My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
On the 8th of September, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
The Nativity (Birth) of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and
Ever-Virgin Mary.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Fourth Tone
THY Nativity, O Theotokos, hath proclaimed joy to the whole world,
for from thee hath dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our
God, annulling the curse and bestowing the blessing, abolishing
death and granting us life everlasting.
Kontakion Hymn. Fourth Tone
JOACHIM and ANNA were freed from the reproach of childlessness, and
Adam and Eve from the corruption of death, O immaculate one, by thy
Holy Nativity, which thy people, redeemed from the guilt of offences,
celebrate by crying to thee: The barren woman giveth birth to the
Theotokos, the nourisher of our life.
The Holy Virgin Mary was born of her aged parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the Tribe of David and her mother of the Tribe of Aaron, and so she was of royal blood from her father and priestly blood from her mother. By this, she foreshadowed Him Who would be born of her as King and High Priest. Her parents were already old and had no children, and, because of this, were ashamed before men and humble before God. In their humility, they prayed with tears that God would bring joy to the aged Abraham and Sarah, giving them their son Isaac. God, Almighty and All-seeing, gave them a joy far exceeding all their expectations and their wildest dreams, for He gave them not just a daughter, BUT THE MOTHER OF GOD (THEOTOKOS); He illumined them not only with temporal joy but with Eternal. God gave them just one daughter, who later gave them just one grandson — but what a daughter and what a grandson! Mary full of grace, blessed among women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, Altar of the Living God, Table of Living Bread, Ark of God’s Holy Things, Tree of the Most delicious fruits, Glory of the Human race, praise of Womanhood, Fount of virginity and purity — this was the daughter given by God to Joachim and Anna. Born in Nazareth and shortly afterwards heard the tidings of the Holy Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most pure virginal body. [The Prologue from Ochrid]
Our Orthodox Holy Tradition reveals God’s promise to Saints Joachim and Anna answered their lifelong sorrow of childlessness with the miraculous conception and birth of the Virgin Mary, whom they later dedicated to God in the Temple at age three. Childlessness in ancient Israel was viewed as a reproach, yet they prayed fervently and vowed to dedicate any child born to them to the service of God. Distressed by public rejection at the Temple due to their barrenness, Joachim retreated to the mountains and Anna wept in her garden. God sent the Archangel Gabriel to each of them to promise a Blessed Daughter through whom the salvation of the world would come. Guided by the Angel, Joachim and Anna met at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem. Their embrace is a central iconographic image of the feast. Anna conceived and gave birth to the Most Holy Theotokos, Mary
According to our Holy Tradition, when the Virgin Mary reached the age of three, Joachim and Anna fulfilled their sacred promise to God. They dressed her in fine clothes and let her in a procession of virgins bearing lighted candles to the Temple in Jerusalem. Ascending fifteen steep high steps led to the inner Sanctuary. Though only a toddler, the young Mary was miraculously strengthened by God and ran up the remaining steps unaided. The High Priest (traditionally identified as Zachariah, the father of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner) was inspired by the Holy Spirit to lead the young girl past the veil and directly into the Holy of Holies–the most sacred place where only the High Priest could enter once a year. Mary dwelt within the precincts of the Temple as a pure vessel prepared to become the Mother of God.
The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos from Her infancy until she was taken up toe Heaven is shrouded in deep mystery. Her life at the Jerusalem Temple was also a secret. "If anyone were to ask me," said Saint Jerome, "how the Most Holy Virgin spent the time of Her youth, I would answer that that is known to God Himself and the Archangel Gabriel, Her constant guardian.
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in Christ’s Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 