St. John of Damascus: Annunciation of Our Lady

● “So then, after the assent of the holy Virgin, the Holy Spirit descended on her, according to the word of the Lord, which the angel spoke, purifying her and granting her power to receive the divinity of the Word, and likewise power to bring forth.”

─St. John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book III, Chap. 2. 

● “Today is the crowning of our salvation, and the manifestation of the mystery which was from eternity. The Son of God becometh the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel giveth the good tidings of grace. Therefore with him let us cry to the Mother of God, Hail! full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”

─Byzantine Menaea, Troparian for the Feast. (ca. 6th cent.)

Annunciation, by Alessandro Allori.
Oil on canvas, 1603; Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence.