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Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna

Methodius of Olympus

Section 4

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

IV. Therefore the prophet brought the virgin from Nazareth,

‹ Section 3 Section 5 ›

in

order

that

she

might

give

birth

at

Bethlehem

to

her

salvation

-

bestowing

child

,

and

brought

her

back

again

to

Nazareth

,

in

order

to

make

manifest

to

the

world

the

hope

of

life

.

Hence

it

was

that

the

ark

of

God

removed

from

the

inn

at

Bethlehem

,

for

there

He

paid

to

the

law

that

debt

of

the

forty

days

,

due

not

to

justice

but

to

grace

,

and

rested

upon

the

mountains

of

Sion

,

and

receiving

into

His

pure

bosom

as

upon

a

lofty

throne

,

and

one

transcending

the

nature

of

man

,

the

Monarch

of

all

,

she

presented

Him

there

to

God

the

Father

,

as

the

joint

-

partner

of

His

throne

and

inseparable

from

His

nature

,

together

with

that

pure

and

undefiled

flesh

which

he

had

of

her

substance

assumed

.

The

holy

mother

goes

up

to

the

temple

to

exhibit

to

the

law

a

new

and

strange

wonder

,

even

that

child

long

expected

,

who

opened

the

virgin’s

womb

,

and

yet

did

not

burst

the

barriers

of

virginity

;

that

child

,

superior

to

the

law

,

who

yet

fulfilled

the

law

;

that

child

that

was

at

once

before

the

law

,

and

yet

after

it

;

that

child

,

in

short

,

who

was

of

her

incarnate

beyond

the

law

of

nature

.

For

in

other

cases

every

womb

being

first

opened

by

connection

with

a

man

,

and

,

being

impregnated

by

his

seed

,

receives

the

beginning

of

conception

,

and

by

the

pangs

which

make

perfect

parturition

,

doth

at

length

bring

forth

to

light

its

offspring

endowed

with

reason

,

and

with

its

nature

consistent

,

in

accordance

with

the

wise

provision

of

God

its

Creator

.

For

God

said

,

“

Be

fruitful

,

and

multiply

,

and

replenish

the

earth

.

”

But

the

womb

of

this

virgin

,

without

being

opened

before

,

or

being

impregnated

with

seed

,

gave

birth

to

an

offspring

that

transcended

nature

,

while

at

the

same

time

it

was

cognate

to

it

,

and

that

without

detriment

to

the

indivisible

unity

,

so

that

the

miracle

was

the

more

stupendous

,

the

prerogative

of

virginity

likewise

remaining

intact

.

She

goes

up

,

therefore

to

the

temple

,

she

who

was

more

exalted

than

the

temple

,

clothed

with

a

double

glory

—

the

glory

,

I

say

,

of

undefiled

virginity

,

and

that

of

ineffable

fecundity

,

the

benediction

of

the

law

,

and

the

sanctification

of

grace

.

Wherefore

he

says

who

saw

it

:

“

And

the

whole

house

was

full

of

His

glory

,

and

the

seraphim

stood

round

about

him

;

and

one

cried

unto

another

,

and

said

,

Holy

,

holy

,

holy

,

is

the

Lord

of

hosts

:

the

whole

earth

is

full

of

His

glory

.

”

As

also

the

blessed

prophet

Habakkuk

has

charmingly

sung

,

saying

,

“

In

the

midst

of

two

living

creatures

thou

shalt

be

known

:

as

the

years

draw

nigh

thou

shalt

be

recognised

—

when

the

time

is

come

thou

shalt

be

shown

forth

.

”

See

,

I

pray

you

,

the

exceeding

accuracy

of

the

Spirit

.

He

speaks

of

knowledge

,

recognition

,

showing

forth

.

As

to

the

first

of

these

:

“

In

the

midst

of

two

living

creatures

thou

shalt

be

known

,

”

he

refers

to

that

overshadowing

of

the

divine

glory

which

,

in

the

time

of

the

law

,

rested

in

the

Holy

of

holies

upon

the

covering

of

the

ark

,

between

the

typical

cherubim

,

as

He

says

to

Moses

,

“

There

will

I

be

known

to

thee

.

”

But

He

refers

likewise

to

that

concourse

of

angels

,

which

hath

now

come

to

meet

us

,

by

the

divine

and

ever

adorable

manifestation

of

the

Saviour

Himself

in

the

flesh

,

although

He

in

His

very

nature

cannot

be

beheld

by

us

,

as

Isaiah

has

even

before

declared

.

But

when

He

says

,

“

As

the

years

draw

nigh

,

thou

shalt

be

recognised

,

”

He

means

,

as

has

been

said

before

,

that

glorious

recognition

of

our

Saviour

,

God

in

the

flesh

,

who

is

otherwise

invisible

to

mortal

eye

;

as

somewhere

Paul

,

that

great

interpreter

of

sacred

mysteries

,

says

:

“

But

when

the

fulness

of

the

time

was

come

,

God

sent

forth

His

Son

,

made

of

a

woman

,

made

under

the

law

,

to

redeem

them

that

were

under

the

law

,

that

we

might

receive

the

adoption

of

sons

.

”

And

then

,

as

to

that

which

is

subjoined

,

“

When

the

time

is

come

,

Thou

shalt

be

shown

forth

,

”

what

exposition

doth

this

require

,

if

a

man

diligently

direct

the

eye

of

his

mind

to

the

festival

which

we

are

now

celebrating

?

“

For

then

shalt

Thou

be

shown

forth

,

”

He

says

,

“

as

upon

a

kingly

charger

,

by

Thy

pure

and

chaste

mother

,

in

the

temple

,

and

that

in

the

grace

and

beauty

of

the

flesh

assumed

by

Thee

.

”

All

these

things

the

prophet

,

summing

up

for

the

sake

of

greater

clearness

,

exclaims

in

brief

:

“

The

Lord

is

in

His

holy

temple

;

”

“

Fear

before

Him

all

the

earth

.

”

Notes

29
Cf. Luke ii. 22.
30
[Here seems to me a deep and true insight regarding the scriptural topics and events touched upon.]
31
Isa. vi. 3.
32
The quotation from the prophet Habakkuk is from the LXX. version.—Tr.
33
Hab. iii. 2.
34
Exod. xxv. 22.
35
Gal. iv. 4, 5.
36
Hab. ii. 20.
37
Ps. xcvi. 9.