Our Lady Saturday, St Sophronius' Reading, An absolutely delightful Website

Our Night Office Reading is from St. Sophronius, and lead also to the  monastery St. Theodosius and and companionship with John Moschus. 
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/pilgr/sophr/Sophr10MapIntro.html
An absolutely delightful  Website of  "Early Christian Pilgrimage".

Pilgrims who visited the Holy Land between the IV and VII century

SOPHRONIUS PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM (634-638 A.D.)Two poems on the Holy City of Jerusalem Pilgrims: Home | Previous | Next   Map I: Jerusalem General map showing the places mentioned in Sophronius' Anacreontica 19 and 20 click on any locality name in the map to view the corresponding section of the text

Introduction Sophronius was born in Damascus (Syria) in 550 A.D. ca. He was about 30, and a rethor by profession, when he went to the Holy Land and joined the monastery of St. Theodosius, near Bethlehem. With his companion John Moschus, he made long journeys through Egypt and North Africa seeking the conversion of different Monophysite communities there. In 633/4 A.D. he became Patriarch of Jerusalem. His death followed soon the Islamic conquest of Jerusalem in 638 A.D. Both history and tradition speak of the very important part he took in establishing the peace treaty with Ummar Ibn al-Khattab, the general commander of the Arab armies. Sophronius' writings are of theological, hagiographical and poetical nature. He wrote a collection of poems called Anacreontica. His Anacreontica 19 and 20 seems to be an expression of the longing desire he had of the Holy City, possibly when he was absent from Jerusalem during one of his many journeys. The order of the two poems has to be inverted to establish a correct sequence of the diverse subjects. Arranged in this way, the two poems describe a complete circuit throughout the most important sanctuaries of Jerusalem at the end of 6th century, which is the golden age of Christianity in the Holy Land. The gates of Jerusalem (or Solyma), the Anastasis, the Rock of the Cross, the Constantinian Basilica, Mount Sion, the Praetorium, St. Mary at the Probatica, Gethsemane are the themes of Anacreonticon 20. The Mount of Olives, Bethany, Bethlehem come next in Anacreonticon 19. We will try to comment Sophronius' text with images taken from a famous wooden reliquarium (Musei Vaticani - Rome) which is contemporary to Sophronius' work, as well as with photographs from the Holy Places themselves. Numbers in brackets from [19:1-18] to [20:95-102] correspond to the commonly adopted subdivision of the text, and constitute links to a file containing images of the original greek text. A book icon () indicates a link to a file containing biblical texts or to additional sources. English translation by John Wilkinson (Jerusalem Pilgrims before the Crusades, 1977).   Holy City of God, Jerusalem, how I long to stand even now at your gates, and go in, rejoicing! A divine longing for holy Solyma presses upon me insistently.[follows] Top: Panorama of Jerusalem, as seen from the Mt. of Olives.Left: Painted cover of a reliquarium (7th cent. A.D.) Resurrection Ascension Crucifixion Nativity Baptism Home | Map | Previous | Next

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“HAIL MARY, FULL OF GRACE”:

FROM A SERMON BY ST. SOPHRONIUS OF JERUSALEM.

You, Mary, are truly blessed among women, because you have turned Eve's curse into a blessing. Through yourself you have caused Adam to be blessed although he formerly lay stricken with a curse. You are truly blessed among women, because, through you. The blessing of the Father shone out to all men and freed them from the ancient curse. You are truly blessed among women, because by you our forefathers found salvation, for you are to bring forth the Saviour who will win for them a divine salvation. You are truly blessed among women, because without seed you have produced the fruit that gives a blessing to the world and redeems it from producing thorns. You are truly blessed among women, because though only a woman by condition of nature, nevertheless you have truly become the Mother of God. For if he who is to be born of you is in truth God incarnate, you are rightly and properly called 'Theotokos’ having given birth to God.

Fear not, O Mary, for you have found grace and favour and grace with God - a grace that will never end: found grace with God, surpassing all others: found grace with God that will save you. found grace with God which no attack can shake; found grace with God, perfectly unconquerable; found grace with God, lasting for ever. Others indeed, and many before you, have been and become holy, but to none of them as to you, has fullness of grace been given; none like you has been taken possession of' beforehand. With purifying grace; none like you has shone with heavenly light, none like you is exalted above every height.

All this is indeed right and fitting, because no one has approached near to God; no one like you was ever so enriched with the gifts of God; no one like you has been partaker of the grace of God, . . .  No one could embrace God within himself to the extent that you have done; none was able so to enjoy his presence; none was considered worthy to be so illuminated by God. Consequent­ly not only have you received within you God, the Creator and Lord of all, but you hold him in a way that surpasses all telling. He is incarnated in you, born in your womb, and afterwards brought forth. He redeems all men from the condemnation of their fore­fathers and bestows on them a salvation which shall have no end. Therefore did I cry to you and again more strongly shall I cry out to you and say: 'Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women'.

Sermon on the Annunciation

Quoted: The Hail Mary by J.P. vel d'Eremao; pp.210-21.2

                                   Translation modernised in places.

(Text prepared by Mt. St. Bernard Abbey, I97I)