Mary the Mother of God: Her Purity and Holiness - EOTC Perspective - Part I

 

Mary, the Mother of God, holds a revered place in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), representing profound purity and holiness. The scripture from the Song of Solomon beautifully summarizes this belief: “ኩለንታኪ ሠናይት አልብኪ ነዉር ወኢምንትኒ ላዕሌኪ- ወዳጄ ሆይ ሁለንተናሽ ውብ ነው ነውርም የለብሽም” (Song Sol 4:7). According to the EOTC interpretation, this verse reflects King Solomon's prophecy, emphasizing Mary's unique state of grace: ነውርም የለብሽም, meaning she is free from shame, criticism, and blame. It proclaims her beauty and sinlessness in actions, speech, and thoughts, underscoring her holiness as the Mother of God.

God, in His essence, is holy, and where he dwells is holy and all that He blesses is holy. This extends to the Virgin Mary, who is not only blessed by God but is also His dwelling place—a vessel through which God took on flesh. Due to this, she is known as the “holy of the holies (ቅድስተ ቅዱሳን).” Mary's holiness is truly exceptional; she embodies purity in her body, soul, and thoughts. (Song Sol 4:7).

The Scriptures affirm her holiness through the words of St. David, who states, “ልዑል ማሪያውን ቀደሰ” (Ps. 46:4-5), signifying that she was holy even before her calling. The angel Gabriel further confirms her blessed state by proclaiming, "ከሴቶች ተለይተሽ የተባረክሽ ነሽ የማኅጸንሽም ፍሬ የተባረከ ነው" (Luke 1:28), testifying to her unparalleled purity and holiness.

Isaiah 1:14 prophesies, “እግዚአብሔር ዘርን ባያስቀርልን ኖሮ እንደ ሰዶም በሆንን እንደ ገሞራም በመሰልን ነበረ፡፡” This verse signifies that Christ will be born of the Holy Virgin Mary, taking her flesh and soul to save the world from suffering. While the term "seed –(ዘር)" refers to the faithful people of Israel, who were spared from the plague through God's mercy, ultimately, this prophecy speaks to the Holy Virgin Mary and the birth of Christ.

Scripture reveals that holy individuals are not labeled holy by chance; it is the result of deep struggle and unwavering love for God. True holiness comes from rejecting worldly sins through righteous living. St. David underscores this in “እግዚአብሔር በጻድቁ እንደተገለጸ እወቁ” (Psalm 4:3), highlighting that God reveals Himself through the righteous.

Our Lord Jesus Christ further repeats this principle, stating, “የሚወደኝ ቃሌን ይጠብቃል አባቴም ይወደዋል ወደ እርሱም እንመጣለን በእርሱም ዘንድ መኖሪያ እናደርጋለን” (John 14:24). By choosing Mary as His dwelling place, God recognized the purity and holiness central to her life. Her sanctity exceeds that of all holy individuals, positioning her as an essential participant in the divine plan for humanity's salvation.

In conclusion, reflecting on the words, “ወዳጄ ሆይ ሁለንተናሽ ውብ ነው ነውርም የለብሽም” (Song Sol 4:7), we recognize that the Holy Virgin Mary represents purity, free from all sin in speech, action, and thought. Her life stands as a testament to divine love and grace, serving as a timeless model of holiness for believers and establishing a standard for a life devoted to God.