On the Mother of God

by Jacob of Serug

Jacob of Serug was born at Curtem on the Euphrates, ca. 451. Very little is known of his life. He probably studied at the school of Edessa. He became a monk and priest. Early in life he began writing and is thought to have composed more than 700 homilies.

Jacob, "flute of the Holy spirit and harp of the faithful church," has a great love of the Mother of God. In this volume, four homilies have been chosen from the Syriac texts. The poetry is typological and rooted in Scripture. It offers, as Professor Brock notes in his introduction, an alternative to the "liberal critical approach to the bible" or to an excessively fundamentalist approach."

After 1500 years of separation from this Oriental Orthodox tradition, so full of Scripture, it seems as if the Holy Spirit is uniting us through the poetic genius of Jacob of Serug.

120 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2023

Reviews

[Nicholas Waldrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply a beautiful little book. St. Jacob of Serug homilies on the Virgin Mary are simply, elegant, and impressively packed with imagery. At time I edge tears. I suggest that everyone should read this book.

[Georgio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent edition introducing the image portrayed of the Virgin Mary that is not dissimilar to how she is now portrayed in the liturgy of the West Syriac Churches (despite over 1400 years since the homilies first utterance!)