Οἶκος Ο'
The Uncircumscribed Word and the Virgin's Mystery
This stanza contemplates the mystery of the Incarnation, where the infinite God dwells within the Virgin, transforming human history and opening the gates of Paradise.
The uncircumscribed Word was wholly among those below, and he was not at all absent from those above. For it was a divine condescension that took place, not a local change of place—and a birth from a God-inspired Virgin who heard these words: Rejoice, dwelling place of the God who cannot be contained; rejoice, door of the sacred mystery.1 Rejoice, doubtful report to the unbelieving; rejoice, undoubted boast of the faithful. Rejoice, all-holy chariot of the One who sits upon the Cherubim; rejoice, most excellent dwelling of the One who sits upon the Seraphim. Rejoice, you who brought opposites together; rejoice, you who joined virginity and childbearing. Rejoice, through whom the transgression was undone; rejoice, through whom Paradise was opened. Rejoice, key to Christ's kingdom; rejoice, hope of everlasting good things.✦ Rejoice, Bride unwedded.
Read the original Latin
Ὅλως ἦν ἐν τοῖς κάτω, καὶ τῶν ἄνω οὐδόλως ἀπῆν, ὁ ἀπερίγραπτος Λόγος· συγκατάβασις γὰρ θεϊκή, οὐ μετάβασις τοπικὴ γέγονε, καὶ τόκος ἐκ Παρθένου θεολήπτου, ἀκουούσης ταῦτα· Χαῖρε, Θεοῦ ἀχωρήτου χώρα, χαῖρε, σεπτοῦ μυστηρίου θύρα. Χαῖρε, τῶν ἀπίστων ἀμφίβολον ἄκουσμα, χαῖρε, τῶν πιστῶν ἀναμφίβολον καύχημα. Χαῖρε, ὄχημα πανάγιον τοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβείμ, χαῖρε, οἴκημα πανάριστον τοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν Σεραφείμ. Χαῖρε, ἡ τἀναντία εἰς ταὐτὸ ἀγαγοῦσα, χαῖρε, ἡ παρθενίαν καὶ λοχείαν ζευγνῦσα. Χαῖρε, δι' ἧς ἐλύθη παράβασις, χαῖρε, δι' ἧς ἠνοίχθη παράδεισος. Χαῖρε, ἡ κλεὶς τῆς Χριστοῦ βασιλείας, χαῖρε, ἐλπὶς ἀγαθῶν αἰωνίων. Χαῖρε, Νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.16.19 — I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Notes
- 1 ↩θεόληπτος can mean inspired by God, taken by God, or possessed by God; rendered here as God-inspired for the Virgin at the Incarnation.
Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos companion
Never lose the rhythm again
Chosen Portion delivers your morning, midday and night office to your phone — the Hours, without the bells.
Chosen Portion is a modern Book of Hours: it turns the fixed-hour structure this collection preserves into scheduled, tappable daily prayer on your phone.
- Three daily prayer moments scheduled around your real calendar, not a monastery's
- Psalms and historic prayers sequenced for you — no page-flipping or decision fatigue
- A visible streak of completed offices, so the rhythm compounds instead of collapsing