The Feast of The Cross

The Cross of Christ bears great importance and centrality in the theology of the Assyrian Church of the East. It is so important that it is found in all liturgies, prayers and rites of the Church, in fact, the ‘sign of the Holy Cross’ is so central to our Christian faith that it is held as one of the seven sacraments that is unique to the Church of the East. 

The Feast of the Cross is one of the seven feast days of the Lord that we commemorate annually in the Church Calendar on the 13^th September. Today, as we commemorate this special day in the Church, let us briefly learn more about the significance of the Cross and the special day dedicated to this powerful, life-giving sign.

His Grace Mar Awa Royel explains the importance and centrality of the Cross to our faith as Christians; 
The Cross, therefore, is not just some ‘empty symbol’ (as many, sad to say, so-called Christians would claim) of Jesus that we use or have contrived in order to ‘remember’ who Jesus was and what He did. It’s simply not like the locket that a young child receives in order to remember his/her grandmother! Rather, for the Church and for the Christian it is a living and life-giving sign of the power and the victory of God (in Jesus Christ) over sin, death and Satan. Thus the sign of the Cross participates in the power of Jesus Christ, who was crucified on it, and as such gives life to the Church and the faithful.¹

The True Cross used for our Lord’s crucifixion was discovered in 326 A.D. by Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, during a pilgrimage she made to Jerusalem. After enquiring as to the whereabouts of the holy tomb of our Saviour and the Holy Cross, Helena was brought to a cave-like cistern by a certain Judas, whose family held the tradition of the whereabouts of the Cross. Over the sepulchre of our Lord, on the other hand, was built a temple in honour of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. As workmen were excavating by destroying the temple and preparing to build the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, three crosses were found in the cave beneath.

In order to ascertain which one was the true Cross of our Lord, it happened that a funeral cortege was passing by. The empress ordered them to stop and bring the dead man in order to place him on the crosses; the Cross of Jesus would certainly resurrect the man to life again. They placed him, in accord with the empress’s command on the first two crosses; nothing happened. When they placed him on the third Cross, sure enough he came back to life – that was the Cross of Jesus Christ. Soon after that, the Holy Cross was exalted by the empress, and it was set up in the holy tomb to be venerated.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the Cross placed inside it.

The date of the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335 AD. This was a two-day festival:  the actual consecration of the church was on September 13, and this is the fixed date that we commemorate annually as the ‘Feast of the Cross’ (Eeda d’Sliwa) in our Church calendar. However, many other apostolic churches who also commemorate the Feast, hold it on the 14^th September, for  the cross itself was brought outside the church on this date so that the clergy and faithful could pray before the True Cross, and all could come forward to venerate it.

The Feast of the Cross is a great reminder of the Cross of Christ and the power it possesses in the lives of those who have been sealed by the sign (in baptism) and also a great reminder of the power that the Cross omits to the world; as the sign of God’s incomprehensible love to His creation and the great weapon to conquer sin, death and the great deceiver – satan.

Let this feast day stand as a reminder for us to rely on the power of Christ’s Cross every day, by having a faith that is centred on the Cross and the One who was crucified on it, knowing what He has achieved for us. By crossing ourselves with the sign of the Cross, we will hallow our person and remember this powerful, life-changing sign and sacrament daily.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God

Todd Wright - The Cross of Christ

1.       Mysteries of the Kingdom, The Sacraments of the Assyrian Church of the East, Pp 330, Bishop Mar Awa Royel, Copyright 2011 by CIRED

Triumph over sin (The Triumphal Entry)

That magnificent time in the Church calendar has arrived where we all gather in the Church on the Sunday of Hosannas (Palm Sunday) to worship the Lord. This day is the first that brings great anticipation of the coming days of the Holy week that will culminate on the Sunday of the Resurrection (Easter Sunday). With this anticipation of the ‘Holy Week’ approaching, the Church celebrates the entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem. 

Although this day is held in joyful celebration, it may also simultaneously bring a sense of sorrow as it introduces us to the all too familiar events that will follow… The betrayal, suffering and crucifixion that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ experienced; a journey that we will also take part in during this Holy Week.

So as we commemorate the entry of our Lord into Jerusalem today, and remember His coming suffering and death, the Church provides us with the comfort and assurance of the resurrection in the commemoration of Lazarus being the last liturgical day preceding the Palm Sunday feast.

So we enter into Palm Sunday aware of the coming suffering our Lord will endure, but having learned of the assurance of the resurrection that our Lord demonstrated through raising Lazarus from the dead as a foreshadow of the hope to come.

Christ’s entry into Jerusalem is described by a variety of names you may be familiar with such as; ‘Palm Sunday’, the ‘Sunday of Hosannas’ (as mentioned above) and ‘the Triumphal Entry’. There is great significance behind the titles of this event and we will shed some light on the importance of these particular titles that have been passed down since the event took place over 2000 years ago.

Why is it called the Triumphal Entry?

We read of the account of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem in all of the gospels; Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-40, and John 12:12-19 and in some translations, these passages have been titled “the Triumphal entry”. So why is it titled thus?

In the times of old, when an army went to war against the enemy and returned home victorious, they were welcomed by a procession of their native citizens holding palm branches to celebrate their victory and honour the men who had overcome the enemy. It was also a customary way to receive a King into the city.

By the same token we witness our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords receive the same honorary welcome as He enters into Jerusalem to fulfill God's will in overcoming the enemy of our souls by His sacrificial death, burial and resurrection and to once and for all gain ultimate victory for all who believe in Him.

Why is it called the Sunday of Hosanna’s?

Simply, the term “Hosanna” is a shout of praise that was reserved for the 'Son of David'. We draw from its use in Psalm 118:25-26 that it means “save”.

It is upon Christ’s entry into Jerusalem that we see the crowds welcoming the Lord into the city, holding palm and olive branches. Palms were to signify victory and praise while olive branches traditionally symbolized mercy. Holding these they chanted:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest!”

This honorary reception by the crowds demonstrated their desire for the promised Messiah- King, the “Son of David” to enter into the Holy City to save them and restore power to Jerusalem as their ruler. But we learn of Christ’s true salvific mission and the type of victory God wanted to bring to the people by the way that He chooses to humbly enter the city riding on an untamed colt, the foul of a donkey…

St. John Chrysostom explains the depth of meaning behind Christ’s humble actions here:

But let us look also at the prophecy, that by words, that by acts. What then is the prophecy? “Behold, thy King cometh to thee, meek, and riding on an ass, and a young colt; ”not driving chariots, like the rest of the kings, not demanding tributes, not thrusting men off, and leading about guards, but displaying His great meekness even hereby.

But He did these things, as I said, signifying beforehand the things to come. For here the church is signified by the colt, and the new people, which was once unclean, but which, after Jesus sat on them, became clean. And see the image preserved throughout. I mean that the disciples loose[ned] the asses. For by the apostles, both they and we were called; by the apostles were we brought near. But because our acceptance provoked them also to emulation, therefore the ass appears following the colt. For after Christ hath sat on the Gentiles, then shall they also come moving us to emulation (follow their example). ¹

Christ’s taming of the colt is another great typification of how He can tame our rebellious ways when we submit to Him and allow Him to take the “reigns” in our life in order to be lead to a victorious eternity.

This Palm Sunday let us welcome Christ our Lord into our hearts and lives by waving palm branches of praise for His victory over sin and death, and olive branches with which we beseech Him for His mercy. As we remember our Lord humbly riding into the Holy City on an untamed colt, let us emulate Him through the Church’s teachings and continue to tame our souls as we have been doing during the Great Fast.

For just as our Lord Jesus Christ experienced sufferings, trials and ultimate victory, so too we who abide in Him will gain victory over our sins, sufferings and trials and gain redemption by His mercy.

Lead me to the Cross: Brooke Fraser

1.        St. Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Thursday of Thanksgiving

In light of the conclusion of the Rogation of the Ninevites, and the cultural and religious significance these last three days bear on our Church and community, it is only fitting for our Church to teach us to continue to live in a worthy manner of repentance starting from the first day we break our fast. This is why the mother Church disciples us to understand the meaning of giving thanks to the Lord after the fast and has instated Thursday of Thanksgiving to remind us of what we have faithfully conquered through our last three days of abstaining. This day stands as an initial reminder that as we break our fast, we should not break or put an end to our piety.

Thursday of Thanksgiving is a timely reminder to the faithful of the Church that our righteous deeds of fasting and prayer over the last three days of the Rogation of the Ninevites, the repentant prayers and beseeching that we made before the Lord to have mercy on us sinners, should not be forgotten. Instead, in the passing shadow of the fast, we should be more mindful of the sins we have committed and besought forgiveness from God for. We should be reminded of the great mercy and forgiveness that God has offered us through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and continually be encouraged by the faith that our ancestors demonstrated to us through their repentance.

St. Paul exhorts believers to offer thanksgiving to the Lord for showing us His gracious mercy everyday by offering our lives as a living sacrifice to God:

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2

The Apostle draws upon the typology of the Old Testament ways of worship, where an animal sacrifice was commanded of the Israelites to be given to the temple as an offering to God for the sins of the people. Today, as we live in the grace and forgiveness of Christ - our one and only sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 10:11-14), we are commanded by St. Paul to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. This is seen as true spiritual thanksgiving and worship and is what is acceptable to God.

In this post-fast time of our walk, let us continue to offer our lives to God as a living sacrifice in order to thank Him for the great mercy, love and forgiveness He has bestowed upon us His unworthy children. Let us not so easily forget the great spiritual fruits God has grown within us through the fasting and prayer we offered to Him over the last three days. And let us continue to live repentantly and in thanks to our mighty God as we meditate on the power of His mighty Cross daily, always being mindful of what He has offered us (John 3:16) so that we can always be thankful to Him.

This week’s Song: Psalm 95 – Sons of Korah

Are you prepared for Christmas?

As Christmas 2012 approaches we find ourselves readying for the festivities ahead by taking part in our great cultural traditions of baking kileche, making sure we have bought all the Christmas presents on our lists and have our outfits ready for the Christmas Church service and the family gatherings that follow. Many of us also have the dilemma of deciding where we will have Christmas lunch and dinner that we must also prepare for; where we can again, joyously catch up with family and friends at the end of the year before we start discussing plans for the New Year… Then, sure enough, within a blink of an eye it feels like it’s Christmas again and the traditional cycle continues.

All these traditions are great and are a lovely, joyful reminder of the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But as Christmas arrives this year, let us invest some of our time to reflect upon our lives in the year that has passed and look beyond the kileche, presents, Christmas cooking, heavy duty cleaning and preparation and delve into the true meaning of Christmas… What does Christmas mean to Christians? And what are the true preparations we should be making before the long awaited feast day arrives?

The feast of the Holy Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is celebrated in our Church on the 25^th of December every year. It is a day that we are called to remember that God took on the humility of mankind’s flesh and emptied Himself of the glory He deserves, so that we, His beloved creation could become full (Philippians 2:5-8). The day stands as a humble reminder to us all that Christ offered His ALL for us, leaving us a great example of offering our ALL to Him in thanks.

Saint Ephrem the Syrian beautifully illustrates the greatness of the gift that has been offered to us through the birth of our Lord, and also challenges us to respond to this priceless, everlasting gift in one of his many hymns on the nativity:

Serene is the night on which shines forth the Serene One Who came to give us serenity.

Do not allow anything that might disturb it to enter upon our watch.

Let the path of the ear be cleared; let the sight of the eye be chastened;

Let the contemplation of the heart be sanctified; let the speech of the mouth be purified.

Mary today has hidden in us the leaven from the house of Abraham;

Let us therefore, love the poor as Abraham [loved] the needy.

Today she has cast rennet into us from the house of David, the compassionate one;

Let man have mercy on his persecutor as the son of Jesse on Saul.

The sweet salt of the prophets today is scattered among the peoples;

Let us acquire by it a new taste by which the former people would lose its flavor.

On this day of redemption let us speak a speech of interpretation;

Let us not speak superfluous words, lest we be superfluous to [the day].

This is the night of reconciliation; let us be neither wrathful nor gloomy on it.

On this all-peaceful night let us be neither menacing nor boisterous.

This is the night of the Sweet One; let us be neither proud nor haughty.

On this day of forgiveness let us not avenge offenses.

On this day of rejoicings let us not share sorrows.

On this sweet day let us not be vehement.

On this calm day let us not be quick-tempered.

On this day on which God came into the presence of sinners,

Let not the just man exalt himself in his mind over the sinner.

On this day on which the Lord of all came among servants,

Let the lords also bow down to their servants lovingly.

On this day when the Rich One was made poor for our sake,

Let the rich man also make the poor man a sharer at his table.

On this day a gift came out to us without our asking for it;

Let us then give alms to those who cry out and beg from us.

This is the day when the high gate opened to us for our prayers;

Let us also open the gates to the seekers who have stayed but sought [forgiveness].

This Lord of nature’s today was transformed contrary to His nature;

It is not too difficult for us also to overthrow our evil will.

Bound is the body by its nature for it cannot grow larger or smaller;

But powerful is the will for it may grow to all sizes.

Today the Deity imprinted itself on humanity,

So that humanity might also be cut into the seal of Deity.

Christ the hope of our nature, and the giver of all good things was born into this world in the flesh to give us the gift of new life though we did not deserve it (Romans 3:23-24). His glorious birth into this world brought our lifeless, sinful bodies new birth and a chance at a new beginning.

As we enter our Churches this Christmas let us remember the stable in Bethlehem (house of bread) where Christ’s light first shined in this dark world. And as we gaze at His Body and Blood being offered on the alter, stand in humility and reverence and truly thank God the Father for the gracious gift of Christ that was given to us over 2000 years ago and is being offered for us on Christmas day and every day that we have the privilege to look upon the Son as redeemed children.

This Christmas, let us heed the edifying words of our Holy Father Saint Ephrem and allow his instruction to influence our words, actions and thoughts starting from this day, while challenging ourselves to continue on this path in the New Year.

Are you truly prepared for Christmas this year? Have you accepted the gift that Christ has offered you? If you have accepted His gift, what gift will you offer Him in return? (Romans 12:1)

May the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ bring blessings to you and your family as you share the love of Christ and celebrate the newness of life He brings at every gathering.

Please keep our beloved brothers and sisters of our homeland in prayer at this time when persecution is much more prevalent for them.

Christmas Song: By Bethlehem (Assyrian Church of the East Hymn) – Linda George

Excerpt from: Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns, By Saint Ephrem (Syrus), Kathleen E. McVey.

Hymn 1 – Hymns on the nativity.

St. Elijah the Tishbite (Commemoration 19 October)

St. Elijah (Mar Eliyah) of Tishbe is a mighty prophet of God who represents the prophets of old. We witnessed this representation in his appearance in the transfiguration of our Lord (Luke 9:28-33) alongside Moses who represents the Law. (See past article on the Transfiguration). But what is so significant about Elijah’s works that sets him apart as a faithful prophet? And what learning can we gain as we look to the example of this man of God?

Firstly, Elijah is introduced to us or first mentioned in 1 Kings 17:1 at the time of the reign of King Ahab, the king of Israel who was married to Jezebel. Both the king and his wife were worshippers of Baal (the pagan god of many other gods) and had influenced a large majority of Israel to follow in the same pagan worship.

In order to glorify His name and turn the hearts of Israel back to the truth, God instrumentally calls upon His faithful servant Elijah who demonstrates his great faith through the many miracles he performs in the name of the Lord, such as:

Raising the dead

The first mention of the miracle of raising the dead in the Bible is performed by Elijah when he calls on the name of the Lord God to raise a dead boy to life:

“Then Elijah cried out to the Lord and said, “Woe is me, O Lord! The witness of the widow with whom I lodge, you have embittered her by killing her son.” Then he stretched himself out on the child three times, and called on the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, let the soul of this child come back to him.” So it happened, and the child cried out. (1 Kings 17:20-22)

We see a meaningful significance in the way Elijah is lead to stretch himself over the dead boy three times; for the number three is a sacred number that points to the blessed Holy Trinity.

Feeding the poor

Elijah again gives glory to God by quoting to the poor widow the Godly words that were spoken to him; “For thus says the Lord;

‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, and the jar of oil shall not run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’

The bin of flour was not used up, and the jar of oil did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah (1 Kings 17:16).

Through these works in the name of the Lord the widow who witnessed these, acknowledged Elijah as a true man of God and the words spoken to her from his mouth were true [as if from God Himself] (1 Kings 17:24).

Proving there is only one true God

A well-known miracle that Elijah is characterized by is the infamous calling down of fire from the heavens. In order to prove to the king and the prophets of Baal that their faith in these idols was in vain, the prophet calls on the name of the Lord again to prove the worthlessness of the idols and display the mighty strength of the one true God (1 Kings 18:20-40).

Elijah cried out to heaven and said, “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day with fire, and let this people know You are the God of Israel, and I am Your servant; and for Your sake I do all these works.”(1 Kings 18:36)

In witnessing the might of God as performed through the word of Elijah, the people fell on their faces and they said, “Truly, the Lord is God; He is God.” (1 Kings 18:39) And again, Elijah proved true to his mission in serving the Lord through glorifying His name.

Separating the waters

When Elijah and Elisha stood at the bank of the Jordan River, Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water. The water was divided in two streams and allowed both men to walk across.(2 Kings 2:8) Afterwards, when Elisha was left with Elijah’s mantle, he tried to divide the waters in the same way, but it was not until Elisha called on the name of the Lord that the waters were divided (2 Kings 2:13-14).

God rewards Elijah for the faithful acts performed in His name by:

Providing for his needs

When the Lord commissioned Elijah to start his journey at the commencement of the drought, He provided ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat to eat, and a brook to draw water from (1 Kings 17:3-6).

The Lord lead Elijah to the poor widow who provided him with water to drink and bread to eat before Elijah showed her God’s providence through the miracles performed in her house. (1 Kings 17:8-9)

When Elijah fled from Jezebel and entered the wilderness, the angel of the Lord continually provided him with cakes of wheat and water to sustain him for forty days and forty nights. (1 Kings 19:4-9)

When God found Elijah afraid and alone after fleeing from the pagan worshippers, He comforted the faithful and zealous prophet by providing him with His holy presence and revealed Himself to the prophet in the sound of a gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Finally, we see Elijah, who was favoured by God unlike any other prophet, was spared the physical death and was taken up into heaven by a chariot of fire (2 Kings2:10-11).

Today, as faithful Christians of the Church and lovers of Christ, we too should look not only to the example of the prophets like Elijah and faithful forefathers before us, but to the glorious example of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. He came into the world to glorify the Father by leading people to know Him through His words and deeds and commands us, His followers to do the same;

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

St. John Chrysostom expounds on Elijah’s works and draws a great parallel for us to observe:

“For Elijah left a sheepskin (mantle) to his disciple, but the Son of God ascending left to us His own flesh! Elijah indeed, cast off his mantle, before he went up; but Christ left it behind for our sakes; and yet retained it when He ascended. Let us not lament, nor fear the difficulty of the times, for He who did not refuse to pour out His blood for all, and has suffered us to partake in His flesh and of His blood again, what will He refuse to do for our safety?”

Let us remember, that just as the prophet Elijah left his mantle (sheepskin) for Elisha to continue in the faithful works for the Lord, so too we have been entrusted with the duty that has been handed down to us through the apostles; to work for the Lord by making His name known to the world. We have the assurance in knowing that He has provided for our needs through His grace dispensed to us through the sacraments, and we trust that He will continue to provide for us in the same way he provided for the prophet Elijah when we call upon His mighty name.

“Your Name” – Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam

Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai - The persecuted Patriarch of great faith

The commemoration of our late Patriarch Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai was celebrated in our Church calendar last Friday. As we look to this great historical leader, let us take a moment to reflect upon the great faith he upheld in his Lord as a leader and shepherd of the persecuted flock of the Assyrian Church of the East during the Persian reign of King Sapor II (339-379 A.D).

When the Persian emperor began a war with the recently converted Christian Roman empire, Sapor was influenced by the native Zoroastrian priests of his nation to persecute the Christians of Persia; namely, the members of the Church of the East.

Christians were ordered to pay a double tax as a contribution to the cost of war and Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai, the Catholicos Patriarch was ordered to collect this tax from his people. Mar Shimun refused to collect the tax on the grounds that his people were poor, and he was not a tax collector.

Mar Shimun was immediately arrested and the destruction of our churches and church property immediately followed. Mar Shimun was offered freedom for himself and his people if he would worship the sun, the Emperor’s God only once.

Mar Shimun’s response that led him to his timely destiny will forever be remembered in history: “The sun went into mourning when its Lord and Creator died”.

The Emperor begged the Patriarch in the name of their personal friendship to yield; but the Catholicos Patriarch remained firm, and on the morning of Good Friday along with five bishops and a hundred clergy, he sealed his testimony with his blood in the year 339 A.D.

Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai suffered for two noble causes, his faith in Christ and his duty to his people. Let us make the persecutions that our forefathers endured for their faith stand as a constant reminder for us to not take our faith in Christ, and our freedom to worship Him for granted.

In the moments when we are tempted to turn away from our God even just once through the many distractions we face in the 21^st century, let us be encouraged by the strong, unswerving faith of Mar Shimun Bar Sabbai, who wilfully accepted martyrdom instead of denying His God  for even just one moment.

The Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary

As we approach the end of the fast for The Commemoration of the passing of the Blessed Virgin Mary this Wednesday 15^th August, let us be encouraged by the Blessed Mother’s awe inspiring faith, strength, love and humility as we learn from her life and see why the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ is honoured above all saints in the Church.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was a native to Palestine of the day. The daughter of Younakhan and Khanna who were descendants of King David. Church history teaches that Saint Mary was a very beautiful girl who loved the LORD God and was devoted to the temple in Jerusalem as a girl by her parents to be faithfully brought up in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. When she had reached the age of betrothal, she was betrothed to Joseph, a faithful man also from the linage of King David. An account in Church history tells of how both Mary and Joseph had both agreed to devote themselves to the LORD in chastity and though they were betrothed, they would dedicate their lives to serving the LORD.

As the gospel of Luke quotes: 

“²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favour with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵ The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:26-38

From the moment that the Virgin Mary had conceived of the Holy Spirit upon the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel, we witness her faith, humility and acceptance of God’s work and will in her life. As a young virgin, she was naturally perplexed in her understanding as to how she could conceive without knowing a husband and enquired further as to how this would prevail. Her faithful and humble response to the Lord’s calling (verse 38) is magnified when she accepts and believes the seemingly impossible and wondrous prophesied miracle which will be fulfilled through her as God’s chosen vessel. This is a great testament to her faith as the first person to believe in Jesus the Messiah (Isho Msheekha).

The Church teaches that Mary remained with Christ throughout His life and remained a virgin. The first miracle that our Lord performed was at a wedding feast in Cana and it was done at the request of His mother (John 2:1-12). We also see how the Lord entrusts His mother to the care of the disciple John before He completed His earthly mission on the Cross, knowing that the Holy Virgin had dedicated her life to serving the Lord and was without husband and children to care for her.

“But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “ Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” John 19:25-27

Of the many non-apostolic churches which have grown over the centuries and wrongly interpreted or maligned the word of God through one reformed teaching which opened the door to another - apart from the Apostles teachings, we see many debating the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin and consequently taking away the honour and respect that should be worthily bestowed to our Lord’s mother. These misunderstandings however, can be easily clarified by looking to the word of God through the teaching of the Apostles and Church Fathers.

One particular verse in the Bible that is magnified in this argument is Matthew 1:25 – “but he (Joseph) did not know her until she gave birth to a son” (N.B. when I looked this verse up today, the current NIV version has changed this verse yet again to give another misinterpreted message from the previous NIV Bible I have that was printed in 1995. The word’s “did not know her”, were replaced by “did not have union with her” and the latest translation states “did not consummate their marriage until” This truly shows how in need we are to adhere and hold on to our treasured Orthodox teachings).

St John Chrysostom beautifully expounds on this verse and explains the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother through various examples from scripture:

“And when he had taken her, “he knew her not, till she had brought forth her first-born Son.” He hath here used the word “till,” not that thou shouldest suspect that afterwards he did know her, but to inform thee that before the birth the Virgin was wholly untouched by man. But why then, it may be said, hath he used the word, “till”? Because it is usual in Scripture often to do this, and to use this expression without reference to limited times. For so with respect to the ark likewise, it is said, “The raven returned not till the earth was dried up.” And yet it did not return even after that time. And when discoursing also of God, the Scripture saith, “From age until age Thou art,” not as fixing limits in this case. And again when it is preaching the Gospel beforehand, and saying, “In his days shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away,”it doth not set a limit to this fair part of creation.

So then here likewise, it uses the word “till,” to make certain what was before the birth, but as to what follows, it leaves thee to make the inference. Thus, what it was necessary for thee to learn of Him, this He Himself hath said; that the Virgin was untouched by man until the birth; but that which both was seen to be a consequence of the former statement, and was acknowledged, this in its turn he leaves for thee to perceive; namely, that not even after this, she having so become a mother, and having been counted worthy of a new sort of travail, and a child-bearing so strange, could that righteous man ever have endured to know her. For if he had known her, and had kept her in the place of a wife, how is it that our Lord commits her, as unprotected, and having no one, to His disciple (John), and commands him to take her to his own home?” (Chrysostom, Homily V)

Again, we read in the Prophecy of Ezekiel:

“Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut. ² The Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.” (Ezekiel 44:1-2)

This has always been interpreted by the Fathers of the Church to be a typological reference to the Virgin Mary and the Incarnation. When we consider that God took flesh from the Virgin's womb, it is not difficult to imagine that this womb would remain virgin and no one would ever enter through the womb or vessel of the LORD. The bottom line is this has been the consistent and universal view of the Church from the time of the Apostles until today.

There are varied historical accounts describing the passing of the Blessed Virgin Mary that are too lengthy to mention for this short article. What we should always remember about her passing is that until her last moment on this earth she was highly esteemed, respected and honoured by the Lord’s Apostles and all followers of Christ as the mother of our Lord and a faithful, humble, God-fearing servant of the Most High. This very same honour and respect should be given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by all of us today.

As women in the Church today, we should look to the Blessed Mother and aim to emulate her faith in the Lord, her acceptance of His ever-changing will for her life and acceptance of the great struggles she endured and the subsequent eternal blessings that followed. Let us give her the honour and respect that is due to her and be encouraged that as a sympathizing woman and mother, she will beseech the Lord with prayers of supplication on our behalf when we faithfully ask her to.

May the fast of the Blessed Virgin Mary bring you strength, increased faith and love and may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin beseech the Lord on your behalf.

The Prayer of St Mary (as said in the Assyrian Church of the East):

(Phonetic Modern Syriac translation):

Shlamalakh Maryam mleeta shapaqat,

Maran minakh

M’boorikhtehwat gaw bakhtateh

O’mboorkhe’le pira d’kasakh Isho.

Mart Maryam Yima d’Mshishka,

Saleh min geban akhnan khatayeh

Adia w’op b’saat d’motan

Amen

(English translation):

Peace be with you Mary full of grace

Our Lord is with you

Blessed are you amoung all women

Blessed is the fruit of your womb – Jesus

Saint Mary, Mother of Christ

Pray on behalf of us sinners

Now and until the time of our death

Amen

This week’s song: Qalet Mariam (the voice of Mary) – Linda George