History of the life of the Virgin Mary. Virgin Mary - the greatest person in history

From the Gospel we know little about Mary, the Mother of God: in addition to the story of the Annunciation, the birth of Jesus Christ and His childhood, She appears on the pages of Scripture in only a few episodes. But church tradition brought to us testimonies of the Mother of God of the first Christians, which were passed from mouth to mouth. Here are some of them.

Do you know how old Joseph, Mary's husband, was?

Modern Western cinema likes to present Joseph the Betrothed as a man aged 30-40. Orthodox tradition says something else: “From the descendants of David, which was very honored by the Jews, twelve womanless elders were also chosen; and their rods were laid in the sanctuary. Among them was Joseph. And his rod vegetated during the night; and even on it, according to the testimony of blessed Jerome (340-419), a dove was seen flying from above. Hence was the knowledge that the Blessed Virgin was given to Joseph for safekeeping. Elder Joseph at that time was, some people think, about eighty years old” (Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov)).

She had nothing stern in her eyes, nothing imprudent in her words.

Do you know what was busy Holy Virgin at the moment of the Annunciation?

“The angel found the most pure Virgin not outside his house and chamber, not on the city streets in the midst of people and worldly conversations, not fussing at home in worldly cares, but exercising in silence, prayer and reading books, as the icon image of the Annunciation clearly shows, representing the Virgin Mary with a book placed before Her and open, as proof of Her unceasing exercise in reading divine books and contemplating God. At the very time when the heavenly herald appeared to the Virgin, She, as the God-wise Fathers of the Church believe, had in her mind the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, the Virgin shall conceive in the womb” (Is. 7:14), and pondered how and when there will be that strange and unusual conception and birth for a girlish nature” (St. Dimitry of Rostov).

An angel came to preach to Mary. Do you know what and who is an angel?

“An angel is an entity endowed with a mind, constantly moving, free, incorporeal, serving God, by grace received immortality for its nature: only the Creator knows the form and definition of this entity. It is called incorporeal and immaterial in comparison with us. For everything, in comparison with God, who alone is incomparable, turns out to be both gross and material, because the Deity alone in the strict sense is immaterial and incorporeal” ( Reverend John Damascus).

Do you know why the Virgin Mary is called the "Most Honorable Cherubim and the Most Glorious Seraphim without comparison"?

“Because She received in Her womb the God-man, the Son and the Word of God, Who took from Her human nature and united with His Divine nature in His hypostasis” (Elder Ephraim of Philotheus).

Do you know why the Mother of God is depicted on the icon of the Annunciation with a lily flower?

The lily flower symbolizes purity. For her incomparable purity and chastity, She was chosen by God and was honored with a great miracle - she remained a virgin at the conception of the Savior and after His birth.

Do you know what it looked like Holy Mother of God?
The description of the external appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos was given by the church historian Nicephorus Kallistos:
“The Blessed Virgin was of medium or slightly above average height, golden hair, quick eyes, olive-colored, arched and blackish eyebrows, an oblong nose, flowering lips, a face not round and not sharp, but somewhat oblong, arms and fingers long. She had nothing stern in her eyes, nothing imprudent in her words, - St. Ambrose testifies. In conversations with others, She remained calm, did not laugh, did not become indignant and did not get angry. Her movements are modest, her tread is quiet, her voice is even, so appearance symbolizes the purity of her soul.

Is there somewhere an icon of the Mother of God painted from Her during her earthly life?
The Most Holy Theotokos, just like the Savior, revealed her miraculous image in the city of Lydda during her lifetime.
The Apostles Peter and John preached in Samaria, where the new converts built a temple in the city of Lydda to the glory of the Blessed Virgin. Upon returning to Jerusalem, the apostles begged her to consecrate this temple with their visit and blessing. She agreed to this and, sending them back, said: “Go and rejoice: I will be there with you!” When the apostles arrived in Lydda and entered the temple, they saw on one of the inner pillars an image of the Mother of God written by an unknown person. Moreover, her face and details of clothing were made with amazing art and precision. Later, the Blessed Virgin also arrived there. Seeing Her image and the multitude of those praying in front of it, She rejoiced and bestowed miraculous power on the icon.

Do you know that the Theotokos came to the tomb of her Son?
The Jews, who hated Christians, did not want the Mother of God to come to the tomb of the Savior, who knelt there, wept and burned incense. The high priests posted guards and ordered them to strictly monitor so that none of the Christians dare to come to this place. If the Mother of Jesus violated the ban, She was ordered to be killed immediately. The guards vigilantly lay in wait for the Most Holy Virgin, but the power of God hid Her from the soldiers on duty at Golgotha. They never saw the Mother of God, although She kept coming there. In the end, the guards, under an oath, reported that no one came to the coffin and the guards were removed.

At the time of the Annunciation, Mary read and meditated on the words of the prophet Isaiah

Do you know how many years the Blessed Virgin Mary lived on earth?
Church authorities - Reverend Andrew Crete, St. Simeon Metaphrastus, St. Demetrius of Rostov, Bishop Porfiry of the Assumption, as well as prominent church historians Epiphanius and Georgy Kedrin - claim that the Blessed Virgin lived "to extreme old age." According to calculations based on participation in the burial of the Theotokos Dionysius the Areopagite (57), by the time of the Dormition of the Mother of God, she was 72 years old.

Do you know why the parents of the Blessed Virgin suffered reproach for many years?
The parents of the Virgin Mary were reviled for a long time because of their barrenness. It was believed that this testified to the punishment of God for sins. Such a circumstance brought not only grief to parents who could not have children, but also a lot of inconvenience on the part of the people: Joachim was prevented from making sacrifices in the temple, believing that he was objectionable to God, since he did not create offspring for the people of Israel. Anna was also humiliated for infertility by those around her. Since it was known that the Savior would be born from the seed of David, each family hoped that this would happen through their descendants. And therefore, not having the ability to procreate meant losing this chance.

Do you know what craft the Mother of God owned?
According to Tradition, during the period of her life at the temple, the Virgin Mary worked on yarn and sewed priestly vestments. When She was given to the preservation of Joseph the Betrothed, it became necessary to make a new veil for the Jerusalem temple. Part of the work on this assignment from the high priest was performed by the Virgin Mary. After the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel, the Blessed Virgin went to her relative, Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56). According to legend, on the way She went to Jerusalem to give away part of the veil, which she had already made by that time.

By the time of the Dormition of the Mother of God, she was 72 years old

Did you know that Joseph, by law, had to judge Mary because she did not get pregnant from him?

The angel, in fact, announced to Mary a pregnancy for which there was no legal basis. And according to the law, it was supposed to be stoned for this, because there were no similar precedents for a virgin to conceive without a husband, and, accordingly, logically, such a pregnancy could only arise from adultery. In any case, Mary was in disgrace for life. But she just trusted God: “Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word"(Luke 1:38) . But Mary did not yet know how Joseph would react to such an event: he was engaged to a girl, and suddenly - pregnancy! At first, the elder just wanted to quietly terminate the engagement, without questioning his bride about anything and without trying to punish Mary in any way: “Joseph, her husband, being righteous and not wanting to publicize her, wanted to secretly let her go”(Matthew 1:19). But, by the way, the birth of a child out of wedlock would have placed Her outside society, Her further fate would have been terrible. And again, the appearance of an angel was required, but this time to Joseph, so that he would receive Her with the Baby in the womb and call Mary his wife: But when he thought about it,–Behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: Joseph, son of David! do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for what is born in her is from the Holy Spirit.(Matthew 1:20). It is not often that we have to talk about the courage and endurance of Joseph. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in the eyes of the entire Israeli society, Joseph was the husband of Mary and was considered the father of Jesus, and only Joseph and Mary themselves knew what kind of sacrifice the named father of Christ had to make.

ANNA

January 8 Orthodox Church celebrates Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, the one without which there would be no Nativity of Christ and our salvation. The way Christians honor the Mother of God is incomparable with the veneration of any saint. In prayers, she is called “The Most Honorable Cherubim and the Most Glorious Seraphim without Comparison”, that is, higher and more glorious than the highest angelic ranks- Cherubim and Seraphim. More than eight hundred icons of the Mother of God are known. They turn to Her both in grief and in joy, with all questions and problems without exception, with a request for salvation. And even the personal pronouns "She", "Her", if we are talking about the Mother of God, are capitalized, as are pronouns referring to God. But why? After all, although She was a great righteous woman in her earthly life, she was still not God, and very little is said about Her in the Gospels ... Why is She so glorified?

Unique Mary

Let's start from afar. Throughout the centuries of human history, the world has been waiting for the coming of the Savior. This expectation permeates the entire Old Testament - this is its central theme. The question arises: why did the Messiah take so long to come? The fact is that from a woman who was to become the earthly Mother of God, the greatest feat of self-denial and love was required. In order for such a woman to be born, centuries of preparation were needed. Mother of God Mary is the purest and most humble Virgin of all those born on earth. Such a Child is the result of the efforts and spiritual work of dozens of generations. Mary had to agree to the conception of a special Son, she had to entrust her life to God as much as possible. Now we may have a question: what is so special about this? Just think, a feat - rather, we are talking about the great honor that She was given, who would refuse such a thing? But in fact, everything was much more complicated. Firstly, the Virgin Mary could not believe the Archangel Gabriel, who told Her what God wants from Her. But she believed. Second, She could say no. It was enough to imagine what could await Her, a very young innocent girl who grew up at the temple, betrothed to the elderly Joseph, who promised to take care of Her in a fatherly way, when it turned out that She was pregnant, and who knows from whom? How much gossip and rumors such a situation would give rise to ... So She could be frightened and say "no." But She trusted God and agreed. Finally, Mary could be proud that the choice fell on her. Perhaps few would have stood in her place. But She meekly answered the Archangel that She God's servant and agree that everything be according to His will.

Parents of the Virgin

They say that children are a reflection of their parents. And in order to understand how such a meek Virgin, possessing such a strong faith, came into being, one must remember who Her father and mother were. The parents of the Mother of God are the holy righteous Joachim and Anna. The Lord tested them for a long time, not giving them children. And I must say that the lack of offspring in the Old Testament Israel was an extremely serious problem. It was believed that if there are no children in the family, then this is God's punishment.

Such people were subjected to ridicule, gossip and even persecution. For example, there is a legend that Mary's father Joachim was expelled from Jerusalem Temple when he came there to offer sacrifice. Allegedly, he is a great sinner and somehow angered God, since He does not give him descendants. Joachim retired to the desert, began to pray fervently, and it was at that moment that he received joyful news from God that he and Anna would have a child. Both were at an advanced age, it was hard to believe. Everything happened just like that.

The Mother of God, on the one hand, was really an unusual Virgin: a long-awaited child, begged from God, at the age of three, given up for education in the Temple ... But, on the other hand, She was the most ordinary person who is familiar with hardships and illnesses human nature. All the more exceptional is Her role in history: ordinary girl, who did not seek glory and exploits for herself, was exalted by God and became the Mother of Christ.

That's what the gospel says

The question often arises: why is it said so little about the Mother of God in the Gospel, if She is the Mother of Christ, “The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim without comparison”? Indeed, there are few references to Her, but they are all very informative. For example, in the Gospel of Luke there are prophecies about the veneration of the Virgin. These are the words of the Archangel Gabriel - short phrase“Blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:28). "Blessed" means glorified. The archangel does not say this on his own, he is just a messenger of God. A little later, the Mother of God, meeting with Her relative Elizabeth, directly says that God made Her great and people will glorify Her (Luke 1:48-49).

According to Church Tradition, the Mother of God told the Apostle Luke about Christ. On the basis of Her story, he compiled his Gospel. Thus, the Virgin Mary was actually a co-author of one of the Gospels.

Another important note: Holy Bible directly indicates that the Lord was in subjection to Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:51) and even argued with religious teachers who tried to circumvent God's commandment: "Honor thy father and mother." And at the most terrible moment of His earthly ministry, the Savior, suffering on the Cross, made sure that His Mother would not be lonely, entrusting the care of Her to the Apostle John the Theologian. So Her role in the life of the Son was very serious, even though little is said about it.

The Mother of God had enough faith not to doubt Her destiny, She had enough spiritual strength not to become proud, and enough humility to carry Her cross. She knew from the very beginning that Her Son's earthly ministry would end tragically. And as a believer, and as a Mother, She endured unimaginable suffering. And She went for it because she wanted salvation for all of us, for the entire human race. That is why they honor Her so highly - She, without whose feat the Birth of Christ would have been impossible, and hence our salvation. She became a heavenly Mother to every Christian. Any person who sincerely prays to Her can feel it.

Virgin Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God) - jewish woman from Nazareth, according to the mother of Jesus Christ. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke describe Mary as a virgin, and Christians believe that she conceived a son as an immaculate Virgin by the Holy Spirit. The miraculous birth happened when Mary was already betrothed to She married Joseph and accompanied him to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father.

References to the Virgin Mary in the Bible.

The Virgin Mary is mentioned several times in the New Testament. More often Immaculate Virgin Mary is mentioned in Gospel of Luke. She is mentioned 12 times by name. All references are related to the birth and childhood of Jesus.

Gospel of Matthew mentions her name six times, five of them in connection with the infancy of Jesus and only once (13:55) as the mother of the adult Jesus.

Gospel of Mark calls her once by name (6:3) and refers to her as the mother of Jesus without calling her by name in 3:31 and 3:32.

Gospel of John mentions her twice, but never by name. The Gospel says that the Virgin Mary accompanied Jesus when He initiated His miracles in Cana of Galilee. The second reference says that the Virgin Mary stood at the cross of Jesus.

IN Acts it is said that the Apostles, Mary and the brothers of Jesus gathered in the upper room after the Ascension of Jesus.

IN Revelation of John a woman clothed with the sun is described. Many believe that this is a description of the Virgin Mary.

Pedigree of the Mother of God.

There is little mention of the origin of the Virgin Mary in the New Testament. John 19:25 says that Mary had a sister.

At the cross of Jesus stood His Mother and His Mother's sister, Mary Cleopova, and Mary Magdalene.

It is not semantically clear from this sentence sister of His Mother, Maria Kleopova, Is it the same person or two different women . Jerome believes that this is one person. But the historian of the beginning of the second century Egesippus believed that Maria Kleopova was not the sister of the Virgin Mary, but her relative from Joseph the Betrothed.

According to the author of the Gospel of Luke, Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zechariah, and thus descended from the line of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. Others believe that Mary, like Joseph, to whom she was betrothed, was from the house of David.

Biography of the Virgin Mary.

The Immaculate Virgin Mary was born at Nazareth in the Galilee. After her betrothal to Joseph (betrothal is the first stage of a Jewish marriage), the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced to her that she would become the mother of the promised Messiah. After the first expression of disbelief at the announcement, she replied, “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be to me according to your word." Joseph the Betrothed planned to calmly part with her, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him “do not be afraid to accept Mary, your wife, for what was born in Her is from the Holy Spirit.”

The angel, in confirmation of his words, also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth, previously barren, had conceived by the grace of the Lord. Mary went to her relative's house, where she saw Elizabeth's pregnancy with her own eyes and fully believed in the words of the angel. Then the Virgin Mary delivered a speech of gratitude to the Lord, which is known as the Magnificat or doxology of the Virgin Mary.

After spending three months in Elizabeth's house, Mary returned to Nazareth. According to the Gospel of Luke, Joseph, the husband of Mary, by decree of the Roman emperor Augustus, had to return to his hometown of Bethlehem to take the Roman census there. During her stay in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger, since there was no place for them in any inn. On the eighth day, Mary's child was circumcised according to Jewish law and named Jesus, which in Hebrew means "Yahweh is salvation."

After the days of purification, Jesus was taken to Jerusalem to be presented before the Lord, as required by custom. The Virgin Mary sacrificed two turtledoves and two pigeon chicks. Here, Simeon and Anna prophesied about the future of the baby. After visiting Jerusalem, the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed, together with the baby Jesus, returned to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared to Joseph at night and warned that King Herod wanted to kill the baby. The Holy Family fled by night to Egypt and remained there for some time. After the death of Herod in 4 BC. e., they returned to the land of Israel, to Nazareth in Galilee.

Virgin Mary in the life of Jesus

According to the New Testament, at the age of twelve, Jesus is separated from his parents upon his return from the celebration of Passover in Jerusalem, but the presence of the mother is still traced in His earthly life.

Biblical scholars argue a lot about why Jesus was separated from his parents, and, in particular, from the Mother, since the fate of his earthly father is unknown, Joseph is mentioned for the last time in the Bible when Jesus was 12 years old. Some point to conflict in the Holy Family. A few quotations from the Bible really prove this point. The Gospel of Mark describes the moment:

And His mother and brothers came and, standing outside the house, sent to Him to call Him.

People were sitting around him. And they said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters outside the house are asking You.

And he answered them, Who are my mother and my brothers?

And surveying those who were sitting around Him, He said: Here are My mother and My brothers;

for whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. ()

Quote attributed by the Gospel of Mark to Christ: There is no prophet without honor, except in his own city, among his relatives and in his own house ". It also proves the possibility of conflict.

If there was a conflict in the Holy Family, then the reason for it could be the unbelief of the family in Christ as the son of God.

American biblical scholar Bart Ehrman believes that "there are clear indications in the Bible not only that the family of Jesus rejected his message during his public service but also that He, he, in turn, rejected them publicly.

The Virgin Mary was present when, at her suggestion, Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding in Cana by turning water into wine. The Virgin Mary was also at the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The moment described in the Gospel when Mary embraced the dead body of her son is a common universal motif in art, and is called "pieta" or "pity".

After the Ascension of Jesus, we find one single mention of the Virgin Mary in Acts. There is no mention of Mary after this. Her death is not described in Scripture, but the Catholic and Orthodox traditions believe that her body was taken to heaven. Belief in the bodily Ascension of the Virgin Mary is a dogma Catholic Church and many others.

Information about the Virgin Mary from apocryphal texts.

The following biographical details are taken from apocryphal literature.

According to the apocryphal Gospel of James, Mary was the daughter of Saint Joachim and Saint Anna. Before the conception of Mary, Anna was barren and was far from young. When the girl was three years old, she was brought to the Jerusalem Temple.

According to apocryphal sources, at the time of her betrothal to Joseph, Mary was 12-14 years old, and Joseph was 90. However, these data are unreliable. Hippolytus of Thebes claimed that Mary died 11 years after the Resurrection of Jesus and died at 41.

The earliest surviving biographies of the Virgin Mary are Life of the Virgin created in the 7th century by Saint Maximus the Confessor, who considered the Mother of God key figure early Christian Church.

In the 19th century, the so-called House of the Virgin was found near Ephesus in Turkey. It was found on the basis of the visions of Anna Katerina Emmerich, an Augustinian blessed nun from Germany. The nun, 2 years before her death, during one of the many visions of the Mother of God, received detailed description the places where Mary lived before her Assumption.

According to legend, the Blessed Virgin Mary retired to Ephesus during the persecution of Christians along with John the Theologian. In 1950, the House of the Virgin was reconstructed and turned into a chapel.

Virgin Mary in Orthodoxy

In the Orthodox tradition, the doctrine of virginity is accepted. According to this doctrine, the Virgin Mary "conceived a virgin, gave birth to a virgin, remained a virgin." Hymns to the Mother of God are an integral part of worship in Eastern Church and their positioning within the liturgical sequence indicates the position of the Virgin after Christ. IN Orthodox tradition, the order of listing the saints begins with the Mother of God, followed by angels, prophets, apostles, church fathers, martyrs, etc.

One of the most loved Orthodox akathists dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Five of the twelve great church holidays in Orthodoxy are dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

• Nativity of the Virgin

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a holiday dedicated to the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Nativity of the Virgin is celebrated on September 21st.

• Introduction to the temple

Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary- a holiday dedicated to one of the events in the life of the Virgin Mary. Her parents Joachim and Anna brought their daughter to the Temple at the age of three, as they had already vowed to dedicate the child to God. The holiday is celebrated on December 4th.

• Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The holiday is celebrated exactly 9 months before the birth of Christ. The day is dedicated to the appearance of an angel who announced to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of God on Earth.

Orthodox holiday celebrated on the day of the death of the Virgin Mary. According to the apocrypha, the Virgin Mary died on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. There is now catholic church Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. According to the apocrypha “The Legend of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God”, the apostles were transferred to the deathbed of the Mother of God on clouds from all over the world. Only the Apostle Thomas stayed for three days and did not find the Virgin Mary alive. He wanted to say goodbye to the Virgin Mary. At his request, the tomb of the Virgin Mary was opened, but the body was not there. Therefore, it is believed that the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven. The Dormition of the Mother of God is celebrated on August 28.

• Protection of the Holy Mother of God

Protection of the Holy Mother of God celebrated October 14th. At the basis of this Orthodox holiday the legend about the appearance of the Mother of God to the holy fool Andrew is supposed. It happened in Constantinople, which was besieged by enemies. People in the temple prayed to God for salvation from the barbarians. Holy Fool Andrew saw the Mother of God praying for the salvation of the people of Constantinople. Then the Mother of God removed the veil from her head and covered with it the people who were present in the temple, thereby protecting them from visible and invisible enemies. The cover of the Virgin shone brighter than the rays of the sun. It is believed that the Mother of God saved Constantinople.

Veneration of the Mother of God in the Orthodox Church.

The prerequisites for the exaltation of the Virgin Mary by all peoples (kinds) are given in the Bible itself, where it is said on behalf of the Virgin Mary:

... My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoiced in God, My Savior, that He looked upon the humility of His Servant, for from now on all generations will please Me; that the Mighty One has done me greatness, and holy is His name ().

In the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, the words of a woman from the people are quoted:

... blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that fed you!

Moreover, John the Theologian in the Gospel of John testifies that Jesus performed the first miracle at the request of his mother, therefore the Mother of God is revered as an intercessor for the human race. Exists great amount icons of the Mother of God. Many of them are considered miraculous.

Mankind has been waiting for its Savior for a very long time. Also in Old Testament God promised that the Savior would come into this world through a woman, but without a male seed. The Virgin Mary voluntarily agreed to this, although at that time it was very dangerous, including for life. The Virgin Mary had enough faith, spiritual strength and humility to take this step. The Mother of God knew from the very beginning that the earthly ministry of her Son would end quickly and tragically. As a mother, she endured the worst for the salvation of mankind.

Mariology is the doctrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mariology - theological doctrine about the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. Christian Mariology seeks to connect the Holy Scriptures and the traditions and teachings of the Church about the Virgin Mary in the context of social history.

There are various Christian views on the role of the Virgin Mary in Christianity, from full veneration of Mary to Roman Catholic Church to the minimization of Mary's role in Protestant evangelical theology.

A significant number of publications in this field were written in the 20th century by theologians Raimondo Spiazzi (2500) and Gabriel Roccini (900). The centers of modern Mariology are the Pontifical Institute of Mariology and the Pontifical Academy of Mariology.

Mother of God - the patroness and the Holy Virgin, the most revered in Christian world. She is called the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin. In Christianity, she is considered the mother of Jesus Christ. She is the most revered and greatest of all saints.

Wears holy name Mother of God, because she gave birth to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom the entire Christian world considers Almighty God.

The Mother of God was born in the city of Nazareth, in Galilee. Mary's parents were Saint Anna and Saint Joachim. They were already quite an elderly married couple, and they had no children. However, Anna had a vision of an angel in heaven that she would soon give birth to a child. A girl was born, they named her Maria. Until the age of three, the girl lived with her parents. Then, along with the rest of the children, she was brought up in a place where she prayed a lot. After reaching the age of majority, she left the temple because a husband had been chosen for her. It was a man from the tribe of David, an elderly man, Joseph the Betrothed. Joseph was chosen because a miracle happened the day before - his staff blossomed in an unusual way. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he announced that she would be the mother of the long-awaited and promised Messiah. Mary conceived it through the Holy Spirit. There was a prediction that the Mother of God would give birth to a son who would save her people from sins. She ended her life in the city of Jerusalem 12 years after the ascension of Christ, she was 48 years old. The death of Mary was marked by her Ascension on the third day, and at the last moment of her life, Jesus Christ himself appeared to her.

Akathist is a song, or rather a genre of Orthodox church hymnography, which is performed while standing. Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos can be read as part of a prayer service and other services. It is especially recommended to do this on the morning of the holiday called Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos. This is one of the main songs in the Christian world. Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos thanksgiving song, which is turned to the Mother of God herself. All Christians honor the image of the Queen of Heaven in a special way, give her honors and praise her deeds.

The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is also gratitude to the one who is the Intercessor of all Orthodox people. It's about her everyone Orthodox person thinks when he is offended, humiliated, is in grief and distress. The Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos says that this saint is waiting for sincere human repentance. She guides sinners on the path true christian and helps turn around righteous life. She extends a helping hand to all who turn to her and even to those who live in sin, but ask for help.

Akathist to the Mother of God speaks of special regard to immaculate souls, to people with with a pure heart and good intentions. People with the highest spirituality and purity of heart clearly feel the presence of her son, God, at the moment of turning to the saint. Akathist to the Mother of God calls to carefully preserve God's word and live as the Virgin Mary lived - in perfect purity.

Icons of the Mother of God are considered miraculous, since a person has a spiritual connection with God, through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos - these are prayers that bring peace and prosperity to family relationships. For example, if you are going to get married, pray near the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos called "Fadeless Color".

The words that usually sound before this icon are requests to choose the right spouse, to get rid of quarrels in the family. Very pure, fiery words of prayer, sounding from the heart, will help you get what you are asking for, and will also allow you to achieve reconciliation in the event of a quarrel in the family. The prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos are filled with the main meaning - purity and chastity.