Mary in Scripture

The Gospel introduces us to a young woman chosen by God for an extraordinary purpose. When the angel Gabriel announced that she was invited to bear the Son of God, Mary responded with both humility and courage: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). This moment of faithful acceptance changed human history.

In the Magnificat or Ode of Mary from Luke 1:46-49 we see Mary's faith and joy. "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. " In Orthodox Christianity, we fulfill Mary's prophecy, honoring her unique and blessed role in our salvation while always maintaining Christ at the center of our faith.

At the Wedding in Cana (John 2), when the wine runs out, Mary simply brings the need to her Son, and despite His response that "My hour has not yet come," she tells the servants with complete confidence, "Do whatever he tells you." From Christ's first public miracle to her intercessions today, the Orthodox Church understands that Mary sees our needs, brings them to her Son, and always guides us to follow Him.

Why We Call Her “Theotokos”

We call Mary Theotokos, a Greek word meaning "Birth-giver of God" or "Mother of God." This title, officially recognized by the Church at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 AD, isn't about elevating Mary to divine status. Rather, it's a statement about who Jesus is. Because Jesus is fully God and fully man, His mother can indeed be called the Mother of God. This title protects a core truth of our faith: that in Jesus, God truly became human.

Our Relationship with Mary

Orthodox Christians have a warm, personal relationship with the Theotokos, much as we might have with our own mother. We turn to her in prayer not because she replaces Christ, but because she continually points us toward her Son, as she does in nearly every Orthodox icon of her.

We honor Mary in our services with beautiful hymns and prayers, always understanding that the honor we give her flows from and returns to Christ. She is, as one of our ancient prayers says, "more honorable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim," not because of her own power, but because of her unique relationship with Christ and her role in our salvation.

A Model of Faith

Mary shows us what it means to live in complete openness to God, whatever comes. Throughout her life, she demonstrated unwavering trust in the Lord, remaining faithfully present to Christ from His birth to His death on the Cross.

In joy she treasured and "pondered all these things in her heart," teaching us how to respond with awe and humility to God's blessings. In deepest anguish and sorrow, enduring perhaps the worst scenario any parent can imagine, the Theotokos remained constant in her faith. Her example teaches us how to respond to God with complete trust and devotion, despite the profound challenges we may face.

As we sing in the lamentations of Holy Friday, the Theotokos wept bitter tears as she faced laying her Son in the grave. She had lost He who was both her son and her God—her "Life and Christ." Orthodox Christianity honors both Mary's profound motherly love and her unwavering faith through the darkest hours of Christ's three-day burial. Every year when we sing, "Every generation, to Your grave comes bringing, dear Christ its dirge of praises," we join her in steadfast faith and witness to Christ's sacrifice.

An Invitation to Know Her

As you explore Orthodox Christianity, we invite you to get to know Mary as she truly is—not a figure from the historical past, but as a living member of God's family who continues to pray for and care about all Christians. Through her example and prayers, she helps us grow closer to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.