www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology What place does the Theotokos have in your spiritual life?

Dear Friends,

As tomorrow is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe - what place does the Most Holy Mother of God have in your spiritual life? How do you honour her? Prayers?

Alex

Here is a prayer to the Mother of God, which I say often as part of the Morning Prayers. It is found in the Jordanville Prayerbook:

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos:
I sing of thy grace, O Sovereign Lady, and I pray thee to grace my mind.
Teach me to step aright in. the way of Christ's commandments.
Strengthen me to keep awake in song, and drive away the sleep of despondency.
O Bride of God, by thy prayers release me, bound with the bonds of sin.
Guard me by night and by day, and deliver me from foes that defeat me.
O bearer of God the Life-giver, enliven me who am deadened by passions.
O bearer of the unwaning Light, enlighten my blinded soul.
O marvellous palace of the Master, make me to be a house of the Divine Spirit.
O bearer of the Healer, heal the perennial passions of my soul.
Guide me to the path of repentance, for I am tossed in the storm of life.
Deliver me from eternal fire, and from evil worms, and from Tartarus.
Let me not be exposed to the rejoicing of demons, guilty as I am of many sins.
Renew me, grown old from senseless sins, O most immaculate one.
Present me untouched by all torments, and pray for me to the Master of all.
Vouchsafe me to find the joys of heaven with all the saints.
O most holy Virgin, hearken unto the voice of thine unprofitable servant.
Grant me torrents of tears, O most pure one, to cleanse my soul from impurity.
I offer the groans of my heart to thee unceasingly, strive for me, O Sovereign Lady.
Accept my service of supplication and offer it to compassionate God.
O thou who art above the angels, raise me above this world's confusion.
O Light bearing heavenly tabernacle, direct the grace of the Spirit in me.
I raise my hands and lips in thy praise, defiled as they are by impurity, O all immaculate one.
Deliver me from soul corrupting evils, and fervently intercede with Christ, to Whom is due honour and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

And each morning I say this prayer to the Mother of God as part of my Morning Prayers. It is also in the Jordanville Prayerbook.

Prayer X, to the Most Holy Theotokos:
O my most holy lady Theotokos, through thy holy and all-powerful prayers, banish from me, thy lowly and wretched servant, despondency, forgetfulness, folly, carelessness, and all filthy, evil, and blasphemous thoughts from my wretched heart and my darkened mind. And quench the flame of my passions, for I am poor and wretched, and deliver me from many and cruel memories and deeds, and free me from all their evil effects. For blessed art thou by all generations, and glorified is thy most honourable name unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Fr David Straut

Amen.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us!!!

Humbly,
Alice

I love the Paraclisis service to the Mother of our God.

My priest chants it with us in English almost once a week in our little chapel within our church. It always consists of an intimate group, and it soooo beautiful, and it lifts one's burdens off their shoulders, as we flee unto Her motherly affection in praise and petition. My priest prays the names outloud which are given to him for supplication, three times during the service...this way we are able to lift up those names we are praying for together with him as they are read...many times I have given names from the forum to be lifted up in prayer.

In Christ,
Alice

Dear Mother Alice,

A beautiful post from a beautiful person!!

Alex

Dear Alex,

Thank you, you are most kind!

Humbly in Christ,
Alice

Thank you, Father, for posting that very magnificent prayer in honor of the Theotokos. It is certainly beautiful, awe inspiring, and rich in spirituality. Our Lady always leads us to Her Divine Son who reach us out to us with hands that are always ready and willing to give! That Jordanville Prayer Book must be a gem!

Dear John,

Fr. Straut is awesome indeed! His surname reminds me of good beer!

Here is a link with the online Jordanville prayerbook:

http://www.stmaryofegypt.org/prayerbook/

Alex

yes - well

I think you can guess mine

To paraphrase Pope Gregory, "Not Angela, but an Angel!"



Alex

In my Evening Prayers, I include the following prayers to the Mother of God. They are from the Jordanville Prayerbook also.

Prayer IX, to the Most Holy Theotokos
0 good Mother of the Good King, most pure and blessed Theotokos Mary, do thou pour out the mercy of thy Son and our God upon my passionate soul, and by Thine intercessions guide me unto good works, that I may pass the remaining time of my life without blemish, and attain paradise through thee, 0 Virgin Theotokos, who alone art pure and blessed.

Kontakion to the Annunciation (Tone 8)
To thee the Champion Leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanksgiving, * as ones rescued out of sufferings, 0 Theotokos; * but as thou art one with might which is invincible, * from all dangers that can be, do thou deliver us, that we may cry to thee: * Rejoice, thou Bride unwedded!

Most glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, present our prayer to thy Son and our God, that through thee our souls may be saved.

All my hope I place in thee, 0 Mother of God: keep me under thy protection.

0 Virgin Theotokos, disdain not me a sinner, needing thy help and thy protection, and have mercy on me, for my soul hath hoped in thee.


Fr David Straut

It depends, my personal prayers are Eastern with many, but if I pray the Roman '62 or modern breviary there is only one at vespers & compline...

I do try to pray both ways daily...

james

The older I get the more Marian I become, but like all devotions, whether to the Blessed Mother or various Saints, it's impossible to seperate the particular devotion from the greater devotion to Our Saviour (sounds like I'm speaking for the benefit of Protestants).

I try to say the Rosary every day, along with various other prayers and litanies, with my favorites being Our Lady Of Fatima, Our Lady Of Lourdes, Our Lady Of La Salette and of course Our Lady Of Sorrows.

My nightly prayers include a Hail Mary, a Hail, Holy Queen, an "All my hope I place in thee, O Blessed Mother of God; keep me under thy protection," and the following prayer, which is my favorite Marian prayer:


Prayer of Paul the Cenobite to the Most Holy Mother of God

O Lady, Bride of God, virginal, pure, immaculate, blameless, without stain or disgrace, who through your birth-giving united God the Word with our human nature and established a link between our fallen state and the things of heaven; O you, only hope of the hopeless, help of the oppressed, ready protection of those who flee to you and refuge of all Christians: despise me not who am a wretched sinner, who have defiled myself with unclean thoughts, words, and deeds, and in my slothfulness have become a slave to the passions of life. Since you are the Mother of God, who is the Lover of Mankind, have mercy, have compassion on me a sinner and a prodigal son; accept this prayer from my impure lips, and, with the power of your maternity, beg your Son, my Lord and my God, that he may open for me the depths of His loving kindness, forgive my countless sins, convert me to true repentance, and make me faithful to His commands. O you who are compassionate, be my constant companion: in this present life, be with me as an intercessor, as a powerful help to turn away the assaults of my enemies and to guide me to salvation; at the hour of my death, be with me to embrace my poor soul and to keep away the dreadful sight of the wicked devils; on the terrible day of judgment, deliver me from eternal punishment and make me an heir of your Son's glory, through the grace and the love for mankind of your Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him and to his eternal Father and to his all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit we send up all glory, honor, and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Theotokos plays a very special part in my life - she has shown me many favours .

I offered myself to her many years ago .

She is my Mother - what more can be said ?