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Dec 29th, 2019
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Joined: Feb 2002
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Mor Ephram -- Hey. Thanks!! I downloaded Adobe of the Net and the article came up just fine. I am printing it out now for further study. As for the beard, well... I used to have a kind of "stubble beard" of sorts and then one day I saw Fr. John Szada's beard (which touches his belt buckle!!) and I guess I got a wild hair  and decided to see how long mine would get out of sheer curiousity. I kinda like it. L'il kids call me Santa Claus. Brother Ed
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Originally posted by Hieromonk Elias:
Is not God, bridegroom, and are we (the Church) not bride? Mary, Mother of God, is in perfection what we all aspire to be, pure worthy brides to the pure and holy God.
It is precisely because the bride shares the honor and dignity of the husband that, that the Church has this awesome gift, to be espoused of God, and to be united to him and sharers of the divine nature.
Mary's espousal, her free consent, and her union with God is how the whole Church is assured that this awesome gift is also the Lord's will for each of us. Fr. Elias draws attention to Mary as the prime model for us all and, of course, the bride-groom motif that Paul writes about in his letter to the community at Ephesus. Theosis should be our goal, but would this imply a Mormon understanding of crossing over the Creator-creature barrier? Do we run the risk of making Mary 'more than' human or a-human, ontologically speaking?
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Joined: Nov 2001
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Dear Cantor Joe,
That is an important issue you raise, Mentor!
Many in my religion classes over the years raised this same point.
This is where St Gregory Palamas "Triads" come in handy!
The Mother of God and the Saints are divinized via the Divine Energies rather than the Divine Essence.
If they experienced Theosis via the latter, then, indeed, they would be God as God is.
Alex
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Thank You - Thank You - Thank You - Thank You!!!
That is just the BEST writing I have ever read on the person and position of our Blessed Mother, the ever vigin Theotokos.
Coming from a Protestant background, I was able to grasp some fundamentals which allowed me to at least enter into the prayers and honor to the Blessed Virgin without reservation. However, when I came across some of the more flowery and heapin' helpin's of praise accorded to Her in certain literature, my leg would begin to twitch again.
Now I am beginning to understand more about the importance of our Mother and the great honor that indeed SHOULD be accorded to Her as the Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
This is great!!
Brother Ed
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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him forever! One thing that helped me grasp the essential role of the Theotokos in our lives is that she is the, "base of operations for the Holy Spirit." St. Maximilian Kolbe used this example. I think it is really essential to view our Blessed Mother in this way. I have often heard Protestants say that we as apostolic Christians try to replace the Holy Spirit with Mary. While this is not true, I can see where they can mistake our devotion for that. We do ask Mary to bring sinners to Jesus, to help us be better Christians, etc. But it makes much more *sense* when we see the Holy Spirit as doing his work predominately through her. Therefore, we ask her to help us, not because it is her own power, but the power of God within her. A true model of theosis for us all to seek to emulate.  Adam
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever! 
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Dear Adam,
Yes, I think it is best to see all Three Persons of the Holy Trinity working through the Mother of God via the Incarnation of God the Word.
The Ethiopians have a beautiful veneration for Maryam as the "Ark of the New Covenant."
She is the "New Temple" and the "Holy Jar" that contained the Heavenly Manna.
Her womb is "more spacious than the Heavens" for in her was pleased to be contained He whom the Heavens cannot contain!
Everything about her points to Christ, the Incarnate Divine Wisdom and just as He came to us through her (salvation is through the "Man Jesus Christ" as St Paul says or through the Divine Humanity), so too we go to Him through her.
In St Luke, she is actually praised FIRST and ahead of Her Son by the Archangel Gabriel "Blessed are you among women and blessed . . ."
She is the Heavenly Portal through by which we enter the Heavenly Garden and Paradise!
Alex
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Alex,
Interestingly, I have heard many RCs refer to the Mother of God as the "Ark of the New Covenant."
I believe it's available on the internet under James Akin's (I think) article called "The Key to Understanding Mary." It's simplistic and thorough; aimed at Protestants.
ChristTeen287
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Originally posted by Orthodox Catholic:
St John of Kronstadt in his "My Life In Christ" frequently invokes the Mother of God as "Spouse of the Holy Spirit" or "Raduisia, Nevistyu Svyatago Ducha!" Where can I find out more about this man, Alex, and his beliefs on this? Thanks.
Pax Christi,
John
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Originally posted by ChristTeen287:
Interestingly, I have heard many RCs refer to the Mother of God as the "Ark of the New Covenant." I like this one, but there are two from the East I like. One is for the Blessed Mother: "Ark of the Holy Bread" (I think I have that right). The other is for Mary Magdalene: "Apostle to the Apostles". There is so much we can learn from one another. In spite of our differences, I hope this never stops. God bless.
Pax Christi,
John
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