Mary the Mother of God

Edited and Translated by Christopher Veniamin

"Saint Gregory's sermons on the Mother of God are among the profoundest and most eloquent dedications to the Virgin Mary in Christian literature. His second homily on the Presentation or Entry may be regarded as his 'masterpiece', for it stands not only as his most famous writing, but arguably as the greatest homily ever written on the Mother of God." – Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, USA

"Saint Gregory gave to the Church what is surely the most complete synthesis and perfect formulation of the Apostolic tradition of all generations. His theology, in a charismatic and 'existential' way, recapitulates, in its entirety, the spiritual experience of the saints of the Old and New Testaments . . . The sermons of Saint Gregory Palamas, in spirited and uncomplicated idiom, render his entire life's work accessible to the people of God. In fact, they form the most complete introduction not only to his theology, but to the theology of all the great Fathers of the Church." – Archimandrite Zacharias, Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, England

About the Editor

Dr. Christopher Veniamin is a spiritual child of St. Sophrony the Athonite (1896-1993).

Born and raised in London, England, of Greek Cypriot parents, Dr. Veniamin holds his first degree in theology from the University of Thessalonica and his doctorate from the University of Oxford. He is Emeritus Professor of Patristics at St. Tikhon's Seminary in Pennsylvania, and Dean & COO Emeritus at the Antiochian House of Studies in California, where he also served as Professor of Patristic Theology and Dogmatics, established the Ph.D.Program in Orthodox Studies, and spearheaded the drive for full  accreditation with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in North America and Canada.

Prof. Veniamin's works include Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies; The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition; and The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature: From Irenaeus of Lyons to Gregory Palamas.

Dr. Veniamin also holds the four-year Degree in Byzantine Music from the celebrated School of St. Romanus Melodus and St. John Damascene in Thessalonica, and is a pupil of Eleftherios Georgiades, former Lampadarios of the Great Church of Christ.

Prof. Veniamin is also the Founder and President of Mount Thabor Publishing (MTP), established in 2005 to produce quality books in Orthodox theology and the spiritual life, and the presenter of videos and podcasts for The Mount Thabor Academy, on the interrelationship between theology and spiritual life of the Orthodox Church, with particular reference to the Holy Bible and the witness of the Church Fathers, past and present.

PHILOSOPHY OF PURPOSE: Why the two forms, The Homilies and the Sermons?

Our edition of Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (800-pages) contains all sixty-three extant sermons of St. Gregory.

The series, “Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas”, is a selection of St. Gregory’s homilies arranged thematically (each booklet is about 60 to 90 pages), but does not contain all sixty-three of his sermons.

The “Sermons” is currently comprised of The Saving Work of Christ, Mary the Mother of God, On the Saints, The Parables of Jesus, and Miracles of the Lord.

The reason for producing both of the above editions is twofold.

Firstly, The Homilies, are offered chiefly with scholars and pastors in mind, and thus contains a detailed introduction, scholia and indexes.

Secondly, “The Sermons”, are published mainly with church schools, homeschooling, and study groups in mind, providing just the simple text at an affordable price, and presupposes that the instructor would be teaching from the 800-page complete edition of The Homilies, thereby availing the class or group of its additional pedagogical materials.