The tree of life, a description St. Gregory of Narek uses for the Blessed Virgin, is the tree the Father protected with the fiery sword of the immortal angels. This tree, described as an unwilting flower, was never subjected to the condemnation issued to Eve. The Holy Spirit prepared her as the abode of the Only-begotten Son (Prayer 80.1), pure and free of all sin.
In this same prayer, Gregory mentions the panegyric he had written in praise of the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. Today, we have the opportunity to delve deeper into this sacred vision of the saint and strengthen our communion with the holiness and unblemished goodness of the Mother of God. Through her intercession, we can receive the light and life of Christ.
Gregory of Narek’s ardent love for the feast of the Assumption and his admiration for it are evident in his signature. This signature is unique and composed of six paragraphs, forming an acrostic of his name. Gregory dedicates himself entirely to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, striving to be worthy of her intercession and to meet her after a life of faith, holy and unblemished. “Inscribe my name, bestowed upon me in the pure womb of the baptismal font, in the heavenly book. In your sacred presence, erect this inadequate ode praising you as an indestructible memorial, the inked letters etched for my body and the words an image of my breath.”
The faith of the Blessed Virgin was not rooted in human strength; it was rooted entirely in the Word of God, the assurance that the Holy Spirit would dwell within her, and the divine power would envelop her. Her response exemplified her unwavering faith and complete surrender to the Father: “Behold, the Lord’s servant! Let it be done as you have spoken.” (Luke 1.38) Mary’s faith was untainted by human interference, the source of laughter and doubt (Genesis 18.9–15). It was a faith as small as a mustard seed, yet capable of accomplishing anything God set out to do (Genesis 18.14, parallel to Luke 1.37).
When we compare the faith of Abraham and Mary, the profound vision of Gregory of Narek finds its manifestation in our souls. Mary’s motherhood became the key to anchoring heaven and all its angels into the mystery of Christ’s incarnation (Panegyric of the Mother of God, 2 and 3). The strength of this union lies in Mary’s unwavering faith. Through her faith, she remained inseparable from her Son’s sacrifice and offered Him on the cross. On that altar of love, she presented herself, the unblemished lamb, in a pure offering (Panegyric, 9). Mary’s faith fulfilled Abraham’s faith in the order of the Grace of the New Covenant. The Lord further elevated this kinship to the communion of His own incarnation by offering His Mother to us (John 19.26–27).
God humbly sought Mary’s cooperation, and her response perfectly encapsulates this: “Let it happen to me as you have said,” (Luke 1.38), whereas God instructed Abraham that Sarah would bear him a son next year because He would fulfill His will (Genesis 17.1–22).
The Blessed Virgin not only embodied the divine creative power but also lived in the grace of absolute freedom. She was not distant from God; instead, she moved in Him and offered her very being to Him. In her sharp intellect, she diligently searched for God and discovered her Creator through her unwavering obedience (Acts 17.27–28). As Gregory of Narek aptly put it, the Blessed Virgin, the unblemished daughter of the first sinful woman, was called to be an integral part of the unfathomable mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, radiating with the sanctity of love (Panegyric 19).
Let us pray to receive the communion of salvation through the intercession of the Mother of God, so that we may bless our almighty God in eternity with her.
