Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion
On March 25, Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, whose Annunciation we celebrate.
On this day we commemorate the holy Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos the Burning Bush, on Mount Sinai (Our Lady of the Burning Bush).
On this day the our righteous Father Sennuphius the Wonderworker of Latomos Monastery in Thessalonica (9th c.).
On this day we commemorate the holy Martyrs Pelagia and Theodosia, and Dula of Nicomedia, who suffered under Valentinian (4th c.).
On this day we commemorate the holy Martyr, an executioner who confessed Christ and was cast into a gloomy dungeon.
On this day the our righteous Father Nicander of Pskov (1581).
On this day the our righteous Father Parthenius of the Kiev Caves (1855).
On this day we commemorate the New Hiero-confessor Tikhon, patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1925) (the service to him is celebrated on Sept. 26).
Repose of St. Justin (Popovic), archimandrite of Chelije in Serbia (1979).
Greek Independence Day: Proclamation of Greek independence on March 25, 1821, blessed by Metropolitan Germanos III of Old Patras at the Monastery of Agia Lavra.
Verses
The Angel announced to the Virgin
The great Son of the Father’s great Counsel.
The Angel said, “Rejoice”, to Mary on the twenty-fifth.
”Proclaim, O earth, the glad tidings of great joy, and ye heavens, praise the glory of God.”
Saint Porphyrios the Kapsokalyvite
Good morning, and many years! May we have the blessing of our Panagia. I pray this for everyone. I am very happy for our Panagia. Today I embrace everyone. I kissed Demosthenes, Kosmas, Thomas, everyone. But they did not understand me. This occurred mystically. “We are all one in Christ.”
“Today is the beginning of our salvation, The revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, The Lord is with You!”
Say this also yourselves. Say it again even more beautifully. I don’t get my fill of this!
This was announced from ages beforehand. What does the Katavasia of Christmas say?
“To the Son, begotten without flux, of the Father, before the ages, and who was lately made incarnate of the Virgin without seed; to Christ God now let us cry aloud: You have exalted the horn of our strength. Only You are holy, O Lord.”
You should experience the mystery of the divine incarnation. “Your Nativity, O Christ our God…” I say this within myself and cry.
The Holy Spirit has crafted these, the “Today is the beginning of our salvation”, and the “Your Nativity, O Christ our God…”, they were not crafted by men. They are very rich in meaning and depth. Very strong words.
You understand little. I am telling you the truth, it was not written by men, but by the Holy Spirit. I cry every time I hear them. As many times as I think of this, I am always moved. My Christ, my little Christ! Say it again, but with beautiful recitation. Read now, I can’t speak, I can’t, I am unable, I don’t have the strength, I surrender, I should get up and hurry myself along.
I am very moved, and my eyes filled with tears. And because I am laid up in bed, the tears don’t fall down, but my eyes are filled with tears. All day, if you would tell me the troparion, I would be moved constantely. I should have two megaphones to stand upon the pine trees and to play “Today is the beginning of our salvation…”, and “Your Nativity, O Christ our God…” to be taken by the air and projected north and south, to be heard far away, so that all creation and nature would hear it!
This event occurred on the feast of the Annunciation in the year 1987.
From the Book: Logoi Peri Pneumatikes Zoes. The Holy Monastery of Chrysopigis. Chania. 2010.
***
Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
– Geronda, can you chant the Megalynarion hymn you composed for the Panaghia for us?
– Come, let us chant it together. “You have received much Grace from God, O Mother of the Lord; Truly Great-in-Grace and Full-of-Grace, As Gabriel proclaimed; O Queen of the Angels, Protect your servants.”
Let me also now relate a doctrinal matter: The Panaghia was both Daughter and Mother, Servant and Queen, Queen of the whole world. Can this fit into the mind of a person? Even the Annunciation of the Theotokos is something supernatural, beyond rational thought. I hope the Panaghia will grant you the joy of the Annunciation and that the Angel will bless you to make spiritual progress. Amen
– Geronda, there is a hymn which says, “Rejoice, O Pure-One, the joy of Eve, for through your childbirth her sorrow has ceased.”
– No matter which beautiful words one may speak of the Panaghia, they will not suffice to express Her ineffable majesty. Through Her obedience, the gates of Paradise, which were closed because of Eve’s disobedience, were opened for us again. Eve broke the link uniting us with God, and brought sorrow and pain into the world; Panaghia reunited the link and brought the joy of Paradise into the world. Since Christ, Her Son, is God-Man, she connected us with God.
The joyous message that the Archangel Gabriel brought to the world was that mankind, through the Panaghia, had found “grace from God”. Panaghia rejoices because the Word of God became incarnate and redeemed us from sin. We also rejoice, because Panaghia was a credit to us, to all of mankind. This is why we chant at Christmas time, “The desert offers to Christ the manger… but we, we offer Him His Mother, the Panaghia!”
(Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, 2016. Spiritual Counsels Vol. V: Passions and Virtues. 1st ed. Souroti, Thessaloniki: Holy Hesychasterion “Evangelist John the Theologian”, pp.299-300.)
The humble have all the spiritual aromas: simplicity, meekness, boundless love, kindness, impatience, sacrifice, obedience, etc. Because he has spiritual poverty, he also has all the spiritual wealth. He is also pious and silent, which is why he is related to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was very humble.
I see a large number of white-clad men travelling with him, some in front of him and others behind him, rejoicing that they were surrounding him.
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2022/03/25/75198/
Most-holy, Most-pure and Most-blessed Theotokos, cover us with the wings of thy prayers. Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2021/03/25/most-holy-most-pure-and-most-blessed-theotokos-cover-us-with-the-wings-of-thy-prayers-saint-nikolai-velimirovic/
The Virgin Mary brought to the world the heavenly joy. I wish the Virgin Mary to give you the joy of the Annunciation. Saint Paisius the Athonite
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2021/03/24/the-virgin-mary-brought-to-the-world-the-heavenly-joy-i-wish-the-virgin-mary-to-give-you-the-joy-of-the-annunciation-saint-paisius-the-athonite/
Scripture readings for the Feast are the following: At Vespers: Genesis 28:10-17; Ezekiel 43:27—44:4; Proverbs 9:1-11. At the Matins: Luke 1:39-49, 56. At the Divine Liturgy: Hebrews 2:11-18; Luke 1:24-38.
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Today is the crowning of our salvation and the manifestation of the Mystery which is from eternity; the Son of God becometh the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announceth the glad tidings of grace: wherefore let us cry out with him to the Mother of God; Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Kontakion, in Tone VIII—
To thee, the champion leader, we, thy servants, dedicate hymns of victory and thanksgiving, as ones delivered from evils, O Theotokos; but in that thou hast invincible might, free us from all misfortunes, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded!
Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “Having set aside…
“When God desireth, the order of nature is overcome,” said the incorporeal one; “and things beyond man are wrought. Believe thou my true words, O most holy and all-immaculate one!” And she cried aloud: “Be it now with me according to thy words: I shall give birth to the Incorporeal One, Who will take flesh from me, that through this mingling He might lead man up to his primal dignity, in that He alone is mighty!”
Glory…, the composition of John the Monk, in Tone VIII—
Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice! For He Who with the Father is equally everlasting, equally without beginning and equally enthroned, taking unto Himself His loving mercy toward mankind, hath appointed for Himself an abasement, by the good pleasure and counsel of the Father, and hath made His abode within the Virgin’s womb, which was wholly purified by the Spirit. O the wonder! God is among men, the Infinite One is contained in a womb, the Timeless One hath entered into time! And what is more glorious: His conception is seedless, His abasement is ineffable. How great is this mystery! For God doth empty Himself and becometh incarnate, He took on form when the angel spake of His conception to the pure one, saying: “Rejoice, O joyous one, the Lord is with thee, Who hath great mercy!”
Refrain: O earth, announce glad tidings of great joy! Ye heavens, praise the glory of God!
Ode IX
Irmos: May the hands of the profane in nowise touch the Theotokos, the animate ark of God; but let the lips of the faithful, unceasingly chanting the cry of the angel, joyfully cry out: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!
Conceiving God in manner past understanding, O Mistress, thou didst elude the custom of nature; for in giving birth thou didst escape corrupt maternal nature, transcending it. Wherefore, thou hearest as is meet: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
No earthly tongue can explain how thou pourest forth milk, O pure Virgin; for thou showest forth a thing strange to nature and dost transcend the rule of lawful birthgiving. Wherefore, thou hearest as is meet: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
Mystically wast thou spoken of in the sacred Scriptures, O Mother of the Most High; for Jacob of old, seeing thee in figure as a ladder, said: “This is the ladder of God!” Wherefore, thou hearest as is meet: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
The bush and the fire showed forth a wondrous miracle to Moses, who was manifest in sanctity; and seeking the end thereof in the passage of time, he said: “I perceive it in the pure Maiden!” Unto her, as the Theotokos, let it be said: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
Daniel called thee the mystical mountain, and Isaiah called thee the birth-giver of God. Gideon saw thee as a fleece, David called thee a sanctuary, and another called thee a door. But Gabriel crieth out to thee: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
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