Homily I — The memory of the just and the city of God
A homily in praise of the falling asleep of our all-hymned, surpassingly glorious and blessed Lady, the Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, by John of Damascus, a lowly and least monk and priest.
"The memory of the just is kept with praises," says the most wise Solomon (Proverbs 10:7). "For precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones," as David, the forefather of God, foretold (Psalm 116:15). If, then, the memory of all the just is kept with praises, who will not offer praise to the fountain of righteousness and the treasury of holiness? Not that he may give her glory, but that he himself may be glorified with eternal glory. For the dwelling-place of God has no need of glory from us: she is the city of God, of which glorious things were spoken, as the divine David says to her, "Glorious things have been spoken of you, O city of God" (Psalm 87:3). For what city of the invisible and uncircumscribed God, who holds all things in his own hand, shall we understand, if not her who alone, truly beyond nature and beyond being, contained without circumscription the Word of God who is beyond all being, she of whom glorious things have been spoken by the Lord himself? For what is more glorious than to receive the counsel of God, ancient and true (Isaiah 25:1)?
Greek
Ἰωάννου ταπεινοῦ καὶ ἐλαχίστου μοναχοῦ καὶ πρεσβυτέρου, τοῦ Δαμασκηνοῦ, Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὴν κοίμησιν τῆς πανυμνήτου, καὶ ὑπερενδόξου εὐλογημένης Δεσποίνης ἡμῶν Θεοτόκου καὶ Ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας.
Μνήμη δικαίων μετ' ἐγκωμίων γίνεται, φησὶν ὁ σοφώτατος Σολομῶν. Τίμιος γὰρ ἐναντίον Κυρίου θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ, ὁ Θεοπάτωρ προέφη Δαβίδ. Εἰ τοίνυν ἁπάντων δικαίων ἡ μνήμη μετ' ἐγκωμίων γίνεται, τῇ πηγῇ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ τῷ τῆς ὁσιότητος θησαυρῷ, τίς οὐ προσοίσει τὸν ἔπαινον; οὐχ ἵνα δοξάσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα δοξασθῇ δόξαν αἰώνιον. Ἀνενδεὲς γὰρ τῆς παρ' ἡμῶν δόξης, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ σκήνωμα, ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ, περὶ ἧς δεδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη, καθώς φησι πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ θεῖος Δαβίδ· Δεδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγων. Ποίαν γὰρ ἐκληψόμεθα πόλιν τοῦ ἀοράτου καὶ ἀπεριγράπτου Θεοῦ, τοῦ τὰ πάντα τῇ ἰδίᾳ δρακὶ περιέχοντος, ἀλλ' ἢ τὴν μόνην ὄντως ὑπερφυῶς, καὶ ὑπερουσίως τὸν ὑπερούσιον τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον ἀπεριγράπτως χωρήσασαν, περὶ ἧς δεδοξασμένα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου λελάληται; τί γὰρ ἐπιδοξότερον τοῦ δέξασθαι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βουλὴν, ἀρχαίαν, ἀληθινήν;