Where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born. Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
THE VIRGIN MARY
In 54 BC Joseph, the father of Jesus Christ, was born.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
September 21 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. Christmas has 1 day of forefeast and 4 days of afterfeast.In Orthodoxy, the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the twelve (the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary); in the Catholic Church it has the rank of "holiday" (festum).
Jerusalem, Russian, Georgian, Serbian Orthodox Churches, as well as the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (within Ukraine), Old Believers and some others celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin according to the Julian calendar (old style) - September 8 (21). The Catholic Church, the Greek Church and a number of other local Orthodox churches celebrate it according to the Gregorian calendar (new style) - September 8th.
Years passed. Anna had long forgotten about the prophecy of Simeon. Business, household, life - life went on as usual. Joachim and Anna were considered in Nazareth to be a prosperous married couple of average income. They kept livestock - goats, cows, horses, bulls. And a large flock of sheep. In addition, Joachim owned a small oil mill, which produced sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. Despite his advanced 60 years of age, Joachim still worked hard, trying to do the housework everywhere.
Suddenly, the unexpected happened - his wife Anna became pregnant again. At 54! Just a miracle! And only now Anna remembered Simeon! She told all her relatives - her husband, relatives - about the prophecy she made in her childhood: that she would become pregnant at 54 and die in childbirth, and the child that appeared should be called Mary, and this girl would then become the mother of Jesus, the Messiah, who would suffer a lot and will bring new faith into this world.
Anna's relatives were simply confused. What kind of prophecy, where, what kind of Messiah, will Anna really die, how is it, and then who will raise the child?
Joachim was already 60 years old, and he is unlikely to be able to raise a girl alone.
In those days, having many children was commonplace. And none of the relatives could take little Mary to them. And then Anna remembered her distant relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth's mother was a second cousin of Anna's mother. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah had no children of their own, so they agreed to take Mary with them.
Nativity of Our Lady
In the Byzantine monuments of the 11th century, the plot is represented by the figure of Anna, reclining on the throne. She was served by three girls; here the maids bathed the baby Mary.
In the XIV century, the image of Joachim was introduced into the iconography of the Nativity. But he does not play a significant role in the disclosure of the plot, the main figure of Anna, much larger than him.
In a free icon-painting original of the 18th century, the iconography of the Nativity of the Mother of God was described as follows: “Anna is lying on a bed, the girls are standing in front of her, holding gifts, and others are a sunflower and candles, the girl is holding Anna under her shoulders, Joachim sees from the upper chamber, a woman washes the Holy Mother of God in the font to the waist, the girl pours water into the font from the vessel. Outside the chamber ... and at the bottom of that chamber sits Joachim and Anna on the throne and hold the Most Holy Theotokos. The condensed iconographic version of the 14th century turned into a detailed narrative.
Caress of the Most Holy Theotokos.
In the monuments of the 15th-16th centuries and later, they liked to add a “caressing” scene (Joachim and Anna caressed their little daughter).
In 20 BC On July 21, at 6 o'clock in the morning, MARY, the mother of Jesus, was born. Anna did not endure a difficult birth, she died, as was predicted by Simeon. The child was very sickly, and there was no certainty that the girl would survive without her mother's milk. Therefore, Joachim recorded his daughter in the family pedigree lists only when the danger of an early death had passed, i.e. exactly two months later, on September 21st. This date was considered the birthday of Mary.
According to the generally accepted tradition, which is equally followed by Orthodox and Catholics, the Virgin Mary was born in the house of Joachim and Anna, which was located in the northeastern part of Jerusalem. Now it is the territory of the Muslim quarter of the Old City, near the Lion Gate. However, Orthodox and Catholics indicate the exact place differently, and these places are about 70 m apart from each other. The monastery of St. Anna was built on the Orthodox site, on the ground floor there is a church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, and under the monastery building itself, a cave has been preserved, former, according to legend, part of the house of Joachim and Anna. Catholics indicate the place of the house in the immediate vicinity of Bethesda and built there the Basilica of St. Anne, in the crypt of which there are also ancient underground rooms.
Many babies born three days before July 21 and September 21 are often gifted children, and all of them are under the auspices of the Virgin Mary.
On July 21, nature itself rejoices and celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary - the air is filled with the heady smells of summer and the sun, an unusual lightness settles in all people, in the morning everyone wakes up in a good mood, anticipating that something extraordinary should happen today.
The Nativity of the Mother of God is a feast of universal joy, as it is sung about in the festive troparion (tone 4):
“Your birth, Virgin Mary,
joy proclaimed to the whole universe:
for out of you has shone forth the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God.
He removed the curse and gave the blessing;
He destroyed death and gave us eternal life.”
In the Eastern iconography of the Nativity of the Mother of God, the moment of bringing the newborn Mary to the breast of Anna's mother, lying on the bed surrounded by midwives and household members, is most often depicted. The frescoes of Giotto di Bondone (the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, 1304-1306), remarkable in their purity and naivety, illustrate in detail the story of the Nativity of Mary.
Elizabeth and Zechariah took Mary into their home. They lived in the city of Tarichea on the shores of the Lake of Galilee, not far from the place where the Jordan River flows out of the lake. From Tarichea to Nazareth was about 20 kilometers. Maria, with age, became more and more like her mother, but with some differences. Maria had wavy hair and Blue eyes with an east cut...
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in Suzdal
This day (September 21, according to the new style) was honored by the residents of ancient Suzdal as their "throne" holiday. In Suzdal, in the 13th century, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin was built. A long solemn service was going on in the cathedral, and the inhabitants of the city renewed the fire in their houses, extinguished the old one and kindled a new one.
Especially many churches in honor of the holiday associated with the birth of Mary appeared after 1380: it was on this day that the victory over the Tatars was won in the battle on the Kulikovo field.
Like other Mother of God holidays, the establishment dates back to a relatively late time. The official introduction of this holiday in the Byzantine Empire is allegedly attributed to Emperor Mauritius in con. 6th or early 7th century
The first mention of the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos occurs in the 5th century. in the East in the words of St. Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople (439-446), and in the West - in the sacramentary (breviary) of Pope Gelasius (492-496). But all these references are unreliable. The words are only attributed to Proclus, and the sacramentaries were written only in the 8th century. and naturally do not belong to Gelasius. In the calendars of the beginning of the 5th century. there is none Mother of God feast. According to the author of an article in the English-language Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), the first mention of the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin is the hymns of Roman the Melodist, written in the period from 536 to 556. The appearance of the holiday is most likely connected with the strengthening of the veneration of the Mother of God after the Council of Ephesus under the influence of later apocrypha. The feast appears to have originated at the beginning of the sixth century, originally in the Greek Church, and very soon afterwards appeared in Rome and spread to their daughter churches.
Despite the mention of the Nativity of the Virgin in Latin sources of the 7th century, the holiday was not widespread in the West and did not have a solemn service until the 12th-13th centuries. Only at the Council of Lyon (1245) did Pope Innocent IV make the octave of the feast obligatory for the entire Western Church, and Pope Gregory XI (1370-1378) instituted a vigil (vigilia) with fasting and a special liturgy service for the feast.
folk traditions
Among the Eastern Slavs, the day is dedicated to the harvest, fertility and family well-being. By this time, field work is being completed: harvesting, exporting grain to barns, harvesting flax. The foundation for the well-being of the family for the coming year has been laid. On this day, they honored and thanked the Mother of God (Mother - Cheese-Earth) for the harvest. It is believed that she gives well-being, patronizes agriculture, family and especially mothers. In some places, commemorations for the dead are sent, as on Dmitrievskaya Saturday.
Troparion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
voice 4
Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, / to proclaim joy to the whole universe: / from Thee has risen the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, / and, breaking the oath, gave a blessing, / / and, having abolished death, granted us eternal life.
Kontakion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
voice 4
Joachim and Anna of the reproach of childlessness / and Adam and Eve are freed from mortal aphids, Most Pure, / in Your holy birth. / This is what Your people celebrate, / the guilt of transgressions has been delivered, / whenever you call Ty // barren fruits gives birth to the Mother of God and the Nourisher of our Life.
Magnification of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
We magnify Thee, Blessed Virgin, and honor Your holy parents, and all-glorious glorify Your Nativity.
Prayer on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
THE FIRST CANON OF THE NATIVITY OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
Canto 1
Irmos: Come people, let us sing a song to Christ God, who parted the sea, and who instructed the people, even having brought them out of the work of Egypt, as if glorified.
Come faithfully, rejoicing in the Divine Spirit, Who came from the barren today, people to salvation, We honor the Ever-Virgin Maiden with songs.
Rejoice, Pure, Mother and servant of Christ God, Even the First Intercessor of bliss, the human race of Thee, we all deserve praise with songs.
Today the Bridge is born of life, By which the people have found the appeal of the fall from hell, Christ the Life-giver is glorified with songs.
Canto 3
Irmos: Establish us in Thee, O Lord, kill sin with a tree, and plant Thy fear in the hearts of us who sing Thee.
Who lived immaculately to God, all the relatives of Salvation, the parent of God-wisdom, the Creator of the Birth and our God.
The Lord exudes life to all, from the barren produce the Virgin, deign to settle in Nyuzh, and after Christmas, preserving incorruptibility.
Annin's fruit, Mary, today, the Life-bearing Cluster, as we sing the Mother of God, the Representative of all and the Helper.
Sedalen, tone 4
Canto 4
Irmos: Hear, Lord, the hearing of Your looking, and glorify Thee, O One Lover of Man.
We sing to Thee, Lord, Who has given the faithful a saving Refuge to all, Who gave birth to Thee.
You are the Bride of God, praise to all Christ reveal and power, who sing your sacrament faithfully.
Unsophisticated Lady, with Your prayers we deliver sins, prudently pleasing all of You.
Canto 5
Irmos: Destroying the scribed darkness of divination, and the faithful with the arrival of the truth, illuminating the hearts of the Mother of God, and instruct us with Your light, Christ.
Let us sing to the people of all the Guilt that exists for us to be Guilty: Even the prophets rejoice in the image, the manifested salvation from Toya is fruitful. From the dry vegetation of the rod of the priest, Israel was shown a prophecy: and now the lordship of the vegetated shines gloriously, from the barren all-glorious Birth.
Canto 6
Irmos: Cry out to the Lord from the whale Jonah: You raise me up from the depths of hell, I pray, that as a Deliverer, in the voice of praise, I will devour you with the spirit of truth.
I cried out to the Lord in sorrow of infertility, the Mother of God of God-wisdom parents, and gave birth to this child in childbirth, for common salvation and praise.
Priyasha the heavenly Gift from God is worthy, the Mother of God the Wisdom of the parents, the very Cherubim, the superior Bearer, the Word and the Creator of the Parent.
Kontakion, tone 4
Ikos
Canto 7
Irmos: The bush in the mountain is fiery, and the dew-bearing cave of the Chaldeans, the presence of the prescriptive Thee, the Bride of God, the Divine bo the Immaterial in the material womb, the Fire was unfailingly accepted. And we sing to the One who was born from Thee: Blessed be the God of our fathers.
Your legislator refuses to understand your material phenomena, and the great, Most Pure, sacrament, not to philosophize earthly zealous figuratively punished sometimes. The same marvel at the miracle, saying: Blessed be the God of our fathers.
The mountain and the Door of heaven, and the mental Ladder of Thee Godly face of the Divine Proverb: from Thee the Stone was cut off not by the hands of men, and the Door of Her will pass through the Lord, Who is God our father of miracles.
Canto 8
Irmos: In the cave of adolescence, you sometimes foreshadowed Your Mother, Lord, and this image was withdrawn from the fire, entering without harm. Let us sing of the one who is the end of Thee today, and we exalt Him for all eternity.
Even to the God of our reconciliation, the predestined Tabernacle, which now begins to be, having the power to give birth to the Word, is to us the debility of the flesh. We sing of him, from those who do not exist in the life of Them, and we exalt him forever.
Infertility change, worldly good, resolve infertility, and clearly the miracle of Christ's show, having come to the earthly, we sing Him, from those who do not exist in the life of Them, and we exalt for all ages.
Canto 9
Irmos: Even before the Sun, the Lamp of God, who shone, came to us carnally, from the side of the Maiden, inexpressibly embodied, Blessed All-Pure, We magnify Thee Mother of God.
Having poured water out of stone from a recalcitrant people, with a submissive tongue he bestows from the infertile loins the Fruit for the joy of us, The Most Pure Mother of God, We worthily magnify.
In vain the ancient condemnation and foremother correction: the south of the family to God, take out appropriation, to the Builder of the Bridge, we magnify Thee Mother of God.
Svetilen
CANON SECOND OF THE NATIVITY OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
Canto 1
Irmos: He who crushed the battle with His arm, and led Israel through the Red Sea, let us sing to Him, as our God the Redeemer: as if glorified.
May all creation rejoice, may David also rejoice: as if from the tribe and from its seed came the Rod, the Color bearing the Lord, the Creator of all.
Holy of holies, in the holy sanctuary, the Infant is entrusted to be raised by the hands of angels: we will all be faithfully celebrated in Her Nativity.
Anna, who does not give birth, is barren, but not without a child to God: behold, she has called from childbirth the Pure Virgin Mother. By the same nature, grow the Builder in the form of a servant.
Thee, the mild-tempered Lamb, the Lamb of Christ, the Infant from Thy womb, who brought into our being, all, from Anna, born of Thee, we honor with songs.
Trinity: I glorify the Three Without Beginning, I sing the Three Holy Ones, I preach the Three Co-eternal in the One Being: One in the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, God is glorified.
Theotokion: Who is the sight of the Child, Who is not the whole Father, nourished by milk; or where the Virgin Mother is visible; truly more than the mind of wallpaper, the Mother of God Pure.
Canto 3
Irmos: My heart be established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God, my mouth expands on my enemies, rejoice in your salvation.
Having been brought up in the Holy of Holies, the Virgin Most Pure Theotokos, you appeared above to the creature, the Creator of the flesh.
Blessed be Thy womb, chaste Anno, Thou hast grown the fruit of virginity, Who is the seedless Feeder of the creature, Who gave birth and Deliverer of Jesus.
Thee is blessed, Ever-Virgin, all creation, from Anna this day born, from the root of Jesse, the Rod of the Most Pure Color, which raised Christ.
The Mother of God, embroidered by all creatures, showing the Pure, Your Son, hedgehog from Anna magnifies Your Christmas, and makes everyone happy today.
Trinity: We worship Thee, Father, Without Beginning Being, we sing to Thy Fleeless Son, and we honor Thy Co-eternal Spirit, as the One Three by the nature of God.
Theotokion: The Light-giver and Head of human life, who gave birth to the Pure Mother of God, appeared to you the Treasure of our life, and the Door of impregnable Light.
Sedalen, tone 4
The Virgin Mary and the Theotokos truly, as a cloud of light has now ascended to us, and from the righteous it will come to our glory. Adam is condemned to no one, and Eve is freed from the bonds, and for this reason we cry out loudly with the boldness of the Pure Ones: joy proclaims Thy Nativity to the whole universe.
Canto 4
Irmos: Prophet Habakkuk, the wise eye foresaw the Lord, Thy Coming, and thus cry out: God will come from the south. Glory to Thy power, glory to Thy descent.
Patriarch Jacob, having foreseen, O Savior, the greatness of Your structure clearly, crying out in the Spirit, to Judas saying secretly: from the summer growth Thou hast ascended, my Son, proclaiming Thee from the Virgin of God.
Now the Rod of Aaron, vegetated from the root of David, now the Pure Virgin occurs: and heaven and earth rejoice, and all the fatherlands of tongues, and Anna and Joachim mysteriously.
Now let heaven rejoice, let the earth rejoice, and let Joachim and David rejoice. Ov ubo, as your parent, truly the Birth of God: oh, as your forefather, preaching your majesty, Pure.
Today, God-wise Anno, the universe rejoices in You: the Deliverer, for that Mother has flourished, Thou hast vegetated from the root of David, the Rod of Power to us, bearing the Color, Christ.
Trinity: I glorify the Beginningless God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Consubstantial Trinity Uncreated, The Seraphim reverently stand before her, calling: Holy, Holy, Holy God.
Theotokion: The Pre-Beginning Beginning accepts the beginning from You, Mother of God, by carnal time, and abides co-beginning, and the Word of the Father became incarnate, and is co-existent with the Spirit, preserving Divine dignity.
Canto 5
Irmos: Lord our God, give us peace, Lord our God, acquire us, Lord, unless we know otherwise, we call Your name.
Your Most Pure Nativity, Virgin Immaculate, unspeakable, and your conception is inexpressible and your birth, Unbrided Bride: God be all clothed in me.
Today, let the angels rejoice, let the beings from Adam rejoice with songs: be born for the Rod, the Color that raised the One Christ, our Redeemer.
Today, Eve is allowed condemnation, and barrenness is also allowed, and Adam of the ancient oath, about Your Nativity: For You, we will be delivered from aphids.
Glory to Thee, who glorified the unfruitful day: be born the ever-blooming Rod from the promise, from the Worthless vegetative Christ, the Flower of our life.
Trinity: Glory to Thee, Holy Father, God of the Unborn: glory to Thee, Son of the Yearless, Only Begotten: glory to Thee, Divine Soul and Throne, come from the Father, and abide in the Son.
Theotokion: Be Thy womb of the Sun bore: Thy purity, as before unharmed, Virgo: Christ the Sun, like from the chamber of the Bridegroom, appear from Thee.
Canto 6
Irmos: Like the waters of the sea, Lover of mankind, I am overwhelmed by the waves of life, the same as Jonah, so I cry out to You: raise my belly from aphids, O womb of the Lord.
Holy of holies being, Thy chaste parents, Pure, laying Thee in the temple of the Lord to be brought up honestly, and prepare to be His Mother.
Barren and mothers rejoice, dare and play childless: childless, for barren fruit, the Mother of God vegetates, even save Eve from illnesses, and Adam's oaths.
I hear David singing to You: the Virgins will follow You, they will be brought to the temple of the Tsars. And with him Thee and az, the daughter of the Tsar, I sing.
We sing your holy Nativity, we also honor your immaculate conception, the Bride of the God-called and the Virgin: they glorify with us the angels of the order, and the holy souls.
Trinity: In Thee the Trinity Mystery is sung, and the Pure One is glorified: Father, be well pleased, and the Word dwell in Thee, and the Divine Spirit to Thee of autumn.
Theotokion: Thou wast the Golden Censer, the Fire in Thy womb dwells, the Word from the Holy Spirit, and I saw the human sign in Thee, Pure Mother of God.
Kontakion, tone 4
Joachim and Anna reproaches of childlessness, and Adam and Eve are freed from mortal aphids, Most Pure, in Thy holy Nativity. That is what Your people are celebrating, having got rid of the guilt of sins, sometimes call Thee: barren fruits give birth to the Mother of God and the Nurse of our life.
Ikos
Prayer is great and sighing, barrenness and childlessness, Joachim and Anna are favorable, and in the ears of the Lord are in, and the fruit is life-giving to the world. She does prayer on the mountain: she bears reproach in the garden: but with joy she gives birth to the barren fruit of the Mother of God, and the Nourisher of our life.
Canto 7
Irmos: The Chaldean oven, inflamed by fire, irrigated with the Spirit, God's presence, the children sing: blessed be Thou, God of our fathers.
We celebrate, Pure One, and faithfully bow down to Your holy Nativity, singing to Your Son, Whom we will deliver the ancient Adam's now condemnation.
Now Anna rejoices, and cries out boasting: the birth of the Mother of God is barren, Even for the sake of Evino's condemnation, it was resolved, and even in sorrow the disease.
Adam is freed, and Eve rejoices, and they cry out in spirit to Thee, Mother of God: by Thee we will be delivered from the original oath, I will appear to Christ.
O womb that contained the Divine Village! O womb, who bore the Shirsha of heaven, the Holy Throne, the mental Kivot of Sanctification.
Trinity: Let us glorify the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, in the Unity of the Godhead, the Most Holy Trinity, Inseparable, Uncreated, and Coexistent, and Consubstantial.
Theotokion: You gave birth to the One God, the Virgin gloriously, You renewed the nature with Your Nativity Mary, You allowed Eve the primordial oath, the Mother of God Pure.
Canto 8
Irmos: Covering Your most exalted waters, setting the sand limit to the sea, and contain everything, Thee sings the sun, Thee praises the moon, The whole creation brings the song to you, as the Creator of all forever.
You who created the most glorious barren womb, opened Anna’s birthless bed, and gave her the Fruit, You are the Holy God, You are the Son of the Virgin, You took flesh from Seya, the Ever-Blossoming Virgin and the Mother of God.
Shut up the abyss, and open it, raise water in the clouds and give rain, You, Lord, from the barren root of the vegetative Anna of the saints, the Fruit is blessed, and give birth to the Mother of God.
To the Maker of our thoughts and the Planter of our souls, You have shown the unfruitful land of fruitfulness, You have been dry of old, noble, blessed, the reins of fruitfulness have made Thou holy Anna, Most Pure Fruit to grow the Mother of God.
Come, let us all see, as from a small chamber, the City of God now being born, even from the door of the womb, having an exit, but I do not lead communication: One God, the Builder, walk this strange path.
Trinity: About the Inherent Trinity, the Unoriginal Unit! Thee sings and trembles a multitude of Angels, Heaven and earth, and the abysses are terrified, people will bless, fire works, they will all listen to You, Holy Trinity, with fear, even in creation.
Bogorodichen: O newest hearing: God, the Son of the Wife! Oh seedless Christmas! The unmarried Mother and the Born God! O terrible vision! O conception of a strange Virgin! O unspeakable Christmas! Truly more than the whole mind, and visions.
Canto 9
Irmos: Virginity is alien to mothers, and childbearing is strange to virgins: on Thee, the Mother of God, both are settled. By this, all the tribes of the earth unceasingly magnify Thee.
Worthy, Bogomati, Thou hast inherited Your purity of Christmas, through the promise: sometimes more barren, God-fuzzy The fruit has gone away: by this, all the tribes of the earth unceasingly magnify Thee.
The crying prophecy has been fulfilled, says more: I will raise up the fallen tabernacle of holy David, in Thee, pure, transfigured, Even for the sake of all men, dust into the body of God was created.
We bow to the swaddling clothes of Your Mother of God, we glorify the one who gave the Fruit before it was barren, and who opened the bed of the childless gloriously. He creates everything, if he wants, God is Autocratic.
As a gift to You, the Mother of God, we give a hymn from Anna, who was born faithfully: Mother Mother, and the Virgin One, we sing praises to You, sing and praise.
Trinity: It is alien to the lawless to glorify the Beginningless Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the uncreated Omnipotence, by which the whole world is contained, by the mania of Her Power.
Theotokion: Thou hast contained in Thy womb, Virgin Mother of the One from the Trinity of Christ the Tsar, Whom all creation sings, and the ranks on high tremble: Pray for this, O All-Pure One, that our souls be saved.
Svetilen
From today's barren Anna, the Blossom of the Theotokos has arisen, all the incense of the Divine filling the ends of the world, and filling the whole creation with joy: We sing more worthily, as I am the Most High of the earthly.
Akathist to the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
Kondak 1
Chosen from all generations of the Mother of God, of heaven and earth to the Queen, who sanctified the human race by coming to us in Your all-honourable Nativity, reverent singing we bring Thy servants, Mother of God. But you, as if you came to our consolation and salvation, free us from all troubles, let us call Ty:
Ikos 1
Archangel Gabriel was sent quickly to the righteous Anna, when she, in the sorrow of her barrenness, cry out to the Lord from the depths of her heart, seeing in her garden a bird's nest, having little chicks, and bring joy to her, saying: Your prayer has been heard, but your tears have come before God , and behold, give birth to the Blessed Daughter, all the tribes of the earth will be blessed in Neizha, and her name will be called - Mary. This joyful promise is miraculous, with a cry of the Most Blessed:
Rejoice, from the noblest royal root, grown by Joachim; Rejoice, from the most sacred episcopal family Anna was born.
Rejoice, freeing our forefathers from mortal aphids; Rejoice, thou who didst permit the reproach of childlessness upon thy parents.
Rejoice, seeing the Holy Gates to the East, opening the barren gates with your Christmas; Rejoice, virgin Door enclosed, awaiting the entrance of the Great Hierarch.
Rejoice, change of Thy mother's tears for joy; Rejoice, then the reproach of the people is taken away.
Rejoice, great consolation to those who gave birth to Thee; Rejoice, delight to the whole world.
Rejoice, call of fallen Adam; Rejoice, deliverance of Evin's tears.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 2
Seeing the righteous Anna of the great archangel the appearance and hearing his words, bow to God and say: The Lord God lives, as if I give birth to a Child, I will give E to serve Him, may he serve and praise His Holy name day and night throughout the years of His belly. Filled with unspeakable joy, flow to Jerusalem with diligence, and there in the church sing thanksgiving to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Righteous Joachim, having a pure mind before God, was both rejected from people in the temple of childlessness for the sake of, and in this sorrow I went into the wilderness, and there praying with tears, saying: I will not put food in my mouth, nor will I return to my house, but my tears Let the wilderness be my food and my home until the Lord God of Israel visits me. And behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and announced the good news that a Daughter would be born to him, about Eyazhe Christmas, there would be joy to the whole world. Filled with this joy, go to Jerusalem, and there glorify God together with Anna, saying the Most Promised:
Rejoice, longed for by all from ancient years; Rejoice, from all the prophet foreshadowed by all.
Rejoice, chosen by God from the foundation of the world; Rejoice, promised sinners from the fall of the forefathers.
Rejoice, Council of the inexpressible Pre-eternal care; Rejoice, well-written image of Divine Foreknowledge.
Rejoice, animated Switch, in which the Word was written with the finger of God; Rejoice, Source of the ever-living animal, from the Worthless radiate abundantly the gospel of Christ.
Rejoice, God-woven Porfiro, clothed in Nuzhe with the Eternal Word; Rejoice, fragrant Miro, in Negozhe, indwell the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, shining more than any gold, Unmade Chamber of the Wisdom of God; rejoice, brightest morning of every sunny day, dwelling place of Christ.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 3
The power of the Most High autumn then to the conception of righteous Anna, who has matured in her days, and the barren toy is lying, as if showing a fertile field, let it vegetate from her to the joy of the whole world, perishing in sorrow, Sweet Village, Blessed Virgin Mary, to all who want to reap salvation, and sing from the depths of the soul: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Property, Most Pure, parents, Your undefiled life, chasing Thee in good old age, not belonging to carnal sweetness, but laboring in chastity and abstinence, may not the will of nature appear in Your birth, but the grace of God, the power of nature, conquering the order, and may everyone know, like a prayer, together with a sigh of barrenness, Thou is alive, the fruit is Life-giving to the world. For this sake, reverently immaculate conception of Yours, we sing to You a singalong:
Rejoice, barren mother amusement; Rejoice, consolation of childless parents.
Rejoice, frozen from the dry root of Jesse; Rejoice, and the Flower from him has grown Christ.
Rejoice, thou who didst begin to overcome the statutes of nature even in thy conception; Rejoice, foretelling the preservation of Your virginity at Christmas.
Rejoice, for from henceforth the winds of the salvation of the herald are blown; Rejoice, for it is from this that Grace begins to bear fruit.
Rejoice, for by thee of our nature barrenness is conquered; Rejoice, for by Thee the foremother's oath is resolved.
Rejoice, universal joy proclamation; rejoice, beginning of our salvation.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 4
With a storm of sorrows and sorrows of many, Your righteous parents, the Most Pure, were obsessed, as if they were barren to old age, I think, as if they were not worthy to have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Compassionate with them from the age of the barrenness of our nature, all creation, obeying the vanity: Adam groans, as if the earth was cursed for his sake; Eve also weeps, as if her sorrows and illnesses have multiplied; and the whole human race breathes with them, partaking of corruption. When, O Mother of God, with Your Nativity the ancient barrenness and corruption are resolved, all creation cry out to God thanksgivingly for You: Hallelujah.
Ikos 4
The Lord God heard the righteous Joachim and Anna sigh and granted them, according to the promise, the Archangel's Daughter, the Most Pure and Most Blessed, the Virgin Mary, the Beginning and Intercessor of our salvation, heaven and earth rejoiced at Christmas, the angels and archangels rejoiced, the hedgehog people, having glorified God, chanting:
Rejoice, Mary, great miracle of all creation; Rejoice, daughter of David, Mother of the Lord.
Rejoice, blessed one among women; Rejoice, most glorified angel in heaven.
Rejoice, unsetting Dawn, shining light of the world; Rejoice, inextinguishable Lampado, enlightening the night of sorrows.
Rejoice, as the vision of Your image by an angel is most sweet; Rejoice, for your appearance to the world is joyful for man.
Rejoice, new Paradise, planted on earth; Rejoice, bright Cherokee, embellished with the Heavenly King.
Rejoice, Chamber of the Holy Spirit; rejoice, tabernacle of God with men.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 5
The divine star, which shone from Nazareth and enlightened the whole world, we see Thee, Blessed Virgin: the city is small, which thou hast consecrated with Thy Nativity, and we despise it among people, for the sake of all I say: can anything good be from Nazareth? Both the weak and humiliated God is chosen, but the strong will be put to shame, and reveal from Nazareth to the whole world the Unfading Flower, ever-blooming with virginity, the Most Holy Virgin of all the saints, knowing not a single sin in all her life, so that all of you thankfully sing to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
Seeing Your parents, Your wonderful Christmas, Most Pure One, bringing great gifts to God, and blessed be from the priest and from all people, as if they received the blessing of God, and created a great institution in their house, rejoicing in spirit and glorifying God. Remembering the promise of the angel, honoring Thee as Your Lady, and bowing, praising Thee:
Rejoice, before all the ages the Bride, named of the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, in the last times the Mother of God, the Virgin, who appeared to the Son of God.
Rejoice, Daughter of all generations, chosen by God the Father; Rejoice, the Life-Giving Trinity, marvelously radiant with dawns.
Rejoice, all heavenly powers without reasoning surpassing; Rejoice, all the demonic host without disgrace driving away.
Rejoice, all-powerful intercessor to the whole human race; Rejoice, all-merciful Intercessor to all penitent sinners.
Rejoice, praise of honest wives; Rejoice, pure virgins Glory.
Rejoice, bringing goodness to the whole world from Malago Nazareth; Rejoice, even to the last of the earth, covering everyone with Your love.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 6
The preacher of Your coming into the world, Mother of God, was the righteous Elizabeth. Therefore, when you see Thee, in her coming house, go out to Thy meeting and cry out with a great voice: Blessed are You in women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb. And where do I get this, so that the Mother of my Lord come to me? Sitse and we, Thy glorious Christmas, as the first land of our visitation to Thy, celebrating, we meet Thee with this greeting: from where do we have this, that the Mother of our Lord should come to us. Blessed are You in women, and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, to Him we all thankfully sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Raise the joy of Your Nativity, Most Pure, not only to Your righteous parent, but also to all those near and far, and even to the end of the universe, as God rests on reasonable Thrones, the Holy Throne has already been prepared for Himself on earth and the new Dawn has appeared, foreshadowing the Sun of the Truth of Christ coming soon. For this sake let us sing to Ty, Pure, sitse:
Rejoice, Brightest Dawn, Herald of the Great Sun of Christ; Rejoice, Unstoppable Ray, Parent of the Non-Evening Light.
Rejoice, purifying people from passions with the fire of Your prayers; Rejoice, with the dew of Your grace cooling the flame of Gehenna to the weak.
Rejoice, cloud of Divine Light, destroying all obscuration; Rejoice, fragrant censer, offering the prayers of the faithful to Your Son.
Rejoice, Heavenly Kivote, transferred from the highest to the earthly; Rejoice, fiery Throne prepared for the Heavenly King on earth.
Rejoice, thou who didst raise up the fallen Tabernacle of David; Rejoice, thou who didst manifest the highest heavenly Jerusalem on earth.
Rejoice, having prepared the most honorable purple from Your blood for the Lamb of God; Rejoice, thou who hast wrought the divinely woven porphyry of the Word of God from Thy flesh.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Nativity.
Kondak 7
Though the long-suffering Lord reveal the abyss of His philanthropy to the fallen of ancient times in the paradise of the human race, give there a promise to our progenitor, as if the seed of a woman will erase the head of the serpent, in the last times, fulfill Your first promise on Thee, Most Pure One, choosing Thee One from all generations as Your Mother Yes, with Your Christmas, erase the head of the ancient serpent, for the sake of thankfulness we sing to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
Thy new terrible and wondrous sacraments, O Theotokos, and thou hast appeared a new source of life instead of sensual Eve: that, having obeyed the serpent, lay the beginning of God's aversion to men and sorrow to women. Your Son, O Virgo, even judge Evin's womb to give birth to fruits in diseases, dwell in Your womb, painlessly, the keys of virginity unharmed in your Christmas. For this sake of Thee, the fallen female nature rejoices, instead of the ancient oath, the freedom of Christ received: Following You, the wives start to overcome the enemies, holding on to virginity and crying out to You like this:
Rejoice, adorned with divine glory; Rejoice, exalted by the purity of virginity.
Rejoice, deified fallen human nature; Rejoice, freeing women from ancient sorrow.
Rejoice, thou who surprised Gabriel with the beauty of thy virginity; Rejoice, thou who hast immeasurably surpassed the angelic cathedrals with thy bright purity.
Rejoice, impenetrable door, Eden prisoner opened; Rejoice, sealed Book, containing the unknown mysteries of God.
Rejoice, Fragrant Krine of virginity; Rejoice, Fadeless Flower of purity.
Rejoice, having planted heavenly virginity on earth; Rejoice, opening the doors of paradise to the fallen.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 8
Thy strange Nativity from barrenness, seeing no sweetness, but shining from chastity and abstinence, let us get rid of the vain world, and all unchastity of the soul and body, mind and heart to heaven. For this reason, you came to the world of Mother of chastity, but raise the lower one to the highest height, and teach everyone with clean lips and an undefiled heart to sing to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
You are all good, my neighbor, and there is no fault in you. Arise, come, My Dove, show Thy sight to Me and hear Thy voice, for Thy voice is sweet and Thy image is red. You are one and only Thy mother, chosen thou who gave birth to Thee, so says Thy Son and Lord, Most Pure, meeting, hedgehog from the barren birth of Thy and Thy coming into the world. Listening to this Divine voice, we dare to sing to You such:
Rejoice, Queen, who appeared at the right hand of the King of Christ; Rejoice, Lady, in the robes of virginity gilded and adorned.
Rejoice, even the King of Heaven desired kindness; Rejoice, you were named by the neighbor and good in women.
Rejoice, Rising from the desert, like a cloud of smoke, myrrh and Lebanon incense; Rejoice, myrrh poured out, the fragrance from the Heavenly Peacemaker wears out.
Rejoice, imprisoned Vertograd, in worthless no one can rise; Rejoice, sealed well, from its depth no one can drink.
Rejoice, shining one, like the morning in the darkness sitting; rejoice, rising one, like the moon, chosen one, like the sun.
Rejoice, Source of animal water, ever-flowing from the Throne of God; Rejoice, Tree of life, ever-blooming in the midst of paradise.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 9
All angelic nature rejoiced with joy, glorifying God, when, after Your birth, the Most Pure One, the great saint with the priests and the people chosen, came to the house of Your parents, sending prayers of thanksgiving. Whenever bless Thee, lift up thy voice, saying: God of our fathers, bless this child and give her a name, may she be glorified in all generations. And I called you the name Mary, great and gracious, most sweet of people, filled with a demon of fear, and cry out with joy: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Vitias of many things, like voiceless fish, are perplexed how to sing Your purity, equal to the angels from infant swaddling clothes, Most Pure, the Lord has bestowed upon Thee, may He present Thee, His Mother, I do not have filth or vice, or something from such, but may you be holy and blameless. Therefore, for the sake of Your mother, carefully observe You in immaculate purity, so that the hand of the filthy will touch the Animated Kivot of God: sanctify Your bed, and alienate yourself from all filth, and keep Your rest in the call of the pure virgin. And when the nipples feed Thee, the prayer is done, and with the mother's milk, you are most nourished by the Word of God. Such is Your immaculate purity, wondering, crying out to Tisitsa:
Rejoice, having known not a single sin from Your infancy; Rejoice, Most Holy from Your Nativity of all saints.
Rejoice, thou who was bestowed with prayer more than milk; Rejoice, full of the Word of God more than bread.
Rejoice, heavenly growth planted on earth; Rejoice, heavenly vegetation, brought up by your parents.
Rejoice, pure Dove, Even the whole world is not worthy of purity; Rejoice, undefiled Lamb, even show innocence You are worthy of the Mother of Christ.
Rejoice, thou who shone forth from the unfruitful fruit by the mania of the Almighty; Rejoice, thou who didst perceive the Nativity worthy of thy purity.
Rejoice, for from the rising of the sun to the west Thy name is praised; Rejoice, for you are blessed from all generations among women.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 10
Save the world from the charms of the enemy, the Lord of mankind has chosen Thee from the earthly race, from the small city and from the barren womb into the Mother of Himself, predetermined from the ages, the prophets of old preached, Intercessor to be our salvation, may you be sad and in trouble be a quick consolation and resolution of worldly barrenness, but to all who wander in the darkness of sin, let the Sun of Christ's truth be revealed, singing to Him: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
You are a wall and a refuge for all people, Virgin Mother of God, celebrating Your Christmas: You are from the chamber of the Malago City of God that exists, even if you begin to be, and from the womb you do not give birth, but you prepare the entrance to the Great Hierarch: God alone, through Thee, passes through a strange path, unfailing Thee save. For this reason, with boldness, we call Thee, the One purer and more blessed, such as:
Rejoice, most blessed in heaven; Rejoice, glorified on earth.
Rejoice, angels of Joy and Amusement; Rejoice, earthly Joy and Consolation.
Rejoice, God-voiced and gentle turtledove; Rejoice, Yunice meek and quiet.
Rejoice, Holy Spirit of the Most Holy Temple; Rejoice, purest drawing of heavenly dismay.
Rejoice, dew of Aermon, descending on the mountains of Sinai; Rejoice, alabaster of the precious World, fragrant with the earth.
Rejoice, City of God, from the palace of a small vegetation; Rejoice, city of Nazareth from a dry root growth.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 11
Thanksgiving singing is sung by the spirit of the divine Joachim the wonderful and the divine Anna, as if seeing on earth the Mother of the Creator, Yuzhe born, daughter Mary, with them we, the Lady, equal more than the sand of the sea song, we bring Thee, praising Your Nativity, glorious from barren beds, gratefully singing God: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
The light-receiving candle, in the night of the Old Law, gloriously lit by Your Nativity, we see Thee, the Blessed Virgin: to all, in the darkness of sin and the canopy of death sitting, Thou hast shone light, joy, grace and resolution of the ancient oath, Eve for the sake of the former: from Thee the Sun has risen Righteousness, Christ our God, enlighten those who are in darkness, crying out such praise to You:
Rejoice, Dawn of the non-evening day, opening the gates of the Kingdom of Christ; Rejoice, Most Serene Dennitsa, who proclaimed salvation to us.
Rejoice, Unsetting Star, Leading the Great Sun into this world; Rejoice, Holy Light, dispelling the ancient darkness of sin.
Rejoice, Life-Giving Source, giving life to all; Rejoice, Lamplighter, who gave us light before the Sun.
Rejoice, having enlightened us with the dawns of grace to the still existing darkness; Rejoice, Mother of the Smart Light, who illumined the entire universe with grace.
Rejoice, Bride of the Hall of light-shining, with the radiance of Your robe all over heaven; Rejoice, woman, clothed in the Sun, appearing in the world for the salvation of the perishing.
Rejoice, having the moon under your feet; Rejoice, crowned with twelve stars.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 12
The grace of the namesake Divine Anna rejoices and boasts and cries out: Unfruitful things, gave birth to the Mother of God, Even for the sake of Evino's condemnation, the disease was resolved and even in sorrow. And so rejoicing, giving a promise, may the Daughter bring his born God and may it be a gift to Him from all the generations of the earth, but by man - into eternal consolation and joy, in a hedgehog to sing out to them: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
We sing Your Most Pure Nativity, we also honor the ineffable conception, we glorify Your inexpressible birth from barrenness, we worship Your very swaddling clothes, Bride of the God-Called and Virgin; Together with us, they will glorify Your coming into the world of angels and archangels, orders and souls of the saints: the common joy of ascending in heaven and on earth from the righteous Joachim and Anna with Your Nativity, the Mother of God, glorifying him, crying out to You is this:
Rejoice, all-immaculate, Holy Trinity common to all angels and people to the Lady; Rejoice, O All-Blessed One, according to the Comforter, the common Comforter of all in heaven and on earth.
Rejoice, Beauty in the right hand of the Lord, adorning those who bless Thee of all those in heaven; Rejoice, Omnipotent Consolation, gladdening all those on earth who call upon Thee.
Rejoice, Heaven of heaven, surpassing all angelic powers without comparison; Rejoice, Miracle of miracles, building up all men into the Body of God.
Rejoice, Queen of queens, who has made the limit of sinful corruption to the whole universe; Rejoice, Holy of Holies of the whole Church of Christ, who laid the foundation for our salvation.
Rejoice, Divine Maiden, God's blessing of all times and ages; Rejoice, God-chosen Otrokovitsa, grace-filled reconciliation of all tongues and clans.
Rejoice, Pillar of virginity, to all who desire virginity, sending down the goodness of virginity; Rejoice, Door of salvation, to all who hope for salvation, soon giving a helping hand.
Rejoice, Most Pure One, Who has rejoiced the whole world with Your Christmas.
Kondak 13
Oh, All-Singing Mother, who was born from barrenness for the salvation of the world, our current one about Your all-honourable Nativity, accept the offerings, do not leave us during our belly, deliver us from all misfortunes and captivity of the enemy, and from the barrenness of the soul, resolve all who cry about You: Alleluia .
This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos "Archangel Gabriel..." and the 1st kontakion "Chosen from all generations..."
Prayer
Oh, Most Holy and God-chosen Virgin, our Lady Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, God-given to the joy and consolation of the whole world from barren and childless parents! Born by God's providence, You resolved the barrenness of the one who gave birth to You, and now fruitfully create my barren heart by Your intercession at the Throne of the Almighty, make me unfruitful deeds, rotten words and impure thoughts. Oh, all-blessed one, may the child of God appear, bringing good fruitful virtues. Thou hast quenched the cry of our foremother Eve with Your most pure Christmas, and Thy righteous parents have delivered the reproach of childlessness, and now quench the crying and sighing of my painful and sinful soul and deliver us all from the reproach of our evil deeds, passions of dishonor and from all enslavement of the enemy. Most of all, grant us, Most Holy Theotokos the Virgin, on the all-bright day of Your Nativity with a pure heart, understand and remember, with much joy and thanksgiving, the barren womb of the holy righteous Anna bears Thee, and we are not just words, but most of all we will take out our deeds with tenderness of the heart to glorify Thee, crying: Glory to Your coming, Pure. Glory to your Christmas. Glory to Thy virginity, Brideless Mother. Together with Thee, make us worthy to unceasingly glorify and magnify Thy All-Holy Fruit, the Word is incarnate, in Thy womb it is unfailingly carried, He deserves glory, honor and worship, with His Beginningless Father, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit now and ever and ever. ages of ages. Amen.
Copyright © 2015 Unconditional Love
January 8 Orthodox Church celebrates Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, the one without which our salvation would not have been possible. The way Christians honor the Mother of God is incomparable with the veneration of any saint. In prayers, she is called “The Most Honorable Cherubim and the Most Glorious Seraphim without Comparison”, that is, higher and more glorious than the highest angelic ranks - Cherubim and Seraphim. More than eight hundred icons of the Mother of God are known. They turn to her in grief, and joy, without exception, with questions and problems, with a request for salvation. Even the personal pronouns “She”, “Her”, when it comes to the Mother of God, are written with a capital letter, as pronouns related to God. But why? After all, even though she was a great righteous woman on earth, she was still not God, and very little is said about her in the gospels ... Why is she so glorified?
Unique Mary
Beato Angelico. Fresco cycle of the Dominican monastery of San Marco in Florence: The Annunciation. OK. 1437 - 1446
Let's start from afar. Throughout many centuries of human history, the world has been waiting for the coming of the Savior. This expectation permeates the entire Old Testament; this is its central theme. The question arises: why did the Messiah not come for so long? The fact is that the greatest feat of self-denial and love was required from the woman who was to become the earthly Mother of God. In order for such a woman to be born, centuries of preparation were needed. Mother of God Mary is the purest humble Virgin of all those born on earth. Such a Child is the result of the efforts and spiritual work of dozens of generations. Mary had to agree to the conception of a special Son, she had to entrust her life to God as much as possible. Now the question may arise for us: what is this about? Just think, a feat - rather, it is a great honor that She was shown, who will refuse such a thing? But in fact, everything was much more complicated. Firstly, the Virgin Mary could not believe the Archangel Gabriel, who told Her what God wants from Her. But She believed. Second, she could say no. It was enough to imagine what could await Her, a very young innocent girl who grew up at the temple, betrothed to the elderly Joseph, who promised to take care of Her in a fatherly way, when it turned out that She was pregnant, and who knows from whom? How many gossip and rumors would give rise to such a situation ... So She could be afraid to say "no". But She trusted God and agreed. Finally, Mary could be proud that the choice fell on her. Perhaps few would have survived in her place. But She meekly answered the Archangel that She was God's servant, and agreed that everything should be according to His will.
Parents of the Virgin
They say that children are a reflection of their parents. And in order to understand how such a meek Virgin, possessing such strong faith, you need to remember who her father was. The parents of the Mother of God are the holy righteous Joachim and Anna. The Lord tested them for a long time, not giving them children. It must be said that the lack of offspring in Old Testament Israel was an extremely serious problem. It was believed that if the family does not have children, then this is God's punishment.
Such people were subjected to ridicule, gossip and even persecution. For example, there is a legend that Mary's father Joachim was expelled from the Jerusalem Temple when he came there to offer a sacrifice. Allegedly, he is a great sinner and somehow angered God, since He does not give him descendants. Joachim withdrew into the wilderness, began to pray fervently, and it was at that moment that he received from God the joyful news that they would have a child with Anna. Both were at an advanced age, it was hard to believe. Everything happened just like that.
The Mother of God, on the one hand, was really an unusual Virgin: a long-awaited child, begged from God, given up for three years in the Temple ... But, on the other hand, She was the most ordinary person who knew the hardships and illnesses of human nature. All the more exceptional is Herrol in history: a simple girl, who did not seek glory and exploits for herself, was exalted by God and became the Mother of Christ.
That's what the gospel says
The question often arises: why is there so little said in the Gospel about the Theotokos, if She is the Mother of Christ, “The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim without comparison”? Indeed, there are few references to her, but they are all very informative. For example, in the Gospel of Luke there are prophecies of the veneration of the Mother of God. These are the words of the Archangel Gabriel - a short phrase "Blessed are you among women" (Luke 1:28). "Blessed" means glorified. The archangel does not say this himself, he is only a messenger of God. A little later, the Mother of God, meeting with Her relative Elizabeth, directly says that God made Her great and people will glorify Her (Luke 1:48-49).
According to Church Tradition, the Mother of God told the Apostle Luke about Christ. On the basis of Her story, they compiled their Gospel. Thus, the Virgin Mary was actually a co-author of one of the Gospels.
Another important note: Holy Scripture directly indicates that the Lord was in obedience to Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:51) and even argued with religious teachers who tried to circumvent God's commandment: "Honor your father". At the most terrible moment of His earthly ministry, the Savior, suffering on the Cross, took care that His Mother would not be lonely, entrusting Her care to the Apostle John the Theologian. So Herol in the life of the Son was very serious, even though little is said about it.
The Mother of God had enough faith to be sure of Her destiny, She had enough spiritual strength not to become proud, and enough humility to carry Her cross. She knew from the very beginning that Her Son's earthly ministry would end tragically. And as a believer, and as a Mother, She endured unimaginable suffering. She came to this because she wanted salvation for all of us, for the entire human race. Therefore, they revere Her so highly - The One, without whose feat the Birth of Christ would have become impossible, which means our salvation. She became a heavenly Mother to every Christian. This can be felt by any person who sincerely prays to Him.
The feminine principle, the image of a woman-mother, the giver of life, is revered in all world religions. Yes, in Ancient Greece thus it became, in Asia they prayed to the goddess Cybele, in Egypt it personified the supreme feminine principle. The Christian religion is no exception. The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary contains both the divine miracle of the birth of life and the earthly path of an ordinary woman, whose fate turned out to be far from cloudless.
Childhood and youth
The father of the Mother of God was Joachim, a man of faith and righteousness. A mother named Anna, like her husband, always followed the letter of the Law of God. This family lived in complete harmony, only one thing overshadowed the existence of the spouses: the absence of children. For many years, Anna and Joachim prayed that the Lord would send them a child, but the prayers were in vain. The suffering of the childless couple was intensified by the ridicule of those around them, who did not miss a chance to slander over the grief of this righteous couple.
Anna and Joachim lived in marriage for almost 50 years and already despaired of having a child. But one day Anna, walking in the garden, saw an angel. He promised the surprised woman that she would soon become a mother, and her child would be known to the whole world. Anna hurried home to tell her husband about the vision. Imagine Anna's surprise when it turned out that Joachim also saw an angel announcing that the prayers for the child had been heard.
After some time, Anna really became pregnant. Then the couple made a vow that they would give the newborn to the service of the Lord. The daughter was born on time and received the name Maria (in Hebrew, this name is pronounced Miriam and is translated as “beautiful”, “strong”). The neighbors of Joachim and Anna began to gossip again, this time marveling at the miracle.
The couple raised their daughter and prepared to fulfill the promise. Three years later, they gave little Mary to be raised in the Jerusalem temple. Surprisingly, the girl easily overcame fifteen steps to the gates of the temple, which were sometimes difficult even for adults.
A few years later, the righteous Anna and Joachim died. Maria continued to live at the temple, studying with other girls in special school. Here, young pupils were taught the basics of science, taught the Word of God, and also prepared for worldly life, housekeeping and raising children. Until the age of 12, Maria lived within the walls of this school. Best of all, the girl was given sewing. There is a legend that it was she who was entrusted with sewing a curtain and a coverlet for the temple sanctuary.
Given such an upbringing, an enviable bride should have grown out of Mary - hardworking, pious and educated. But such a fate did not attract the girl, and she took a vow of celibacy. This created certain difficulties: mature girls were not allowed to live at the temple, and the grown-up Mary had to leave God's house.
But it was impossible for her to live alone according to the laws of that time. The priests, who became attached to the pupil, found a way out: Mary was married off to the elderly widower Joseph, who, due to his age, had to keep the girl clean, allowing her not to break the word given to God.
At first, the elder was not happy about the young bride who fell on his head. In addition, the man was afraid of gossip behind his back and ridicule from relatives and neighbors - the age difference was so great. However, Joseph did not dare to contradict the will of the priests and took Mary into the house, calling him his wife.
Birth of Jesus Christ
After some time, Joseph, who worked as a carpenter, left the house for several months, going to the next construction site. Maria, remaining on the farm, looked after the order, wove and prayed a lot. According to legend, during a prayer, an angel appeared to the girl, who told about the imminent birth of her son.
The boy, according to the angel, was to become the savior of people, those whose arrival the Jews had long expected. Mary was embarrassed by this revelation, because she remained a virgin. To which she was answered that she would suffer from a higher power, and not from a male seed. This day in the Christian tradition became the feast of the Annunciation - in memory of the good news that the Virgin Mary received.
And indeed, Maria soon realized that she was pregnant. The woman did not yet realize the role that her son was to play, but she understood that she had become a participant in a real miracle of the Immaculate Conception.
Joseph, who returned home some time later, immediately noticed the changes that had taken place in his wife. This kind man did not immediately believe Maria's story, deciding that the naive girl simply became a victim of deception by some neighbor young man who seduced her.
The old man did not blame his wife and even wanted to secretly let her leave the city so that she would not become a victim of justice: treason in those days was severely punished, an unfaithful woman could be stoned and whipped. Then an angel appeared to the carpenter, telling about the immaculate conception of Mary. This convinced Joseph of the innocence of his wife, and he allowed the girl to stay.
Shortly before the due date, Caesar Augustus announced a general census of the population. For this, people had to come to Bethlehem on their own. Joseph and Mary set out on their journey. Arriving at the place, they found that the city was simply crowded with crowds of people. It was not possible to find a place to stay for the night, and the couple decided to spend the night in a cave in which the shepherds hid their cattle from the rain.
Virgin Mary with baby Jesus It was there that Mary gave birth to a son. The first cradle for the boy was a nursery for feeding animals. That same night, the star of Bethlehem shone over the cave, the light of which told people about the appearance of a miracle on earth. In addition, the light of the star of Bethlehem was seen by the Magi, who immediately set off on their journey to personally bow to the newborn Son of God and offer gifts to him.
Seven days later, as required by the law of the time, the baby was circumcised and given a name. The son of the Virgin Mary was named. Then the boy was brought to the church to present to God and bring the traditional sacrifice. A certain elder Simeon, who also came to the temple that day, blessed the baby, realizing who was in front of him. To Mary, he allegorically hinted that both she and her son were destined for a difficult fate.
Gospel Events
While the Holy Virgin Mary with her husband and newborn baby was in Bethlehem, the cruel and ambitious King Herod learned about the birth of the Son of God. However, the soothsayers who told Herod about the miracle that had happened could not answer the question in whose family Jesus was born.
Then, without hesitation, the king ordered the destruction of all newborns that are only in Bethlehem. Joseph was warned of the impending disaster by an angel who again appeared to the elder in a dream. Then the carpenter with Mary and the baby took refuge in Egypt, and only when the danger had passed did he return with his family to his native Nazareth.
About the further biography of the Virgin in the Gospel is written sparingly. It is known that Mary accompanied Jesus Christ everywhere, supporting him and helping to carry the Word of God to people. Also, the woman was present at the miracle that Jesus performed, turning water into wine.
Obviously, Mary had a hard time: the constant sermons that her son delivered did not always evoke a good response in people. Often, Jesus and those who accompanied him had to endure the ridicule and aggression of those who did not want to accept the postulates of religion.
On the day when Jesus Christ was crucified by the executioners, Mary felt the pain of her son and even fainted when the nails pierced his palms. And although the Mother of God knew from the very beginning that Jesus was destined to accept torment for the sins of people, the mother's heart could hardly withstand such suffering.
Death and ascension
Mary spent the rest of her life on Mount Athos, preaching among the pagans and carrying the Word of God. Now a large complex of monasteries and cathedrals has been built on that site, each of which contains evidence of miracles revealed by the Mother of God: numerous miraculous icons (some of them, according to legend, are not made by hands), the belt of the Virgin (kept in the Vatoped monastery), as well as the relics of people , canonized by the church as saints.
At the end of her life, Mary spent all her days in prayer, asking her son to take her to him. One day, an angel appeared to the woman again, announcing that her prayers had been heard, and after three days her wish would be granted. Mary, who happily accepted the news of her imminent death, devoted three days to saying goodbye to those who were dear to her.
On the appointed day, Mary, lying on her deathbed, dutifully awaited her fate. People close to her gathered around her. All of them witnessed a new miracle: Jesus Christ himself descended from heaven to take his mother with him. Mary's soul left her body and ascended into the Kingdom of God. The body that remained on the bed seemed to glow with grace.
Ascension of the Virgin Mary According to the records of the historian Eusebius of Caesarea, Mary died in the year 48 after the birth of Christ, but there are other written testimonies that name both earlier and later dates. According to biblical tradition, the Mother of God lived for 72 years.
Some time later, the apostles discovered that the body of the Virgin Mary had disappeared from the burial cave. On the same day, the Mother of God appeared to them and announced that her body had been taken up to heaven after her soul, so that she could become a Holy Intercessor before God for people in need of help. Since then, the day of the Assumption of the Virgin is considered one of the main Christian holidays.
According to the traditions of Muslims (who revere Christ not as the Son of God, but as one of the prophets), Jesus (or Isa) performed the first miracle while still in the womb of the Virgin Mary. This happened on the day of childbirth, when the Mother of God was already completely exhausted from pain. Then Isa pointed out to the woman a spring created by God and a date palm covered with fruits. Water and dates strengthened Mary's strength and eased the suffering in childbirth.
On some icons, the Mother of God is depicted with lily flowers in her hands. This flower was not chosen by chance: the lily is considered a symbol of chastity, purity and purity.
The description of the appearance of the Virgin Mary is preserved in the works of the church historian Nicephorus Callistus. Judging by the notes of this person, the Mother of God was of medium height. The Virgin's hair shone with gold, while her eyes, lively and quick, were the color of olives. Nikifor also noted Mary's "juicy lips, arched eyebrows and long arms and fingers."
After the earthly death of the Mother of God, several places remained, which, according to legend, are considered the inheritance of the Virgin Mary. These are Mount Athos, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Iberia (now it is the territory of Georgia) and the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. It is believed that prayers read in one of these destinies will certainly be heard by the Mother of God.
December 8 - the day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary - is even declared a non-working day in some countries. From European countries This decision was made by Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Spain. On this day, divine services and prayers are read in Catholic churches and Orthodox churches. This day is also considered a public holiday in Argentina and East Timor.
Despite the fact that Mount Athos is considered one of the earthly inheritances of the Virgin Mary, women are not allowed to enter the territory of the monastery complexes. This rule is even enshrined in law, and violators will face severe punishment (up to and including imprisonment). However, this ban was violated twice: during civil war in Greece (then women and children took refuge in the forests on the slopes of the mountain) and during the period of Turkish rule over these territories.
Memory (in the Orthodox tradition)
- March 25 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- July 2 - Deposition of the Holy Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae
- August 15 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- August 31 - The position of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chalkopratia
- September 8 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- September 9 - The memory of the holy righteous Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Virgin
- October 1 - Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos
- November 21 - Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos
- December 9 - Conception of the righteous Anna of the Blessed Mary
- December 26 - Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mother of God - the patroness and the Holy Virgin, the most revered in Christian world. She is called the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin. In Christianity, she is considered the mother of Jesus Christ. She is the most revered and greatest of all saints.
She bears the holy name of the Mother of God, because she gave birth to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom the entire Christian world considers Almighty God.
The Mother of God was born in the city of Nazareth, in Galilee. Mary's parents were Saint Anna and Saint Joachim. They were already quite an elderly married couple, and they had no children. However, Anna had a vision of an angel in heaven that she would soon give birth to a child. A girl was born, they named her Maria. Until the age of three, the girl lived with her parents. Then, along with the rest of the children, she was brought up in a place where she prayed a lot. After reaching the age of majority, she left the temple because a husband had been chosen for her. It was a man from the tribe of David, an elderly man, Joseph the Betrothed. Joseph was chosen because a miracle happened the day before - his staff blossomed in an unusual way. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he announced that she would be the mother of the long-awaited and promised Messiah. Mary conceived it through the Holy Spirit. There was a prediction that the Mother of God would give birth to a son who would save her people from sins. She ended her life in the city of Jerusalem 12 years after the ascension of Christ, she was 48 years old. The death of Mary was marked by her Ascension on the third day, and at the last moment of her life, Jesus Christ himself appeared to her.
Akathist is a song, or rather a genre of Orthodox church hymnography, which is performed while standing. Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos can be read as part of a prayer service and other services. It is especially recommended to do this on the morning of the holiday called Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos. This is one of the main songs in the Christian world. The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is a song of thanksgiving addressed to the Mother of God herself. All Christians honor the image of the Queen of Heaven in a special way, give her honors and praise her deeds.
The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is also gratitude to the one who is the Intercessor for all Orthodox people. It is about her that every Orthodox person thinks when he is offended, humiliated, in sorrows and in distress. The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos says that this saint is waiting for sincere human repentance. She guides sinners on the path of a true Christian and helps them turn to a righteous life. She extends a helping hand to all who turn to her and even to those who live in sin, but ask for help.
The Akathist to the Mother of God speaks of a special attitude towards immaculate souls, towards people with a pure heart and good thoughts. People with the highest spirituality and purity of heart clearly feel the presence of her son, God, at the moment of turning to the saint. The Akathist to the Mother of God calls to carefully preserve God's word and live as the Virgin Mary lived - in perfect purity.
Icons of the Mother of God are considered miraculous, since a person has a spiritual connection with God, through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos - these are prayers that bring peace and prosperity to family relationships. For example, if you are going to get married, pray near the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos called "Fadeless Color".
The words that usually sound before this icon are requests to choose the right spouse, to get rid of quarrels in the family. Very pure, fiery words of prayer, sounding from the heart, will help you get what you are asking for, and will also allow you to achieve reconciliation in the event of a quarrel in the family. The prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos are filled with the main meaning - purity and chastity.
The spouses, Joachim and Anna, came from a noble family and were righteous before God. Having material wealth, they were not deprived of spiritual wealth. Adorned with all the virtues, they immaculately kept all the commandments of the law of God. For each holiday, pious spouses separated two parts from their property - one was given for church needs, and the other was distributed to the poor.
By their righteous life, Joachim and Annatak pleased God, that He made them worthy to be the parents of the Blessed Virgin, the predestined Mother of the Lord. From this alone it is already clear that their life was holy, pleasing to God and pure, since they had a Daughter, the Most Holy of All Saints, who pleased God more than anyone else, and the Most Honest Cherubim.
At that time, there were no people on earth more pleasing to God than Joachim and Anna, according to their immaculate life. Although at that time it was possible to find many living righteously and pleasing God, but these two surpassed everyone in their virtues and appeared before God the most worthy of the Mother of God being born from them. Such mercy would not have been bestowed on them by God, if they really did not surpass everyone in righteousness and holiness.
But just as the Lord Himself had to be incarnated from the Most Holy and Most Pure Mother, so it was fitting for the Mother of God to come from holy and pure parents. Just as earthly kings have their purples, made not of simple matter, but of gold-woven, so the Heavenly King wanted to have His Most Pure Mother, in whose flesh, as in royal purple, He had to put on, born not from ordinary intemperate parents, as from simple matter, but from the chaste and saints, as if from golden-woven matter, the prototype of which was the Old Testament tabernacle, which God ordered Moses to make from scarlet and scarlet matter and from fine linen (Ex. 27:16).
This tabernacle represented the Virgin Mary, in Whom God had "to live with men" as it is written: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them" (Rev. 21:3). The scarlet and scarlet cloth, and the linen, from which the tabernacle was made, represented the parents of the Mother of God, who descended and was born from chastity and abstinence, as if from scarlet and scarlet clothes, and their perfection in the fulfillment of all the commandments of the Lord, as if from fine linen.
But these holy spouses, by God's will, were childless for a long time - so that in the very conception and birth of such a daughter, both the power of God's grace, and the honor of the Born and the dignity of the parents were revealed; for it is impossible for a barren and aged woman to give birth otherwise than by the power of the grace of God: here it is no longer nature that is at work, but God, who conquers the laws of nature and destroys the bonds of barrenness. To be born of infertile and aged parents is a great honor for the one who was born herself, because she is born not from intemperate parents, but from temperate and aged parents, such as Joachim and Anna, who lived in marriage for fifty years and had no children.
Finally, through such a birth, the dignity of the parents themselves is revealed, since after a long barrenness they gave birth to joy to the whole world, by which they became like the holy patriarch Abraham and his pious wife Sarah, who, according to the promise of God, gave birth to Isaac in old age (Gen. 21: 2). However, without a doubt, it can be said that the birth of the Virgin is higher than the birth of Isaac by Abraham and Sarah. As much as the born Virgin Mary herself is higher and more worthy of honor than Isaac, so much greater and higher is the dignity of Joachim and Anna than Abraham and Sarah.
They did not immediately achieve this dignity, but only with zealous fasting and prayers, in spiritual sorrow and heartfelt grief, they begged God for this: and their grief turned into joy, and their dishonor was a harbinger of great honor, and the zealous petition of the leader to receive blessings, and prayer is the best intercessor.
Joachim and Anna mourned and wept for a long time that they had no children. Once, on a big feast, Joachim brought gifts to the Lord God in the Jerusalem temple; along with Joachim, all the Israelites offered their gifts as a sacrifice to God. The high priest Issachar, who was at that time, did not want to accept the gifts of Joachim, because he was childless.
“You shouldn’t,” he said, “accept gifts from you, because you don’t have children, and therefore God’s blessings: you probably have some secret sins.”
Also, one Jew from the tribe of Reuben, along with others who brought his gifts, reproached Joachim, saying:
Why do you want to offer sacrifices to God before me? do you not know that you are not worthy to bring gifts with us, for you will not leave offspring in Israel?
These reproaches greatly saddened Joachim, and in great sorrow he left the temple of God, shamed and humiliated, and the feast turned into sadness for him, and the festive joy was replaced by sorrow. Deeply grieving, he did not return home, but went into the wilderness to the shepherds who pastured his flocks, and there wept for his barrenness and for the reproach and reproaches made to him.
Remembering Abraham, his forefather, to whom God had given a son already at an advanced age, Joachim began to earnestly pray to the Lord that He would grant him the same favor, hear his prayer, have mercy and take away from him the reproach from people, granting him in old age fruit to his marriage, as once to Abraham.
“May I,” he prayed, “be able to be called the father of a child, and not childless and outcast from God to endure reproaches from people!”
Joachim added fasting to this prayer and did not eat bread for forty days.
“I will not eat,” he said, “and I will not return to my house; let my tears be my food, and this wilderness my home, until the Lord God of Israel hears and takes away my reproach.
In the same way, his wife, being at home and hearing that the high priest did not want to accept their gifts, reproaching them for barrenness, and that her husband retired into the wilderness out of great sorrow, wept with inconsolable tears.
“Now,” she said, “I am the most unfortunate of all: rejected by God, reviled by people and left by my husband!” what to cry about now: about your widowhood, or about childlessness, about your orphanhood, or about not being worthy to be called a mother?!
She cried so bitterly all those days.
Anna's slave, named Judith, tried to console her, but could not: for who can console her whose sorrow is as deep as the sea?
Once sad Anna went to her garden, sat down under a laurel tree, sighed from the depths of her heart and, raising her eyes full of tears to the sky, saw a bird's nest with small chicks on the tree. This spectacle caused her even greater grief, and she began to cry with tears:
- Woe to me childless! It must be that I am the most sinful among all the daughters of Israel, that alone before all the women I am so humiliated. Everyone carries the fruit of their womb on their hands, everyone consoles themselves with their children: I alone am a stranger to this joy. Woe is me! The gifts of all are accepted in the temple of God, and they are respected for childbearing: I alone am rejected from the temple of my Lord. Woe is me! Who will I be like? nor to the birds of the air, nor to the beasts of the earth: for they too, O Lord God, bring forth their fruit to Thee, but I alone am barren. I cannot even compare myself with the earth: for it vegetates and grows seeds and, bearing fruit, blesses You, Heavenly Father: I alone am barren on earth. Alas for me, Lord, Lord! I am alone, sinful, deprived of offspring. You, who once gave Sarah the son of Isaac in extreme old age (Gen.21:1-8), You, who opened the womb of Anna, the mother of Your prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20), now look at me and hear my prayers. Lord Sabaoth! You know the reproach of childlessness: stop the sorrow of my heart and open my womb and make me barren, making me fruitful, so that what I have born, we bring to You as a gift, blessing, singing and glorifying Your mercy.
When Anna cried out like this with weeping and sobbing, an angel of the Lord appeared to her and said:
Anna, Anna! your prayer was heard, your sighs passed through the clouds, your tears appeared before God, and you will conceive and give birth to a blessed Daughter; through her all the tribes of the earth will be blessed and salvation will be given to the whole world; her name will be Maria.
Hearing the angelic words, Anna bowed to God and said:
- The Lord God lives, if a child is born to me, I will give him to serve God. May he serve Him and glorify the holy name of God day and night throughout his life.
After this, filled with inexpressible joy, Saint Anna quickly went to Jerusalem, so that there with prayer she would give thanks to God for His merciful visit.
At the same time, an angel appeared to Joachim in the wilderness and said:
- Joachim, Joachim! God has heard your prayer and is pleased to grant you His grace: your wife Anna will conceive and give birth to your daughter, whose birth will be a joy to the whole world. And here is a sign for you that I am proclaiming the truth to you: go to Jerusalem to the temple of God and there, at the golden gate, you will find your wife Anna, to whom I proclaimed the same thing.
Joachim, surprised by such an angelic gospel, glorifying God and thanking Him with his heart and mouth for his great mercy, with joy and joy hastily set off for the Jerusalem temple. There, as the angel had announced to him, he found Anna at the golden gate, praying to God, and told her about the angel's gospel. She also told him that she had seen and heard an angel announcing the birth of her daughter. Then Joachim and Anna glorified God, who had done them such a great mercy, and, bowing to Him in the holy temple, they returned to their home.
And Saint Anna conceived on the ninth day of the month of December, and on the eighth of September she gave birth to a daughter, the Most Pure and Most Blessed Virgin Mary, the beginning and intercessor of our salvation, at whose birth both heaven and earth rejoiced. Joachim, on the occasion of Her birth, offered God great gifts, sacrifices and burnt offerings, and received the blessing of the high priest, priests, Levites and all the people for being worthy of God's blessing. Then he arranged a plentiful meal in his house, and everyone glorified God with joy.
The growing Virgin Mary of Her parent was cherished like the apple of an eye, knowing, by a special revelation of God, that She would be the light of the whole world and the renewal of human nature. Therefore, they brought her up with such careful diligence, which befitted the one who was supposed to be the Mother of our Savior. They loved her not only as a daughter, expected for such a long time, but also revered her as their mistress, remembering the angelic words spoken about her, and foreseeing in spirit what should happen to her.
She, full of Divine grace, mysteriously enriched her parents with the same grace. Just as the sun illuminates the heavenly stars with its rays, giving them particles of its light, so the God-chosen Mary, like the sun, illuminated Joachim and Anna with the rays of the grace given to her, so that they were filled with the Spirit of God, and firmly believed in the fulfillment of the angelic words.
When the maiden Mary was three years old, her parents brought Her with glory into the temple of the Lord, accompanying her with lit lamps, and consecrated Her to the service of God, as they had promised. Several years after the introduction of Mary into the temple, Saint Joachim died at the age of eighty years from birth. Saint Anna, left a widow, left Nazareth and came to Jerusalem, where she remained near her Most Holy Daughter, praying unceasingly in the temple of God. Having lived in Jerusalem for two years, she reposed in the Lord, having 79 years from birth 2.
Oh, how blessed are you, holy parents, Joachim and Anna, for the sake of your Blessed Daughter!
Blessed are you especially for the sake of Her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all peoples and tribes of the earth have received blessing! Rightly did the Holy Church call you Fathers of God 3, for we know that God was born from your Most Holy Daughter. Now standing close to Him in heaven, pray that some part of your endless joy will be given to us too. Amen.
Troparion, tone 1:
Even in the lawful grace of the righteous, Joachim and Anna gave birth to the God-given child to us: the same day, the divine church celebrates your honor, cheerfully celebrating your memory, glorifying God, who raised up the horn of salvation to us in the house of David.
Kontakion, tone 2:
Now Anna rejoices, having resolved her barrenness, and nourishes the Most Pure One, calling all the praises, who gave from her womb a single Mother and an unskillful man.
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