St. Mary, the Most Holy Virgin, holds a unique and honoured place
in Orthodox Christian faith, worship, and spiritual life. Her significance,
however, is not limited to the fact that she gave birth to our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Her place in Orthodox theology is inseparable from the mystery of
the Incarnation, the fulfilment of God's plan of salvation, and the Church's
understanding of holiness, obedience, and divine grace.
The Orthodox Church venerates St. Mary not as divine or as an
independent source of salvation, but as the most blessed among women and the
chosen vessel through whom the eternal Word of God became incarnate. Her life
reveals the beauty of faith, humility, purity, and complete obedience to the
will of God.
The honour given to her is therefore deeply Christ-centred. To
confess her as the Mother of God is to confess the identity of the One whom she
bore: Jesus Christ, the eternal Son and Word of God, who became truly human for
the salvation of the world.
Let us examine the biblical, theological, and Tradition - based
foundations of the Orthodox Church's teaching concerning St. Mary.
1. Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos)
One of the most important titles given to St. Mary in Orthodox
theology is Theotokos, a Greek term meaning "God-bearer" or
"Mother of God."
This title is fundamentally Christological. It does not mean that
Mary brought the divine nature into existence or that she existed before God.
Rather, it affirms that the One born of her is none other than the eternal Word
of God, who assumed human nature for the salvation of humanity.
In Luke 1:43, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, asks:
“የጌታዬ እናት ወደ እኔ ትመጣ ዘንድ እንዴት ይሆንልኛል?”
Elizabeth's confession identifies the child Mary carries as her
Lord.
Similarly, John 1:14 declares:
“ቃልም ሥጋ ሆነ፤ ጸጋንና እውነትንም ተመልቶ በእኛ አደረ፥ አንድ ልጅም ከአባቱ ዘንድ እንዳለው ክብር የሆነው ክብሩን አየን።"
The One born of Mary is not a separate human person distinct from the
divine Word; He is the incarnate Word of God. He is one and the same Son, truly
divine and truly human.
The title Theotokos was solemnly affirmed at the Council of
Ephesus in 431 AD, particularly through the Christological teaching of St.
Cyril of Alexandria. The council defended the unity of the person of our Lord
Jesus Christ, affirming that the One born of the Holy Virgin is none other than
God the Word incarnate.
Consequently, calling Mary the Mother of God does not elevate her
above God. Rather, it safeguards the Church's confession concerning the
divinity and personal unity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Biblical references: Luke 1:31–43; John 1:1–14; Galatians 4:4–5.
2. Mary's Faith, Humility, and Obedience
The greatness of St. Mary is also revealed through her faith,
humility, and obedience to God's will.
When the Archangel Gabriel announced that she would conceive and
bear the Son of God, Mary responded:
“እነሆኝ የጌታ ባሪያ እንደ ቃልህ ይሁንልኝ አለች። መልአኩም ከእርስዋ ሄደ።" (Luke 1፥38)
Her response demonstrates complete trust in God's will. Rather
than resisting the divine calling, she humbly accepted the responsibility
entrusted to her.
Her humility is further expressed in her words:
“የባሪያይቱን ውርደት ተመልክቶአልና። እነሆም፥ ከዛሬ ጀምሮ ትውልድ ሁሉ ብፅዕት ይሉኛል።" (Luke 1፥48)
This passage is significant because the blessedness of St. Mary is
proclaimed in Scripture itself. Her words also reveal that the honour given to
her ultimately magnifies the Lord, whose grace has worked in her life.
Orthodox tradition also understands St. Mary as the New Eve.
Whereas Eve's disobedience contributed to humanity's fall, Mary's faithful
obedience became part of God's plan for the Incarnation. This comparison does
not suggest that Mary independently accomplished salvation. Rather, it
illustrates the significance of her free and faithful response to God's grace.
This understanding is also found in the writings of the early
Church Fathers. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, in his work Against Heresies (III.22.4),
draws a parallel between Eve and St. Mary, explaining that Eve's disobedience
brought death, whereas Mary's obedience and faith became part of God's plan of
salvation. He expresses this by saying that “the knot of Eve's disobedience was
loosed by the obedience of Mary.” This teaching became an important expression
of the Church's understanding of Mary as the New Eve.
Her life therefore provides an enduring example of humility,
faith, and obedience for all Orthodox Christians.
Biblical references: Luke 1:26–38, 39–55; Genesis 3:1–6; John 2:1–5.
3. Mary's Ever-Virginity and Holiness
The Orthodox Church confesses that St. Mary remained a virgin
before, during, and after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This teaching is
expressed through the ancient title Aeiparthenos, meaning
"Ever-Virgin."
The Gospel of Luke records St. Mary's question to the Archangel
Gabriel:
“ማርያምም መልአኩን፦ ወንድ ስለማላውቅ ይህ እንዴት ይሆናል? አለችው።” (Luke 1፥34)
Her
question expresses her virginal state at the time of the Annunciation, after
she was betrothed to Joseph. Matthew 1:25 also records that Joseph did not know
her until she had given birth to her firstborn Son. However, the expression
“until she had given birth” does not imply that her virginity ended afterward.
In the biblical context and in accordance with the teaching of the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the word “until” does not necessarily establish a
limit to the stated condition; its meaning must be understood in its context.
Accordingly, the Church confesses that St. Mary remained Ever-Virgin before,
during, and after the birth of our Lord.
The Church's confession of her perpetual virginity, however, is
not based on these biblical passages alone. Rather, it is received within the
wider framework of Apostolic Tradition, the teachings of the Church Fathers,
and the Church's longstanding interpretation of Holy Scripture.
The holiness of St. Mary must also be understood in relation to
God's grace and her unique vocation as the Mother of the incarnate Word. Her
holiness does not make her divine or independent of God's saving grace. She
remains fully human, and everything she received was through the grace of God.
The Orthodox Church honours her as the Most Holy Virgin, whose
life was wholly devoted to God and whose example calls the faithful to purity,
humility, and holiness.
Biblical references: Luke 1:26–35; Matthew 1:18–25; John 19:25–27; Ezekiel 44:1–2 (in
its traditional typological interpretation).
4. The Intercession of St. Mary
The Orthodox Church believes in the intercession of St. Mary and
asks her to pray for the faithful before her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
This belief must be understood within the Church's teaching on the
communion of saints and the continuing life of those who have departed in the
Lord. Those who have died in God are not separated from the life of the Church,
for all are alive in Him (Luke 20:38).
At the same time, Holy Scripture encourages believers to pray for
one another:
“ትፈወሱም ዘንድ እያንዳንዱ ስለ ሌላው ይጸልይ፤ የጻድቅ ሰው ጸሎት በሥራዋ እጅግ ኃይል ታደርጋለች።” (James 5፥16)
The heavenly worship described in the Book of Revelation also
presents the prayers of the saints before God (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4). These
passages help support the Church's understanding of the communion between the
faithful on earth and those who have departed in the Lord.
The account of the wedding at Cana provides an important biblical
illustration of St. Mary's loving concern and intercessory role. When the wine
ran out, she brought the matter to her Son, saying:
“የወይን ጠጅ እኮ የላቸውም አለችው።” (John 2፥3)
She then instructed the servants:
“የሚላችሁን ሁሉ አድርጉ።” (John 2፥5)
Our Lord subsequently performed His first recorded sign in the
Gospel of John, revealing His glory.
Therefore, Orthodox Christians ask for her intercession with
confidence in God's mercy, recognizing that all grace, help, and salvation come
from God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Biblical references: John 2:1–11; James 5:16; Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4.
5. The Dormition and Glorification of St. Mary
The Orthodox Church commemorates the Dormition of the Most Holy
Theotokos, understood as her falling asleep and departure from earthly life.
This commemoration is also associated with the Church's faith in her bodily
glorification through the power of God.
The Dormition and glorification of St. Mary are not understood as
independent achievements or as events separate from the saving work of her Son.
Rather, they are understood within the broader mystery of Christ's Resurrection
and the promised resurrection and glorification of humanity.
It is important to distinguish between the biblical account and
the Church's received Tradition. The Holy Bible does not provide a direct
historical narrative describing the circumstances of St. Mary's departure from
earthly life or her bodily glorification. These teachings are received through
Holy Tradition, the Church's liturgical life, and the witness of the ancient
Church.
This understanding is further grounded in the hope of the
Resurrection. Christ is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1
Corinthians 15:20), and the glorification of the Mother of God is understood in
relation to His victory over death.
The Orthodox Church therefore honours the Dormition of the
Theotokos as a witness to the hope of resurrection, the sanctification of
humanity, and the victory of life over death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: Honouring Mary Means Glorifying God
The Orthodox Church's veneration of St. Mary is deeply rooted in
its understanding of the Incarnation, Holy Scripture, Apostolic Tradition, and
liturgical life.
She is honoured as the Theotokos, the Ever-Virgin, the most
blessed among women, and an intercessor for the faithful. Her greatness,
however, does not stand apart from her Son. Everything the Church confesses
concerning her ultimately points to the mystery of the Word made flesh.
Mary's life teaches us that true greatness is found in humility,
true faith in obedience, and true holiness in a life surrendered to God.
When we honour the Mother of God, we do not take glory away from
her Son. Rather, we glorify the One whom she bore and confess the mystery of
His Incarnation.
To honour the Mother is to confess the Son; to venerate Mary is to
glorify the incarnate Word of God.
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