Many of us have reverence for the Mother of God, but we do not think about how things stand when we want to have the Mother of God as an example. If we think in this way, things are different. Very different. Watch this video and you will find out how.
Enjoy!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, and now and ever and unto the ages and ages. Amen
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us! Amen
Mother of God — God-like through grace
Today we are going to talk a little about the Mother of God, but we will talk a bit differently, because the Mother of God was the only person who became alike God, you know, who became god through grace, with God’s help.
We must know that all men were made in the image and likeness of God. In fact, we are all created in the image of God, so we really have the image, but the resemblance to God is “in potency” as the Holy Fathers say, that is, we can become God-like. At this time we are notlike God, because we are sinners. So look at us, we can’t say that we’re perfect. We are far from perfection.
The Mother of God was the only one, she was the first person to become god-like by grace, to become god-like with God’s help, the Perfect Person.
Three perfect things
The Holy Fathers say God made that three things perfect: the incarnation of the Word, the happiness of Heaven, and the Mother of God. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ was and is an example for all people, of course, especially men. On the other hand, the Mother of God is also an example for all people, but especially for women.
And now we’ll talk a little about the Mother of God from the perspective of her being an example for women.
The birth and childhood of the Mother of God — meanings
First of all, as we know from history, the Mother of God was born at a very old age by Saints Joachim and Anna. That is, to understand, Saints Joachim and Anna were of a very old age, not the Mother of God, of course. And why did this happen? [So that the] conceiving the Mother of God would not have the experience of pleasure, there would be no pleasure there. The Holy Fathers talk of this, mainly Saint Paisius the Agiorite.
As I said, so the conception, the union of the two spouses, would not happen with pleasure, so this bodily pleasure should not be passed on to the Mother of God. So the Mother of God, you should know, did not have personal sins, the only sin that the Mother of God had was the sin of Adam, the inherited sin. And so because of this she did not have the experience of sinful pleasure.
After birth, at 3 years old, the Mother of God was taken to the temple. So she didn’t have a childhood as all children have, that is to play and be left to her will and all that. So the example here for women and for mothers and in general for all people is a given — to be careful not to look for bodily pleasures, carnal pleasures, and, besides that, since young, children must be taken to church. Okay, now I’m not saying to be continually in the temple, that is, at church, but at least once a week, brethren. Once a week.
So as you can see, the moment we talk, for example, things change, there is no longer that pietist, sweetened image of the Mother of God. She is and we love her very much, but if we think of her example, things become very ascetic, very spiritual and very therapeutic, spiritually.
The Mother of God stays in the temple until she is 15 to 16 years old, so until the age at which she can give birth biologically. Returning to the example, so we must stay in the temple until the age of majority, although today the majority is pushed far further… whatever, [it’s] a whole other story with schools, with degrees and so on. But at this time we don’t go to church at all, most of us. So we must be at church so that we become spiritual, to become, well, as perfect as possible.
Maturity
And so she reaches the age of maturity, as I said, the age of adulthood. It is true that, for Jews, the legal adult age was at 30. It’s about the age of biological maturity, the age at which people married, a long time ago. For girls, that was — 16 years old. For boys — 18 years. Of course, these are approximate dates.
And the moment the Mother of God can get married, then she is given for husband, more precisely a fiancé, Saint and Righteous Joseph, who was a very old man, some say that of 80 years, we don’t know, in any case he was very old, as to take care of her. Because the Mother of God, in a society where one was considered cursed not have children, the Mother of God, through her faith, gives her all her life and therefore maidenhood to our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you understand?
So the Mother of God had an extraordinarily strong, very strong faith. Do you understand? So this has to be an example for us, especially for women, for ladies who immediately lose faith every five minutes, saying ”what’s going to happen” and so on. So think about it, at that time, as I said, the Mother of God was going against the standard at that time.
Annunciation
Alright, finally, she gets engaged to Saint and Righteous Joseph. Here we have the moment of the annunciation. The Annunciation, I do not know if you have been to Jerusalem, happens at a fountain. That is, the Mother of God was in obedience, she went to get water. And so, as she was working, doing her obedience, the angel comes to her, and says to her, Look, what’s the matter, you will give birth to the Son of God!
That’s the craziest thing for a Jew woman. So first of all, Yahve was God, the insufficable, unattainable, whose name you could not even utter, Who had made a super-spectacle on Mount Sinai, with the tables of the law. And beyond that, for the Jews there was no such thing as the Son of God. What does this, the Son of God, mean? Although, of course, in the Old Testament, the idea of the Son of God was very subtly suggested. It was very clear that all Jews knew of one God. That your God is one. Do you understand?
The discovery of God as the Holy Trinity occurs in the New Testament era. So suddenly, an archangel, Saint Archangel Gabriel, appears to this 16-year old maiden, he whom she knew very well, and (he said): look, this is the matter, you will be the mother of the Son of God.
So think about what faith and with what dedication, how totally she left herself in the hand of the Lord, in the hand of God when he said all that apparent “foolishness,” she said: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be unto me according to thy word.
Example of total faith and humility
The Mother of God totally let herself in the hand of the Lord and did not retaliate not because she was mentally reduced, not because she was a naive, good God forbid. You see that the Mother of God understood very well, considering that she asks: how will that be as you say knowing that I do not know of a man? So the Mother of God did not have a superficial manner of thinking, she knew very well what was happening and what are the mechanisms of the birth of a man, be he the Son of God. So she knowingly said: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. She knowingly accepted this both on the human, bodily and spiritual level — it was obedience, a total “madness”. Do you understand?
And of course the angel does not know how to give details, he says, look, this is the matter, so the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will have such great power that you will give birth alone you will give life alone by the grace of the Holy Spirit. How? It’s a great mystery I don’t know. And then the angel departed from her afterwards.
Tension
After this incident, think of the shame that the Mother of God experienced, because her most holy womb was growing. And the Holy and Righteous Joseph to whom she was engaged, saw that her belly was growing, that she was pregnant, even though he had not touched her. Do you understand? So there was a phenomenal tension there in the family. And especially since she could not explain it; how could one explain it!?
Think about it, I know a case at this time in Japan, with a woman who cheated on her husband and when her husband saw that she was pregnant, he asked her who you did it and she said — with virtual reality, with a virtual reality character. Who can believe these affairs? Do you understand? And today, if a woman, forbid the good God, is adulterous and pregnant, and you ask her who she did, if she says with the Holy Spirit, who will believe it? And today, of course we have the precedent of the Mother of God. No one will believe it.
While it wasn’t a precedent at that time, it was unique, it was a premiere, if you want, and of course she couldn’t tell anyone, and even if she said no one would have believed it.
Beyond that there were the brothers of the Lord, as they are called, that is, the sons of Saint and Righteous Joseph who were from a previous marriage to Salome. And in this tension Saint Joseph of course does not know what to do, is totally overcome by the situation and especially since the old law said that she should be stoned. That is, you have hit this little girl with so many stones that you kill her and her child.
And then, in desperation, Saint Joseph thinks of an alternative, that is, “look, what’s the thing, I can’t say it’s my child since it would be a lie, I can’t accept that it’s my child, so… I have to kill her with stones… Look, this is the matter, I will let her go and God shall take care of her, so I don’t have to do with it.
And especially since it was very likely that St. Joseph had a great despondency because he knew her a virgin and suddenly sees that she had actually become adulterous. Do you understand?
Confirmation
And then, in this critical situation when the Mother of God, that is, think about what shame especially at that time, yes, when people behaved unlike today, then the angel appears and tells Saint and Righteous Joseph: Joseph, son of David. That is, you see that you are the son of David, and you must be worthy of your forerunner. Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as thy wife: for that which has been conceived within her is of the Holy Ghost. Do you understand?
So there must be some kind of revelation from God to solve a situation like that, brethren, because… forbid the good God! …Do you understand?
And things don’t stop there. The Mother of God had this phenomenal patience, and then this shame that of course for a woman — you know that women, ladies, all respect for you, but it’s known that women are bear shame much harder, the man is less sensitive on the matter… yes, [insensible] like the wood around me. But the woman is very delicate, with much more difficulty in bearing the shame, do you understand?
And what happens afterwards? The time of birth comes and the Mother of God goes with Saint Joseph to Bethlehem. And think about how the people on the street would look at them. So they saw an old man of about 80 years old with a 16-year-old girl. Look at such a couple, [look at] whom he chose! So to speak. Do you understand? He couldn’t help himself even at this age and, moreover, he got her pregnant, on the street. I mean it was a little embarrassing; their shame was visible. And most of all, they were looking for a place to give birth.
Childbirth. Meanings
So think about a 16-year-old girl on her way to give birth, trying to find somewhere to stay. There isn’t any place. They couldn’t find a place. She was about to give birth. So brethren, get this! Of course, in the end they find someone benevolent, we don’t know who… they found a cave where there was a stable. And there the Mother of God gives birth to our Savior Jesus Christ and puts him in the manger, as the Scripture says.
Why put Him in the manger? Normally she should have held Him in her arms, right? She was His mother. Why? Because it was so cold that if the Savior had been outside the manger, that is, outside the straws, and had not been covered with the breath of animals, our Lord Jesus Christ would have died of the cold. So brethren, it was tough… so patience and asceticism from the beginning. Do you understand?
So it is not like today with pampers and I do not know what else, sofas and beautiful hospitals. Sure, I’m not suggesting that for nowadays, God forbid! I’m not saying to the ladies who are watching us to give birth in a stable, in a wet cave. But I say that sometimes it’s good to have a little patience, considering that sometimes the conditions are not the way we want. Of course, there’s no way that there are the conditions of that time today as well. Sure, good God knows, but we always have to be patient, and not…
After that, what happens? After that come the magi. Mother of God, glory. For we bring him incense, myrrh, gold: for he is the son of the king, he is God. And glory to God! All sorts of prophecies that he’s going to reign, alright. And we see that after this the angel comes and says to them: go to Egypt.
Flight to Egypt. The askesis of the Mother of God
Wait a bit. What do you mean? That is, on the one hand He is the son of the emperor and on the other hand, you take yourself nicely and go to Egypt. Such a long way to get there. Do you understand? And it’s not like today. And today it is difficult to go by bus from Israel to Egypt, let alone at that time. And as I said, an 80-year-old and a 16-year-old girl and a 2-year-old child. Do you understand?
That is asceticism, brethren, do not play with that! And of course they didn’t grumble, they didn’t grumble. They said, “That’s it, we’re going.” Do you understand? Once again, a great example for ladies. Wait a minute, you tell me that this is the Son of God, good and I believe you, that he is King, the King of Israel, ok and now we have to leave… She didn’t say things like that. Yes, we do obedience[, she said]. Do you understand? Great asceticism, because beyond that, they left everything they had in Judea, yeah. Do you understand?
A whole story and the Mother of God did not complain that she was sick, she was small, that she had a small child all this. Do you understand? She did not complain. Because of this, I ask of you, do not complain. Of course I don’t say you’re complaining, but I say this one word, for it may be useful to you. Do you understand?
Now, of course, if someone is sick and can’t [do that], it’s something else. But the fear that comes from the love of the body, the hypochondria, the irrational fear of effort, that’s passion, brethren.
The Return
Come on, let’s continue with the Mother of God! So what’s happening? They go to Egypt, there they stay for about 10 years, after which the angel says — come back! [So] you leave everything you had there, everything you built, your house, a garden, wealth, whatever they had, the clients that Saint Joseph served as a carpenter, whatever he had. Come back! Okay, again… Do you understand?
I mean, it’s a phenomenal obedience and silence. And this is worth following for us, [so that] we do not constantly grumble and constantly ask why is that and why and gossip and so on. I am not saying that this is actually happening among women, but just that… Now, it comes to me from the Mother of God. Do you understand?
The nobility of the Mother of God
And you see, the Mother of God when she reaches the age of maturity, if you wish, first of all she says to the Savior the moment He made a mistake, so to speak, although the Savior never actually made one, even if it seemed so. Meaning that He disappeared at the age of 12, when He went to the temple. The Mother of God, when she finally found Him, did not scream at Him — “are you not ashamed…!?” She spoke with great love, much self-control,a lot of delicacy, a lot of holiness, she said: My son, why hast thou done such a thing? Your father and I were looking everywhere for you with sorrow. Do you understand? That is, with a lot of grace, a lot of nobility. She did not go crazy over it, God forbid.
This shows that the Mother of God was very virtuous and so should we be; in the moment we chastise someone, we must do it with great tenderness, and not pour our nerves on others or on our children. Do you understand?
And this nobility, discernment and leadership by grace that characterize the Mother of God, which make her almighty in fact, can be seen very clearly at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.
The wedding of Cana of Galilee. The virtue and prestance of the Mother of God
And there you can see her prayer, because you see, at Cana of Galilee, in fact, the bride and groom made a fool of themselves, because the most important thing that was at the time, the main means of fun — I don’t say it’s a good means — was having wine at the table. A wedding without wine where wine ends, what can you do about it?
And then, you see that the servants did not go to the host of, to the father of the groom or to whoever else was there. They went to the Mother of God. This means that the Mother of God at her age, who was at the time so to speak about 46 to 47 years old, had a phenomenal presence. So this woman who was poor, very probably Saint Joseph had already died, this widow who had nothing, had a phenomenal stateliness. Everyone, the moment they had a problem, would go to her as they knew that her virtue could solve it. And then the Mother of God turns to the Savior and tells him: they don’t have any more wine.
The Savior was not known to the world. You see, Our Lady doesn’t say, “Well, you know, if you could, let’s see what we can have wine anymore. Whereupon the Savior says, What is it to me and to you, woman, considering my time has not yet come. That is, according to the Holy Trinity’s pre-existing plan for [the world’s] salvation, it was not then time to perform any miracle. It was not then that the work of saving mankind had to begin. It was not then, but for the sake of the Mother of God, the Savior pivots all this plan of salvation and begins then.
And you see that the Mother of God, through this all-powerful prayer of hers, in which she did not ask anything of Him, as she only said “They don’t have any wine left,”she just put Him in a situation told him that, confessed. The prayer of the Mother of God is all-powerful and commanding. Do you understand?
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Because of this we say: Most Holy Theotokos, save us! It is not that the Mother of God can save people by herself, but through her prayers. Do you understand? And when the Savior said that it was not His time, the Mother of God doesn’t turn to the servants and says — well, what can we do, He doesn’t want to help us, He can’t and so on, let’s see, write an open letter, a motion or something. On the contrary, the Mother of God tells them: Do whatever He will tell you!
And these are the words of the Mother of God to all mankind. Only that. So you see, the Mother of God was very silent and did not discuss things neither with her Son, her God nor with others. She was like a queen. “Do whatever he will tell you!”
How much and how to talk
So, for that, let’s have her be an example for us, I’m mainly addressing the ladies, but we, men, should not talk too much as well. Not on and on and on that we have to say so and so. Short and to the point. Do you understand? This matter is very important.
So the Mother of God had perfect authority, and this even more so after that the Mother of God appeared as the mother of the Messiah, as the mother of the prophet, as the mother of God, if you will, although the Jews at the time did not have a very clear picture of who our Lord Jesus Christ was.
Whole-ponding
Well, in order not to fall into pride, not to fall into vain glory, you must have a very serious spiritual measure. You must be a virgin, that is, your entire mind should remain untouched by sinful pleasure, by bodily pleasure. Do you understand? It is because of this that there is so much emphasis within the Church on the virginity of the Mother of God, that is, on her conscience. The entirety of her mind. Sofrosini is the Greek word for what in Romanian we call whole conscience or mind.
If the Mother of God had a mind full of all sorts of attention or pleasure points, well, forbid the good God! She would have fallen into all sorts of pride, vain glory would have spoken much; as you see, the Mother of God did not speak. So in all the work of the Savior, she did not say anything, which she could have done, as she was His mother. Do you understand? And she also was of an older age. The Savior at 30 was around the time he entered into adulthood. So He was very young. And the Mother of God could say a lot of things. She said nothing! Do you understand?
And this shows us how we should behave, as I said: silent, wise and with great nobility.
From this extreme of glory, of the pedestal on which she was socially, which she of course did not accept, she did not receive the passion of that in her heart, I forbid the good God, we have the extreme shame, the extreme opprobrium, the extreme pain that is the cross. Do you understand? The cross.
The Cross
So the Mother of God was at the foot of the Cross, and think about what faith she must have had, what power she had to have had, because ultimately, others around as they crucified her Son they could kill her too. And you see, she all the same, with the same silence, with the same dignity, with the same humility, and does not shout to them: pigs, are you not ashamed”, I know, to throw punches or something. No, on the contrary! She stood, as I said, always dignified and always with a whole mind. Do you understand? It is very important.
Resurrection
And after that comes the other extreme: The resurrection that is again glory. Do you understand? The Mother of God could have walked into the apostolate, she could have spoken with authority, as I said, which was given by the power of her social position and virtue, that she was now accepted by all as the mother of God, the mother of Christ. Do you understand?
And yet, she did not go to the apostleship, nor was she at the apostolic council, the synod was presided over by Saint James the Apostle, the apostles discussed and decided to walk the Church, without the Mother of God, to say so, to veto.
A contemporary situation
I say this because I have enough information from pilgrims that ladies, especially of a certain age, make enough observations in the Church. Do you understand? And they try how to impose their will in the church. Okay, now what can I say, we hope that this information will not be true. But we must understand that the Church is leading in the synod, in the congregation, and this assembly is made up of men.
I dearly say this, the structure of the woman is not to speak in the Church. We are not misogynists here — even in the Holy Mountain we honor the woman like nowhere else, in her most plenary dimensions, virginity and motherhood — right now I am talking about the Mother of God you understand?
But, as St. Paul the Apostle, the woman’s soul structure is not suitable for teaching in the Church. Of course this I think does not happen, respectable ladies know this because St. Ap. Paul treat them extensively. I remember him here so you know that, well… as I said, certain pilgrims have communicated all kinds of things to us. And because of this we need to know our existential condition to know how to be the next of the Mother of God. Not to say that we are the following of the Mother of God and in fact let’s do the contrary. Do you understand? Let us honor the Mother of God with words, but with works let us be against her.
Virginity and its importance
With this I would like to conclude — it is the virginity of the Mother of God, which of course was also bodily because yes, the chain of Adam’s sin had to be cut off, but especially spiritual in which the bodily virginity is included, that is, an uncompromising position in the face of any sin, in the face of any distortion, in the face of any pleasure.
She was full-minded, whole-minded, as I said. This is the great virtue of awareness of piousness. And then she was able to resist and be able to remain with this diamond mind, with this whole mind, and in the moments of great, great glory that she had, so to speak, at the Nativity of God, when the Magi came. Especially during the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ and especially, after the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But also in times of hopelessness, terrible despair, as it was at the cross, fleeing to Egypt and so on. Do you understand?
If the Mother of God had not been a pure virgin, without the experience of sin, without the experience of sinful pleasure, she could not have stood, she would have lost herself, she would have done with the nerves, good people. Do you understand? And because of this, God chose her to be a virgin, to be clean, to be whole, to be spotless, because otherwise she would be destroyed by the approach to the fire of God’s perfection.
Advice
Let’s follow the Mother of God too! May the good God help us! Of course, we will not be able to do this, but just something by little much, brothers and especially sisters, let us get closer, be an example of the Mother of God and we can follow her not only with the word, but also follow her deed, of course, from very long distances.
May the good God help us!
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us! Amen
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