METROPOLITAN PHILARET (DROZDOV). CREATION. T.1. SERMONS AND SERMONS

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Discourse on the Day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, 1858[1]

Take heed as you hear (Luke 8:18)

Attentively, judiciously, carefully observe yourselves, how you listen to what comes to your ears, how you accept and must accept what you hear. This is how Christ the Savior instructed His disciples. His Most-Pure Mother, the Most-Blessed Virgin Mary, perfectly fulfilled this instruction when it had not yet been pronounced.

Christians! The instruction of Christ the Savior applies to us by the very fact that we are Christians, that is, disciples and followers of Christ. The example of His Most-Pure Mother can lead us to understand His instruction.

The foremother Eve did not make a rule for herself: "Be careful as she hears when the serpent tempter enters into conversation with her," although the very unusualness of this phenomenon should have inspired caution. Through the ear opened with curiosity, the verbal poison penetrated to her heart and poisoned her soul with sin, before the body was poisoned by eating the forbidden fruit. And the forefather Adam did not protect his ears from the sinful word of his wife, and through his unguarded ear he allowed death to enter the entire human race.

Not so the Most Holy Virgin Mary. As predestined to serve the mystery of healing the human race from the deadly contagion of sin, She, at Her very entry into this ministry, corrects the original error of the forefathers. She hears the welcoming voice of the Angel, more or less known to Her since the time of Her upbringing in the temple in Jerusalem, and for all this she watches over what she hears, does not suddenly allow a lofty word about Her to reach a humble heart, does not respond to the greeting, stops in careful meditation. He was troubled over his words, and thought what this kiss would be (Luke 1:29).

What word is this, by which confusion is produced in a pure and peaceful soul? This is the word of the Angel: Rejoice, full of grace: the Lord is with Thee: blessed art Thou among women. But what could be the cause of the confusion? The cause of confusion is usually a word that is sad, or severe, or humiliating, or offensive, or threatening. There is nothing of the kind in the words of the Angel. In them one can see: the joy, the reverence of the Angel for the Most Holy Virgin, Her dignity, God's goodwill towards Her. Enter into the matter with spiritual understanding. A word that is sad, stern, humiliating, offensive, threatening confuses our impatience and our pride. These qualities were not present in the MostHoly Virgin, which is why even such heavy words would not have confused Her. But deep humility dwells in Her, and therefore a word that exalts Her is unacceptable to Her. Humility does not love the one who proclaims praise, it avoids it, it fears that it will harm it, and therefore, when it hears the praiser, with involuntary concern it inwardly asks: Are you really an Angel of Light? Such is the meaning of the confusion into which the Most Holy Virgin was led by the greeting of the heavenly Evangelist.

But even blameless confusion is an unnatural state. The soul, having felt itself in it, is looking for ways to get out of it. What path did the Most Holy Virgin open for this? The path of silent reflection. Ponder what this kiss will be [Luke 1:29].

Listen attentively to the silence of the Most Holy Virgin before the Angel announcing the gospel: you will find that this silence is as wise as the word. If Miriam had hastened to respond to the praise of the Angel without denying the praise heard, it would have been an affirmation and acceptance of praise, and it would have been difficult for the Virgin in relation to Her humility. If She answered with rebuke, it could be an insult to the messenger from heaven. She avoided both difficulties by hiding herself from the word into silence and using them for meditation. Thinking: what will this kiss be? What does it mean to greet extraordinarily? What is to be done with a greeting that is difficult and frightening to accept and just as difficult and frightening to reject? If a word comes from God, will He not manifest a sign that puts an end to confusion and fear, and resolves perplexity? The sign really appeared in the fact that to the deep silence of the Most Holy Virgin, as if to an intelligible word, the Angel gave an appropriate answer: Do not be afraid, Miriam [Luke 1:30]. From this She knew that God had revealed to the Angel Her inner state and sent Her a word of comfort, and that, consequently, with calmness and faith she should listen to the further prophecy of the Angel. Thus She was prepared and prepared to receive the Annunciation of the Incarnation in Her of the Son of God – the Saviour of the world – and was able from the immeasurable depth of humility to utter the word of immeasurably lofty faith: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord: Be thou unto Me according to Thy word [Luke 1:38].