Teaching of the Orthodox Church about the Mother of God.
Rejoice, height beyond the reach of human thoughts.
Before the world existed, the Virgin Mary was pre-chosen in the eternal council of the Most Holy Trinity to serve the salvation of the human race.
Like the dawn of redemption, the Most Pure Virgin shone at the time when our ancestors, having transgressed the commandment of their Creator, listened in fear and trembling to the terrible sentence of the Just Judge; already in this sentence the gracious promise of His goodness to the fallen creatures shone forth: “The seed of the Woman will erase the head of the serpent,” and this first of all Divine promises was revealed in all subsequent events of the transformative time, and with increasing accuracy, as the predetermined time approached.
The Lord repeated this promise repeatedly to prepare the people to receive the promised Savior of the world; it was not erased from the memory of people even after they were scattered across the face of the earth; beyond the distant mountains and seas they carried with them this gratifying, albeit distant, hope.
Centuries passed after centuries, peoples disappeared, new countries appeared, regulations and customs changed, but faith in the Savior coming from the Most Pure Virgin remained unshakable. Five thousand years passed in anticipation, and finally, at the time determined by the destinies of God, all the prophecies were fulfilled, the shadows of the Old Testament disappeared, and the Guiding Star appeared on the horizon of the universe to lead perishing humanity to a saving haven.
All the events of the Old Testament represent, as it were, a shadow or pre-image of New Testament persons and events and have as their subject, mainly, the Savior of the world - our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Blessed Virgin.
The primeval, virgin soil, not cultivated by human labor, not watered by rain, grew all the diversity and splendor of plant nature and served to create the body of the first man: this, according to the Holy Fathers, is the first indication of the Virgin Mary, from whom God the Word was pleased to become incarnate. The Most Pure Virgin, like an animated paradise, manifested in Herself the wondrous fruits of the virtues, had in Herself the Lord - “the tree of life planted by God, the one who bears food and gives birth” - and in Him she gave people deliverance from eternal death and granted eternal life, just as He Himself did. The Lord Jesus Christ said to Himself: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” From Eve, the first wife to sin, the entire human race came to earth, born in suffering and for suffering; Through the fall of Eve, death was introduced into the world and man was expelled from paradise.
The Virgin Mary brought eternal life to the world in the God-Man born by Her and returned eternal bliss to people. Patriarch Noah built an ark from rotting wood for a hundred years and in this ark he and his family were saved from the global flood; in this one can see a clear pre-image of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, from Whom Christ is born, offering true salvation to all who believe in Him and come running under the sovereign protection of His Most Pure Mother. The post-Flood world was populated by Noah and his children; Christians, children of the New Testament, trace their origins to Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. The dove that Noah released from the ark and brought him an olive branch represents the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Savior of the world from the flood of sin and with His birth heralded the end of the wrath of God and perfect peace on earth.
Patriarch Jacob had a mysterious vision in which he was shown a ladder, with its base established on the earth and its top reaching to heaven; The Holy Church calls the Virgin Mary a spiritual ladder, born from the earth and connecting the earth with heaven; through Her, as through a ladder, God descended to earth and opened the entrance to the kingdom of heaven to all his faithful followers who resort to the protection of the Mother of the Most High God.
Moses saw the image of the Mother of God in a bush that was burning and did not burn. What was represented by the flame and the bush was clearly revealed in the mystery of the Virgin: the bush burns and is not consumed, the Virgin gives birth to Light and remains incorruptible. For this reason, the Holy Church calls the Mother of God the burning bush, and She is often depicted surrounded by a fiery radiance.
The pillar of cloud, which overshadowed the Israelites during the day and illuminated them at night with a fiery light, led by Moses from Egypt, is an indication of the Ever-Virgin Mary as a luminous cloud that carried God, leading people to the land of promise, to the kingdom of heaven, pouring out on them the life-giving source of God’s mercy and grace . In the Red Sea, which passed through the dry bottom of the Israelites and drowned Pharaoh and his hordes, we see the image of the Unworn Bride, Who, through the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, became the sea of destruction for the mental, proud Pharaoh and the waters of salvation, an insurmountable wall for the faithful who meekly bear their cross for Her Divine Son.
When the Israelites, wandering through the waterless desert, suffered thirst from lack of water, Moses, at the command of God, struck a stone mountain with his rod - and water flowed out from there, quenching the thirsty; The Most Holy Virgin, through the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ from Her, became the source of grace that quenches the thirst for eternal life.
The land of Canaan, promised to the Israelites, was fruitful; it was boiling with milk and honey, according to the expression of Holy Scripture. The Most Holy Virgin, who gave us the bread of life, is the true promised land, from which honey and milk flow.
The Israelites, according to God's commandment, had separate cities in which unintentional murderers could have a safe refuge. The Most Holy Virgin is a “city of salvation” for believing souls, a haven, a fence, an affirmation and a sacred refuge.
God fed the Jews with manna that fell from heaven; a golden vessel filled with this heavenly bread was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, and in this the Holy Church sees the image of the Mother of God. “Thou didst bear Christ,” the Holy Church sings to Her, “the manna of reason, which rained down upon all who worshiped Thee.” The Ever-Virgin Mary contained the manna of life, Christ, who came into the world to save sinners and satisfy the souls of believers with the bread of immortality.
The Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon were filled with the glory of the Lord as soon as they were consecrated: the Most Holy Virgin is the most pure temple of the Savior and the sacred treasure of the glory of God, the container of the incontainable God.
The place where the Ark of the Covenant was located was called the Holy of Holies and was accessible to one high priest, and only once a year, when he entered there to sprinkle with sacrificial blood: a clear pre-image of the Mother of God as the receptacle of the incarnate Word of God. “Rejoice, great Holy of Holies,” the Church sings to Her. The ark of the covenant, covered with gold inside and out, contained the tablets of the law: from the ark of the shrine of the Most Pure Virgin, gilded by the Holy Spirit, the Lord the Lawgiver Himself appeared.
Aaron's dry rod flourished and was placed in the ark as a souvenir for future nations: The Most Holy Virgin came from barren parents and truly is a secret rod, an unfading flower...
Burning incense before the Lord means offering prayer to the throne of the Most High, therefore the golden censer, which was located behind the second veil of the tabernacle, represents the image of the Blessed Virgin. “Rejoice, censer, golden vessel, Rejoice, censer pleasant to prayer,” the Holy Church sings to Her, teaching us to resort to the Mother of God as our zealous intercessor, an indefatigable prayer book for the satisfaction of our sorrows.
The lamp with seven unquenchable lamps, which was in the tabernacle, again forms the Most Pure Virgin, who gave birth to the True Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world, and illuminates with eternal life those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.
The meal made of rotting wood, which was in the tabernacle for laying twelve loaves of bread on it as a sacrifice to God, is a pre-image of the Ever-Virgin, who contained in Herself the bread that came down from heaven - Christ - feeding us for eternal life.
The copper laver, built in the courtyard of the tabernacle for washing the priests, prefigures the Most Pure Virgin, from Whom the Lord Jesus Christ was born, who opened access to St. baptism, in which believers are washed from spiritual impurity. “Rejoice, bath that washes the conscience,” the Church sings to the Mother of God.
The Israelites, at the direction of Moses, sacrificed animals without physical defects to God; The Most Pure Virgin, while still a three-year-old baby, was brought to the temple by her parents as the purest and most immaculate sacrifice. When the angel announced to Gideon, the judge of Israel, the will of God about his election to save the people from the power of the pagans, then Gideon wanted to receive confirmation that there was a blessing from God for this, and he himself chose a sign for this: if on the fleece he laid on the threshing floor at night the dew will fall, and the earth around him will be dry, which means his election is pleasing to God - this has come true.
The very next night, at his own request, the fleece remained dry, and the ground all around was covered with dew. The fleece, watered with dew, symbolizes the Most Pure Virgin, watered by the heavenly and divine rain that descended on Her. “Your most pure womb Gideon saw, the Pure Virgin, in tenderness like rain, the Word descended and became incarnate as the Divine Spirit,” sings the Holy Church. Gideon’s fleece was dry, and the earth was wet with dew, and the Virgin Mary, after the birth of the Lord, remained a Virgin, while the earth was moistened with the dew of true faith in Christ the Savior.
Three youths - Ananias, Azariah and Misail - were not afraid of the rage of the king of Babylon and did not worship the creature instead of the Creator, for which they were thrown into a fiery furnace and were preserved unharmed by the power of the Most High: this represents the Virgin who conceived the Creator of the world and was not scorched by the fire of the Divine. Just as the fiery furnace served for the youths not as an instrument of destruction, but of life and renewal, so through the Most Holy Virgin the world achieved its renewal.
The Word entered into the Virgin and, having taken on flesh, preserved Her incorruptible, and this is represented by the prophet Jonah, who was preserved unharmed in the belly of a whale.
Everything hidden in the transformations of the Old Testament is revealed with greater clarity in prophecies. The first prediction about the Mother of God lies in the promise about the Redeemer given in paradise, following the fall of our first parents: “The seed of the woman will erase the head of the serpent.” This seed is our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
As the time approaches at which the Redeemer of the world was to appear on earth, prophecies about this phenomenon are pronounced with increasing clarity. The royal prophet David proclaimed many accurate predictions: “Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy holiness...” Singing the glory of the Messiah, he prophesies about the Most Pure Virgin: “All the glory of the Tsar’s daughter is within! The Queen appears at Your right hand, dressed in robes of gold and adorned. All glory to the Tsareva's daughter within! Virgins will be brought to the King in Her footsteps, Her sincere ones will be brought to You.”
All the Old Testament prophets proclaimed a great event coming into the world through the Most Pure Virgin.
The greatest of the prophets, Isaiah, exclaimed about Her: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel, as it is said: God is with us.”
The Old Testament clearly states that the Mother of God will come from the line of David, will give birth to a Son without a husband, and at His birth will remain a Virgin, that She will be adorned with all virtues and glorified. With a deeply believing soul, let us bow before the greatness of the Most Pure Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ! Let us call on Her to help our weaknesses: we, due to our powerlessness, cannot find words to worthily glorify the Mother of our God, the zealous Intercessor for us sinners.
More than two thousand years separate us from the day when the Blessed Virgin was born into the light of God. We are accustomed to perceiving Her as the Queen of Heaven, but She had completely earthly character traits - a tendency towards peace and thoughtfulness, as evidenced by Her contemporaries. The divine touching smile of the Virgin Mary was forever captured by icon painters; it is not even a smile, but an image of kindness itself.
Devoted to God
Both family branches of Her parents had venerable ancestors behind them, among whom were patriarchs, high priests and rulers Solomon and David. Joachim and Anna were not wealthy and noble; they lived by the labor of their hands. There was only one thing that depressed them: there were no children. From the very beginning life together They expressed their great request to God - to have a child and promised to dedicate him to God. And now the dream has come true.
At the age of three, Mary, in accordance with the vow of her parents, was introduced into the temple. This happened in a very solemn atmosphere: the procession was opened by women the same age as the Blessed Virgin, with lighted candles in their hands, and followed by Joachim and Anna along with their blessed daughter. Numerous relatives followed them. The Blessed Virgin was destined to spend many years in the Temple of Jerusalem. That temple was the prototype of a monastic monastery. Within the walls of the temple there were 90 separate spacious rooms-cells. A third of them were allocated to virgins who dedicated their lives to God, the remaining rooms were occupied by widows who gave dinner to remain celibate. The elders looked after the younger ones, taught them to read holy books and do handicrafts. Maria surprised everyone by easily comprehending the most difficult passages of the sacred books, better than all the adults who had studied these books all their lives.
In the house of the betrothed
After the birth of the desired child, very soon, first Joachim died at the age of 80, then Anna. Orphanhood and the consciousness of her loneliness turned Mary’s heart even more strongly to God. When She turned fourteen years old, the priests began to think: what to do? It seemed impossible to give Her into marriage, because it would be blasphemy. After consulting, they decide to give the maiden to the betrothed, or the guardian of virginity, who would leave the covenant, given to God, indestructible. The elderly Joseph was chosen as the guardian of the purity and holiness of the Virgin Mary. Mary, united with him, seemed to be the wife of her husband, while there was no marital communication between them. Joseph was a righteous man who had all the virtues: pure, modest, sincere, peace-loving, attentive to the voice of conscience and God.
In the house of this 80-year-old old man, the days of the Virgin flowed peacefully and calmly. Even here, among people, surrounded by everyday worries, she did not abandon pious habits, she lived only for God, reading holy books and prayer. However, Mary was haunted by the premonition of a great accomplishment, something indescribable, extraordinary. All people were waiting for the coming of the Messiah, as the only deliverer from numerous vices that entangled people like a web. And the Virgin Mary, as if instinctively, without realizing it, was preparing for the fulfillment of the greatest Divine plan. She comprehended in her soul the birth of the Savior, but did not yet know in what way God would send His Son to Earth.
Rejoice, Blessed One!
To preach to Mary about His Divine plan, the Lord chose the Archangel Gabriel, one of the very first angels. At the sight of the celestial being who announced the good news to Her, Mary became embarrassed. “Why is this so? - asks Filaret Moskovsky.
- Is it because She didn’t recognize the heavenly wanderer? Or was She shocked by the vision of a supreme being? True, embarrassment did not prevent Her from reflecting on what she heard and did not deprive Her of her presence of mind. How, the Virgin wondered, could this promise come true if She did not know her husband? The Archangel dispels Mary’s embarrassment with a word of approval: “Do not be afraid, Mariam, for you have found grace from God, grace that no one but You has received from eternity itself” (Blessed Andrew of Jerusalem).
What the Most Holy Virgin heard from the archangel was so unusual that She did not dare to reveal the divine secret even to the betrothed Joseph. However, over time, the signs of Her holy womb became more and more noticeable to Joseph. A storm of thoughts arose in the soul of the elder, his heart was hurt - he considered the secret of purity, which he had been entrusted to keep, lost. "Maria! - this is how his church song expresses his feelings.
- What happened to you? Instead of honor, You brought me shame, instead of joy - sadness, instead of praise - reproach. How can I endure people’s reproaches?” Tormented by suspicions, Joseph, nevertheless, showed in this matter the wonderful qualities of his soul - impeccable honesty and rare kindness. The Law of Moses, inexorably strict against violators of marital purity, gave him the right to publicly accuse the Virgin, but instead he decided to secretly release his Betrothed. Joseph's decision came into conflict with the wise goals of God's economy, and the Lord revealed to him a great secret. A significant dream, in which the will of the Lord was announced through an Angel, restored peace to Joseph’s troubled soul, and he again accepted his wife, but with great reverence and unconditional readiness to serve Her as the Mother of God. Now the Most Holy Virgin, covering the mystery of God with the name of her betrothed wife, peacefully awaited in the house of Joseph the glorious outcome of Her gracious pregnancy.
Spiritual cross
After the Ascension of Christ, the earthly path of the Mother of God was still quite long and fruitful. She diligently served the poor, gave to the poor, cared for the sick, helped orphans and widows. She devoted a lot of time to prayers at the tomb of her Son. She was destined, together with the apostles, to carry the teachings of Christ throughout the world. She was not verbose and did not like to make speeches. Only once did She have to tell people about the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, about His suffering for the sins of people, about execution, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. She revealed to people the essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ - about repentance, forgiveness, love for God and neighbor - as great values that affirm goodness, justice and prosperity in the world. After such a heartfelt sermon of the Mother of God, an extraordinary action took place. Everyone who heard Her wished to be baptized.
The Second Message of Archangel Gabriel
Towards the end of her earthly life, the Mother of God strove with all Her being towards Heaven. And one day, during prayer, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her again with a joyful and radiant face, just as decades ago, when he brought the Good News from the Almighty. This time the news was that the Mother of God had only three days left to remain on Earth. With the same great joy, She accepted this message, for there could be no greater happiness for Her than to eternally contemplate the image of Her Divine Son. Looking at the radiant face of the Lord, Her dearest Son, without the slightest bodily suffering, as if sweetly falling asleep, the Mother of God transferred Her most radiant and pure soul into His hands.
The entire earthly life of the Mother of God fits into a specific 72 years, this is evidenced by the calculations of the ancient holy fathers of the church, and authoritative church historians agree with them. But from all the most holy life of the Blessed Virgin Orthodox Church identified four most important spiritual events celebrated by great holidays: the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Entry into the Temple, Annunciation and Assumption. These holidays are counted among the so-called twelve and are equated to the great holidays of the Lord.
Unity of angelic and human
The earthly appearance of the Mother of God is known from the descriptions of eyewitnesses that have come down to us in the sacred books. The church historian Nicephorus Callistus verbally depicted Her like this: “She was of average height, golden hair, quick eyes, with pupils as if the color of an olive, arched and moderately black eyebrows, an elongated nose, flowering lips, full of sweet speeches, a somewhat oblong face, arms and long fingers." But the main feature of the Blessed Virgin, which determines all of Her spiritual content, was defined by Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea as follows: “She has a mind controlled by God and directed towards God alone.” All of Her contemporaries, without exception, place the impeccable spiritual qualities of the Mother of God in the foreground. Saint Ambrose, in the guise of the Mother of God, notices those features that can serve as an ideal person: “She was not eloquent, a lover of reading... Her rule was not to offend anyone, to be kind to everyone, to honor elders, not to envy equals, to avoid boasting, to be sensible, to love virtue . When did She, even with her facial expression, offend her parents? When did you disagree with your family? When did you become proud in front of a modest person, laugh at the weak, shy away from the poor? She had nothing stern in her eyes, nothing imprudent in her words, nothing indecent in her actions: her body movements were modest, her step was quiet, her voice was even; so Her bodily appearance was an expression of the soul, the personification of purity.” Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer surprisingly accurately defines the essence of the blessed influence of the Mother of God on mere mortal people: “In Her the angelic nature was united with the human.”
Intercessor of Russia
The Mother of God in the fate of Russia is like a mother for a baby. There is a special mystery in the veneration of the Mother of God by Russian people. It lies in the hope of omnipotent maternal intercession before God. After all, the Almighty is not only a great benefactor, but also a formidable judge. Russians, who have such a valuable character trait as repentance, have always had fear of God side by side with love of God. Like his own mother, a God-fearing sinner asks for the protection of the Mother of God, going to the judgment of the Lord. A person knows his sins; that is why God has given him a conscience. The great Intercessor, Defender, Savior - the Mother of God - helps us to be accountable to God for our sins. It seems to soften the punishment, but it reveals a person’s conscience. When the poet says that “you can’t understand Russia with your mind,” he means Conscience. The Russians entrusted this vulnerable and completely non-material “structure” - the divine essence - to the Mother of God.
Orthodox calendar
September 27, Tuesday – Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. In the photo: Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in the village of Palekh (monastery of St. Nicholas-Shartomsky Monastery).
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke recorded from the words of the Holy Virgin Mary several important events relating to the early years of Her life.
Earthly life of the Virgin Mary
Being a doctor and an artist, he also painted Her portrait-Icon, from which later icon painters made copies.
When the time approached for the birth of the Savior of the world, a descendant of King David, Joachim, lived with his wife Anna in the Galilean city of Nazareth. Being pious people, they were known for their humility and mercy. Saints Joachim and Anna lived to a ripe old age, but had no children. This upset them very much, because at that time not having children was considered God's punishment for sins. Joachim experienced childlessness especially hard, since according to prophecies the Messiah-Christ was to be born in his family. But, despite their old age, the couple did not stop asking God to send them a child and made a vow (promise): if they had a baby, dedicate it to serving God. For their patience and faith, the Lord sent Joachim and Anna great joy: finally, they had a daughter. She was given the name Maria, which means in Hebrew “Lady, Hope.”
When the Virgin Mary was three years old, her pious parents prepared to fulfill their vow: they took Her to the Temple of Jerusalem to be dedicated to God. Maria remained to live at the temple. There She, together with other girls, studied the Law of God and handicrafts, prayed and read the Holy Scriptures. The Most Holy Mary lived at the Church of God for about eleven years and grew up deeply pious, submissive to God in everything, unusually modest and hardworking. Wanting to serve only God, She promised not to marry and to remain a Virgin forever.
The elderly Joachim and Anna died, and the Virgin Mary was left an orphan. When She turned fourteen years old, according to the law, She could no longer remain at the temple, but had to get married. The high priest, knowing her promise, but in order not to violate the law on marriage, formally betrothed Her to a distant relative, the widowed eighty-year-old elder Joseph, who pledged to take care of Her and protect Her virginity. Joseph lived in the city of Nazareth, and although he also came from the royal family of David, he was not rich and worked as a carpenter. From his first marriage, Joseph had children Judah, Josiah, Simon and Jacob, who are called the “brothers” of Jesus in the Gospels. The Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and solitary life in Joseph’s house as at the temple.
6 months have passed since the appearance of Zechariah Archangel Gabriel with the news of the birth of his son - the future Prophet and Baptist of the Lord John. And so Archangel Gabriel was again sent by God, but this time to the city of Nazareth to the Blessed Virgin Mary with the joyful news that the Lord had chosen Her to be the Mother of the Savior of the world. The angel appeared and said to Her: “ Rejoice, O Blessed One! (that is, full of grace) The Lord is with you! Blessed are You among women.” Mary was embarrassed by the Angel’s words and thought: “What does this greeting mean?” The angel continued to tell Her: “ Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you will bear a Son and call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the son of the Most High, and His Kingdom will have no end.”
Mary asked the Angel in bewilderment: “ How will it be when I don’t know my husband?” The angel answered Her that this would be accomplished by the power of Almighty God: “ The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Behold, Your relative, Elizabeth, who did not have children until she was very old, will soon give birth to a son; for with God no word will be powerless.” Then Mary said with humility: “ I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And Archangel Gabriel departed from Her.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary, having learned from the Angel that Her relative Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zechariah, would soon have a son, hastened to visit her. Entering the house, She greeted Elizabeth. Hearing this greeting, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and realized that Mary was worthy to be the Mother of God. She exclaimed loudly and said: “ Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb! And where do I get this from? (such joy) that the Mother of my Lord has come to me?” The Most Holy Virgin Mary, in response to Elizabeth’s words, glorified God with the words: “ Magnifies (glorifies) My soul is the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because He has looked upon (pay attention) for the humility of His servant; from now on they will please (glorify) I was born all the time (all tribes of people). Thus the Mighty One has done great things for Me, and holy is His name; and His mercy endures throughout all generations to those who fear Him.” The Virgin Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, and then returned home to Nazareth.
God also announced to the righteous elder Joseph about soon to be born Savior from the Blessed Virgin Mary. An angel of God, appearing to him in a dream, revealed that Mary would give birth to a Son, through the action of the Holy Spirit, as the Lord God announced through the Prophet Isaiah (7:14) and commanded to give Him the name “Jesus,” which means Savior (according to Hebrew), “because He will save people from their sins.”
Further Gospel narratives mention the Blessed Virgin Mary in connection with events in the life of Her Son - our Lord Jesus Christ. So, they talk about Her in connection with Merry Christmas in Bethlehem, Then - By circumcision, the worship of the Magi, the sacrifice to the temple on the 40th day, flight to Egypt, settlement in Nazareth, journey to Jerusalem for the Passover holiday, when He was 12 years old.
The first miracle performed by Jesus Christ at the marriage (wedding) in Cana of Galilee gives us bright image The Virgin Mary, as Intercessor before Her Son for all people in difficult circumstances. Noticing the lack of wine at the wedding meal, the Virgin Mary drew the attention of Her Son to this, and although the Lord answered Her evasively: “ What is it for me and for you, wife? My hour has not yet come,” “She was not embarrassed by this half-refusal, being sure that the Son would not leave Her request unattended, and said to the servants: “ Whatever He tells you, do it." .
How visible in this warning to the servants is the compassionate care of the Mother of God to ensure that the work She began is completed to a favorable end! Indeed, Her intercession did not remain without fruit, and the Lord Jesus Christ performed His first miracle here, bringing poor people out of a difficult situation, after which “ His disciples believed in Him.” (John 2:11.)
The Mother of God, who followed Her Son on His wanderings, was in constant anxiety for Him. She tried to help Him in various difficult cases, took care of arranging His home rest and peace, which He never agreed to.
Finally, we see Her standing in indescribable sorrow at the cross of Her Crucified Son, hearing His last words and testaments, entrusting Her to the care of His beloved disciple. Not a single word of reproach or despair leaves Her lips. She surrenders everything to the will of God.
50 days after Holy Resurrection of Christ The Holy Spirit descended on Her and on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost.
After that, according to legend, She lived for another 10-20 years. The Apostle John the Theologian, according to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, took Her into his home and with great love, like his own son, took care of Her until Her very death. When the Christian faith spread to other countries, many Christians came from distant countries to see and listen to Her. Since then, the Blessed Virgin Mary has become for all the disciples of Christ a common Mother and a high example to follow.
Once, when the Most Holy Mary was praying on the Mount of Olives (near Jerusalem), Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her with a paradise date branch in his hands and told Her that in three days Her earthly life would end, and the Lord would take Her to Himself. The Lord arranged it in such a way that by this time the Apostles from different countries gathered in Jerusalem.
At the hour of her death, an extraordinary light illuminated the room where the Virgin Mary lay. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, surrounded by angels, appeared and received Her most pure soul.
The apostles buried the most pure body of the Mother of God, according to Her desire, at the foot of the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the cave where the bodies of Her parents and the righteous Joseph rested. Many miracles took place during the burial. By touching the bed of the Mother of God, the blind received their sight, demons were cast out, and every disease was healed.
Three days after the burial of the Mother of God, Apostle Thomas, who was late for the burial, arrived in Jerusalem. He was very sad that he did not say goodbye to the Mother of God and with all his soul wanted to worship Her most pure body. When they opened the cave where the Virgin Mary was buried, they did not find Her body in it, but only burial shrouds. The amazed Apostles returned to the house. In the evening, during prayer, they heard angelic singing, and looking up, they saw the Virgin Mary in the air, surrounded by Angels, in the radiance of heavenly glory. She told the Apostles: “ Rejoice! I am with you all the days!”
For Her great love and all-powerful help, Christians have revered Her since ancient times and turned to Her for help.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is also a great example to follow. Starting from the first centuries, many Christians began to spend their virgin lives in prayer, fasting and contemplation of God. This is how monasticism arose and became established. Unfortunately, the modern heterodox world does not value at all and even ridicules the feat of virginity.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary revealed all the power and beauty of Her virtues, showing complete self-control, both at the moment of Her greatest glory, chosen to become the Mother of the Savior of the world, and in the hours of Her greatest grief at the foot of the Cross.
That is why we Orthodox Christians honor Her so highly and try to imitate Her. 
Queen of Heaven and Earth
The Holy Church lives a mysterious and incomprehensible life, where the heavenly and earthly are amazingly intertwined. A special place in it belongs to the Most Holy Theotokos. For all of us, it is a spiritual source from which Divine grace is given to believers.
The Mother of God has become the focus of all Church life, for the Mother's heart is open to everyone. She has become for all Christians a Life-Giving Source of grace-filled consolation.
The Most Holy Theotokos is especially close to those who strive for holiness, for Christian perfection, who want to imitate Her angelic life. Such people constitute a special “genus of the Mother of God,” a genus of monastics.
To this day, the inheritance of the Most Holy Theotokos has remained intact - Holy Mount Athos, where an entire monastic republic exists under the special protection of the Virgin Mother.
Way of the Cross of Our Lady
Behind the external events of the life of the Mother of God, we often miss the inner content of Her life. She surrendered all of herself to the will of God. Her life consisted of silent, great suffering, turning into martyrdom, which could not find consolation in the sympathy and compassion of people.
The Holy Virgin chose for Herself to suffer in silence for the rest of her life. And Her whole life is an endless deepening of the heart into everlasting torment, an eternal descent through the invisible blood of martyrdom. She silently suffered from the suspicions of the Righteous Joseph, Her "marriage-stolen one."
She was silent, putting the King of the Universe in a bestial manger and not having where to lay her head. The Virgin Mother suffered in silence when they were “searching for the soul” of Her Child and when fear for His life drove the holy family to flee their native country to Egypt.
She silently and patiently bore the miserable toil of Her life. In moments of the joys of motherhood, when every mother, looking at her child, soars with the dream of his bright future in life, which promises her, the mother, consolation, joy and support, the Blessed Virgin Mother saw in the Son the Lamb of God who came into the world to take upon yourself the sins of the world. Raised in the Temple of God, She knew the Scriptures and understood why the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin appeared in this world.
And with what trepidation She saw Him growing up, and with it the approach of that great and humanly terrible hour. And every minute of joy about the Son was inevitably reflected in Her heart by incessant suffering. And Her Son, similar to people in everything except sin, never upset or saddened His Mother with human sinful weakness, but He left Her, moved away as he grew older, beginning to serve humanity.
And already at the age of twelve, the Child Christ with all decisiveness uttered the first open recognition of Himself as the Son of God, and with it the first direct indication to His Mother that He no longer belonged to Her. The Most Holy Virgin Mother, having found the Youth Jesus who had fallen behind his relatives in the Jerusalem Temple, heard Her tender reproach: “ Why did you need to look for Me? Or did you not know that I must be involved in the things that belong to My Father?” (Luke 2:49). These words pierced the Mother’s heart with pain, clearly revealing to Her the future of the Son. And again the Blessed Virgin silently bowed before the will of the Most High.
She retreats into obscurity to return to Him with the rights of a Mother only at His terrible Calvary hour, when everyone leaves Him. Even God the Father will depart, giving way to the fullness of Christ’s exploit, the fullness of His Divine exhaustion. And the Virgin Mother, even at that moment, silent, deeply saddened, but courageous, faithful and fearless, stood at the Cross, with Her love supporting the Son in His great feat. She stood silently in a daze, compassionate with Her Son. And what was happening in Her heart, only God and Her Son could see. How She wanted right there, at that very moment, to die with her Son, so that this incredible suffering would end. “ Here I will die and be buried in Him,”- the cry of the soul of the Mother of God sounds.
From the Cross of the Divine Sufferer Christ to the torn heart of the Mother sounds encouragement, and a testament, and the enthronement of the Queen Mother of heaven and earth: “ Wife! Behold, Your son" (John 19:26). And now, not just the Son, but the sons and daughters of the entire human race must be embraced by Her love-suffering heart. It must accept into itself those who took away Her joy - her only Son. And again, as in all difficult moments of life, Her answer to God the Father and God the Son sounds: “ Behold the servant of the Lord, be unto Me according to Thy word.”
Fifteen years of life in labors unknown to the world to build the Church - the Bride of Christ on earth, in prayers to the Son for the human race, in loving, patient intercession for those who did not yet know God. No, She did not go out to preach together with the Apostles, although She could have told more about Her Son than anyone else, because Her sensitive heart matured God in Him from His very birth. She again in silence carries the feat of motherhood and the feat of faith, and only the Apostles flock to Her, worshiping and feeding from the hidden depths of Her spirit, deified by the feat of life. The Most Holy Theotokos was the first Christian on earth.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary came to the end of Her earthly life. Wanting to be freed from the bonds of life, She again humbly prayed to Her Son and God about the upcoming terrible hour of death, when the dark region has the power and authority to frighten those departing from the earth. And again Archangel Gabriel appeared and announced the fulfillment of Her prayer, gave Her a shining branch of paradise as a sign of victory over evil spirits and the bonds of the flesh and said that Her Dormition would follow in three days.
At the moment of Her Dormition, Christ accepted the soul of His Mother into His Divine hands in order to carry it to His Father.
And three days after the burial, the Apostles, having rolled away the stone from the burial cave, found only Her burial shrouds. The Lady Theotokos co-resurrected Her Son and God. And having risen, the Mother of God became the Mother of the Christian world, the indispensable Hope of the unreliable, the lost, the Seeker, and the Savior of sinners.
From faith, suffering and love the Divine strength and power of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos was woven. And with them She received the power and right to understand, sympathize and love all the weak, burdened with the hardships of life and the bonds of sin. She herself was tempted by them, and now she can help those who are tempted.
Appearance of the Mother of God
“The glory of Her flashed through us, that this Virgin and Mother of God is filled with grace and all the virtues.
Many women here want to visit the Most Pure Virgin. They say that She is always cheerful in persecution and troubles; in need and poverty he is not upset; He not only does not get angry with those who insult Her, but even does good to them; in prosperity meek; she is merciful to the poor and helps them as much as she can; stands firmly for the faith against its enemies, and She Herself is filled with humility. Her patience is inexhaustible when the Jewish teachers and Pharisees mock Her.
People worthy of all trust told us that Her holiness shows how in Her the angelic nature was united with the human. And most of all I want to see this a heavenly miracle and such amazing holiness that evokes surprise, respect and love in everyone.”
Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer
“She was a Virgin not only in body, but also in soul, humble in heart, circumspect in words, prudent, reticent, a lover of reading, hardworking, chaste in speech. Her rules were not to offend anyone, to be kind to everyone, to honor elders, not to envy equals, to avoid boasting, to be sensible, to love virtue.
She had nothing stern in her eyes, nothing imprudent in her words, nothing indecent in her actions: modest body movements, quiet gait, even voice; so Her bodily appearance was an expression of the soul, the personification of purity. She turned all Her days into fasting: She indulged in sleep only when required by need, but even then, while Her body was at rest, She was awake in spirit, repeating what she had read in her sleep. I only left the house to go to church, and then only with my relatives.”
Saint Ambrose of Milan
“The Mother of God was slightly more than average in height; golden hair; eyes are fast, with pupils the color of olives; the eyebrows are arched and moderately black, the nose is oblong, the lips are flowering, full of sweet speeches; the face is not round and not sharp, but somewhat oblong; her hands and fingers are long... She maintained decorum in conversations with others, did not laugh, did not become indignant, and was not particularly angry; completely unartificial, simple. She didn’t think at all about herself and, far from being effeminate, she was distinguished by complete humility.”
Historian Nikifor Callistus
We know about the Blessed Virgin mainly thanks to Sacred Tradition. The main sources here are two apocrypha - the Proto-Gospel of James and the “Book of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary and the Childhood of the Savior.” These monuments were not included in the New Testament canon due to their late origin, but they reflect the view of the Mother of God that existed from the very first days of the Church.
Conception and Christmas Virgin Mary
According to Tradition, the Most Holy Theotokos was born at a turning point during the reign of Herod the Great in one of the suburbs of Jerusalem. Her parents - pious Jews Joachim and Anna - were wealthy, respected and noble people, but did not have much wealth. Their family, descended from King David, had already lost its former influence by that time. By all standards, Joachim and Anna were happy spouses; they could be envied in a good way, if not for one circumstance - after living fifty years in marriage, they were never able to give birth to a child.
Perhaps, at the beginning of their family life, the absence of children did not weigh heavily on them: while you are young, you don’t really think about such things. However, at the peak of maturity, when their surrounding peers began to have grandchildren, Joachim and Anna began to ask the Almighty more and more to send them a child. They were still strong, they could still conceive, give birth and raise the long-awaited child. Every day the couple expected a miracle, but it was in no hurry to happen. The years passed, old age creeped up unnoticed. The couple even promised to give their firstborn to serve in the temple, but God did not seem to hear them. And one day, after another prayer, Joachim and Anna humbled themselves.
They did not curse Heaven, their hearts did not become completely embittered the world, but faith in the Lord did not become cooler. They simply accepted their childlessness as the will of God. Since He deigns to leave them without offspring, it means that this is necessary, it means that He knows better what exactly to endow each person with, what to give and what to take away. The elderly people gratefully accepted their cross, now asking only one thing - that their remaining lives be even more pious than before. They were still full of strength, and decided to devote themselves entirely to those who needed support.
Virtuous spouses began to be respected even more, but there were also evil tongues. Rumors spread throughout the surrounding villages that Joachim and Anna were cursed by God, that one could not communicate with them, and that the good deeds they did brought grief to people. It got to the point that when Joachim once brought the prescribed sacrifice to the Jerusalem Temple, the priest drove him away, declaring that he would not accept it from an unworthy person. This attitude of some people may seem strange, but it is quite logical and is explained not only by the evil morals of some Jews, but also by one feature of Old Testament religious thinking.
At the very beginning of human history, God gave our fallen ancestors Adam and Eve the promise that in due time a Deliverer and Savior would be born among their descendants. This prophecy was spoken in the form of an appeal to the seducing devil, whom the Lord cursed literally with the following words: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it will bruise your head, and you will bruise its heel(Life 3 :15).
Already the foremother Eve attributed the statements about her wife and her seed to herself and believed that it was she who would give birth to the future conqueror of evil. But it turned out differently - her eldest son Cain became not a savior, but the first murderer who took the life of his brother Abel. The more distant descendants of Adam turned out to be not much better - they moved away from God. And only a small part of people continued, as best they could, to honor the One God and preserve the memory of the old times, when paradise was not yet closed to man.
For centuries, these same generations faithful to the Lord passed on God’s promise about the seed of the woman, which would erase the head of the ancient serpent Satan. Every pious girl understood that she could become this wife, and every man, deep down in his soul, hoped to be involved in this miracle. Therefore, among the chosen people, marriage and procreation were considered a matter of honor, and the presence of children was regarded as a blessing from God. And vice versa - if the spouses did not have offspring, then they were subjected to all kinds of reproach, because it was believed that such couples were deprived of the mercy of the Almighty for some terrible sins.
Joachim and Anna bore the cross of childlessness throughout their married life. They could not even imagine that it was from their union that the very wife whose seed was mentioned in the Edenic promise would come. One day, an angel appeared to them one by one and announced the good news - they would become parents. And just as many years ago the elderly couple humbly accepted the lot of their childlessness, with the same humility the old people accepted the joy that befell them. Joachim and Anna did not argue with the angel, did not piously refuse, citing their advanced age and the inability to have children. That same night, husband and wife were together, and some time later the elderly woman realized that she was pregnant.
At the appointed time, the already middle-aged woman became the mother of a healthy baby, who was named Maria. Rumor spread through the surrounding villages again, but this time people were amazed at what was happening. The miracle was obvious - this had not happened in Israel for several centuries. The old people were happy and thanked God for the gift sent down to them. Finally, their dream came true, and they could quietly end their earthly days. The couple remembered their promise to dedicate their Daughter to God. At first they planned to keep their word two years after Her birth, but they realized that it was better to wait a little longer - the Girl was not yet ready to leave her parents’ home. Another year passed, and three-year-old Mary, accompanied by young virgins with lighted torches, was brought to the Temple of Jerusalem.
During the initiation ceremony, a miracle happened: as soon as Mary was placed at the stairs leading to the upper part of the temple courtyard, she herself, without anyone’s help, overcame fifteen huge steps, which many adults had difficulty climbing. Seeing what is happening and seeing clearly future destiny Girls, the high priest accepted Her, blessed her and did something previously unprecedented - he led Mary into the interior of the Temple - where only priests could be. Whether the Virgin was really introduced into the Holy of Holies - the Proto-Gospel does not directly speak about this, however, from ancient times the Church believes that the Mother of God did enter this most sacred compartment of the Temple.
At that moment, everyone present realized that the daughter of Joachim and Anna was worthy to enter the sanctuary, and She had to do something very important. Her place was right here - in God's house, where She could receive the necessary education and knowledge. And the Virgin’s parents, having lived for a few more years, died peacefully with the knowledge that they had fulfilled their vow and were able to give God the most precious thing they had. Now the fate of their Daughter was completely in the hands of the Almighty.
Mary's Childhood and Annunciation
The temple school for girls educated the best representatives of Jewish society, who later became the wives of priests, scribes and noble young people. They were taught everything they needed to run a farm. Also, great attention was paid to giving pupils a spiritual education, teaching them to have a good understanding of sacred texts and rituals. In fact, the school that Maria ended up in was a theological seminary for girls.
The Mother of God studied until she was twelve years old. During all this time, she mastered many “female” professions, but sewing was best for her. The skill of the Most Pure One was so high that She was entrusted with the most important work - creating curtains and covers for the sanctuary. She did not lag behind in studying the Scriptures, which she knew almost by heart. Maria was the best student at the Temple school, and over time would become a desirable bride for many worthy young men. In a different situation, She could have taken a prominent position in society, if not for one “but” - even in early childhood, the Girl took a vow of celibacy to God.
The priests knew about this. When their pupil reached adulthood, and She could no longer live at the Temple, they faced a problem. No one thought of breaking the vow made by Maria, and there was no question of forcing Maria into marriage either. However, She could not live independently in the world - the law forbade unmarried girls to live among people alone. Since, apart from her long-dead parents, Mary had no close relatives, they decided to betroth Her to one of the old widowers, so that he, formally considered Her husband, would be the guardian of the purity and chastity of his wife. After long discussions and prayers, the priests decided to choose Mary's future betrothed by drawing lots - so that exclusively the will of God would be manifested.
Among the candidates was Joseph, a construction foreman from the provincial Galilean town of Nazareth. When the men gathered in the Temple, the high priest took their staffs and placed them on the altar. After a long prayer, he began to return the rods to their owners one by one, with the expectation that the Lord would somehow clearly indicate the chosen one. But there was no sign, and only when Joseph’s turn came, as Tradition says, a miracle happened - the wide end of the stick separated from it and turned into a dove, which landed on Joseph’s head. Everyone understood that he was God’s chosen one.
The artisan was not happy with this turn and began to refuse the mission offered to him. The argument was simple - the old man was afraid of ridicule from his already adult children and acquaintances, because the age difference between him and Maria was huge. In addition, the adoption of another member into the family would have forced the division of modest property anew, and this would have caused unrest among the relatives... But the priests convinced Joseph not to resist the will of God. Ultimately, the old man agreed.
And what about Maria? How did she react to what was happening? Both Tradition and the Holy Fathers say that She humbled herself. But this was not the submission of a “doomed victim,” but a conscious act - Mary, who knew the Holy Scripture better than all her fellow students, understood that the Lord was expecting something from Her. And therefore She accepted everything that happened to Her as the Lord’s will, as Her destiny. And this acceptance was the Virgin’s step towards God, who prepared a new test for Her.
Soon after the betrothal, Joseph left the Virgin at home and went to work on a construction site. He had to be away for several months. Mary, meanwhile, was weaving the curtain that the priests ordered for the Temple sanctuary. While doing what she loved, Virgo most often either prayed or reflected on what she had heard or read. So, one day, while still a child, She learned that the time would come when a certain wife would give birth to a Child who would destroy the devil and crush all his power. Impressed by this story and other prophecies about the mother of the Messiah, Mary dreamed of being at least a servant in this woman’s house. And then I realized that this was just a dream. After all, the Jews had a strong belief that the Savior would be born in the royal chambers, surrounded by the best midwives and nurses. But can She, a simple poor provincial woman, get into the palace? Mary could only dream... According to Tradition, it was during such reflections that the angel of God Gabriel appeared to her.
His appearance is described in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. The Messenger of Heaven announced to Her the news that She would give birth to a Son. And not an ordinary child, but precisely that same one - the long-awaited Savior, whose coming all the Jews were expecting. His words confused Mary, and the Girl replied that She was a virgin, and therefore she could not have a child. The angel replied: The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God(OK 1 :35). At the same time, Gabriel added that there is another woman in Israel with an unusual pregnancy - Elizabeth, the wife of the high priest Zechariah, who conceived in old age and is now expecting a son. And if God was able to make Elizabeth’s old womb capable of receiving seed, then He will also bless Mary’s virgin womb, which will bear without any male participation.
The appearance of the angel was a kind of milestone for the young Mother of God. The fact is that God expected from Her precisely free and voluntary participation in the matter of the Incarnation. And if so, it means that Mary could refuse the mission offered to Her. This option, according to the majority of the holy fathers, was very possible. And then the Lord would again have to wait for the birth of a new worthy girl in order for her to give Him her human nature. But Maria agreed. Convinced of the truth of the angel’s words and believing God, she humbly answered Gabriel: “I am the Servant of the Lord, let it be as you say.”
After some time, Joseph returned home. Noticing Mary's pregnancy, he fell into despair: just think - as soon as he was absent for a long period, the Young Lady fell into sin! He began to question his Spouse, but She only told him about the appearance of an angel. Having heard this answer many times, Joseph pulled himself together and calmed Mary down. He realized that something unusual had happened, but still thought that the Girl had been seduced, and She had become a victim of deception. Not considering Her guilty, but also not being able to endure the possible shame from people, the old man decided to secretly let Her out of the house, giving Her a divorce. He seemed to absolve himself of all responsibility for Her and at the same time saved Her from stoning, which was supposed to be done to unfaithful wives.
However, these plans of Joseph were prevented by Gabriel: at night he appeared to an elderly man and forbade him to let Mary go. The angel told about the fate of the unborn Child and calmed the worried husband. After this conversation, Joseph finally believed in the purity of the conception and kept Mary with him.
However, the family faced a new test - soon one of the scribes came to visit them. He knew that Mary was a Virgin, and that Joseph was only formally considered her husband. Seeing the pregnant Girl, the guest decided to tell the high priests about everything. The formal guilt of the couple was that Mary became pregnant without the knowledge and blessing of the clergy. And the elders thought that Joseph was simply covering for his Wife. An investigation has begun.
Joseph and the Mother of God told everything that happened to them, but the Temple did not believe them. After much questioning, spending a lot of energy and nerves, the priests ultimately decided to ask God Himself whether the Girl was pure. The essence of the ritual was that after performing certain prayers, the person being tested was given a special mixture to drink. If he remained healthy and without any external changes, this meant his innocence. Joseph and Mary were also given the mixture to drink, but God left them unharmed, showing that they were clean before Him. The priests were forced to curtail the investigation and bless the couple.
Mother of Christ
The events of the Savior’s earthly life are described in sufficient detail in the New Testament, and they are well known to every believer. The Gospel story mentions Mary as if in passing, making Her a participant in only a few episodes. This silence of the evangelists is quite understandable - the center of the good news and the entire Christian faith was, is and will be Christ, and only Christ. But without knowledge of the further fate of the Mother of God, the honor that the Church still bestows upon Her is still incomprehensible.
After the events of Christmas and a rather long stay in Egypt, the holy family returned to their city of Nazareth. The secret of the virgin birth of Christ was known only to the spouses themselves and several other priests, who soon died. For the rest of the people, including Joseph's older children, Jesus was his own son. No one doubted this, since the imaginary husband of the Mother of God had such an impeccable reputation that no other options were even contemplated.
The birth of the Divine Infant had little effect on the family life of Mary’s house - the Betrothed continued to walk around the neighborhood, building and repairing houses; the Mother of God still bore the burden of women’s chores around the house. Did the attitude of the husband's relatives change - they accepted Jesus with coolness, not wanting to recognize an additional heir. At first, only the youngest of Joseph’s children, Jacob, treated Him well. He fell in love with Mary as a second mother and as an older sister, and immediately recognized the Infant Christ as his brother, sharing with him his share of the inheritance. Jacob began to help Mary when she was widowed, and the Savior was still too young to earn money on his own.
Having reached adulthood, Jesus took his stepfather’s tool and began to earn food for himself and his mother. So more than ten years passed until one day He went out to preach, which was one of the main goals of His earthly life. Mary knew from the very beginning that this was precisely why the Lord came to earth, and as a mother she did not interfere with Him. Moreover, almost immediately after Her Son entered public service, the Most Pure One joined the number of female disciples who followed Christ along with the apostles.
The companions of Jesus took upon themselves all the burdens of creating basic living conditions for the Teacher and students - they bought and prepared food, washed and mended clothes, and tried in every possible way to support their sons, brothers and husbands. The Most Holy One shared all the difficulties of preaching with Christ until the moment when He was arrested, condemned to death and crucified on Calvary. Like other women, She did not leave her suffering Son for a minute during the hours of the cross and at the moment of death. According to Tradition, she was also among the myrrh-bearers who were the first to receive the joyful news of the Light Christ's Resurrection. She was also present when the Lord finally left the earth and ascended into heavenly glory.
Did the Mother of God know that she had given flesh to the Creator of the universe Himself? The Church says unequivocally: Yes! But this knowledge developed in Her gradually, originating first as a kind of spiritual intuition and only over time developing into a firm confidence in the divine dignity of Her Son. She, as Evangelist Luke writes, put together in her pure heart all the words and events associated with the Savior and carefully connected these parts into a single mosaic, which became fully apparent on the day of the Resurrection. After the victory of Jesus of Nazareth over sin and death, none of the disciples had even a shadow of doubt that Mary was the Mother of the Lord and Savior of the world.
Tradition says that She lived the remaining years of Her earthly life together with the Apostle John Zebedee, the beloved disciple of Jesus, to whom He, shortly before His death on the cross, instructed him to take care of Her in every possible way as his own mother. Mary and John lived most of the time in Jerusalem. Ephesus became their second hometown, where the apostle spent a long time.
Despite her advanced age, the Most Pure One did not sit idle - She continued to preach, console, instruct, support and help everyone who came to Her. For the apostolic community, She became a living memory of the Teacher, the conscience of the Church, Mother and Prayer Book. All people who converted to Christianity tried to receive her blessing, and Mary did not reject anyone. Her heart was warm, her love was immeasurable, her prayer was fiery.
The Most Holy Theotokos peacefully passed away into Eternity in the third quarter of the first century. At the end of His earthly path She greatly missed her Son, prayed a lot and asked to take Her to Her. During one of these prayers, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before the Virgin, as in the distant years of her youth, and said that She could rejoice, for the Lord would fulfill Her request in three days.
The Blessed Virgin was waiting for this news. She was ready to move into eternity, and used the allotted three days to say goodbye to all the people dear to Her heart. It immediately became clear that She would not be able to see some - for example, the apostles who dispersed to the remote provinces of the Roman Empire to preach. Three days were too short to gather them all, and the Mother of God prayed to her Son. She did not demand anything - She simply asked - humbly and meekly, as she always did. And the Lord answered the mother’s prayers miraculously - to all the regions where the apostles were, He sent angels who carried them to Jerusalem to the house of the Most Pure One.
And then the day of death came. Mary lay peacefully on her bed, beaming with quiet joy. Her closest people gathered around her. Suddenly, the indescribable light of Divine glory shone in the upper room. Those to whom this vision was revealed were horrified. They saw how Christ himself, surrounded by heavenly forces, approached His Mother. Her soul separated from her body and was taken into the arms of the Savior, who took Her with Him. And on the bed there remained a body glowing with grace. It seemed as if the Mother of God had not died, but was sleeping in a peaceful midday slumber. A happy smile froze on Her face - finally, after many years of waiting, She went to her Son. According to Tradition, by this time the Virgin Mary was 72 years old.
They buried the Mother of God in the tomb where Her parents and husband Joseph had previously been buried. The body of the Ever-Virgin was carried in a solemn procession through Jerusalem. The Jewish priests learned about this and decided to disperse the procession. But a miracle happened - the Christians who were seeing off the Mother of God on her last journey were surrounded by a cloud, and the soldiers sent by the elders could not cause them any harm. Then the Jewish priest Athos tried to overturn the bed, but his hands were cut off by an invisible force. After repentance, he received healing and confessed himself to be a Christian. After the burial, the apostles closed the entrance to the cave with a stone and left.
The Apostle Thomas did not participate in the procession - the Lord specifically did not allow him to arrive on time. He arrived in Jerusalem on the third day after the funeral. Saddened that he would never see the Virgin Mary again, he began to ask the apostles to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to his body. They agreed, but when they opened the coffin, they were horrified: there was no body in the cave - only burial shrouds lay in the niche. The apostles were in confusion. They returned home, perplexed and praying to God to show them where to look for the missing body. That same day, in the evening, at dinner, the Mother of God herself appeared to the apostles, surrounded by angels, and greeted them with the words: “Rejoice! For I am with you always.”
Our Lady and always the Virgin
An integral part of traditional Christian doctrine are two concepts: Motherhood and Ever-Virginity. What do these concepts mean and why are they so important?
The first term, which appeared in the Christian lexicon in the middle of the 2nd century and goes back to the Alexandrian theological school, says that Mary - a simple human Girl, a descendant of Adam and Eve - gave birth not only to the Man Jesus, but also to the True God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. At the same time, it is important to clearly understand that the Divine nature has no beginning, it is eternal, and God cannot have a mother. However, without ceasing to be God, the Son of God deigned to accept human nature from Mary and become Man.
Mary gave birth to Man, but since His Person is divine, the Church considers the expression “to give birth to God according to the flesh” correct and justified. The concept of the Mother of God is very closely connected with the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, and therefore the Church has always insisted that denying Mary the title of Mother of God is the same as denying Christ His divinity.
There are many more questions with the second term, and it is also very important. Ever-virginity - “eternal virginity” - means that Mary, just as she was a Virgin before the conception of her Son, was so at the time of the Nativity, and also remained a Virgin after giving birth. In other words, no physiological and psychological changes or destruction associated with the birth of children occurred in Her girl’s body. The purity of the Mother of God has two characteristics that make Mary the most perfect person after Christ.
One of the main problems of fallen human nature is the dominance of the flesh over the individual. The Fall damaged the hierarchy that was laid down by God in Adam and Eve. After the Edenic catastrophe, the spirit, soul and mind became prisoners of the physiological principle. In the field of motherhood, this has led to the fact that mother's love is very often based on biological maternal instinct, on a sense of duty and a sense of ownership. For most mothers, a child is part of herself, flesh and blood. At the subconscious level, a child is most often perceived as the woman’s own part, as a certain thing, and rarely does a parent find the strength to overcome this instinct and reach a new level of love for the child. In the birth of the Son of God, the Mother of God sacrifices herself in an absolute sense, demanding nothing in return. He leaves Her to serve people, He leaves Her in death. She knows from the very beginning that He is the Son of God. The Mother of God is an absolute and unattainable example of sacrificial maternal love. This is why all mothers pray to Her. She is asked to teach sacrificial love for children.
In the Mother of God the law of fallen nature was overcome, and She gives birth to the Son completely freely. For Mary, the Infant of God is not a consequence of marriage, as for all other women, but someone completely different. This otherness is most adequately conveyed by the church term “groom.” The relationship between the Mother of God and Christ best fits into the ideal of a pure relationship between the bride and groom - just as strangers and people who did not know each other are imbued with mutual unconditional and selfless love, so the Mother of God completely freely chooses for herself the path of serving God. She gives Him Her untouched nature, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and becomes the chosen vessel, the container of the incontainable King of the universe. By the way, this is where the poetic phrase “The Unbrided Bride” originates. Mary's love for her Son (and therefore for all people) is higher than any human love, since it is not overshadowed by any distortions of fallen nature.
The Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God also speaks of the fact that She became the first on whom the divine plan to restore all humanity to its former greatness and glory was fulfilled. In Eternity, which will come after the second coming of Christ, the whole world will be transformed, become different, and man himself will be deprived of the sad consequences of the Fall. But this will happen only after the general resurrection of the dead, and the Mother of God, already during Her earthly life, was honored to be involved in this heavenly state. She showed people that highest ideal - both spiritual and physical - to which everyone who calls himself a Christian is called. By personal example, humility, love and selfless service to God, the Most Blessed Mary showed us the path along which all people are called to follow. A path that runs through self-sacrifice and self-forgetfulness, through feat and effort, through work and constant work on oneself. But if you still decide to follow it and ask the Mother of God for help and support, then at the end of this road the imperishable light of the Heavenly abodes will shine - the very ones where we are all called to come.
On the screensaver is Hans Holbein the Elder. Dormition of the Virgin Mary (fragment). 1491-1492
IS R15-502-3008
The text is published based on the book “THE EARTHLY LIFE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN” (SPb., 1892), created on the basis of the Holy Scriptures, the testimonies of the holy fathers and Church Tradition.
INTRODUCTION
Behold, from now on you will bless Me and give birth to me: for the Mighty One, create greatness for Me.(Luke 1, 48, 49), - the Most Holy Theotokos responded to the greeting of the righteous Elizabeth, and the long series of centuries that have passed since these words were uttered serves as confirmation of their immutability. The name of the Mother of God is honored and glorified by all Christians. Her pre-election for the great mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, purity and high holiness of life, service to God’s economy for the salvation of people, intercession before the Throne of God for the whole world and a continuous series of benefits to those who require Her help - these are the rays of incomparable glory belonging to the Most Honest Cherubim and the Most Glorious Seraphim. Everything that pertains to the glory of the Most Holy
The Mother of God, as the common Mother of all Christians, should be dear to the heart of every Christian. That is why, in sincere reverence for the Blessed Virgin, this book is offered to the pious reader about the earthly life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, compiled on the basis of the narrative of the Holy Scriptures, the testimonies of the holy fathers and church traditions. May the Lord bless that this book be received and read with sincere feelings of love and reverence for the Most Holy Virgin Mary, our Intercessor.
Most Holy Theotokos, help us!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Prophecies about the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Old Testament
“All the prophets of Thy Mother of God preached glorious images.”
From Octoechos, tone 1
The first word about the Most Holy Theotokos was spoken in paradise. It was spoken by God Himself in the promise of the Redeemer of our fallen ancestors. This promise, called the “first gospel” by interpreters of Holy Scripture, is found in the words of God addressed to the seducing serpent: I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed: it will bruise your head, and you will bruise its heel.(Genesis 3:15).
Since in the form of a natural serpent he hid the great serpent, the ancient serpent, called the devil(Rev. 12:9), then under wife We must understand here not Eve actually and not some other ordinary wife, especially since Eve’s descendants, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world, did not have much success in the fight against the spiritual serpent. “God speaks to the serpent,” notes St. Epiphany, - I will put enmity between you and your wife, your seed and your seed, but such a seed of a woman cannot be found, therefore, the enmity that the serpent and the envious person who was in the serpent, the devil, will lead to Eve with her offspring is anything but a guess.”
Who is this Woman who corrects Eve’s sin, explains St.
John of Damascus.
“Eve,” he says, “became the first criminal, and through her, who served as the instrument of the fall of the progenitor, death entered the world; but Mary, submissive to the will of God, introduced immortality into the world.” The wife of whom God speaks is the Most Pure Virgin Mary, blessed and blessed, through whom the Word became flesh solely through the influx of the Holy Spirit and the overshadowing of the power of the Most High. The Seed of the Woman, who triumphed over the dark forces, abolished the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil, who destroyed the works of the devil and through His suffering, death and resurrection crushed the very head of the seducing serpent, is truly the Savior of the world - the Lord Jesus Christ.
Subsequently, this promise of God, reverently preserved in humanity, was developed and interpreted by the prophets. Of course, the main focus of prophetic predictions of the future was the Lord Jesus
Christ; but since His Most Pure Mother closely served the cause of saving people, the Holy Scriptures contain many prophecies about Her, set forth together with predictions about the Savior. In explaining these prophecies, our best and most reliable guides will be the holy fathers and teachers of the Church.
In the 44th Psalm, the holy prophet David picturesquely depicts the glory of the King and Queen. If the features used in describing the greatness of the King are such that they force us to see in this King the King of the spiritual kingdom, the imperishable and eternal, the Lord Jesus Christ, then by the Queen we should also mean the Heavenly Queen and our Lady - the Virgin Mother of God. The Queen appears at Your right hand, adorned in gilded robes. Hear, O Daughters, and see, and incline Your ear, and forget Your people and Your father’s house. All glory to the Tsar's Daughter inside: Ryasny(decorations) (Ps. 44: 10-16).
The Holy Church in its liturgical hymns appends this prophecy to the Mother of God:
“For Your sake, the Godfather, the prophet David, proclaim in song about You, Who has done greatness to You: the Queen has appeared at Your right hand”;
“Hear, O Daughters, and see, and incline Your ear, and the King will desire Your kindness: for all Your glory, O Virgin, is from within, as having conceived Your Creator”;
“Standing at the right hand of Christ, like the Queen, robed in gold, God-delighted, truly attired, we receive the Kingdom of Heaven through Thy prayers, O Youth, intercessor, All-Immaculate”;
“I hear David singing to You: the virgins will be brought after You, they will be brought to the temple of kings, and with him I will sing to You and I, the Daughter of the King.”
To explain this prophecy, we must remember that sitting and standing right hand From ancient times, the king meant a special honor that belonged to persons close to the throne. In the prophecy being explained, the Lord Jesus Christ appears to be seated on the throne of eternal glory, and standing at His right hand is the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God. She stands in the highest place as the Most Honest Cherub and the Most Glorious Seraphim. In gilded vestments, covered with- these words denote the high grace-filled qualities of the Most Pure Virgin, by which She was honored to be the receptacle of the Only Begotten Son of God. Purity, humility, faith, love of God, patience - these are the golden ryasny, in which She stands before the Son and Her God. That the decorations of the Queen sung in this psalm are not external, but internal, spiritual, the prophet-psalmist clearly states in this way: all the glory of the Tsar's Daughter inside. Bringing maidens following Her in joy and joy to the temple of the kings can be understood as bringing all pure and holy souls to the abodes of the Heavenly Father, beautiful beyond human concepts.
Psalm 67 reads, among other things: Mountain of God, fat mountain; the mountain is strewn! The mountain where God willed you to live. The Blessed Virgin, according to the interpretation of the Holy Church, is fat mountain(that is, watered by the grace of the Holy Spirit). She is a mountain in Her highest dignity. “Leap up, mountains,” says the saint. John of Damascus, - rational beings striving for the height of spiritual contemplation: the glorious mountain of the Lord is born, surpassing in height and place every hill and every mountain - the greatness of Angels and men... the top of Sinai is the most holy, which is covered not by smoke, not darkness, not a storm, not terrible fire, but the bright shine of the All-Holy Spirit" 1
Here and below are quotes from the book: Works of St. John of Damascus. Christological and polemical treatises. Words for the Mother of God holidays. – M., 1997. P. 275-292.
In this sense, God's
Mother is called a height beyond the reach of human thoughts. As the watered One, the name primarily belongs to Gracious.
Psalm 86 says: Glorious words were spoken about you, the city of God. The City of God is Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. From the very beginning, Jerusalem was an unimportant city in the country of the Jebusites, one of the tribes of the land of Canaan. Then, when King David conquered it, made it the capital of his kingdom and built a house for himself in it, his glory grew more and more. David’s successor, Solomon, erected in Jerusalem a magnificent and unique temple to the true God in the whole world and in touching words during the consecration of the temple, he asked the Lord to listen here to the prayers of not only the Israelis, but also those of other faiths and foreigners.
From that time on, not only Jews, but also pagans began to flock to Jerusalem in large numbers, and great things were proclaimed throughout the whole world about the city of God, which the Lord was pleased to make His dwelling place. The Most Holy Virgin, in relation to her glory, according to the teachings of the Holy Church, is similar to the city of Jerusalem. She is “The City of all the Tsar, glorious and well-heard of the Nezha that was spoken in reality,” “The Palace and Throne of the King, the Chosen City.”
Coming from the royal family of David, truncated to the roots and no longer enjoying its former rights, the Most Holy Virgin at first, like Jerusalem, did not have any external glory, and was the humblest of the virgins of her people. But having become God's chosen Mother of the Savior of the world, She acquired unique and worldwide fame. The Mother of God, according to Her prediction, will be blessed by all generations; She became a “worldwide miracle and hearing.”
In the book of the Song of Songs, which depicts the bride and groom in lofty and mysterious features, by which they usually understand the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Church, there are many references to the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos.
You have attracted our heart, my sister, bride(Song. 4, 9), we read in the mentioned book of Holy Scripture. According to the teachings of the Holy Church, the Mother of God is Virgin Bride of God, Bride of God, Bride Unbrided And Not artificial. Bride It is called in relation to the Holy Spirit, and Non-bride She is designated in relation to people as unmarried, unmarried.
“Thou art all good, my neighbor, and there is no vice in You,” “All my neighbor is good and blameless; Having foreseen you, Solomon of old cried out in song,” teaches the Holy Church, naming the Blessed Virgin in other places Most Immaculate, All Immaculate, Most Pure.“Rejoice, Immaculate One,” says St. John of Damascus, is the inviolable adornment of virginity: You gave birth to the immaculate Word and from You virginity shone.”
“Who is this piercing one, like the morning, good, like the moon, chosen, like the sun?” - this is again the Most Pure Virgin, according to the interpretation of the Holy Church. Just as the morning dawn, dispelling the darkness of the night, precedes the radiant sun, borrowing its light from it, so the Most Holy Virgin directly preceded Sun of truth– Jesus Christ, and from Him the Mother of God received Her glory. With the birth of the Lord, the darkness of idolatry and polytheism disappeared and the non-evening day of knowledge of God and piety came. Therefore, the Mother of God is “the brightest morning”, “carrying the Sun of Christ”, “the dwelling of light”, “destroying the darkness and driving away the dark demons”, “the star that reveals the Sun”, “the dawn of the mysterious day”.
Vertograd is closed - My sister, bride, the source is sealed, the source of Vertograd and the well of water are alive(Song. 4, 12).
“Vertograd is closed to Thee, Virgin Mother of God, and the source is sealed by the Divine Spirit, the wise one sings in songs.” “Solomon, seeing (You) received God, called You the bed of the King, a living sealed fountain from which water flowed for us.” Water in Holy Scripture means the grace of the Holy Spirit (see: John 7:37), quenching the thirst of the human soul.
The Mother of God is a “living and unenvious source” (non-depleting) of this mysterious water. Having served the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, She became for us “the incorruptible source of God’s life-giving and saving incarnation,” exuding destruction for death and life for the faithful. Having ascended to the heights of moral perfection and approaching the Throne of God as the Ever-Virgin Mother of the Lord, She zealously intercedes for us and exudes the boundless gifts of Her grace to all who call on Her with faith and love. Word imprinted according to the interpretation of St. John of Damascus, indicates the ever-virginity of the Mother of God. And the Holy Church teaches: “You, the sealed source and the closed door, are truly the name of the prophetic face, Your virginity, All-Sung, clearly writing signs for us, which You preserved even after the Nativity.”
“Who is this who rises out of the wilderness like a stalk (column) of smoke burning myrrh and frankincense, from all the spices of the myrrh-maker?” Lord Jesus Christ is the stench of the world is the most aroma of all, His very name is myrrh poured out. He is the Anointed One to a degree incomparably higher than all the Old Testament anointed ones: kings, high priests and prophets. But the Most Holy Virgin, as a participant in the glory of Her Son and God, is also a valuable Myrrh, or, more precisely, a Vessel, an inexhaustible Myrrh, poured out on Her, and received. “Rejoice, Miro,” exclaims St. John of Damascus, an invaluable composition of virtues. You are fragrant with all purity: from You came the Lord who is like You, because it is said: His name was poured out in peace.”
Like a crin (lily) among thorns: so is my sincere one among my daughters2
See: Bible. Old Testament. Song of Solomon. Chapter 2.
Such was the Blessed Virgin Mary among human daughters. Like a thorn, like the purest wine, like a fragrant smell from the red pleasures of the world, the Creator, having chosen You, O Maiden, moved into Your womb and was born, filled with all kinds of fragrances. She is truly a “sweet-smelling krin” because she “glows with the sparkle of purity and the light of virginity.” As the Ever-Virgin, She is called the “Unfading Color.”
The Book of Proverbs of Solomon says that Wisdom built for herself a house and established seven pillars(Prov. 9, 1). This Wisdom, according to the interpretation of the Holy Church, is none other than the hypostatic Wisdom of God - the Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us the true knowledge of God, and the temple built by Her is the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos. “Out of You, God’s wisdom, having created a temple for Yourself, was incarnated with indescribable condescension, O Youth, unartificial.” That is why the Mother of God is called “The Chamber of the King of All,” “The Chamber of Seedless Discouragement (betrothal),” “The Chamber of the Undefiled Word,” “The All-Light One.”
In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (see: Is. 7, 14) there is the following prophecy about the Ever-Virgin Mother of God: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel, What means: God is with us(Matt. 1:23). It was said on the following occasion. Two strong neighbors of the kingdom of Judah, the kings of Syria and Israel, formed an alliance to overthrow Ahaz, the king of Judah, and install another dynasty in his place.
Ahaz, who filled Judea with idols, sought help from the king of Assyria. But God, who appears to those who do not seek Him and is found without asking about Him, commanded His prophet Isaiah to stand before Ahaz and tell him about the salvation of the house of David. Do not be afraid, let your soul faint from the two trees of the heads of these smoking heads, this advice will not endure, it will come true(Isa. 7:4, 7), that is, the intentions of the kings that are terrible for you will not be fulfilled, because in the mysteries of God’s Providence their fall from the hands of the Assyrian king has already been decided, and they are finishing last years of its existence like burning brands.
When these words of the prophet were received with distrust on the part of Ahaz, it was proposed to the king to ask the Lord for a sign to fully confirm the promise that was comforting to him. Ahaz's stubbornness was so great that he rejected the offer. Then the prophet, addressing the entire house or family of David, utters the aforementioned prophecy. It was supposed to certify the descendants of David that the Lord would faithfully fulfill all his promises given to their ancestor about the continuation of his family, the inalienability of the kingdom and, finally, the descent from him of the Savior of the world. The angel, preaching to the Blessed Virgin about the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ from Her, obviously speaks in the words of this prophecy (see: Luke 1, 31) and in another case definitely represents it as fulfilled at the birth of the Savior (see: Matt. 1, 22) . The Holy Church explains the words of the prophet in the same way: “The perspicacious Isaiah, understanding Your seedless birth, O Virgin, cried out: Behold, the Virgin will receive in her womb.”
Delving into the meaning of the prophecy, we can only understand it as a prophecy about the birth of the Savior of the world from the Virgin Mary. She is truly a “husbandless Mother,” let’s say in the words of St. Joanna
Damascus, - one between the Pure mothers, the Mother and together the Virgin - a miracle, the newest of all miracles! She is a Virgin who gave birth to a Son, alone among virgins she gave birth, a Virgin and together a Mother - the most amazing miracle of all miracles!” To whom, if not the Lord Jesus Christ, can the great name Emmanuel belong? Saint Isaiah depicts the prophesied Child with such sublime features that it clearly makes it possible to see God in Him.
The Prophet Isaiah predicted that our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as His Most Pure Mother, would descend from the line of David: a rod will come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will arise from its root, and the Spirit of God will rest on it(Isa. 11, 1-2; 53, 2). Under the word rod The Holy Church means the Virgin Mary. “This is the rod of Isaiah named, from whom the red color of Christ God has grown red for us.” Expression root of Jesse (from Heb.- stump, stump) gives the idea of the humiliated state of the Davidic family at the time when descended from it rod- The Virgin Mary. This prophecy refers to Jesus Christ by the holy Apostle Paul (see: Rom. 15, 12), and also in other places of Holy Scripture the Savior is called rooted in the line of David.
The same prophet speaks about the journey of the Mother of God with the Child of God to Egypt: Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud, and will come to Egypt, and the things made with hands of Egypt will shake at His presence.(Isa. 19:1). Here light cloud, according to the teachings of the Holy Church, there is the Most Holy Virgin: “The prophet Isaiah saw the light cloud of old, enlightened by the Spirit, on whom the Lord sat in glory, came and cast down all the idols of Egypt,” “It is not false that you are a light cloud, the Virgin, we call it a prophetic saying.” The Mother of God is called a cloud, firstly, because from Her “the righteous Sun has risen for us,” and secondly, because She “blows out the living water of remission of sins to those who thirst” and has rained down for us “the cloud of incorruptibility of Christ.”
In chapter 29 we read the following: All these words will be given to you, like the words of the sealed book of this book, even if they give the scriptures to a man who reads them, saying: Read this. And he says: I can’t read it, it’s sealed(Isa. 29:11). This mysterious sealed book is the Blessed Virgin. “The book now sealed is born,” sings the Holy Church on the eve of the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, “impossible to read by the nature of the law of the earth, kept in the dwelling of the Word: like the books manifested by those who speak God by the Spirit.”
In this animate book with the finger of the Divine God's Word is written. The name book has the same meaning. scroll, borrowed from the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:9) and attached to the Mother of God. “The Scroll of Thee is sometimes a prophet,
The young woman, seeing, in him, with the finger of the Father, the Word was written incarnate.” The Blessed Virgin is Book sealed because of the incomprehensible mystery of the incarnation of God. “The prophet prescribes Your unspeakable Nativity, the Book is sealed foresight, which no one else understands the mystery of the incarnation of Your Nativity.”
The Prophet Ezekiel was shown a mysterious vision on the Khobar River: he saw the Lord sitting on a throne, under which he saw the firmament, four animals and the same number of animated wheels (see: Ezek., Chapter 1). Marvelous animals, according to the prophet himself, were Cherubim. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ was sitting on the Throne, so the Wonderful Chariot meant the Most Pure Virgin. She is the “chariot of the intelligent Sun”, “the fiery chariot of the Word”, “the most holy chariot of Jehovah on the Cherubim”. The prophet Isaiah saw the Lord on the throne, high and exalted;
Seraphim stood around and glorified His greatness. The prophet Daniel also speaks of the Throne on which God sat. The Holy Church often calls the Mother of God the Throne. “The animate chamber of the Tsar and the fiery Throne, the Virgin, appeared, sitting on it, (the Lord) raised up all men from the first fall.” “Thou art appeared on the Throne of God, O Mother of God, and on it Christ sits in flesh.”
Prophet Ezekiel says: Convert me(Lord) on the path of the outer gates of the saints, looking to the east: and this byahu is closed. And the Lord said to me: This gate will be shut and will not be opened, and no one will pass through it: for the Lord God of Israel will enter through it, and it will be closed.(Ezek. 44, 1-3). The gate facing the east, through which the Lord alone passes, according to the interpretation of the Holy Church and the Holy Fathers, is the Most Pure Virgin Mary. “Ezekiel You see the closed door, O Virgin, through which Jesus passed.” “The prophet saw You through the door of God, through which He Himself passed alone, like the message, the Most Pure Virgin.” “As the prophet saw Thee of old, Pure, Immaculate, the prophet saw the gates to the unpassable light, and knew Thee as God’s dwelling place.” Under the image of these gates, which remained closed before the coming and after the passage of the Lord, we understand the ever-virginity of the Mother of God; the reason that they are facing east must be seen in their purpose for the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called in the Holy Scriptures East.“Now they are arranged,” says St. John of Damascus, “the holy gate from the east, through which Christ will enter and go out, and these gates will be closed.”
The Book of the Prophet Daniel (see: Dan. 2, 31-35) describes the amazing vision of King Nebuchadnezzar: he saw a great body made up of different substances: gold, silver, copper, iron, clay, and behold the stone was torn away from the mountain without hands, and struck the body in the nose with iron and meager, and wore them down to the end, then the meager, iron, copper, silver and gold were shaken off together, and it became like dust from the summer threshing floor; and I was taken away by the great wind, and no place was found for it; and the stone struck the body and became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth(Dan. 2, 31-35). Such was indeed the fate of the four great kingdoms: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Macedonian and Roman. The stone (Lord Jesus Christ), separated without hands from the mountain (the Most Holy Theotokos), crushed the mixture from which the ancient pagan world was made, and laid the foundation for a new kingdom, “which will never crumble.” “The uncut stone from the uncut mountain is for You, Virgin, the cornerstone cut off, Christ, the aggregator of the dispersed nature.” “An uncut mountain, an uncut stone” - these concepts express the idea of the ever-virginity of the Mother of God.
The prophet Habakkuk also sees this same mysterious mountain; He says: God will come from the south, and the Holy One from the shaded mountain(Hab. 3, 3). “Mountain Thee, overshadowed by the grace of God, the perspicacious Habakkuk saw before the eyes, proclaiming from Thee to the Holy One of Israel, for our salvation and renewal” (irmos of the Sunday canon, tone 2).