Theotokos - Mother of God

THEOTOKOS – THE MOTHER OF GOD

(As we plan to celebrate the Assumption Feast of St. Mary this Sunday (Aug.15), preceded by two weeks fast; it is good to learn about the teaching of the Orthodox Church on St. Mary, the Mother of God. My attempt is to briefly unfold the doctrinal teachings about the Most Holy Virgin Mary in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the holy and God-inspired Fathers of the Church of the first centuries of Christianity. )

HER TITLE

The Orthodox Churches address St. Mary as the “Mother of God”. The use of this term is Biblical as mentioned in St. Luke 1: 43 – Elizabeth greets the Virgin Mary as the “Mother of my Lord”.
The early Church preferred to define the Ever Virgin Mary as Theotokos – the Mother of God. (Literally the Greek word ‘theotokos’ means ‘god-bearer’). Until 5th Century A.D., no one but Nestorius (A.D. 386-451), Patriarch of Constantinople challenged this traditional doctrine. He argued that Mary can be called only ‘Christotokos’ (Christ-bearer) and not ‘Theotokos’ (God-bearer), saying that she could be called by a term to signify the person who gave birth to a savior and not the person who gave birth to God. So he preferred ‘Christotokos’ based on the Greek word ‘Christos’ (means savior). To sum up, the ‘theotokos’ refers to the Woman who gave birth to God and ‘christotokos’ refers to the woman who gave birth to Christ.
But, Nestorius was condemned for his heresy at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in A. D. 431 and established the doctrine of Theotokos saying the Theotokos gave birth to a God who is the Savior. The Council also decreed that Jesus is both God and man, divine and human at the same time. The Orthodox and the Roman Catholics still follow the Council decree where as the Protestants follow Nestorian heresy by denying the divinity of St. Mary; so we cannot compromise with the Protestants on matters of any doctrinal teachings of the Holy and Apostolic Church.

At the same time, be convinced that the term ‘theotokos’ is not intended to be understood as referring to St. Mary as Mother of God from eternity, but only with reference to St. Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ the God Incarnate; so She is sometimes called “Mother of God Incarnate”.

HER DEATH AND ASSUMPTION

Although there is no account of the circumstances of Her death in the Holy Bible, we know about them from the most ancient and credible early Traditions. Early Fathers of our Church – Dionysius the Areopagite (1st Cent.), Meliton, Bishop of Sardis (2nd Cent.), St. Epiphanius of Cyprus (4th Cent.), St. Juvenal, Patriarch of Jerusalem (5th Cent.); their writings testify the Assumption of St. Mary.
According to early traditions, St. Mary died like all other humans and was buried, but was raised by Her Son on the third day. After the crucifixion of Her Son, St. Mary remained in Jerusalem in the house of Apostle John and she was a source of consolation and edification for the Apostles and members of the early Church. During the persecution initiated by King Herod against the early Church (Acts. 12: 1-3), the Holy Virgin and the Apostle had to withdraw to Ephesus (in present Turkey) for a period; that was in A. D. 43.
Tradition says that all the Apostles were miraculously summoned aloft on clouds to witness the death of St. Mary. But St. Thomas, who was in the far east, arrived three days after Her burial in Gatzamene garden. For three days they did not depart from the place of burial, praying and chanting Psalms. Desiring to see her body, St. Thomas convinced the others to open the tomb and upon doing so, the Apostles discovered that Her body was no longer present, only the grave wrappings, and were convinced of the bodily ascent of the Most Holy Virgin Mary to Heaven. Later the bodily assumption of the Theotokos was confirmed by the message of an angel to the Apostles. This event signifies the resurrection of the faithful that will occur at the Second Coming of our Lord. The belief in the corporal Assumption of St. Mary is universal in the East and in the West, and is documented in apocryphal books written around 4th and 5th Century.

VENERATION OF ST. MARY

Veneration of St. Mary is practiced by the Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholics, where as the Protestants do not agree with it. Among all saints, the Most Holy Virgin Mary occupies the first place and stands higher than them all.
In the first instance, the veneration of St. Mary is expressed in the Church hymns and readings, praising and glorifying Her in the Holy Liturgy. The second expression of her veneration is manifest in the prayerful invocation of Her aid in the various needs of our temporal life.
Intercession prayer to the Holy Virgin and to all Saints is based on the firm conviction of Orthodox Christians that the Church as the body of Christ is comprised of all the living and the departed who show compassion for one another and support one another.
The Orthodox Church remembers the life of the Theotokos with several feast days. A few among them are – The Nativity of the Theotokos (Sep.8), presentation of the Theotokos into the Jerusalem Temple (Nov. 21), the Annunciation to the Theotokos (March 25), and the Assumption/ Dormition of the Theotokos (Aug. 15). Of these, the Assumption is most festal. Assumption of the Theotokos commemorates the death, resurrection and the glorification of St. Mary who was assumed into Heaven in the fullness of Her spiritual and bodily existence. We also commemorate Her role in God’s work of salvation of humanity. The Church believes that St. Mary is longing and praying for the perfect salvation of everybody. She is continually speaking to Her Son on our behalf.

ST.MARY IN THE O.T.AND N.T.

(Isaiah prophesied about St. Mary; “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel”. Isaiah 7:14. The archangel Gabriel announced to St. Mary; “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God”. LK.1:35)

A. ARK OF THE COVENANT. (Ex. 25:8)

The Church Fathers have incorporated the Biblical symbolism on St. Mary into the liturgy. Let us refer to the hymn of intercession to St. Mary; “ Manna nikshepitha cheppum, mulapoondoraharon vadyum, ulkondoru niyamapetty…”. It describes the prototypes of Theotokos – the Golden Pot of Manna, Aaron’s Rod, and the Stone Tablets kept in the Ark of the Covenant (Heb.9:4).
God commanded Moses on Mount Sinai to make a Sanctuary for Him, an Ark of Covenant and asked him to place in the Ark, the Golden pot of Manna, the Aaron’s Staff, and the two Stone Tablets of Ten Commandments. The Ark contains the most sacred objects of Israel, each object prefigured Christ. The Ark of the Covenant foreshadows the Theotokos with Christ in Her womb. The Tablets of the Law prefigured Christ the Lawgiver, the Manna typified Christ the Bread of Life, and the Aaron’s Staff symbolized Christ the Tree of Life that budded forth in the Virgin womb and Jesus High Priest.

B. THE LADDER OF JACOB. (Gen.28:10-17)

The Theotokos is also called the “Ladder of Jacob”, the link between Heaven and earth.
She is the passage to Heaven, the ladder perceived by Jacob that connects the Heaven and earth because the Son of God descended and came into the world through Her. If the Theotokos was means of descent of Son of God, She could help those who want to climb up, like the angels, to Heaven. She is the helper to all who intercede to Her.

C. THE BURNING BUSH. (Ex. 3:2)

St. Mary symbolizes the burning bush that the fire did not consume it. The same is true
with Theotokos Mary who carried the fire of Divinity nine months in Her holy body and was not burnt. St. Ephraim said: “She bore Christ in Her virginal womb as the bush on Mount Horeb bore God in its flame. We affirm this in the hymns we sing before the unveiling of the curtain to begin the Holy Qurbana; “Mulmara meriyatheritheethan naduvil…..” and “Sinai sailathil Moosa darshicha…..”

D.THE CLOSED GATE IN THE EAST. (Ez. 44:1-3)

The gate that Prophet Ezekiel saw in the east gate of the Heavenly Temple, remain shut
and no man shall enter through it because the Lord God of Israel entered Mary’s womb by it, therefore it shall be shut. This gate symbolizes the Virgin Mary and how Her virginity remained sealed. St. Jerome wrote: “Only Christ opened the closed gate of her virginal womb, and yet the gate remained unfailingly closed”. King Solomon sings about the enclosed garden and the sealed fountain in Songs of Solomon 4:12. This symbolism of the shut gate in the east as seen by Ezekiel, the enclosed garden, sealed fountain referred by Solomon and the city of righteousness, the faithful city of God as mentioned by King David can all be seen in the hymn “Mohana sundara namangal …….” in Sleeba Namaskaram midnight prayer.

E. IN THE CREED.

We uphold this doctrine of Theotokos in our Creed “… and was incarnate of the Holy
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, by the Holy Ghost and became man”.

ST. MARY AND EVE.

At the beginning and in the middle of history, there stand two women, Eve and Mary. Eve is the mother of the fallen and sinning mankind. Mary is the mother of a new reborn mankind which is being saved. In the first, there was the cause of universal evil; and in the second, the cause of universal good.
Eve is shown as one who did not trust God’s commandments, where as Mary was obedient to the will of God without any doubt.
Eve became proud in her thoughts and desired to be God; but in humility Mary is deemed worthy to receive God into Herself for the sake of human salvation. Eve was deprived
of the grace of the Holy Spirit; but Mary was full of grace by the Holy Spirit.

Concluding Prayer

Let us ask Mother Mary to intercede for us that we may find the promised salvation. Lord give good remembrance to St. Mary, holy and virgin pure. Most blessed Theotokos, pray for us and help us. Amen.

----------------------