March: Day 25: Teaching 3: Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

March: Day 25: Teaching 3:
Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos
 
(What Does the Annunciation Mean, and What Does It Teach Us?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Why is the present day called the day of the Annunciation? — Obviously, because of some good tidings for all of us. What is this tidings?

a) It is the tidings that to us poor ones on earth there has now descended the Only-begotten Son of God, the eternal Word, by Whom all things visible and invisible were created and are sustained in being. He descended to such an extent that He clothed Himself in our nature, became in all things like us except for sin, a man, and this not for some temporary period, whether small or great, but for all eternity.

b) It is the tidings that this incarnate Son of God will accomplish for our salvation everything that is necessary: He will enlighten us with the light of truth and show us the way to eternal life; He will take upon Himself our sins and blot them out by His sufferings; He will descend into the grave and by His Resurrection dispel for us the darkness of the tomb and the fear of death; He will grant us the Holy Spirit and with Him the fullness of the gifts of grace, so that, being cleansed from every impurity, we may become capable of dwelling in heaven with the angels.

c) It is the tidings that through this unparalleled condescension toward us and union with us of the Son of God, we who were enemies of God have become near to Him and once again His own; from exiles of paradise and strangers upon the earth, we have become heirs of heaven and of eternal blessings.

You see how many joys and hopes the present day has brought us.

It is therefore rightly and justly called the day of the Annunciation: rightly and justly are heaven and earth now called to rejoice and glorify the Lord; for heaven and earth will indeed partake in His mercy and in our triumph.

II. But, my brethren, while rejoicing and glorifying the Lord for His great and boundless mercy, let us not forget that the good tidings becomes fully effective and attains its purpose only when, having received it, one conforms to it and acts precisely as its nature requires.

No matter how much you inform a son wandering in foreign houses and lands that he has been forgiven by his father, if that son does not abandon his wandering and does not go to his father, then the good tidings will remain without effect and will not make him blessed.

The same is true of the good tidings brought to us. All — both the descent of the Son of God to earth, and His becoming man for our sake, and His death, and His Resurrection for us — all this will remain in vain if we do not abandon our sinful life and begin to live as our new, great, and holy calling requires.

In such a case, true Christians, following the Savior who descended from heaven and doing His will, will receive all that He has brought and acquired for them, will attain eternal blessings, and will dwell with Him in the Kingdom of His Father; but those who neglect their salvation, who do not follow His commandments and His footsteps, who continue to walk in the thickets of sin and passions, will, even with the good tidings He brought, remain in their sins and in the end will appear as having nothing.

III. Let us not, therefore, brethren, stop like little children at the good tidings of our salvation; let us strive to learn what it requires of us and what we must do for our salvation; and then let us fulfill all that is required, so that the good tidings may become a good deed.

Then — and only then — will this day truly be for us the day of the Annunciation, that this may be fulfilled for all of us by the grace of the Lord!

(Compiled according to the sermons of Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson, vol. 2).

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.