Our All-Holy, Immaculate, Most Blessed and Glorified Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Saint Mary.
Understanding Mary in Orthodox Christianity
No woman throughout history has been more misunderstood than the Holy Virgin Mary. The Reverend Billy Graham observed that “We evangelical Christians do not give Mary her proper due,” yet the Orthodox faith accords her appropriate recognition and veneration.
Mary’s Significance
St. Mary represents the greatest woman ever to live. She was selected by the Father to bear His Only-Begotten Son, gave birth to the world’s Savior, and became the first person in history to receive Christ as her Savior. Through her example, believers find a model of obedience, submission, purity, holiness, humility, and royalty.
The Title “Theotokos”
During the fourth century, a heretic named Nestorius claimed Jesus was merely human rather than divine. The Church defended Christ’s divinity by insisting Mary be called the “Theotokos” (God-bearer in Greek) to preserve the full deity of Christ.
The Ever-Virgin Mary
The Orthodox Church affirms that the Virgin Mary remained ever-virgin. Church Fathers interpreted the prophecy from Ezekiel: “The gate will be shut and it will not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.” Mary is understood as the Temple, Christ as the Prince of Peace, and her womb as the gate through which Christ entered the world. This interpretation was shared by Church Fathers and Reformation leaders including Martin Luther.
Veneration versus Worship
The Coptic Church venerates the Virgin Mary, though worship belongs exclusively to God. God, the angels, and mankind all venerated St. Mary. Through Archangel Gabriel and St. Elizabeth, she was declared “Blessed are you among women.” St. Mary herself proclaimed, “henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” The Church fulfills this command by offering praise and hymns to our Lady.
The Communion of Saints
When Christians depart this life, they remain vital members of the Church, the body of Christ. They live in the Lord, are registered in heaven, and inhabit His heavenly dwelling places. They form the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, whom we seek to imitate while running the race set before us.