medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
> The idea of uncreated light breaking through into the created universe may lie behind the rather curious
> responsory for Matins on the feast of the Annunciation: ‘The angel Gabriel Gabriel was sent to announce
> the word to Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, and she began to fear the light.’ (Latin: expavescit virgo
> de lumine.) Luke’s account of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) makes no mention of light, though it does
> say that Mary was disturbed by his words (turbata est in sermone eius). Eamonn O Carragain, in Ritual
> and the Rood, note 46 on page 113, mentions a theory that the phrase may originally have read ‘de
> numine’ (because of the divinity) rather than ‘de lumine’. Without having seen the article he mentions, I
> find the suggestion rather improbable; ‘light’ fits far better into the cluster of ideas associated with the
> Annunciation. A beam of light often appears in pictures of the Annunciation, but I do not know of any
> early enough to have influenced the responsory. No doubt others can remedy my ignorance.
I believe it was St Bernard who likened Mary's impregnation, while remaining a
virgin, to light passing through a glass vessel without breaking it.
Cheers,
Jim Bugslag
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