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the title '''Theotokos''(in Greek, Theta;εοτοκος) is a Greek word that means "God-bearer" or "Birth-giver to God."
*[http://www.philthompson.net/pages/about/faq/15.html Frequently-asked questions: If Mary is still a virgin, who are the "Brothers of the Lord"?]
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[[Image:Theotokos of Vladimir.jpg|right|frame|The Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary]]
The '''Virgin Mary''' is the '''Theotokos''', the mother of [[Jesus Christ]], the Son and [[Logos|Word]] of God. She conceived by the power of the [[Holy Spirit]]. She was cared for by her betrothed husband, [[Joseph the Betrothed|Joseph]], who took the child and his mother into his home as his own. One very strong tradition in the [[Orthodox Church]] holds that the birth of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus]] was also miraculous and left Mary's virginity intact as a sign; it is also the tradition of the Church that Joseph and Mary did not have relations after the birth of Jesus. She is also called '''Panagia''', the "All-Holy," indicating her closeness to God in her obedience.
The title ''Theotokos'' (in Greek, Θεοτόκος) is a Greek word that means "God-bearer" or "Birth-giver to God."
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==Feast days==
The Orthodox Church remembers the life of the Theotokos with several [[feast day]]s. The [[Church Calendar|Liturgical year]] begins and ends with the feast days of the Theotokos. [[Icons of the Theotokos|wonder working Icons]] of the Theotokos also have their own feast days.
:1. The '''[[Nativity of the Theotokos]]''' is celebrated on [[September 8]].:2. The '''[[Presentation of the Theotokos]]''' into the Temple is celebrated on [[November 21]].:3. The '''[[Annunciation|Annunciation to the Theotokos]]''' is celebrated on [[March 25]].:4. The '''[[Dormition|Dormition of the Theotokos]]''' (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos is celebrated on [[August 15]]. Of these, the [[Annunciation]] and the [[Dormition]] are the most festal.
==The title ''Theotokos''==
1. '''Adoption at the Third Ecumenical Council'''
As a title for the Virgin Mary, ''Theotokos'' was recognized by the [[Orthodox Church]] at [[Third Ecumenical Council]] held at Ephesus in 431. It had already been in use for some time in the devotional and liturgical life of the Church. The [[theology|theological]] significance of the title is to emphasize that Mary's son, Jesus, is fully God, as well as fully human, and that Jesus' two natures (divine and human) were united in a single [[Hypostasis|Person]] of the [[Trinity]]. The competing view at that council was that Mary should be called '''''Christotokos''''' instead, meaning "Birth-giver to Christ." This was the view advocated by [[Nestorius]], then [[Patriarch of Constantinople]]. The intent behind calling her ''Christotokos'' was to restrict her role to be only the mother of "Christ's humanity" and not his divine nature.
2. '''Translating the word ''Theotokos'''''
While some languages used by various Orthodox churches often have a single native word for ''Theotokos'', it gets translated into English in a number of ways. The most common is ''Mother of God'', though ''God-bearer'' and ''Birth-giver to God'' are also fairly common. There are difficulties with all these translations, however. The most literally correct one is ''Birth-giver to God'', though ''God-bearer'' comes close. ''Theophoros'' (Θεοφορος) is the Greek term usually and more correctly translated as ''God-bearer'', so using ''God-bearer'' for ''Theotokos'' in some sense "orphans" ''Theophoros'' when it comes time to translate that term (for St. [[Ignatius of Antioch]], for instance). The main difficulties with both these translations for ''Theotokos'' is that they are a bit awkward and difficult to sing.
:1. '''All-holy'''
::The title Panagia (all-holy) never was a subject of dogmatic definition, but it is accepted and used by all Orthodox. This is because she is the supreme example of cooperation between God and the free will of man. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word" ([[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 1:38). Sometimes Mary is called the ''New Eve'' because her obedient submission to the will of God offset Eve's disobedience in Paradise.
:2. '''Immaculate'''
::The Orthodox Church calls Mary "immaculate," "pure," or "spotless" (''achrantos'' in Greek). Some Orthodox state that she was free from actual sin, some say she never sinned, and others just say she died sinless.
::As for [[Original Sin|original sin]] and the [[Roman Catholic]] doctrine of the [[Immaculate Conception]], the Orthodox Church has never made any formal and definitive pronouncement on the subject. The majority of Orthodox have rejected the doctrine, for it seems to separate Mary from the rest of mankind, putting her in a completely different class from all the other righteous men and women of the [[Old Testament]]. It is important that Mary was the same as all mankind so that all Christians can follow her example and submit to God's will. Mary was born a sinner, a human with full human nature. Mary’s Son, Jesus the Christ, took flesh from her. So as Son of God, He assumed fallen human nature from her and redeemed humanity by His Crucifixion and Resurrection. Also, the original doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (1869) implies an understanding of original sin not held by the Orthodox Church.
:3. '''Most blessed and glorified Lady'''
The principal understanding of the Virgin Mary as Ever-Virgin in [[Scripture]] is expressed in terms of her being a new [[Ark of the Covenant]], a created thing which somehow contained the uncontainable God. The reason that St. Joseph the Betrothed (as tradition names him) did not enter into marital relations with her is that he understood her as one would understand the Ark, that she had been set aside for use by God, and that her womb had in some sense been made into a temple. The language used for the Virgin in the [[New Testament]] parallels that used for the Ark in the [[Old Testament|Old]]:
From a [[Roman Catholic]] source:<ref>[http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~vgg/rc/aplgtc/hahn/m4/ma.html Answering Common Objections: A Closer Look at Christ's Church: Mary, Ark of the Covenant] "Parallel Between the Visitation and the Ark's Journey to Jerusalem" and "Parallel Between Daniel 9 and Luke 1&2" by Scott and Kimberly Hahn</ref>
:For the first time God's presence has descended upon a person as the new ark of the Covenant. . . . Rene Laurentin speaks of the subtle use of ark imagery [early in Luke]. For instance, he shows how in [[II Kingdoms|II Samuel]] 6, there was a journey to the hill country of Judah that the ark of the covenant took. Likewise, the same phrase is used to describe Mary's journey to the hill country. . . . Both David and Mary "arose and made the journey." In II Samuel 6:2 and Luke 1:39. Laurent goes on to describe how when the Ark arrived and when Mary arrived, they were both greeted with "shouts of joy." And the word for shout or the word for Elizabeth's greeting, ''anafametezein'', is very rare. It's only used in connection with the OT liturgical ceremonies that were centered around the Ark. It literally means to "cry aloud, to proclaim or intone."
:Elizabeth greets Mary the same way the Ark of the Covenant was greeted. The entrance of the Ark and the entrance of Mary are seen then as blessing an entire household. Like Obededom's household was blessed, so Elizabeth sees her household as blessed. Laurentin goes on to talk about how both David and Elizabeth react with awe. "How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me?" David says in II Samuel 6:9. And likewise Elizabeth says, "Why should the mother of the Lord come to me?" The Ark of the Covenant and the Mother of our Lord are in a sense two ways of looking at the same reality which is becoming clearer and more personal with Our Lady. Then finally, the Ark of the Covenant and Mary both remain in the respective houses for three months, II Samuel 6:11 and Luke 1:56.
:In Luke 1 and 2 we have the annunciation of Gabriel to [[Zachariah ]] and six months later the annunciation by Gabriel to Mary, then nine months later Jesus is born, and thirty days later He is [[Presentation|presented]] in the temple. You add up 180 days in the six months, 270 days in the nine months, and the 40 days in the presentation and it adds up to 490, which is a very rare number that is found in one of the most memorable prophecies in the OT, [[Book of Daniel|Daniel]] 9. . . . Luke is once again giving a surplus value, a surplus meaning to those who are really willing to dig deep into the text to see all of the inspired meanings behind what God has done to inaugurate the New Covenant salvation in Christ and in His Blessed Mother.
:This is the Ark of the Covenant. Now let's go back and conclude our time in [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 11 and 12. We have Mary the Ark of the Covenant. We have Mary the true tabernacle. We have in Mary a figure for the New Jerusalem because at the end of Revelation, how is the New Jerusalem described? As being a bride that is pure and yet also being a mother of God's children Well, how is it that you could be at the same time virginally pure and maternally fruitful? It seems impossible in human nature, but not for Mary, not only in mothering Jesus, but in [[Gospel of John|John]] 19 at the [[cross]] and also in Revelation 12 where we read at the very end of the chapter, verse 17, we discover that Mary becomes by grace the mother of all God's children.
The Church continued to call the Theotokos the "Virgin" even after the time when she supposedly would have had other children, as some say. It would be a rather odd thing to keep calling a woman "the Virgin" and even "Ever-Virgin" when one was standing next to her other offspring in Church.
Additionally, throughout the earliest liturgies of the Church, she is continually called "Ever-Virgin." One can also find references to her ever-virginity in the [[Church Fathers|Fathers]]' writings, such as in those of [[Peter of Alexandria]], [[Epiphanius]], Athanasius, [[Didymus the Blind]], Jerome, [[Cyril of Alexandria]], Leo, [[Sophronius I of Jerusalem]], [[John of Damascus]], [[John Cassian]], [[Ephrem the Syrian|Ephrem of Syria]], and the capitula of the [[Fifth Ecumenical Council|II Council of Constantinople]] in 553 A.D. (In short, nearly everywhere.) One such example is in St. [[Ambrose of Milan]] (4th century): "The virgin did not seek the consolation of bearing another child" (See Letter 63; ''NPNF'' v. 10, p. 473). There are many other such quotations. Anyone familiar with the writings of the Church Fathers will see her being called "the Virgin" and "Ever-Virgin" frequently.
[[Hippolytus]] was a scholar, [[bishop]], and [[martyr]], who lived in or near Rome and wrote in Greek; he was martyred in A.D. 235. He is considered to be one of the most important witnesses as to how the early church worshipped.
The [[Fifth Ecumenical Council|Second Council of Constantinople]], 553, Capitula II:
:''If anyone shall not confess that the Word of God has two nativities, the one from all eternity of the Father, without time and without body; the other in these last days, coming down from heaven and being made flesh of the holy and glorious Mary, Mother of God and always a virgin, and born of her: let him be anathema.''<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.xii.vii.html The Capitula of the Council]</ref>
The ancient Christian titles for Mary, ''Theotokos'' ("Birth-giver to God") and ''Meter Theou'' ("Mother of God"), are not to be understood in the sense that she somehow created God. Even mothers giving birth to exclusively human children do not create their children. Rather, these titles for the Virgin are an affirmation that the Christ contained in her womb is indeed God, the ''Theanthropos'' ("God-man"). She is not his origin nor the source of the Godhead, but she did quite literally give birth to God. If we affirm that Jesus Christ is God, then we must call her ''Theotokos'', for she gave birth to God himself. Nestorius the heretic in the ancient Church refused to call her ''Theotokos'', preferring instead ''Christotokos'', because he could not understand the idea that a creature could give birth to the Creator, yet is this scandal not at the heart of the Incarnation? Nestorius's doctrines insisted on a separation between the divine ''Logos'' and the man Jesus, that somehow the Son of God had inhabited a man, not that '''God became man''' as the Christian faith has always held. Is the one who was in her womb God? Then we must call her ''Theotokos''.
==Hymns to the Theotokos==
There are many hymns that are sung to the Theotokos. The two following are from the Divine Liturgies of St. [[John Chrysostom]] and St. [[Basil the Great]].
From the [[Divine Liturgy]] of St. [[John Chrysostom]]:
:It is truly meet and right to bless you, O Theotokos,
*[[Akathist#Relating_to_the_Theotokos|Akathists relating to the Theotokos]]
*[[Icons of the Theotokos]]
*[[Magnificat]] - also called the ''Song of the Theotokos''
*[[The Holy Family in Egypt]]
==Published works==
*Holy Apostles Convent. ''The Life of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos''. (ISBN 0944359035)
* Dr. [[w:Brian E. Daley|Brian E. Daley]] (S.J.). ''"Woman of many names: Mary in Orthodox and Catholic theology."'' '''Theological Studies''' 71.4 (2010): pp.846+.
*Very Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas, trans. ''Mother of the Light: Prayers to the Theotokos''. Newrome Press, 2018. ISBN 9781939028822.
==External links==
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/veneration_mary.aspx Veneration of the Virgin Mary] by Protopresbyter Michael Polsky
*[http://www.protomartyr.org/mary.html Facing Up to Mary] by Fr. [[Peter Gillquist|Peter E. Gillquist]]
*[http://www.roca.org/OA/12/12f.htm Holy Fathers – The Most Holy Virgin Mary] (''Orthodox America'')
*[http://aggreen.net/theotokos/theotokos.html Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos]
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/bvm/theotokos.htm Icons of the Theotokos]
*[http://southern-orthodoxy.blogspot.com/2006/10/immaculate-misconception.html Immaculate [(Mis])Conception] by Fr. Joseph Huneycutt*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/greek/theotokos_2002_index.html Theological articles devoted to the Theotokos] by '''Myriobiblos''' the Online library of the [[Church of Greece]] (Greek)* Miriam Lambouras. ''[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/marian_apparitions.aspx "The Marian Apparitions: Divine Intervention or Delusion?"]'' '''[http://www.saintedwardbrotherhood.org/shepherd.html The Shepherd: An Orthodox Christian Pastoral Magazine]''' 16, no.12 (September 1996) to 18, no.4 (December 1997).* [http://www.events.orthodoxengland.org.uk/lourdes-and-fatima-true-or-false/ "Lourdes and Fatima: True or False?"] '''Orthodox England'''
===Audio===
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Biblical Saints]]
[[Category:1st-century saints]]
[[ar:والدة الإله]]
[[bg:Богородица]]
[[el:Θεοτόκος]]
[[es:Theotokos]]
[[fr:Marie la Mère de Dieu]]
[[mk:Пресвета Богородица]]
[[pt:Mãe de Deus]]
[[ro:Maica Domnului]]
