Today the choir of angels sings strains of praise joyfully, and the Light of the advent of Christ shines brightly upon the faithful. Today is the glad springtime to us, and Christ the Sun of Righteousness has beamed with clear Light around us, and has illumined the minds of the faithful. Today Adam is made anew, and moves in the choir of Angels, having winged his way to heaven. Today the whole circle of the earth is filled with joy, since the sojourn of the Holy Spirit has been realized to men. Today the grace of God and the hope of the unseen shine through all wonders transcending imagination, and make the mystery that was kept hidden from eternity plainly discernible to us.

"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shalt be called the Son of the Highest" (St. Luke 1:31-32).

Brethren and fathers, the Annunciation is here and it is the first of the Feasts of the Lord, and we should not simply celebrate as most do, but with understanding and with reverence for the mystery. What is the mystery? That the Son of God becomes son of man, using the Holy Virgin as the means, dwelling in her and from her fashioning for Himself a temple and becoming perfect man. Why so? That He might ransom those under the law, as it written, and that we might receive sonship (Galatians 4:5), that we may no longer be slaves, but free, no longer subject to the passions, but free of passions, no longer friends of the world, but friends of God, no longer walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

On March 25th 1821 the Greek Orthodox people commemorate their independence from the Ottoman Turkish yoke which began with the fall of the city of Constantinople in 1453. For about 400 years the Hellenic Nation and people were enslaved by this brutal foreign power.

Today is the fountainhead of our salvation and the manifestation of the mystery which was from eternity. The Son of God becometh the Virgin's Son, and Gabriel announceth the good tidings of grace; for this cause, let us cry to the Mother of God with him: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee.