THE EVER VIRGIN MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD,

THE LIVING ICON OF THE CHURCH *

Sibiu, Saturday 8^th September 2007

08:00 – 10:30

Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary

THE EVER VIRGIN MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD,

THE LIVING ICON OF THE CHURCH *

† Metropolitan Daniel Ciobotea

Romania

            It is with the Vespers service of this evening that we have already entered into the Feast of the Birth of the Mother of God, which is celebrated every year on the 8^th of September. The Orthodox Church year begins on the 1^st of September, in autumn, because, according to the Jewish tradition, the history of humanity in paradise, where there were many fruitful trees, has begun in autumn. The Feast of the Birth of the Mother of God has been fixed by the Church on the eighth day of the ecclesiastical year, since number eight symbolises eternity or life everlasting.

            The birth of the Virgin Mary from her parents Joachim and Anna - who were at a very old age and who prayed for so long to have a child - is the most important moment in the preparation for the eternal Son of God becoming human being in history, in order to overcome death and offer to humanity everlasting life in the Kingdom of heaven.

            This truth is expressed in the main hymn of this Feast, namely the Troparion of the Birth of the Mother of God: Your birth, Virgin, Birth-giver of God, has brought joy to the whole world; for it is from you that the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God has risen. And unleashing the curse, He gave blessing; and crushing death, He gave us everlasting life [1].

The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity,

of the Mother of God and of the Church

            One should also notice that, in the Great Vespers service, the Mother of God is called `temple of Christ, our God, King of all and Creator` [2], as well as `the holy Church, temple in whom God dwells` [3]. Moreover, the Matins service of the 8^th of September shows that the Virgin Mary, full of grace, is the human person who has the most profound and powerful relation with the Most Holy Trinity (cf. Luke 1:35), precisely because the Son or the eternal Word of God, through the goodwill of the eternal Father and by the active presence of the eternal Holy Spirit took upon Himself human nature: `In you, Most-pure, the Mystery of the Trinity is glorified and praised; for the Father has so pleased and the Logos has dwelt in you and the Divine Spirit has come upon you`[4]. Therefore, the relation between the Most Holy Trinity (Panaghia Trias) and the Most Holy Mother of God (Panaghia Theotokos) becomes a living icon of the life of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church that we confess in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, immediately after the confession of the faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

            The Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, becomes the mystical icon of the Church, since the Church is the communion of human persons united, through the Holy Baptism, with the Most Holy Trinity. Thus, the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God `full of grace` and `blessed among women ` (Luke 1:28 and 42) is the model of the Church, that exists and spiritually grows by God’s blessing, i.e. by `the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit`, as we are taught by St Paul the Apostle (2 Cor 13:13). Since the Church is full of the life and love of the Most Holy Trinity, she is called in the Holy Scripture `the people of God` (1 Peter 2:10), `the mystical Body of Christ` (1 Cor 12:27) and `the Temple of the Holy Spirit` (1 Cor 6:19), while all the sacramental works and the prayers of the Church are performed through the invocation of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus Christ – the One Who is begotten, from eternity, from the Father without mother, and Who is born, in time, from the Mother without a father – is the Head of the Church, `through Him (Christ) we have access in one Spirit to the Father` (Ephesians 2:18). And His mother becomes prayerful (oranta) or our spiritual intercessor (advocata nostra), being the closest to Christ. This can be noticed at the marriage in the Cana of Galilee, when Christ the Lord has blessed the family, through His presence over there and, at the request of His Mother, has performed His first miracle, by transforming water into wine, thus, showing His glory to His disciples and bringing great joy to all those present (cf. John 2:1-19). `For the Orthodox Church, the intercessions of the Virgin and those of the saints do not add up to that of Christ, but they are included within that`[5], i.e. the intercession of the Mother of God and those of the saints are accomplished through the grace given to them by Christ (cf. John 1:16-17).

Mary - the new Eve and the spiritual mother of Christians

            The ever Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, is shown as being the new Eve and the living icon of the Church of Christ, when she stays under the Cross of the Crucified Christ, from Whose rib flows blood and water (cf. John 19:34), symbols of the Eucharist and the Baptism, as Holy Sacraments whereby Christians participate in the eternal life, which Christ offered to His Church.

            Before His death on the Cross, Christ the Lord presents John, His beloved disciple, to His mother by saying: `Woman, behold, your son!` and to the disciple `Behold, your mother!` (John 19:26-27). Thus, Christ’s bodily Mother becomes spiritual mother of the beloved disciple, while the beloved disciple becomes spiritual son of the Mother of God, St John being the most devoted disciple of Jesus Christ, the closest to Him at the Last Supper (cf. John 13:23-25), who followed Him up to the moment of His death on the Cross (cf. John 19:26) and the first who arrived at the tomb of Christ in the morning of His resurrection (cf. John 20:4). Since the beloved disciple is the symbol of devotion towards Christ, the Mother of God becomes the spiritual mother of all Christians who follow Him and intensively live the mystery of Eucharist, as a mystery of His Cross and Resurrection, as sacrificing love and blessed joy. This is why, in the Orthodox churches – as symbol of the link between the Church and the Kingdom of heaven – the icon of the crucified Christ, having His Mother on the right and John, His beloved disciple on the left is placed above the iconostasis. In the Book of the Revelation, the Mother of God symbolises the Church present in heaven and on earth as Bride of Christ the Bridegroom, the Lamb of God (cf. Revelation 19:7 and 21:9).

            Since the Fathers of the Church have seen that Christ the Lord associates also to the joy of His Mother `those who hear the word of God and keep it` (cf. Luke 11:27-28), they considered that the soul of each Christian could be, at the same time, virgin and mother. It is virgin, if one remains truthful to Christ, and it is mother if one brings out virtues by putting into practice the words or commandments of Christ. In this sense, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ is the model or the icon of the spiritual life of Christians, in whose Christ is present through the grace of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal. 2:20; Ephes. 3:16-19; Coloss. 3:3).

The Mother of God is praying for us and together with us

The text from the Gospel according to Luke (1:46+56), which we have listen to this evening, is known in the Eastern Church as being the Chant of the Mother of God, while in the Western Church, Magnificat.[6] This text became a prayer of the Church, because the Mother of God is the first intercessor to Christ and, with her prayers, she sustains all the prayers of the Church.

            The Gospel shows us that the prayer of the ever Virgin Mary is her response to the blessing of God. He has the initiative of the salvation of the world through His Son, Who became man from the Virgin Mary, as result of her agreement: `Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your word` (Luke 1:38).

            The joy of the Virgin Mary comes from her communion and cooperation with God. Her humbleness as servant of God’s will is the basis of her joyfulness: `My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great and holy things for me, and holy is His name` (Luke 1:46-49). Humble, yet, full of courage, the Virgin Mary praises God’s work and justice in history, as an exaltation of those humble and putting down of the mighty ones: `He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away` (Luke 1:52-53). At the same time, the prayer of the Virgin Mary connects the blessing received from God with God’s blessing bestowed upon the people of Israel: `(God) has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever` (Luke 1:54-55).

            From the example of the Virgin Mary, the Church of Christ learns to glorify God for His saving work in history, and for the help received from Him at present, living with the hope of sharing in the life eternal. It is also from the Virgin Mary that the Church of Christ learns to be God’s humble servant in the work for the salvation of human beings, relating humbleness with joy, spiritual life with the thirst for social justice, the blessing of today with the hope of the future. The Virgin Mary, the Mother of God – who is called in the Orthodox liturgical hymns `consecrated church and speaking paradise` (Axion Hymn from the Liturgy of St Basil the Great) – while praying together with the Church, she is a spring of joy and hope, protector of virgins and mothers, guide of children and youth, helper of elderly people and the poor, healer of the sick ones and light to those confused, as she is called in the hymns and the prayers addressed to her in the Orthodox worship. At the same time, the prophecy of the Virgin Mary: `…behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed` (Luke 1:48) is fulfilled in the large number of the feasts dedicated to her, in the multitude of liturgical hymns and of the classical musical masterpieces, e.g. Ave Maria!, in the countless Orthodox icons and frescoes, which depict her image of Virgin and Mother, in the numberless parish churches, monasteries and cathedrals that are placed under her protection.

            Some of the Western Christian founders of the European Union wanted that the whole of Europe be put under the patronage of the Mother of God, clothed in blue vestments and having around `her head a crown of twelve stars`, as presented in the Book of the Revelation (12:1). Unfortunately, that beautiful intention has been forgotten and the blue flag bearing 12 circular stars has been interpreted from a secularised perspective, without any religious significance. Nevertheless, the European Christians would, from the spiritual point of view, be enriched when they do not separate the mystery of the Church from the mystery of the Virgin Mary – the humble and the merciful one – and would ask, more often, her intercessions for Christian unity, for the dignity of the family and for reconciliation within the society.

            We end this meditation with the words of praise addressed to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel and by Elisabeth, the mother of St John the Baptist: `Hail, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb` (Luke 1:28 and 42).