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SERMON 144 on the Annunciation of the Lord 1 oncerning christ’s Nativity, the loftiness of the matter and the magnitude of the mystery cause and compel us to delay our sermon. A virgin has given birth: who will speak of it? “The Word was made flesh”;2 who will tell of it? If the Word of God gives an infant’s cry,3 how will the human being brought to perfection by such means proclaim this verbally? As the star provided light at night for the Magi who were searching for him,4 a teacher’s5 sermon about the Lord’s birth furnishes as much illumination for those who listen, causing them to rejoice that they have found Christ, and not to presume to debate about it; to honor the infant with gifts,6 and not to belittle him. But pray, brothers, that he who grew gradually in our body, may see fit to grow little by little in our discourse. 2. Today the evangelist related that the angel spoke as follows : Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found grace before God (Lk 1.30). Do not be afraid, Mary. Why? Because you have found something. The one who is afraid is not the one who has found, but the one who has lost something.7 She found, yes, she found the grace of her heavenly offspring by conceiving, while not losing her distinction as a virgin by giving birth. Do not be afraid, 242 1. (Angle brackets here indicate an addition to the title in Olivar’s CCL text.) This sermon was preached shortly after Christmas Day and followed Sermon 143. See Sermon 143, n. 1. 2. Jn 1.14. 3. On this and other paradoxes, see Sermon 140a.5 and n. 17. 4. See Mt 2:1–2, 7, and 9. 5. On references in Chrysologus’s preaching to the bishop’s function as teacher (doctor), see R. Benericetti, Il Cristo, 60, n. 28. 6. See Mt 2.11. 7. Chrysologus makes this point, albeit much more tersely, in Sermon 142.3. Mary. What is she afraid of, seeing that she conceives the One who keeps the universe secure, and gives birth to the One who is the joy of the ages? There is nothing to be afraid of when it is a divine and not a human enterprise; when one is cognizant of virtue8 and not shame. What does she fear who receives the one who inspires fear in all things that are feared themselves? What does she fear who has the Judge of the case as her advocate, and who has Purity as witness to her innocence?9 3. Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found grace before God. The Virgin found within herself what “was in the beginning with God,”10 the Word that is God, and she was made a great temple of God, although she was a small abode of humanity, and the magnitude of the Virgin’s womb contained the One whom the small size of a human body could not contain.11 4. Do not be afraid, Mary. And now, it says, you will conceive in your womb (vv.30–31). You will conceive in your womb: out of respect it would have been sufficient to have said only you will conceive . Why is it that he added in your womb? It was to show that it was a true conception, and not a figure of speech; that it was an actual birth, and not a metaphor; to show that just as the true God was born from the true God,12 so too from a true conception a true human body was born. In Christ’s birth, brothers, bodily harm, but not bodily nature, was removed; the creature was not obliterated, but the fault was done away with. Therefore , it is a heresy that makes the false assertion that Christ took on a body made of air, and did not have flesh, but concocts the claim that he merely pretended to be a man.13 SERMON 144 243 8. Or “power” (virtus) which comes from God in bringing about the virginal conception. See Sermon 140b.1. 9. In Sermons 140b.2 and 145.1 (FOTC 17.233), it is Joseph who is the witness to Mary’s innocence. 10. Jn 1.2. 11. For other paradoxes associated with Christ’s birth, see Sermons 140a.5 and 140b.3. 12. The Latin de vero deo deus verus...

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