, the gates of the King, impenetrable to all humanity (Ezek. 44:2), are established and prepared for His incomprehensible passage through them, and to us, they prepare the heavenly gates, now made passable. Today, barren parents, upon receiving the glad tidings of the birth of her who is the cause of an abundant harvest of blessings, prepare for all humanity the opportunity to partake in this wealth.
How far into the ages does their glorious memory extend! How unyielding remains their renown! How blessed is their divine election and how exceedingly glorious the virtue by which they were chosen! By means of this virtue, surpassing all their kin in the greatness of their free will, they likewise surpassed them in the magnitude of the gifts received from God through their election. They were preferred above all their race because they preferred the Creator of all that exists. They were deemed better than all because they cherished love for the Master above their very lives. They were preordained as ministers of the mysteries because, throughout their lives, they strove to fulfill only the will of the One who chose them. They were glorified by Him because they glorified Him through their deeds. They were exalted with abundant gifts of grace because they worthily prepared themselves to receive them.
This is what raised them above all the righteous who had come before them. This is what enabled them to partake in the mysteries for which those earlier saints longed so fervently. This is what granted them the fulfillment of the prophetic promises so eagerly awaited. Through this, they, preferred above all their kin, attained an incomparable dignity. By preserving the royal lineage pure and unmingled, they safeguarded it intact and unsullied in regard to royal virtues. They did not debase their lofty dignity by bowing to servile indulgences in pleasures. Rather, by keeping its greatness untainted, they were deemed worthy of a corresponding glorification, and of bringing forth the Queen of all, the fruit of their piety and surpassing virtue.
Thus speaks the well-known account of them. It proclaims that they preserved both the God-like beauty and the primal comeliness of their nature, as well as the pure nobility of their lineage. They were honored with the highest distinctions among the tribes of Israel, even surpassing all venerable persons in esteem. They were filled with voluntary benevolence, transforming wealth—often a snare leading others to pleasure—into a means of performing noble deeds and a ladder ascending to the pinnacle of virtue. Not only did they fulfill the prescriptions and ordinances of the Law, which prescribed blessings upon wealth and proper methods of distributing offerings, but they went far beyond these requirements, dedicating every surplus to God. In doing so, they surpassed all others in the greatness of soul evident in their offerings.
“Joachim,” says the account, “brought his double offerings, saying, ‘Let my abundance be for the whole people, and what is for my atonement, let it be for the Lord God’.” O blessed gifts! O offerings stored in secure treasures! O wealth that gathers an inexhaustible abundance of blessings! O will, marvelously generous in its giving! “If it is just,” Joachim says, “to bring to God what is prescribed by the Law, it is equally just to offer all surplus to the people and those in need, for this too is, through them, offered to God.”
But what law, O righteous man, commands the giving of double offerings or requires that every surplus be given to the people? “Granted,” he answers, “there is no such law or ordinance compelling me to act thus, but I do so because I am convinced that it is good and pleasing to God. He has granted me wealth; it is only just to return it to Him. It is the providential gift of His goodness; therefore, it should be given to my kin as a gift of goodness.”
The abundance bestowed is ample; let it be distributed to the multitude of the people. It is a gift, not a payment for deeds; let this truth be affirmed, and let the benevolence of the Giver be proclaimed. Let the burden of wealth be shared among many, or better still, let all concern for it be removed from us. Let the multitude of possessions be set aside, so that the divine gifts may be received without hindrance. Let the cloud of earthly cares, which dims the mind, be scattered, so that we may strive without distraction toward the pure light. Let the flight of thought not descend from its heavenly aspirations to the concerns of the earth, but soar freely toward spiritual things. Let the ears of the soul, freed from the clamor of vanity, hear the voices of those who celebrate spiritually, and attend to the sweet hymns of those rejoicing in heaven.
Thus, the offering of the righteous, born of such a noble spirit, deserved from God a reward befitting its greatness.
Meanwhile, his relatives, who made offerings alongside him during solemn feasts, were not moved by awe at his God-loving greatness of soul but by envy of his surpassing virtue. They cited certain regulations, claiming that a childless man, one without heirs, was not permitted to make offerings. “It is not lawful,” they said, “for you to bring gifts, for you have not raised up offspring in the sons of Israel.” In some versions, it reads: “It is not lawful for you to be the first to bring...” Their intent was to completely forbid the righteous man from offering sacrifices.
Regardless of the precise wording, their prohibition arose from envy. They should have marveled at the greatness of his gifts, applauded the abundance of his offerings, and rejoiced in the magnitude of his generosity. Instead, they not only refused to honor his offerings, as justice demanded, but sought to prevent them altogether. But why do you, who wish to bar his offerings, slander them and forbid him to make them? What impurity do you find in the gift dedicated to God? What lack of willingness do you detect in his offering? Is it not perfect? Is it not wondrous in both its abundance and its quality? Was it not chosen and given freely, out of his own will?
You argue that “a custom with the force of law forbids the childless from making offerings to God on equal terms with those who have children, and from sharing the same honors.” But I know well that no such law exists, and if some custom has introduced this notion, I confidently assert that it is nothing but the fruit of your own dull and foolish mind. God is pleased with sacrifices and offerings not because those who bring them have children or many descendants, but because they abound in virtue, possess noble character and a lofty spirit, and demonstrate generosity not only in their material gifts but in the sacrifice of their inner disposition. They bring offerings with a humble soul and a chaste mind, knowing that no gift is truly worthy of God. “A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit,” says Scripture (Ps. 50:19). Let God Himself, the receiver of offerings, testify to what gifts are pleasing to Him. Let those who have offered with the best intentions affirm it as well.
Holy Scripture records how God praised and accepted many sacrifices of the saints and the righteous. The fame of those who offered them testifies abundantly to this truth. The offerings of righteous Abel, the first martyr, were praised and accepted not because he had children, but because he had a fruitful will, brought the best to God, and offered a pure sacrifice free of base intentions. In contrast, the offering of childless Cain was not accepted—not because he had no offspring, but because his will was barren, his mind base, his love for God less than his love for himself. Cain divided his gifts unjustly and brought them in a manner unworthy of God. Rightly, then, did the Lord reject Cain’s offering and visibly demonstrate His displeasure by withholding the fire that consumes offerings, a sign of His acceptance.
You claim to follow the law, but your prohibition of the righteous man’s offerings reveals only the envy and malice in your heart. “It is not lawful,” you say, “for you to bring gifts.” Why is it unlawful? Is it because he burns with love for God? Is it because his generosity exceeds the bounds of the law? Is it because he gives more freely than required, even to the benefit of others? “Let my abundance be for the whole people,” he declares. That includes you, for you are part of the people. Should you not honor his abundant love for the Creator, gladly accept the gift he dedicates to the people, and praise his magnanimity with fitting gratitude?
Instead, you close the eyes of your mind, willfully blind to goodness, and, consumed by envy, spew forth your venom under the guise of legal precepts. But God, who accepts sacrifices not for the quantity of offerings but for the virtue of the heart, has already shown whom He favors. Let us, then, learn from this account and understand that God values a God-loving will, rich in the fruits of virtue, far more than mere proofs of the ability to bear children.
We shall not pass over in silence, though wishing to avoid excessive verbosity, the account of how the patriarch Abraham, even before having children—those through whom the unfailing promises of God were to be fulfilled (Gen. 12:7)—built an altar and later received the command to offer a glorious sacrifice: “Take for Me a three-year-old heifer… and a three-year-old ram,” along with other offerings for a burnt sacrifice (Gen. 15:9). Nor shall we neglect to mention the offerings of other righteous ones who were childless.
Such was the sacrifice offered on a rock by Manoah, at the command of God. Together with his barren wife, he received the joyful news of the ending of her barrenness and, as a sign of the promise’s truth, witnessed the angel ascending from the flames and departing to heaven (Judg. 13:19–21). And who are you to argue against or reject the offerings made by the prophetess Anna, both in word and deed, and graciously accepted by God (1 Sam. 1:9–19)? Can you prove that seed sprang forth from the loins of Elias and Elisha? Yet these righteous men continually offered sacrifices pleasing to God—rational sacrifices—and, when required, even blood offerings.
Why then would you exclude the childless from prayer, hymn-singing, and the continual praise of God? Surely God esteems far more the sacrifices offered with a contrite heart than those made with animals. But you, closing the eyes of your mind, have willingly placed yourself in a state of blindness to goodness. Burning with envy against the righteous, you spew forth your venom under the guise of adhering to the law. “It is not lawful,” you say, “for you to bring gifts.” Why is it not lawful? Is it because he burns with love for God? Because he is generous in his offerings? Because he gives more than is prescribed by law and magnanimously blesses even you?
“My abundance,” he says, “shall be for the whole people.” This includes you, for you are part of the same people. Should you not honor the overflowing love of the righteous man for the Creator and willingly accept the gift he dedicates to the people? Should you not pursue his magnanimity with awe and praise, offering him fitting gratitude?
But you, burdened by the weight of his many noble achievements, and more so by the envy they provoke within you, crawl upon the earth, bent low and unable to lift your gaze to the radiant light of his glorious deeds. He, on the other hand, standing above your reproaches and as though soaring in the heavens, does not stoop to base earthly concerns, nor is he cast down from the height of his great spirit into the abyss of despair. He does not retaliate against insults, does not arm himself against accusations, nor does he refute your unreasonable charges with sound reasoning. Instead, through his close communion with God, he demonstrates both the acceptability of his offerings and the injustice of your reproaches. By his prayers, he seeks deliverance from barrenness, transforming your scorn into his exaltation.
Soon you will witness him adorned with the great gift of blessed offspring; you will see his immense glory among the fathers, the fruitfulness of his nature, the reward of his prayers, the blessing upon the human race, an overflowing wealth, unending joy, and the cause of true gladness.
With such majesty and nobility toward his detractors, the righteous man, forsaking all present comforts, prepares himself for extraordinary labors and arduous solitude. He cares neither for returning home nor for consulting with his household regarding his intent, lest anyone, in considering it, might deem it strange, beyond human nature, and seek to contend with him, marveling at his love for God and his detachment from all other concerns.
What, then, O you wondrous one, greater than the righteous of old, do you seek? What endeavor are you resolved to accomplish? Why do you withdraw from your hearth? Why sever the bonds of marriage and shared life? Did not God Himself unite you in the harmony of communal life, blending your minds and wills as He joined your flesh into one? Should you not strive to preserve this unity of counsel and thought as unbroken as you are bound to maintain the indissoluble union with your wife? Would it not be just to include her in your labors, making her a partaker both in the fruit and in the toil of your endeavors?
Yet if even this does not move you to return home, ought you not to spare her the greater sorrow? Should you not refrain from causing her anguish by your secret departure, or from afflicting her with countless tormenting thoughts through your unexplained absence? Surely, it would have been fitting for you first to settle your household affairs and then to embark upon the path your spirit desires.
Or perhaps you care no longer for abundant wealth, nor pay heed to possessions, as if you are no longer tied to visible blessings, so lofty in spirit that you can forego all earthly comforts? “Indeed so,” answers the righteous man. “None of these things can draw me away from communion with God—neither the unity of nature, nor ties with my household, nor the abundance of wealth, nor the companionship of friends. No visible blessing has the power to divert me from the pursuit of unseen goods. I have resolved upon the arduous labor of prayer, which demands from me complete detachment for the struggle. Away, then, with anything that might delay my ascent! Let nothing worldly stand before me; let nothing worldly hinder my zealous desire.
The gifts granted by God belong to Him; to Him I entrust their care. I know that my wife, Anna, even in my absence, will remain of like mind and character with me. I know her fervent love for the Master, which leads her to submit to His providence and to support me in my labors with her own fitting efforts. She will not allow our unity in life, nor the bond that ties us, to be broken. She will preserve both the harmony of our marriage and her God-loving disposition undivided. Even apart from me, she will aid me more through her prayers than she could have done by her presence. Her prayers will be powerful; she will offer them with the most fervent faith, ensuring that they are heard. For she will raise them from a contrite heart, directing them with unfeigned humility to the supreme Benefactor, who surpasses all understanding. And He, being all-good, will hearken to those who call upon Him in truth.”
Such are the surpassing excellences of the righteous; such is the abundant wealth of their virtues; such is the flame of their faith; such is their intimate closeness to God. This is why they received more than they sought; this is why the heavenly voice proclaimed to them that they would bring forth the very blessing and joy of the world. Angels foretold to them that the child born of them would grant gladness and rejoicing to all mankind.
Such are your praises and wonders from the beginning, O Mother of God. Concerning you it was prophesied that you would spring forth from such a stem, and you appeared in life according to the divine foretelling. It was fitting that such words should be spoken about you; fitting that your greatness should be foretold with such utterances; necessary that you should be prefigured by such symbols; necessary that such a branch should sprout from such fruitful parents; necessary that such a plant should arise from such a root; necessary that you, the royal scepter, should emerge from royal lineage; necessary that you, the richest treasury of blessings, should come forth from an abundance of virtues; necessary that you should be the daughter of such parents, and they the parents of such a daughter.
You were pre-chosen from all creation to be the Mother of God; thus they, of all parents, were deemed worthy to be your parents. How far above all glory is the majesty of such providence! How much higher than all praises are the wonders of the Master’s design! How much more desirable than all desired blessings are those bestowed through you! What blessed delight have those received who were counted worthy to enjoy these blessings! For this delight alone is the true delight; it is an inexhaustible joy for those whom you deem worthy to partake in your wondrous deeds. It leads us to an unending feast; through our present joy in you, we begin the gladness of the future. We have a pledge of eternal blessings: these are your gifts bestowed upon us now. In the present glorification of you, the voice of those who rejoice eternally is heard. Because of you, our praise is true, our hope secure, the awaited blessings are in our hands.
Therefore, we hunger and thirst as often as possible and continually to celebrate your feasts, that we may always receive what we desire. And now, solemnly observing your festival, we glorify it not as something newly invented and added to renowned days, but as chief both in order and in deed. We are delighted by the joy proclaimed through it, we partake of its mystical banquet, we are filled with the gifts foretold within it; through the joy it brings, we prepare for ourselves eternal grace; we sing in harmony with the choir of those who celebrate in heaven.
You, our Mediatrix, by your prayers make us worthy to be numbered among that choir and to celebrate with them, continually offering praise with a voice of rejoicing, in Christ Himself, your Son and our God—the sole joy and gladness of those who love you. For to Him belong honor, dominion, and glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Patrolog. curs. compl. tom. C. pag. 1335–1354. Paris. 1860.
From: Stories of Christian Saints, Honored by the Orthodox Catholic Church (Skazaniya o svyatykh khristianskikh, chtimykh Pravoslavnoyu Kafolicheskoyu Tserkoviyu (in Russian translation). Vol. 1 (Kazan: University printers, 1866), 103–119.
