On the Annunciation (Homily I) · §1 · Gregory Thaumaturgus

Sermon 1 opening: today's joy, David's oracle, and Gabriel's hail

Today crowns of everlasting virtue are woven. Today God, wishing to crown the sacred heads of the kind and the devout, and of those who keep the feast days with zeal, names the lovers of firm faith as those called and as heirs; and the kingdom above eagerly calls those who set their minds on heavenly things, so that they may join themselves to the divine ministry of the bodiless choirs.

Today the oracle of David is fulfilled, which says: Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth exult. The fields will be glad, and all the trees of the forest, before the Lord, for He comes (Psalm 96:11-13). David, for his part, speaks of trees; but the Forerunner of the Lord speaks of trees that bear fruit worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8-10), or rather worthy of the Lord's coming. Yet our Lord Jesus Christ announces everlasting joy to all who believe in Him. For He says: I will see you, and you will rejoice; and your joy no one will take from you (John 16:22).

Today the renowned and ineffable mystery of the Christians, who have freely set a seal on their hope in Christ, is plainly announced to us. Today Gabriel, who stands before God (Luke 1:19), coming to the most chaste Virgin, announces to her that saying: Hail, full of grace (Luke 1:28). And as she was considering within herself what sort of greeting that was (Luke 1:29), the Angel at once added, saying: The Lord is with you (Luke 1:28). Do not fear, Mary; for you have found grace with God. Therefore you will conceive in the womb and bear a son, and they will call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and He will reign in the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end (Luke 1:30-33).

Then Mary said to the Angel: How will this be done to me, since I do not know a man? (Luke 1:34) Shall I still remain a virgin? Will the dignity of virginity in me be betrayed and lost? While the most holy Virgin, as if in wonder, was turning these things over in her mind, the Angel briefly sets out the sum of his message and says: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And therefore the holy one who will be born of you will also be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). For what He is, that He will also surely be called. Fittingly, then, grace chose holy Mary alone out of all generations.

Latin

Hodie perennis virtutis texuntur coronae. Hodie sacra benevolorum, et religiosorum, diesque festos studiose colentium capita coronare volens Deus, firmae fidei amatores tanquam vocatos et heredes appellat; supernumque regnum cum studio eos qui caelestia sapiunt, ut se divino incorporeorum chororum ministerio coniungant, vocat. Hodie Davidicum adimpletum est oraculum, quod dicit: Laetentur caeli, et exultet terra. Gaudebunt campi, et omnia ligna sylvae, a conspectu Domini quoniam venit. Et David quidem, ligna dicit: Praecursor vero Domini, arbores facientes fructus dignos paenitentia, immo Domini adventu, nuncupat. At Dominus noster Iesus Christus, perenne gaudium cunctis in ipsum credentibus adnunciat. Ait enim: Videbo vos, et gaudebitis: et gaudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis. Hodie celebre atque ineffabile Christianorum, qui suam in Christum spem sponte obsignarunt, mysterium plane nobis adnunciatur. Hodie Gabriel, qui Deo assistit, ad castissimam Virginem veniens, illud, Ave gratia plena, ipsi adnunciat. Ipsa vero secum cogitante qualis esset illa salutatio: Angelus confestim subiunxit, dicens: Dominus tecum. ne timeas Maria: invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum. Ideo concipies in utero, et paries filium: et vocabunt nomen eius Iesum. Hic erit magnus, et filius Altissimi vocabitur. Et dabit ipsi Dominus Deus sedem David patris eius, et regnabit in Domo Iacob in aeternum: et regni eius non erit finis. Dixit autem Maria ad Angelum: Quomodo istud fiet mihi: quoniam virum non cognosco? nunquid amplius virgo permanebo? nunquid virginitatis dignitas in me prodetur et amittetur? Quae, dum velut admirabunda, secum animo sanctissima Virgo versaret; breviter Angelus sermonis summam profert, ac dicit: Spiritus sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur filius Dei. Nam quod est, hoc et omnino vocabitur. Convenienter igitur sanctam Mariam ex omnibus generationibus solam gratia elegit.

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About this text

Gregory Thaumaturgus, On the Annunciation: the first sermon, in a fresh English translation. Three sermons survive; this volume covers the first only.

Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213–c. 270) was Origen's most famous pupil and the apostle of Pontus. Much else was later published under his name.

The Homilies on the Annunciation celebrate Gabriel's visit to Mary — David's oracle, the angel's greeting, and Mary's reply. They are transmitted under Gregory's name, though scholars generally count them the work of a later hand.

This volume holds the whole First Discourse, from the joy of the day through Gabriel's message and Mary's reply. The second and third discourses are not translated here.

Part only: Homily I

Fresh English translation of the whole first sermon from the Latin column of the Opera omnia print (Paris, 1622) (printed pp.

Printed text used

Translated from Opera omnia, Greek and Latin (Paris: Sonnius, Morel and Cramoisy, 1622), page images (Latin column (Greek damaged))
Also checked Archive DjVu machine-read text (Latin/Greek mixed machine-read text)
Translated from Latin opening (Latin)

Where the prints differ

Sermo I — Long-s and column joins expanded from the Latin face; Greek face left aside as damaged machine-read text.

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Latin on any section, or the Latin source link, to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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