Nativity of the Virgin Mary
Midwest Diocese of the OCA
Madison, IL 62060-1456
Title

THEOTOKION

Nativity of the Virgin Mary Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church

 

416 Ewing Avenue
Madison, Illinois 62060-1456
Telephone: (618) 451-9995

Holy Protection of the Theotokos

 

 

section 2

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Most holy Mother of God, today we Orthodox joyfully celebrate thy coming among us. As we gaze at thy icon we cry with compunction: Shelter us under thy protection, deliver us from evil, and pray thy Son Christ our God to save our souls. 

 

 

 

On October 1, 911</date />, at 4 AM</time />, the Mother of God appeared above the people in the crowded Blachernae</placename /> Church</placetype /></place /> of the Mother of God in Constantinople</place />, during an all night vigil. She had in her outstretched hands a long veil. St. Andrew the Fool for Christ was standing in the back. He said to his disciple Epiphanius, "Do you see how the Queen and Lady of all is praying for the whole world?" Epiphanius replied, "Yes, Father; I see it and stand in dread." They are depicted in the lower right of this icon. This reminds us of how the Theotokos intercedes for those who ask in time of distress. St. Romanos the Melodist is depicted on the lower left holding a scroll with words from the Canon of the Nativity which he wrote: "Today the Virgin gives birth." We see St. John</place /></city /> the Baptist and other Saints in heaven giving glory to the Theotokos, as well.

 

Troparion in Tone 4 
Today the faithful celebrate the feast with joy
illumined by your coming, O Mother of God.
Beholding your pure image we fervently cry to you:
"Encompass us beneath the precious veil of your protection;
deliver us from every form of evil by entreating Christ,
your Son and our God that He may save our souls."

 

Kontakion in Tone 3
Today the Virgin stands in the midst of the Church
and with choirs of saints she invisibly prays to God for us.
Angels and bishops worship,
apostles and prophets rejoice together,
since for our sake she prays to the pre-eternal God.

 

The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos: "Today the Virgin stands in the midst of the Church, and with choirs of Saints she invisibly prays to God for us. Angels and Bishops venerate Her, Apostles and prophets rejoice together, Since for our sake she prays to the Eternal God!"

 

This miraculous appearance of the Mother of God occurred in the mid-tenth century in Constantinople</place />, in the Blachernae church where her robe, veil, and part of her belt were preserved after being transferred from Palestine</place /></city /> in the fifth century.

 

On Sunday, October 1, during the All Night Vigil, when the church was overflowing with those at prayer, the Fool-for-Christ St Andrew (October 2), at the fourth hour, lifted up his eyes towards the heavens and beheld our most Holy Lady Theotokos coming through the air, resplendent with heavenly light and surrounded by an assembly of the Saints. St John</place /></city /> the Baptist and the holy Apostle John the Theologian accompanied the Queen of Heaven. On bended knees the Most Holy Virgin tearfully prayed for Christians for a long time. Then, coming near the Bishop's Throne, she continued her prayer.

 

After completing her prayer she took her veil and spread it over the people praying in church, protecting them from enemies both visible and invisible. The Most Holy Lady Theotokos was resplendent with heavenly glory, and the protecting veil in her hands gleamed "more than the rays of the sun." St Andrew gazed trembling at the miraculous vision and he asked his disciple, the blessed Epiphanius standing beside him, "Do you see, brother, the Holy Theotokos, praying for all the world?" Epiphanius answered, "I do see, holy Father, and I am in awe."

 

The Ever-Blessed Mother of God implored the Lord Jesus Christ to accept the prayers of all the people calling on His Most Holy Name, and to respond speedily to her intercession, "O Heavenly King, accept all those who pray to You and call on my name for help. Do not let them not go away from my icon unheard."

 

Saints Andrew and Epiphanius were worthy to see the Mother of God at prayer, and "for a long time observed the Protecting Veil spread over the people and shining with flashes of glory. As long as the Most Holy Theotokos was there, the Protecting Veil was also visible, but with her departure it also became invisible. After taking it with her, she left behind the grace of her visitation."

 

At the Blachernae church, the memory of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God was remembered. In the fourteenth century, the Russian pilgrim and clerk Alexander, saw in the church an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos praying for the world, depicting St Andrew in contemplation of her.

 

The Primary Chronicle of St Nestor reflects that the protective intercession of the Mother of God was needed because an attack of a large pagan Russian fleet under the leadership of Askole and Dir. The feast celebrates the divine destruction of the fleet which threatened

 

Constantinople</place /> itself, sometime in the years 864-867 or according to the Russian historian Vasiliev, on June 18, 860</date />. Ironically, this Feast is considered important by the Slavic Churches but not by the Greeks.

 

The Primary Chronicle of St Nestor also notes the miraculous deliverance followed an all-night Vigil and the dipping of the garment of the Mother of God into the waters of the sea at the Blachernae church, but does not mention Sts Andrew and Epiphanius and their vision of the Mother of God at prayer. These latter elements, and the beginnings of the celebrating of the Feast of the Protection, seem to postdate St Nestor and the Chronicle. A further historical complication might be noted under (October 2) dating St Andrew's death to the year 936.

 

The year of death might not be quite reliable, or the assertion that he survived to a ripe old age after the vision of his youth, or that his vision involved some later pagan Russian raid which met with the same fate. The suggestion that St Andrew was a Slav (or a Scythian according to other sources, such as S. V. Bulgakov) is interesting, but not necessarily accurate. The extent of Slavic expansion and repopulation into Greece</place /></country-region /> is the topic of scholarly disputes.

 

In the PROLOGUE, a Russian book of the twelfth century, a description of the establishment of the special Feast marking this event states, "For when we heard, we realized how wondrous and merciful was the vision... and it transpired that Your holy Protection should not remain without festal celebration, O Ever-Blessed One!"

 

Therefore, in the festal celebration of the Protection of the Mother of God, the Russian</placename /> Church</placetype /></place /> sings, "With the choirs of the Angels, O Sovereign Lady, with the venerable and glorious prophets, with the First-Ranked Apostles and with the Hieromartyrs and Hierarchs, pray for us sinners, glorifying the Feast of your Protection in the Russian</placename /> Land</placetype /></place />." Moreover, it would seem that St Andrew, contemplating the miraculous vision was a Slav, was taken captive, and became the slave of the local inhabitant of Constantinople</place /> named Theognostus.

 

Churches in honor of the Protection of the Mother of God began to appear in Russia</place /></country-region /> in the twelfth century. Widely known for its architectural merit is the temple of the Protection at Nerl, which was built in the year 1165 by holy Prince Andrew Bogoliubsky. The efforts of this holy prince also established in the Russian</placename /> Church</placetype /></place /> the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, about the year 1164.

 

At Novgorod in the twelfth century there was a monastery of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (the so-called Zverin monastery) In Moscow also under Tsar Ivan the Terrible the cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God was built at the church of the

 

Holy Trinity (known as the church</placetype /> of St Basil</placename /></place /> the Blessed).  

 

On the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos we implore the defense and assistance of the Queen of Heaven, "Remember us in your prayers, O Lady Virgin Mother of God, that we not perish by the increase of our sins. Protect us from every evil and from grievous woes, for in you do we hope, and venerating the Feast of your Protection, we magnify you."

 

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section 3

 

The Orthodox Way
by the Very Rev. Kallistos Ware

A classic account of the belief, worship, and life of the Orthodox Church. This is a book which reveals the meaning of life for all Christians.

(paperback, 164 pp)

section 4

The Faith We Hold
by Archbishop Paul of Finland

Describes the basic elements of the Orthodox Faith in three sections: doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual.

(paperback, 196 pp)

section 5

The Orthodox Faith
by Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko

Comprehensive information on Orthodox Doctrine, Worship, Bible and Church History, and Spirituality|

(paperback, 4 vols)

section 6

The Orthodox Church
by the Very Rev. Timothy (Kallistos) Ware

A clear, detailed introduction to the Orthodox Church, written for the non-Orthodox as well as for Orthodox Christians who wish to know more about their tradition.

(paperback, 558 pp)

section 6a

Sources to order any or all of the above books:

section 7

St. Tikhon's Seminary Bookstore

South Canaan, PA 18459

Office: 717-937-4390
Fax: 717-937-4939
Toll-Free: 1-888-454-6678
Email: bookstore@stots.edu
Web: http://www.stots.edu/bookstore.htm

section 8

St. Vladimir's Seminary Bookstore

575 Scarsdale Road
Crestwood, NY 10707-4519


Office: 914-961-2203
Fax:914-961-5456
Toll-Free: 1-800-204-BOOK (for credit card orders)
Email: bookstore@svots.edu
Web: http://www.svots.edu/SVS-Bookstore

section 9

►Fasting & Fast-Free Seasons of the Church:

 

 


FASTING SEASONS

Nativity (St. Philip's Fast) - Nov. 15 through Dec. 24
Meatfast - Monday after the Sunday of Last Judgment through Cheesefare Sunday
Great Lent & Holy Week - 1st Monday of Great Lent through Great and Holy Saturday
Apostles' (Peter & Paul) Fast(See each year’s calendar)
Dormition (Theotokos) Fast - Aug. 1 through Aug. 14

 

FAST-FREE WEEKS
Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ to Theophany Eve - Dec. 25 through Jan. 4
The week following the Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee - 2nd Week of the Lenten     Triodion
Bright Week - The week after Pascha until St Thomas Sunday
Trinity Week - The week after Pentecost until the Saturday before All Saints Sunday

 

FAST DAYS
The Wednesdays and Fridays of the Year, except for Fast-Free Weeks
The Eve of Theophany - January 5
The Beheading of St. John the Baptist - August 29
The Elevation of the Cross - September 14

 


 

CONCERNING FASTING
On the Calendar will be found notations concerning Fasting days and seasons. Where there is no indication of a fast given, this means that all foods may be eaten (except during Cheesefare Week, when meat is forbidden for every day). where the notation Fast Day is found, this means that a strict fast is observed, in which no meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, wine or oil are to be eaten.

These rules are dependent on the Church's cycle of feasts and fasts, and are contained in the Typikon, mainly in Chapters 32 and 33, repeated in appropriate places of the Menaion and Triodion. In general, except where otherwise noted, all Wednesdays and Fridays (Mondays also, in some monasteries) are kept as days of fasting (an exception being during the Fast Free periods), as well as the four canonical fasting periods (Great Lent, the Apostles' Fast, the Nativity Fast and the Dormition Fast), and certain other days, including the Eve of Theophany, the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, and the Elevation of the Cross. We note here that there are many local variations in the allowances of wine and oil (and sometimes fish), such as on patronal feast days of a parish or monastery, or when the feast of a great Saint (or Saints) is celebrated which has particular local or national significance.  

 

 

Can you find these Books of the Bible in the Old Testament?

           

                                                                                               

G G Q L M S U D O X E Y N L                     DEUTERONOMY

P E E I W Y V H L X W I U Q                       NUMBERS

M Q N G P V L E Z L E M M L           LEVITICUS

V N A E Y B V H P S U S B Q                       EXODUS

E W C K S I F W V S G V E X                       GENESIS

Z Q Z K T I X S S O G Y R S                         JOSHUA

N V J I B Q S D G Z C A S H

S V C P Y X W A U H S O J T

S U O N E LK E F G O D F I G

S Y M O N O R E T U E D P J