The Life of the Virgin: Maximus the Confessor - Rilegato

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0300175043 ISBN 13: 9780300175042

Casa editrice: Yale Univ Pr, 2012

Riassunto

Long overlooked by scholars, this seventh-century Life of the Virgin, attributed to Maximus the Confessor, is the earliest complete Marian biography. Originally written in Greek and now surviving only in Old Georgian, it is now translated for the first time into English. It is a work that holds profound significance for understanding the history of late ancient and medieval Christianity, providing a rich source for understanding the history of Christian piety.

This Life is especially remarkable for its representation of Mary's prominent involvement in her son's ministry and her leadership of the early Christian community. In particular, it reveals highly developed devotion to Mary's compassionate suffering at the Crucifixion, anticipating by several centuries an influential medieval style of devotion known as “affective piety” whose origins generally have been confined to the Western High Middle Ages.

Su questo libro

Informazioni sull'autore

Stephen J. Shoemaker is associate professor of religious studies at the University of Oregon. He lives in Springfield, OR.

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The Life of the Virgin

Maximus the Confessor

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS

ISBN: 978-0-300-17504-2

Contents

PREFACE and acknowledgements..........................................................ixINTRODUCTION..........................................................................1ONE: Birth and Childhood..............................................................36TWO: The Annunciation.................................................................50THREE: The Nativity...................................................................61FOUR: The Presentation in the Temple..................................................75FIVE: The Revelation (or The Epiphany)................................................92SIX: On the Passion...................................................................101SEVEN: On the Resurrection............................................................119EIGHT: The Dormition..................................................................130NINE: Conclusion......................................................................149APPENDIX: A Guide to Liturgical Reading of the Life of the Virgin.....................161NOTES.................................................................................165Index of Names and Subjects...........................................................205Index of Biblical Citations and References............................................211

Chapter One

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

The praise and glory, laud and honor of our all-holy, incorruptible, and most blessed queen, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, and the story of her immaculate and blessed life from birth until the Dormition written by our blessed father Maximus the Philosopher and Confessor. Kyrie eleison.

1 Hear this, all you nations, and take heed, all you inhabitants of the earth (cf. Isa 34.1)! Come all believers and gather all lovers of God, kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth, boys and girls, the old with the young, every tongue and every soul, let us hymn, praise, and glorify the all-holy, immaculate, and most blessed Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary,

the throne of the king more exalted than the cherubim and seraphim, the mother of Christ our God, the city of God of which glorious things are spoken (cf. Ps 86.3), chosen before the ages by the ineffable forethought of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the source of the living water, the Paradise of the tree of life, the growing vine from which drink of immortality was brought forth, the river of the living water, the ark that contained the uncontainable, the urn of gold that received the manna of immortality (cf. Heb 9.4), the unsown valley that sprouted forth the wheat of life, the flower of virginity, full of the perfume of grace, the lily of divine beauty, the virgin and mother from whom was born the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the treasure house of our salvation that is more exalted than all the powers of heaven.

All nations that have received the preaching of the gospel, raise your hands and praise her with voices of joy, with sweet words, with clear voices, with loud voices, for it is the duty of every tongue and every nature of humankind to glorify and praise the one from whom our salvation came to be. But how could this be? For it is fitting that, when the creator and God of all wanted to come among humankind, as the blessed and all-praised one was found worthy and her inheritance divinely graced, her beauty pleased the king (Ps 44.12), and he saw fit to dwell within her. So now we who wish to prepare this praise of her, let us receive a tongue that is worthy and a mind sufficiently eloquent for her glory and praise. But there is no one among the human race who is able to praise and glorify the holy Theotokos worthily and fittingly, not even if the myriads of tongues were brought together, and even if all the nations of humanity came together, they would not be able to attain the worthiness of her praise and glory. Nevertheless, since it is not possible to be worthy of undertaking the task of her great glorification, we will, according to our ability, show eagerness to laud and praise the mother of God, our hope and refuge. For just as her gracious son and God does not expect the highest ability from anyone, so his all-holy mother will receive this offering of praise according to our feeble ability with mercy, as is befitting her sweetness.

2 Let us relate, then, with the grace and assistance of the all-holy Theotokos, whence she appeared, and who her parents were, and how her upbringing and immaculate conduct were, and what great glorification was accomplished in her from her birth until her Dormition, because her grace and assistance have given us sufficient ability and speech to open our mouth. Nevertheless, if we should say something about her king and son according to our ability, it would not be inappropriate, because all glory and praise are his, for the blessing and glory of his immaculate mother are from him and by him. Now, then, everything that we will relate and make known is trustworthy and reliable, true testimonies taken from the assembly of the pious: first of all, from the holy evangelists and apostles; then from the holy and deeply devout Fathers, whose words are full of all wisdom and were written by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and their works are beautiful and virtuous. These are Gregory of Neocaesarea theThaumaturge, the great Athanasius of Alexandria, the blessed Gregory of Nyssa, and Dionysius the Areopagite, and others similar to them in virtue. And if we say some things from the apocryphal writings, this is true and without error, and it is what has been accepted and confirmed by the above-mentioned Fathers. For so the blessed Gregory of Nyssa says, "I have read in an apocryphal book that the father of the all-holy Virgin Mary was renowned for his observance of the Law and was famous for his charity."

3 He was named Joachim from the tribe of David, the king and prophet, and his spouse was Anna. And he was childless until old age, because his wife was barren. Nevertheless, according to the Law of Moses, an honor was afforded to women who gave birth that was not given to the childless (cf. Protev 1.7). Now, then, Joachim and Anna were esteemed and honored in deed and word, because they were known to be from the lineage of Judah and David and the succession of kings. And ultimately the tribes of Judah and Levi were united; that is to say, the royal and the priestly tribes were mixed, for so it is written concerning Joachim and Joseph, to whom the holy Virgin was betrothed. Although he was called from the house and the tribe of David according to the nearer side (cf. Luke 1.25), both sides nevertheless became one, the one by nature, which was from David, and the other through the Law, which were the Levites. So the blessed Anna was also an obedient branch from this tribe, and she foretold that the king born from their child would be a high priest as God and human being. But on account of the Law of Moses and the reproach of senseless people, childlessness greatly distressed the honorable and glorious parents of the Virgin when they were wanting a child to be born from them to eliminate not only their own reproach but that of the whole world and to lead it up to a higher glory (cf. Protev 1.5–6, 1.9–10, 2.6–7). Then the blessed Anna, like the first Anna, the mother of Samuel, went to the Temple, and she prayed to the creator of all things to give her the fruit of childbirth so that she would dedicate to him as a gift what had been given by him (cf. 1 Sam 1.1–11; Protev 2.9, 4.2). So also the worthy Joachim was not negligent, but he asked God to loose the bonds of their childlessness.

4 The gracious and abundantly generous king looked upon the prayer of the righteous, and he sent forth the good news to both of them (cf. Protev 4). First he informed Joachim while he was standing in prayer in the Temple. He heard a voice from on high that said, "You will receive a child who will be a glory not only for you but for the whole world." He made Joachim's good news known to the blessed Anna, but she did not cease from her prayer to God with ardent tears. The news came to her from God in the garden where she was offering prayers and supplications to God (cf. Protev 3). The angel of God came to her and said, "God has heard your prayer, and you will give birth to the cause of joy, and you will name her Mary, through whom the salvation of the entire world will come into being" (cf. Protev 4.1). And with the annunciation the conception began, and from the barren Anna was born Mary the illuminator of all, for so her name Mary is translated as "illuminator." Then the honorable parents of the blessed and holy child had great joy, and Joachim prepared a great feast, and he invited all his relatives, the learned and the unlearned (cf. Protev 6.6), and they all glorified God, who had brought them a wonderful miracle, so that the reproach of Anna turned into the greatest glory. She is the gate of the gate of God and the beginning of her life and glorious deeds. From this point on it is fitting that we should elevate our discourse concerning her exalted mysteries and the glories by her grace, intercession, and assistance, for she is the cause and provider of every good thing.

5 When she had passed the age of nursing, she who for our sake took care to nurse Christ our God from birth, and she was three years old, her blessed parents brought the Temple of God to the Temple (cf. Protev 7.2). And they dedicated her as an offering to God, as promised before her birth, and they brought her there with glory and honor, as was fitting. Many virgins went before her and accompanied her with brilliant lamps, as the king and prophet, the forefather of the immaculate Virgin, foretold and said from the beginning, "they brought virgins to the king, and after this, her friends brought her" (Ps 44.15), for the prophet said this, before the Presentation, about the virgins who went and accompanied her. And this prophecy is to be understood not only as about them, but also about the virgin souls subsequently following her path, whom she called her friends. And even if they all are imperfect in friendship and resemblance to her, the souls of the saints are nevertheless called her friends by the grace and goodness of her child the Lord, as the king and creator of all did not himself consider it inappropriate to call his brothers pleasing and friends. For in fact all the souls of the just, who by a life of purity are enabled to become even his friends, will be made worthy by her intercession, and by grace they are brought to her king and son and led into the heavenly Holy of Holies, where, as her son entered in as a forerunner on our behalf, according to the word of the apostle Paul (cf. Heb 9.12), so also the all-holy mother of the Lord entered into the heavenly resting place before all, and the other souls of the saints are led there subsequently by her intercession.

6 Of course, I am eager to describe the later deeds of the divinely adorned Virgin, but my mind does not wish to pass by the words of the blessed prophet David. So let us recall a little further above, and let us understand what prophecy the glorious king and prophet brings forth concerning his blessed queen and daughter and the mother of God. For in the forty-fourth psalm he speaks first about her king and son, as he relates that the Holy Spirit gave the images of his glory: the two-fold beauty of his appearance (cf. Ps 44.3–4), and the effusion of grace from his lips (cf. Ps 44.3), and the excess of Wisdom, and the anointing with joy (cf. Ps 44.8), and the armament of power, the arc of the bow, the girding of the sword to his loins (cf. Ps 44.5–6), the rod of Providence, and the rod of power (cf. Ps 44.7), that were portending the form of his Incarnation, in which he truly calls them to peace and justice, and his complete victory in everything, his triumph and his eternal reign. Nevertheless, he completed such beautiful prophecies about our Lord Jesus Christ, and immediately he also declared the adornments of his holy mother. And even if some have interpreted these words as being about the Church, there is nevertheless nothing at all that impedes understanding them as being about the holy Theotokos. For words spoken by the Holy Spirit should not be understood only in one way but in many ways, for they are a treasure house of good things. And those Fathers who have interpreted these words as about the Church have spoken well, and likewise understanding the prophecy as being about the holy Theotokos is true and without error.

7 Behold, then, how beautifully he foretells not only about the Presentation in the Temple, but also about her other spiritual goodness and beauty. The queen stood at your right (Ps 44.10). This statement foretells her Presentation in the Temple and her location to the right of the altar in the Holy of Holies, which is truly regarded as being to the right of God. Then he relates the adornment of her virtues, how very beautiful she was, and that she was adorned with a gold-woven robe of very many colors, and dressed with diverse adornment (Ps 44.10). For he said all of this regarding her spiritual adornment: although he says "gold-woven," all of her many-hued virtues are nevertheless foretold, which individually are beautiful and magnificent. But when they are added to each other and united, as they were collected in the blessed soul of the immaculate Virgin, their surpassing beauty is even greater. That is why he says "with diverse adornment," that is to say an adornment of good works and godly thoughts in complete accord with the will of God her savior. As the vault of heaven that appears in the clouds is one in substance and name, and multi-colored and ornate in appearance, so also the immaculate Virgin was from a young age diversely adorned with ineffable adornments of virtue. And as she grew in age, the adornment of virtues increased greatly. And that is why the king desired her beauty (Ps 44.12), and he dwelt within her.

8 But how good and appropriate are the following words: Hear, O daughter, and incline your ear (Ps 44.11). Hear the first proclamations of the prophets by the Holy Spirit about you and also the new stories of your parents, their barrenness and old age, their prayers and supplications, and their good news about your birth sent by God, and your unexpected and wonderful birth by his grace. And behold your Presentation now in the Temple, your dwelling in it with honor, and your wonderful nurturing in the Holy of Holies, where the High Priests enter once each year (cf. Lev 16). Behold your wonderful nourishment and the even more wonderful bearer of your nourishment (cf. Protev 8.1); incline your ear and prepare yourself to receive the Annunciation, the glorious greeting and the seedless conception of the Word of God. And your thoughts are no longer with the Jews and the house of your fathers. Forget your people and the house of your father (Ps 44.11) and everything of this world, and put on new thoughts and a firm hope, and so the king desired your beauty (Ps 44.12), and you will be worthy to be called in truth his mother. But he adorned his prophecy even more and foretold her sending forth and her entreaty by the rich. For this reason he said, "the rich of the people will seek your favor" (Ps 44.13). And then many nobles and dignitaries of the people gathered together for her Presentation in the Temple, and also now the rich who are full of divine goodness entreat her and glorify her in the Spirit.

9 But so that one would compare her deeds with each other and see in the external honor the higher and more glorious interior honor, for this reason he said, "all glory of the daughter of the king is within" (Ps 44.14). Her virtues reveal not only inner riches but also incomprehensible graces of the Holy Spirit whose abundance and beauty are inexpressible. For this reason, as a symbol of their unity and diversity, she received the golden tassels. She is adorned with golden tassels and clothed in many colors (Ps 44.14), because as they appear separately in their individuality and are all united in the garment, whose fringe they are, so also the graces and virtues dwelling in the blessed Virgin are also many and are all conferred and prepared by one Holy Spirit. In this way the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple took place, involving so much more than we could grasp with a feeble mind and describe with a stuttering tongue. But what was the nature of her life in the Temple, and what was the ladder of her wonders? This ladder of heaven raises us up, for after her new and wonderful Presentation in the Temple, her presence in the Temple became more new and more wonderful, and her nourishment more wonderful, and the development of her mind greater, because her nourishment was from above, and it was given by the hand of an archangel (cf. Protev 8.1). And the discipline and knowledge of her soul developed with the growth of her body, and the teaching of perfection was given to her by her nurturing angel, but even more I say by the grace of the Holy Trinity. And so she grew in stature and grace, as the evangelist says of her son (Luke 2.52), so that the growth of her stature corresponded to the nourishment with which she was nourished, and her spiritual discipline to the teaching that was given to her by the grace of God and the co-protection of the archangel, for so it was also fitting for the one who was destined to contain in her womb the uncontainable nature of God, that her every deed was surpassing nature.

(Continues...)

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Dettagli dell'edizione

• Editore: Yale Univ Pr
• Data di pubblicazione: 2012
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0300175043
• ISBN 13: 9780300175042
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 215
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: non disponibile