“MORE HONORABLE THAN THE CHERUBIM AND BEYOND COMPARE MORE GLORIOUS THAN THE SERAPHIM

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"MORE HONORABLE THAN THE CHERUBIM AND BEYOND COMPARE MORE

GLORIOUS THAN THE SERAPHIM…"

There is no intellect or words to express the Greatness of Her Who was born in the sinful human race but became "more honorable than the Cherubim andbeyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim." "Seeing the grace of the secret mysteries of God made manifest and clearly fulfilled in the Virgin, I rejoice; and I know not how to understand the strange and secret manner whereby the Undefiled has been revealed AS ALONE CHOSEN ABOVE ALL CREATION, VISIBLE AND SPIRITUAL. Therefore, wishing to praise Her, I am struck dumb with amazement in both mind and speech. Yet still I dare to proclaim and magnify Her: She is indeed the Heavenly Tabernacle" (Ikos of the Entry into the Temple). Every tongue is at a loss to praise Thee as is due; even a spirit from the world above is filled with dizziness, when it seeks to sing Thy praises, O Theotoos. But since Thou art good, accept our faith. Thou knowest well our love inspired by God, for Thou art the Protector of Christians, and we magnify Thee" (Irmos of the 9th Canticle, Service of theTheophany).

The Ever-Virgin Mary avoided the glory which belonged to Her as the Mother of the Lord. She preferred to live in silence and prepared Herself for the departure into Eternal Life. To the last day of Her earthly life She took care to prove worthy of the Kingdom of Her Son, and before death She prayed that He might deliver Her soul from the malicious spirits that meet human souls on the way to heaven and strive to seize them soas to take them away with them to Hades. The Lord fulfilled the prayer of His Mother and in the hour of Here death Himself came from Heaven with a multitude of Angels to receive Her soul.

Since the Mother of God had also prayed that She might bid farewell to the Holy Apostles, the Lord gathered for Her death all the Apostles, except Thomas, and they were brought by AN INVISIBLE POWER ON THAT DAY TO JERUSALEM FROM ALL THE ENDS OF THE INHABITED WORLD, WHERE THEY WERE PREACHING, AND THEY WERE PRESENT AT HER BLESSED TRANSLATION (METASTASIS) INTO ETERNAL LIFE.

The Holy Apostles gave Her Most Pure body over to burial with sacred hymns, and on the third day they opened the tomb so as once more to venerate the remains of the Mother of God together with the Apostle Thomas, who had arrived then in Jerusalem. But they DID NOT FIND THE BODY IN THE TOMB and in perplexity they returned to their own place; and then, during their meal, the Mother of God Herself APPEARED TO THEM IN THE AIR, SHINING WITH HEAVENLY LIGHT, AND INFORMED THEM THAT HER SON HAD GLORIFIED HER BODY ALSO, AND SHE RESURRECTED, STOOD BEFORE HIS THRONE. At the same time, She promised to always be with them.

The Apostles greeted the Mother of God with great joy and began to venerate Her not only as the Mother their Beloved Teacher and Lord, but also as their Heavenly Helper, as a Protector of Christians and INtercessor FOR THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE before the Righteous Judge. And everywhere the Gospel of Christ was preached, His Most Pure Mother also began to be glorified. [Resources: The Orthodox Veneration of MARY, THE bIRTHGIVER OF GOD]

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"Glory Be To GOD

For

All Things!"

+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in Christ’s Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry)

The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George