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Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna

Methodius of Olympus

Section 14

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

XIV. Hail to thee for ever, thou virgin mother

of

God

,

our

unceasing

joy

,

for

unto

thee

do

I

again

return

.

Thou

art

the

beginning

of

our

feast

;

thou

art

its

middle

and

end

;

the

pearl

of

great

price

that

belongest

unto

the

kingdom

;

the

fat

of

every

victim

,

the

living

altar

of

the

bread

of

life

.

Hail

,

thou

treasure

of

the

love

of

God

.

Hail

,

thou

fount

of

the

Son’s

love

for

man

.

Hail

,

thou

overshadowing

mount

of

the

Holy

Ghost

.

Thou

gleamedst

,

sweet

gift

-

bestowing

mother

,

of

the

light

of

the

sun

;

thou

gleamedst

with

the

insupportable

fires

of

a

most

fervent

charity

,

bringing

forth

in

the

end

that

which

was

conceived

of

thee

before

the

beginning

,

making

manifest

the

mystery

hidden

and

unspeakable

,

the

invisible

Son

of

the

Father

—

the

Prince

of

Peace

,

who

in

a

marvellous

manner

showed

Himself

as

less

than

all

littleness

.

Wherefore

,

we

pray

thee

,

the

most

excellent

among

women

,

who

boastest

in

the

confidence

of

thy

maternal

honours

,

that

thou

wouldest

unceasingly

keep

us

in

remembrance

.

O

holy

mother

of

God

,

remember

us

,

I

say

,

who

make

our

boast

in

thee

,

and

who

in

hymns

august

celebrate

the

memory

,

which

will

ever

live

,

and

never

fade

away

.

And

do

thou

also

,

O

honoured

and

venerable

Simeon

,

thou

earliest

host

of

our

holy

religion

,

and

teacher

of

the

resurrection

of

the

faithful

,

be

our

patron

and

advocate

with

that

Saviour

God

,

whom

thou

wast

deemed

worthy

to

receive

into

thine

arms

.

We

,

together

with

thee

,

sing

our

praises

to

Christ

,

who

has

the

power

of

life

and

death

,

saying

,

Thou

art

the

true

Light

,

proceeding

from

the

true

Light

;

the

true

God

,

begotten

of

the

true

God

;

the

one

Lord

,

before

Thine

assumption

of

the

humanity

;

that

One

nevertheless

,

after

Thine

assumption

of

it

,

which

is

ever

to

be

adored

;

God

of

Thine

own

self

and

not

by

grace

,

but

for

our

sakes

also

perfect

man

;

in

Thine

own

nature

the

King

absolute

and

sovereign

,

but

for

us

and

for

our

salvation

existing

also

in

the

form

of

a

servant

,

yet

immaculately

and

without

defilement

.

For

Thou

who

art

incorruption

hast

come

to

set

corruption

free

,

that

Thou

mightest

render

all

things

uncorrupt

.

For

Thine

is

the

glory

,

and

the

power

,

and

the

greatness

,

and

the

majesty

,

with

the

Father

and

the

Holy

Spirit

,

for

ever

.

Amen

.

Notes

121
[He again apostrophizes the Blessed Theotocos, but in language hardly appropriate to the period preceding Cyril of Alexandria.]
122
[Not so, for he ends with a noble strain of worship to the Son of God. This expression suggests interpolation.]
123
Hab. iii. 3.