A HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS AND THE ICON “UNEXPECTED JOY”
(Dec. 9/22)
About How We Repeatedly Crucify the Lord by Our Sins
Brothers and sisters!
On the ecclesiastical calendar, this is the ninth day of December, which is the twenty-second of the month according to the civil calendar, when we celebrate the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by Saint Anna. It is also the feast of the holy icon of the Theotokos known as “Unexpected Joy.” Therefore, in my homily today I will tell you the story of the conception of the Queen of Heaven, as well as the story of the icon. To this I will add a brief explanation of the icon’s significance.
Saint Joachim and Anna, who lived piously in Nazareth of Galilee under obedience to the Law of Moses, reached old age without having children: something regarded by the Jews as a curse, a sign of God’s displeasure. Once, on a great feast, when many people had come to the Temple, the High Priest Issachar publicly refused to accept Joachim’s offerings, saying, “It is unseemly to receive gifts from your hands, as though you were a true Israelite, for you are childless. You must have committed some grievous sin to lose God’s goodwill.” Humiliated by the High Priest’s reproach, the righteous Joachim had not yet turned away from the altar when he met another rebuke. One of the other worshippers pushed him aside and demanded, “Leave this place! You are unworthy to present your gifts to God with us, for you have left no seed in Israel!” Saint Joachim accepted these words with deepest humility, concluding that he was unworthy not only to remain in God’s house, but even to return to his own home, so he departed for the desert where shepherds were herding his flocks. For forty days he prayed and fasted, beseeching the Lord to forgive his sins and to bless his old age with the birth of a child.
Anna soon learned what had occurred and was overcome by unutterable grief. She regarded herself as at fault and counted herself the most sinful woman in Israel, as deprived of God’s grace and undeserving even to see the light of the sun. Shutting herself in her room, she cried out to the Lord day and night, fasting and shedding tears, repenting and begging Him to show mercy and bless her womb, so that it would bear fruit, not for her sake, but on account of the virtue of her devout husband.
After some time had passed, Saint Anna went out into her garden and sat in the shade of a laurel tree. She looked up and noticed a nest, in which were chicks being fed by their mother. “Everything in nature,” thought Anna, “enjoying God’s blessing, produces offspring: the birds of heaven, the beasts of the field, and even the earth itself, from which shoots and seedlings spring up. I alone am deprived of this happiness.” She began to pray to the Lord with even greater fervor, and the God of Israel hearkened unto her tearful supplication. Suddenly, an angel’s voice sounded, proclaiming that she would be granted her wish. “You shall conceive a daughter greatly beloved of God,” announced the bodiless spirit, “and in her all the tribes and peoples of the earth shall be blessed. Through her salvation will be granted to the whole world; and her name shall be Mariam.”
Overjoyed by the angelic salutation, Saint Anna hurried to Jerusalem to pour out in the temple of the Lord the feelings of gratitude overflowing from her heart. Meanwhile, the same celestial messenger appeared to Joachim, who was still lamenting and praying in the wilderness. The angel announced the good tidings to him, saying that he would know their truth when he went to Jerusalem and found Anna at the doors of the Temple. Joachim quickly set off for the Holy City, where he met his wife. Together they glorified the Lord God, Who had looked down upon their lowliness; together they pronounced a vow, promising to dedicate their child to Him. Then they returned home. Before long, having come together as man and wife, the pious couple experienced even greater happiness, for “the divine staff from which would spring Christ, the Creator of all,” sprouted in Anna’s womb.
As I mentioned at the beginning, besides celebrating the feast of the Conception of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Holy Church also commemorates on this day the wonderworking icon of the Theotokos known as “Unexpected Joy.” It happens that, many years ago, I was left an old copy of this icon by a parishioner when she died, and I have set it out on the analogion. The story behind it is, I think, very moving, so I would like to read it to you today. It is recorded in the book by Saint Demetrius of Rostov called “The Bedewed Fleece.” The story is as follows:
“A certain man, who led a sinful life, nevertheless had a strong devotion to the Mother of God and deep love for her. Every day without fail he prayed before her icon, with profound faith repeating the words of the Archangel Gabriel: ‘Rejoice, O full of grace!’ Once, he was getting ready to leave the house to perform some sinful deed, and before departing turned to the image and said his usual prayer. Suddenly he was overcome by fear and saw that wounds had appeared on the hands, feet, and side of the Divine Child, and were gushing blood. Falling to the floor, the sinner cried, ‘O Lady, who did this to thy Son!’
“‘By your wicked deeds, you and other sinners constantly nail my Son to the Cross, just as did the Jews,’ replied the Queen of heaven. ‘You appeal to me as your compassionate Mother: why then do you constantly grieve me by your transgressions?’
“‘O Lady,’ said the man, “let not mine iniquities prevail over thy boundless goodness. Thou art the only hope of sinners. Beg for me the mercy of Thy Son and our God!’
“In response to this, the All-Holy One twice repeated a prayer to the Infant Christ for the sinner, but the Lord remained unmoved, so she began to pray for the man with the most intense fervor, beseeching the Lord for a long time. Finally, the Lord inclined to mercy and said, ‘Let it be as you desire. For your sake this man’s sins are forgiven. As a sign of his pardon I permit him to kiss My wounds.’
“The man arose from the floor and with inexpressible fear and joy dared to kiss Christ’s bloody feet. He corrected himself and began to lead a chaste and pious life. After this, a depiction of him praying before the image was always included on copies of this icon, and frequently included as well were the first words of the story: ‘A certain man, who led a sinful life…’”
Today as we venerate the icon “Unexpected Joy,” let us each see himself in the person of that man who, for all his degradation, never desisted from heartfelt prayer to the Mother of God. Although we may be useless, wicked servants of her Son, still, she knows how we suffer from our self-inflicted wounds. May she grant us to see clearly with the eyes of the heart how by our transgressions we both torture ourselves and repeatedly crucify anew her Divine Child, and may this vision give birth in us to the repentance and self-amendment of that sinner of old! Amen.
