Homily I — The prophets fulfilled, and the gathering at her death
Where shall I set the proclamations of the prophets? Is it not upon you, if we wish to show that they are true? For what is David's fleece, on which the Son of the God and King of all, who is without beginning together with his own Begetter and reigns with him, came down like rain (Psalm 72:6)? Is it not, most clearly, you? And who is the virgin whom Isaiah, seeing ahead, foretold would conceive and bear a son, God who is with us (Isaiah 7:14): that is, one who remained God even after he became man? And what is Daniel's mountain, from which Christ, the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), was cut, never touched by a man's tool (Daniel 2:34, 45)? Is it not you, who conceived without seed and still remained a virgin? Let the most divine Ezekiel come and show us the gate that was shut, through which the Lord passed and which was not opened, as he foretold in prophecy (Ezekiel 44:1-2). Let him show how his words came true: he will surely show you, through whom God who is over all passed, taking flesh, and yet did not open the gate of virginity. For the seal truly remains for ever.
It is you, then, whom the prophets proclaim. Angels minister to you, apostles serve you: the virgin theologian serves the ever-Virgin Mother of God. For today, as you departed to your Son, angels attended you, with the souls of the righteous, of patriarchs and prophets. Apostles and a countless multitude of God-bearing Fathers escorted you: gathered by the divine command from the ends of the earth, as if on a cloud, to this divine and holy Jerusalem, they sang holy hymns with deep inspiration to you, the fountain of the Lord's body, the body that is the source of life.
Greek
Ποῦ δὲ θήσομαι τῶν προφητῶν τὰ κηρύγματα; οὐχ ἐπὶ σὲ, εἴπερ ἀληθῆ δεικνύναι ταῦτα ἐθελήσαιμεν; τίς γὰρ ὁ Δαυϊτικὸς πόκος, ἐφ' ὃν ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν ἁπάντων Θεοῦ υἱὸς, ὁ συνάναρχος καὶ συμβασιλεύων τῷ οἰκείῳ Γεννήτορι, ὡς ὑετὸς καταβέβηκεν; οὐχὶ σὺ τηλαυγέστατα; τίς δὲ ἡ παρθένος, ἣν Ἡσαΐας προβλεπτικῶς προηγόρευσεν, ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξειν καὶ τέξεσθαι υἱὸν τὸν μεθ' ἡμῶν ὄντα Θεὸν, τουτέστι μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι ἄνθρωπον, καὶ Θεὸν διαμείναντα. Τί δὲ τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Δανιὴλ, ἐξ οὗ ὁ ἀκρογωνιαῖος ἐτμήθη λίθος Χριστὸς, οὐχ ὑποστὰς ἀνδρὸς ἐγχειρίδιον; οὐχὶ σὺ ἡ ἀσπόρως κυήσασα, καὶ πάλιν παρθένος μείνασα; ἐλθέτω Ἰεζεκιὴλ ὁ θειότατος, καὶ δεικνύτω κεκλεισμένην πύλην διωδευμένην ὑπὸ Κυρίου καὶ οὐκ ἀνοιγομένην, καθὰ προφητικῶς προεκήρυξε· δειξάτω τῶν λεγομένων τὴν ἔκβασιν· σὲ δείξει πάντως, ἣν διελθὼν ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς, καὶ σάρκα λαβὼν, τὴν τῆς παρθενίας οὐκ ἀνέῳξε πύλην. Μένει γὰρ ἡ σφραγὶς ὄντως διαιωνίζουσα. Σὲ τοίνυν προφῆται κηρύττουσι. Σοὶ διακονοῦσιν ἄγγελοι, λειτουργοῦσιν ἀπόστολοι, ὁ παρθένος καὶ θεολόγος τῇ Ἀειπαρθένῳ καὶ Θεοτόκῳ. Σὲ γὰρ σήμερον πρὸς τὸν σὸν ἐκδημοῦσαν Υἱὸν περιεῖπον ἄγγελοι, ψυχαὶ δικαίων, πατριαρχῶν τε καὶ προφητῶν· ἐδορυφόρουν ἀπόστολοι, θεοφόρων τε Πατέρων πλῆθος ἄπειρον ἐκ τῶν τερμάτων τῆς γῆς τῷ θείῳ προστάγματι ὡς ἐν νεφέλῃ πρὸς ταύτην τὴν θείαν καὶ ἱερὰν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀθροιζόμενοι, καί σοι τῇ πηγῇ τοῦ ζωαρχικοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου σώματος ὕμνους ἱεροὺς ἐνθεαστικώτατα λέγοντες.