WITH Gabriel at his elbow, the monk chanted the first verse of Mary’s Song, following on as usual with ‘Greater in honour than the cherubim’. Then Gabriel took his turn – he had a lovely voice, thought the monk, most angelic – but instead of repeating ‘Greater in honour’ he sang:
‘It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotókos, ever blessed and wholly without blemish,* and mother of our God.’
The monk had never heard these words before. Most obligingly, Gabriel picked up a loose flagstone from the floor and wrote them onto it in deep lines, as if it were wax, using only his forefinger. Then, abruptly, he was gone, though a bright glow lingered about the icon of Mary for some time afterwards.
The graven flagstone was sent to the Emperor in Constantinople. The icon is kept today in the main church in Karyes, and each year, on Bright Monday, it is carried with honour in procession around the churches and monasteries nearby.*
* This word, variously translated into English as undefiled, spotless or blameless, is often used in the Old Testament of sacrifices presented to God in the Temple at Jerusalem.
* Bright Monday is the day after Easter Day, that is, Monday in Bright Week. The events described in this story are commemorated at the cell where it happened on June 11th. For a video of the procession, visit YouTube.