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Holy Catechism

Nikolaos Voulgaris, tr. Daniel, 1893

Of the Exaltation of the Mother of God

Singing her that is more honourable than the Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption bore God the Word: We magnify thee the very Mother of God.

We spoke of there being nine ranks of the heavenly powers, and of the hierarchies as three. “First,” according to S. Dionysius, Heavenly Hier. vi., “that which is round about God, and before the rest is affirmed by tradition to be immediately united in attendance on Him, which embraces the holiest Thrones, the many-eyed Cherubim, and the many-winged Seraphim. The second Hierarchy, which is made up of the Authorities, and Dominations, and Powers. The third, which is the array of the heavenly Angels, and Archangels, and Principalities.”—They are named Seraphim, according to the same Dionysius, book vii., because they set on fire and warm, and for their cleansing power. Cherubim are so named for the extent of their knowledge or the spread of wisdom. Thrones, so called from being removed from all menial submission, and being immovably and steadily established with their entire powers round what is highest.

From the 8th book of the same author: “Dominations, so called because of their discipline without slavery, and free from all menial submission. Powers, because of the masculine and unchangeable courage in all the divine operations which concern them. Authorities, because of the joint submission of the Divine Dominations and Powers, the well regulated and unconfounded order respecting the divine succours.”

From the 9th book of the same: “Principalities, because of the godlike faculty of governing, and leading with holy order, and ruling others as governors. Archangels, since they in goodly form declare to the Angels the thearchic brightness. Angels, so called as discharging the sacred ministry towards us.”

The All-holy Virgin surpasses without comparison all the heavenly Ranks, all the Hierarchies. And there is no grace or advantage of all we have described agreeably with Dionysius as belonging to the incorporeal squadrons, that is not found with special abundance in the Virgin, and that does not abound in incomparable eminence.

If the Seraphim set men aflame with yearning after God, if the Cherubim teach, if the Thrones judge, if the Dominations administer, if the Powers defend, if the Authorities bridle, if the Principalities foster, if the Archangels carry the good news, if the Angels protect, according to the interpretation of the heaven-illuminating initiated of the heavenly Hierarchs; the All-pure Virgin protects us more than the Angels, brings us good news more than the Archangels, fosters us more than the Principalities, bridles our passions which destroy the soul more than the Authorities, helps us more than the Powers, orders us more than the Dominations, gives us justice more than the Thrones, teaches and instructs us more than the Cherubim, kindles in us love toward God more than the Seraphim.

If the Angels continue their ministries, the Archangels their embassies, the Principalities their wonders; if the Authorities give courage, the Powers eminence, the Dominations self-rule; if the Thrones surpass in justice, the Cherubim in wisdom, the Seraphim in love; the All-pure Virgin from being ministers of deceit and Satan renders us sons of God and ministers of the Kingdom; ceases not to make intercessions unto God for us, to perform wonders beyond measure, transcending all belief; to give us real courage, and inheritance of an endless Kingdom; as our most prudent advocate and direct mediator, she makes us righteous, she loves us, she makes us wise.

If the Seraphim give perfection, the Cherubim teach distinctions, the Thrones dispose, the Dominations command, the Powers operate, the Authorities preserve, the Principalities overlook our general good, the Archangels dispense the gifts of Faith, the Angels perceive what is useful in each case; the All-pure Virgin always helps us, always governs us, always oversees us. She protects us, she operates in us, she commands us, she guides us, she is the saving power which makes the world to be what it is, she is the thrice happy and blessed perfection of the Faithful.

In brief we know that the Hierarchy about which we are now speaking is nothing else (Heavenly Hier. iii.) than a holy order and science and activity, likened to the divine as far as possible, and leading on in proportion to the divine original to the splendours allowed it from God; the All-pure Virgin, full of wisdom, all boldness, all activity, mediating between God and man, as God’s Bride and God’s Mother, herself protecting us, imparts the Godlike splendours of the Blessed Trinity, lifts us up and brings us near, as far as may be attained, to that much desired beauty, to that essence and transcendent power, to that self-begotten and truly desirable One, the self-sufficing, the essentially eternal. The Angels (Angels are mentioned and stand in general for all the heavenly ranks) were stationed as ministers only and servants of the great counsel of the Virgin-Mystery of the God-Maiden heaven-wedded; and what is more, the Very Mystery which was hidden from eternity, we have learned was not even manifested to the Angels. “Come hither, Angel,” (Chrysostom makes his Sermon on the Good Tidings,) “be thou ministrant of a fearful Mystery; wait upon a hidden wonder; I would have it lie concealed from the powers in heaven; to thee only I open the Mystery: go thou to the Virgin Mary; hie to the city of human life, whereof the Prophet spake, Glorious things were spoken of thee, City of God; hie to the eastern gate; hie to the dwelling meet for Me the Word; hie to the second heaven on earth; hie to the light cloud, signify to her the shadow of My presence; hie to the sanctuary prepared for Me; hie to the marriage-hall of My Incarnation; hie to the pure bridal-chamber of My birth in the flesh; speak into the ears of the spiritual ark, prepare for Me the doors of hearing.” “Away,” Cosmas likewise sings, and all the holy Church of Christ, “away, O Angel, to her that is more honourable than the Cherubim, and more incomparably glorious than the Seraphim; magnify, publish her fame, resound her glory; true Mother of God, thee we magnify.”

Xanthopulus began, but was not able, he says, to get to the depth of magnifying her. Whosoever will, let him see the answer which he himself gave, so rich on this subject, to the Neophyte fresh from the Guide. For my part I am content to remark with him,—I. The composer of the song was not so much Cosmas the poet, as the impersonated Wisdom of God, which enlightened him to weave so praiseworthy a strain to the Virgin. II. The inspired hymn itself was composed specially to be sung at the Service of the holy Passion for the exaltation and comfort of the very Mother of the Crucified when she was humbled and afflicted. III. It was written at the ninth hour, since the ninth ode is we find appropriated and belongs to the Virgin. IV. It begins artistically with the accusative (αἰτιατικὸς) case; since we believe the Maiden whose praise is sung to be undoubted cause (αἰτία) of our salvation. V. Although the epithets which are here attributed to the God-Mother appear to be comparative, yet the adverb Incomparably expresses with clearness the superlative degree, the Virgin most excellently glorious of the heavenly Powers. VI. That the summit of the superlative degree may be retained for the God in Trinity alone, the origin and root of all worship, the Virgin is praised only as more honourable in the comparative, as being infinitely inferior to the Creator, though highest of created beings. VII. Since the Cherubim and the Seraphim are the loftiest rank, without any intermediate, of the heavenly companies, the poet by calling the Virgin more honourable than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, aims at distinguishing her from all the heavenly ranks indifferently, and consequently from every visible and invisible creature. VIII. And certainly, other creatures receive only a general contribution from God; the heavenly ranks receive what are called the divine rays, or efflux of the first light; but the All-pure Virgin received the light whole, bore the whole Son and Word of God, and in her dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. IX. Artfully therefore even Cosmas kept silence about the Thrones, though they themselves belong to the highest ranks of the first Hierarchy, since the throne of the Great King is the actual living Temple of God, the spacious chamber of the nature that cannot be contained, the Virgin who in her womb submerged Mother Eve’s death.

Who without pollution gave birth to God the Word.

Without pollution since the stainless Mother of God was Virgin before the birth, Virgin while she gave birth, Virgin after the birth, ever virgin. She admitted no corruption at her pure holy conception, nor pollution at the inexplicable birth of the God and Word, nor thereafter. In agreement with the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ Chrysostom teaches (Matt. Hom. 5): “When she had thus become a mother and was visited by new pains and strange lying-in, Joseph being a just man would not have endured thenceforth to know her.” Let the opponents of Mary rave as they will, who in their utter depravity have ventured to say that Saint Mary the ever virgin (Epiphanius records it in the 2nd vol. against Heresies) “after she had given birth to the Saviour, was united to Joseph.” The word until, which was such a cause of stumbling to them, he who was golden of tongue and heart thus moves out of the way. “He knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn Son. Until, he says, is here placed not that you should suppose that afterwards he knew her, but that you may learn that before her travail the Virgin was absolutely intact. Why then, he asks, has the evangelist put Until? Because this is often the way with Scripture, and to apply this expression not in reference to any limited period, for it is said about the Ark, The raven returned not until the earth was dried; although it did not come back afterwards either. And speaking about God the Scripture says, From everlasting even to everlasting Thou art, herein not laying down limits,” and so forth.¹

Thee we magnify the true Mother of God.

True Mother of God: in refutation of Paul of Samosata and his followers, who thought that Mary suckled a mere Prophet, gifted only with divine grace and wisdom. True Mother of God: in abhorrence of the Theodotians, who taught that the very Mother of God gave birth for us not to God, but to a simple and mere man. True Mother of God: to put to shame the Valentinians, who agreed that the Mother of God had acted as a channel, and that Christ had drawn His body not from her but from heaven. True Mother of God: in refutation of the Arians, who said that the Son and the Spirit were created, and believed that the Saviour Christ had gotten flesh only from Mary. True Mother of God: in abhorrence of the Semiarians, who taught that the Virgin ever virgin gave birth to Christ not of one substance with God and the Father, but of like substance, like to Him in all things. True Mother of God: to put to shame the Photinians, who pretended that the Mother of God Mary gave birth to the Word nonexistent, deprived of all substance, the Word of utterance. True Mother of God: in refutation of the Aetians, who allow that from the Holy Ghost, as from a creature the Virgin conceived the Saviour Christ, and gave birth not to God, but to a creature, and something unequal. True Mother of God: in abhorrence of the Manicheans, who considered that the Mother of God Mary in seeming only and appearance gave birth to Christ; just as His precious sufferings were altogether in appearance. True Mother of God: to put to shame the Nestorians, who believed the Virgin to be Mother of Christ, and Bearer of God,² and child of God, not Mother of God, dreaming of two Sons, one from God, one from the Virgin. True Mother of God: in refutation of the Sabellians, who insisted that the Virgin gave birth not to the Son, but to the Father, and that He made the Word issue to us intelligible, uttered. True Mother of God: in abhorrence of the Anomœans, who said that Mary gave birth to Christ having no equality in substance with the Father, even as also was the Holy Ghost. True Mother of God: to put to shame the Eutychians, who insisted that the Virgin gave birth to our Lord and God, of one nature and of one substance with the Father, become man only in appearance. (See Epiphanius of Cyprus, John of Damascus, Armenopulus, and others in their books on Heresies.) True Mother of God: the one, who according to the faultless inspired definitions of the Catholic Church, as we heard above, gave birth to one Christ, one Son, Jesus the God-Man, perfect God and perfect Man at the same time, of one substance with the Father as touching the Godhead and of one substance with His Mother as touching His Manhood.

“From childless mother new offspring, who without seed
Begat fresh offspring: whose generation was twice-born.”

So Cottunius of Berœa teaches on this point (Greek Epigr. II. 2) on the passage, In Thee, O full of grace (or highly favoured) all creation rejoices, which is usually sung in the Liturgies of the great Basil, the much renowned wonder is sung, which in the 14th century we learn took place through the ever-Virgin at Mount Athos. “In the days of the most holy Patriarch the Lord Philotheus, writes the History, that most pious Lord James Pricanas being superior in the holy Laura of Athos, the most holy Patriarch Callistus decreed that they should sing this during the celebration of the divine Initiation, at the time of the Diptychs; but the most holy Patriarch Philotheus decreed that they should sing It is meet,³ as shorter. It happened then to be the Waiting for the Lights on a Sunday or a Sabbath, I forget which; and Gregory of Alexandria tells a Domestic of the choir named Gregory to sing the anthem In thee rejoiceth. Some however objected, being on the side of Philotheus. But Gregory of Alexandria again enjoined him to say this. The Domestic accordingly sang it. And in the evening at the close of the vigil, all being seated, the Domestic fell into a light slumber, and sees our Lady the Mother of God standing over him and saying, Take thy singing fee, O Domestic, and I thank thee much. And having said this, she gives him with her own hand a gold piece, which hangs to this day on the holy image of the very holy Mother of God in the venerable Laura of Athos. So from that time the miracle being noised about everywhere, the Church ordained that it be sung perpetually by all, both when the Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated and on Fasting days,” &c. I said that the miracle happened in the 14th century; because, as appears in the Chronology of Marcuardus, Callistus of Constantinople ascended the Patriarchal Throne in the year 1360 after Christ, and two years later Philotheus was chosen his successor.

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