The Unique Role Of The Virgin Mary In Orthodoxy
Orthodox Christianity hold the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, in the highest honor. She is not worshiped as God, but she is venerated as the holiest of all creation, the one who gave flesh to the eternal Word of God.
The Church calls her the Living Icon of the Church because in her life, purity, humility, and obedience, we see the very life of the Church itself.
When we speak of the Virgin Mary, we must be clear. The Orthodox Church never teaches that she is worshiped in the same way as Christ. Worship belongs only to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
To the Virgin Mary, we give special honor, which the Fathers call hyperdulia, a veneration higher than that of any other saint, but infinitely lower than the adoration we give to the Holy Trinity.
The Difference Between Worship And Veneration
Orthodox Christianity distinguishes between latreia, the worship that belongs to God alone, and proskynesis or dulia, the veneration given to saints. The Virgin Mary receives hyperdulia because she is unique among all creatures.
Saint John of Damascus explains this difference:
“We honor the saints as friends of Christ, but we worship God alone.”
He continues:
“To the Theotokos we give special honor, because she is truly Mother of God according to the flesh.”
Christ is adored as the Son of God, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit. Mary is honored as the one who bore Him. The Psalmist reminds us:
“Worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve”
Psalm 96:9, LXX
But the same Scripture proclaims:
“The Queen stood at Thy right hand, arrayed in gold”
Psalm 44:10, LXX
showing her honored place in the Kingdom.
Why We Call Mary The Living Icon Of The Church
The Church is called the Bride of Christ, holy and pure, and through Mary we see this mystery revealed.
She said yes to God freely, becoming the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, the Ark of the New Covenant, and the one who bore the Word of God in her womb.
Just as the Church carries Christ within her through the mysteries, Mary carried Him bodily.
As the Church nourishes her children through the sacraments, Mary nourished Christ with her own milk. As the Church intercedes for her children before God, Mary intercedes for all Christians before her Son.
Saint Ephraim the Syrian called her:
“the most holy temple, the spiritual paradise, the glory of virgins.”
For this reason, we call her the Living Icon of the Church. She is not separate from the Church but the perfect image of what the Church is meant to be.
Biblical Foundations Of The Honor Of Mary
The honor of the Virgin Mary is not based on human imagination but on the Word of God.
- Luke 1:28: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
- Luke 1:42: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
- Luke 1:48: “All generations shall call me blessed.”
- John 19:27: “Behold your mother.”
- Psalm 44:17 (LXX): “They shall remember your name in every generation.”
These words reveal that the Virgin Mary is honored by God Himself and that her blessedness will endure through all generations. Christianity, in its fullness as preserved in Orthodoxy, simply obeys this divine command.
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The Mother Of God And The Incarnation
Without the Virgin Mary, the mystery of the Incarnation would not have taken place as it did. Christ took real flesh from her. He was not born as an apparition or as an angel, but truly as man.
Orthodox Christianity affirms that He is both fully God and fully man, and it is through Mary that His humanity is real.
Saint Gregory Palamas wrote:
“The Mother of God is the boundary between created and uncreated.”
Through her, God entered into human nature without ceasing to be God. This mystery places her above every other saint, yet still as a created being who herself needed salvation. She is the first among the redeemed, the first to taste the glory of her Son’s victory.
The Intercession Of The Theotokos
One of the deepest elements of Orthodox Christianity is the intercession of the Virgin Mary. From the wedding at Cana, where she asked her Son to provide wine, until today, she continues to pray for Christians.
Saint Romanos the Melodist sings:
“The Virgin is the advocate of Christians, never ceasing to intercede with her Son.”
The faithful turn to her in times of danger, sickness, and sorrow, trusting in her prayers.
This does not mean she has power separate from Christ. Her intercession is powerful precisely because of her closeness to Him.
As the Psalmist says:
“The prayer of the righteous avails much”
Psalm 141:2, LXX
If the prayers of ordinary saints are powerful, how much more the prayers of the Mother of God?
The Virgin Mary As Mother Of All Christians
When Christ was on the Cross, He gave Mary as mother to all His disciples. He said to the Apostle John:
“Behold your mother”
John 19:27
From that moment, she became the mother of all who follow Christ.
Orthodoxy embraces her as mother of the Church, tenderly protecting, guiding, and praying for all her children.
Christianity without the Virgin Mary is incomplete, for she is bound to the mystery of Christ’s coming in the flesh.
Mary And The Purity Of The Church
The purity of the Virgin Mary is a reflection of the holiness of the Church. She is ever-virgin, preserving her body and soul completely for God. The Church, too, is called to be pure, unspotted from the world.
Saint Ambrose of Milan wrote:
“Mary is the type of the Church in the order of faith, of charity, and of perfect union with Christ.”
In her, we see the Church undefiled. In her, we learn what it means to give ourselves entirely to God.
Modern Misunderstandings About Mary
Many outside Orthodoxy believe that honoring Mary takes away from the worship of Christ. In truth, it is the opposite.
When we honor Mary, we confess the reality of the Incarnation and the greatness of her Son. If Mary is not truly Mother of God, then Christ is not truly God in the flesh. By defending her honor, the Church defends the very foundation of Christianity.
Saint Athanasius the Great said:
“If anyone does not confess that the holy Virgin is Theotokos, he is separated from the Godhead.”
The title Mother of God protects the truth that Christ is one person, both God and man.
Differences Between The Modern World And Orthodox Christianity On The Virgin Mary
- The world views women mainly in terms of power or rights. Orthodoxy sees Mary as holy through humility and obedience.
- The world honors celebrities for beauty or success. Orthodoxy honors Mary for purity and faith.
- The world often forgets the sacredness of life. Orthodoxy treasures Mary as the defender of every human life.
- The world doubts miracles and mysteries. Orthodoxy rejoices in Mary’s miraculous role in the Incarnation.
- The world values independence. Orthodoxy values Mary’s surrender to the will of God.
- The world rejects intercession as unnecessary. Orthodoxy sees Mary’s intercession as a gift of love.
- The world divides faith from daily life. Orthodoxy unites faith and life, as Mary did when she lived every moment for God.
Why The Virgin Mary Will Always Matter In Christianity
No matter how the world changes, Orthodox Christianity will always proclaim the blessedness of the Virgin Mary. From the Annunciation to Pentecost, she was present in every great mystery of salvation. She was the first to see Christ after His Resurrection.
She is the Living Icon of the Church, the one who shows us what it means to be holy, humble, and close to Christ.
Every Orthodox Christian who turns to her learns that her whole being points to her Son. She never draws attention to herself, but always says with her life what she said at Cana:
“Do whatever He tells you”
John 2:5
How To Pray To The Virgin Mary
Praying to the Virgin Mary in Orthodoxy is not worshiping her as God but speaking to her as our Mother in Christ.
When Christians pray to her, they ask for her prayers, her intercession, and her protection. This is done with humility and love, always remembering that every gift she gives comes from her Son.
The Apostle Paul wrote that we should “pray for one another” (James 5:16), and so we also ask the Mother of God to pray for us.
The most well-known form of prayer to her is the salutation:
“Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Savior of our souls.”
This prayer is rooted directly in the words of the Archangel Gabriel and Saint Elizabeth from the Gospel of Luke. By repeating these salutations, Christians fulfill the prophecy: “All generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
These salutations are not just formulas but living prayers. They are a way of praising her, greeting her, and asking her to stand with us in our daily struggles.
The Orthodox Christian who turns to the Virgin Mary in this way learns to pray with the heart, finding comfort in her maternal love.
Just as a child runs to his mother when in trouble, so the faithful run to Mary with these words of joy and honor.
She always responds with care, guiding us to her Son, the true source of life and salvation.
A Word For Orthodox Parents Explaining To Their Children
Parents can explain simply: We love the Virgin Mary because she is the Mother of Jesus.
We do not pray to her like she is God, because only God is worshiped. But we honor her more than anyone else, because she loved God with all her heart and said yes to Him.
She always prays for us and helps us to come closer to Jesus. She is like a mother for all Christians, and the Church calls her our protector.