All-Holy, searching Lady, first finder of god in the flesh,* born in star lit Bethlehem;* Lady, refuge from all danger,* guide us in our lumbering search,* making loud our loving cries for Christ’s mercy.

 My first reflections are  from the Gospel of Luke.

“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28

These famous words, announced by the Holy Archangel Gabriel to Mary, are the basis of most devotion to Mary, the Theotokos (Mother of God), who as Christians we honor and venerate as a great Saint. Mary was favored by God, as the message from Gabriel proclaims, for her holiness and devotion to God. He chooses her out of all women to bear the second person of the Divine Trinity, the Logos (Greek for The Word). Mary is troubled by this, and the Angel tells her not be afraid for she has found “favor with God.”  From her flesh, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Logos was incarnate in our Lord Jesus Christ.  So Mary holds a special place for Christians as the Mother of God in the flesh.

 ”Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:37

 Mary, the Theotokos, is the greatest example of how we should respond to God and his will for our lives. Imagine an Angel Showing up in your room. You are a 13-year-old girl and who is just told she is favored by God and to top it off she is going to conceive His Son. Her answer to the Angel, who tells her, a virgin, she is going to conceive the Son of God, is simply, “May it be down to me according to your word.” WOW! No question, no arguing? No why me? Or you’re crazy. No Mary, in her humility accepts the will of the Lord freely and without reservation.  The question that stirs within side me is could I accept the will of God just like that? Or would I complain or resist or even deny the will of God? These are hard questions that I think Christians need to ask themselves. Also in the example of the Theotokos we have a model to go on. She is  our example and our hope. If she can say yes to God, then so can we. We can be transformed by God’s Grace just like her. We can say yes to will of God just like her and we can be in heaven with her Son, just like she is now.

 I hope, that this post will be the first of many reflection on the Blessed, Most Holy, all Pure, Theotokos and ever Virgin Mary. I hope it will foster deeper devotion to Mary for me and for others.

At first we were a little nervous about this. We weren’t sure where to stand or what to do since no one else was there help. We were able to find that house that was hosting all the supplies we needed.  We found it with the help of the Theotokos. The house had a huge banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe hanging in the front.

After we said a quick prayer we both decided that we would stand at a cross street by a busy corner by the clinic. (We later found out that we should have been up a little ways further by another street by the clinic) We had two signs, two chairs, one bottle of water and a packet full of information on 40 days for life. I was nervous for us since it was just the two of us. My girlfriend was anxious about it. As we started to hold our signs (one saying pray to end abortion and the other one saying defend life) we began our prayer vigil for life.

What a spiritual blessing it became. Cars honked and people waived to us and gave us the thumbs up and  positive encouragement.  There were a few negative reactions (one curse word and some heads shaking no) but overall it was very positive. We prayed and held rosaries and we began to realize how much of a difference the two of us had made. Around this time I was reminded of a bible passage:

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

The Lord Jesus was present with us. How much more of a witness de we really need? Why we were anxious about it just being the two of us- the Lord was present among us. He promised the disciples and us that this would be the case.

I encourage everyone to check out 40daysforlife.com and get involved any way you can. Pray, fast or come to a prayer vigil. Even if there is only two or three the lord will bless you and be with you!

Theotokos, Searcher for the Lost

Posted below are some photos from the annual pilgrimage to Holy Resurrection Monastery. This was the first time that I was privileged to attend. The service started with a procession of the Icon of the Theotokos, Searcher for the Lost, from the Byzantine Chapel of Saint John the Baptist to an out door Chapel. I don’t have any pictures of the procession since Fr. Abbot Nicholas asked me to help carry the processional Icon (three out of the four men selected where from my home town-San Diego). I have a few photos from liturgy. Bishop John of the Romanian Catholic Eparchy in America was the celebrant.

The Liturgy was beautiful and there was nine priests (two Roman rite, six Byzantine), three deacons and one Bishop. Truly the Church breathing with two lungs.

After the Liturgy there was time for lunch and a spiritual talk. I had to leave after lunch for the long drive home from Saint Andrew’s Abbey (which the monks of Holy Resurrection share with their Benedictine brothers).

Below are the Stichera for Great Vespers for the Feast of The Most Holy Theotokos, Searcher for the Lost- composed by Father Maximos of Holy Resurrection.

Stichera at Psalm 140

Tone 8

“O Child! Why have you treated us so?”* Asked the All-Holy searching Mother.* “Why send us far from your divine face,* O my sacred Son?* You, whom Eve fled in the garden*, I have sought through every street in Jerusalem;* as out fathers hungered for You in the wilderness,* I have longed for your return to my beating heart,* comfort me your grieving Handmaid,* You who love mankind.

“Why seek me but in my Father’s House?”* Answered the God-made-Man, her Son:* “Why seek the living God among the dead streets?* O most Holy Mother,* All generations will bless your sacred error today,* for losing Me the world found Me,* safe in the embrace of my Father’s Home,* revealing in human words the word of God,* so that – following you into my arm’s clasp* all may come to know my love for mankind.

“I have sought you early in the morning,”* replied the maiden Mother,* “I have made my heart a watcher for the Dawn,* O my sacred Son.* Now, where angels fed me in my youth* the teachers of the law are fed by the Law-Giver.* My mind bends beneath this mystery* and my pondering heart falls silent:* This strange finding pierces me like a new loss;* teach me, your Mother, You who love mankind.

“For love, my hand opened Adam’s side,”* answered her Son and God,* “but for sin, Adam will open my side with a spear,*O most holy Mother,* and search the Abyss of Mercy* in the flesh and blood formed in your womb.* I school you now for the black day,* when my broken body will pierce your heart,* so that you may teach the universe to weep,* and wake Adam to my love for mankind.”

“I who was bewildered by Gabriel’s splendor,”* said his loving Mother,* “stand amazed before your Face like mine,* O my sacred Son,* your Face upon which Gabriel dares not gaze.* I search for one to help, and find no-one,* I look for words to speak and cannot.* Yet I spread out my hands to You* and bow my neck for your embrace, adoring forever you love for mankind.”

“I will arise and return with you to Nazareth,”* answered the Word in the Temple,* “and I will rise from my three-day burial,* O most holy Mother.* I, who fill the cosmos with my Presence* empty myself into your care,* so that all the lost who wish to find Me* may call on you in your home,* and, touching you, who hold Me in your arms,* touch Me who loves mankind.

Glory. Same tone.

Winging over the flood, a dove found no rest,* but Noah’s hand bobbing on the ark,* until olive grew once more on the dry hill.* So the Father’s Dove found no life on earth* until He plucked a thorn wreathed about the word’s head,* and recognizing in bare Golgotha* a new Ararat’s saving slopes.

Now and ever. Dogmatikon, same tone.

In his love for mankind,* the king of Heaven appeared on earth and dwelt among us.* For He took flesh from the pure Virgin,* and, being thus incarnate, came forth from her.* the only Son of God remained one Person,* but now possessed two natures.* for this reason, we profess that He is truly perfect God and perfect man.* Therefore, we beseech you, O Virgin Mother:* Implore Christ, whom we proclaim as God,* to have mercy on our souls.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!!

What a great feast to honor Mary, the second Eve, who said yes to God. Her saying yes allows for God the Word to become incarnate. Jesus, the God-man, came to save us all. We are free to say yes to him. The first person to say yes to this is Mary. Her yes to God is a complete 180 from Eve, our first mother, who said no to God. From that no death and sin entered the world. From Mary’s yes life and salvation came into the world.

On this feast we celebrate her falling asleep in the Lord. Tradition has it that all the Apostles were transported by God to Jerusalem to be with Mary as she died, all but Thomas. The Apostles lay her to rest and Thomas comes late. He asks to open the tomb to venerate Mary’s body. When they went and looked in side the Most Holy Theotokos was not there. The Lord had taken her body and soul. Just like he will with us.

We believe in the Resurrection of the Dead at the second coming of Christ. When we fall asleep in the Lord our souls will be separated from our bodies (which is unnatural and a consequence of sin and death). We will be judged accordingly at the particular judgement. When the second coming of Christ comes we will be reunited to our Glorified bodies and live with God forever in Heaven.

Mary is our example of this. God already has raised Mary up to Heaven- both her souland her glorified body. So we see how important this feast is for us Christians!

May Mary, the Mother of our Savior, intercede for us all!

Saint Glykeria is a great example of someone standing up for the faith in Christ, just like the Russians (and other nationalities) who opposed the God-less Communists (both Catholic and Orthodox). Saint Glykeria didn’t offer sacrifice to the Roman gods and was killed. Millions of people said no to offering to the false god of communism and just like Glykeria gave their lives for Christ. 

I find it to be so great that these two feasts come together today- May 13th! Below is a little on life of Saint Glykeria from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

GLYKERIA THE VIRGIN-MARTYR OF HERACLIA

This Martyr contested in 141 in Trajanopolis of Thrace, during the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius. At a heathen festival, when Sabine the Governor of Trajanopolis was offering sacrifice, Saint Glykeria entered the temple and declared herself to be a handmaid of Christ. Sabine commanded her to sacrifice. She went to the statue of Zeus and overturned it, dashing it to pieces. She was subjected to many horrible tortures, and finally was cast to wild beasts; bitten once by one of them, she gave up her soul into the hands of God.