PR in biblical mythology. Bible guide

Galina Tcherezova

the Virgin Mary

Summary of the myth

Mother of God with Baby
(XVI-XVII centuries., Nessebar school)

the Virgin Mary(September 8, 20 BC? - August 15, 45 AD?) - the mother of Jesus Christ, one of the most revered figures in Christianity. In Orthodoxy, Catholicism and other traditional churches, it is commonly called Virgin mary.

The parents of the Virgin Mary, the righteous inhabitants of Jerusalem, Joachim and Anna, prayed to God all the time for sending children to them, and when they reached old age, the Angel of the Lord appeared to them with the news that they would soon have a child about whom the whole world would speak. Soon Anna conceived and after 9 months gave birth to a girl, whom she named Maria. When Mary grew up, she was taken to the Jerusalem temple to serve until the age of majority, as was customary at that time. At the age of 12, Mary made a vow of eternal virginity, and at age 18, her parents married her to an elderly Jew Joseph, who greatly respected her promise to the Lord. In his house, Mary spun yarn, which was used in the temple for the altar. Once, while working, an Angel appeared to the girl and announced that she would soon have a baby, the Son of God, the Savior of mankind. Christians remember this event on the feast of the Annunciation. Maria was very surprised because she kept her vow and did not intend to break it. Her husband, too, was saddened and surprised when her pregnancy became noticeable to others, and was about to drive Mary out of the house as an unfaithful wife, but the Archangel Gabriel who had appeared to him announced that Mary had conceived of the Holy Spirit and was honest with her husband.

The Nativity of Jesus Christ. Shortly before giving birth in Judea, a census was announced, and Joseph and Mary went to the city of Bethlehem as representatives of the clan of David. Since people came from all over the country, all the hotels were occupied, and many travelers stayed in their stalls. It was there, in the manger (animal feeder), that the baby Jesus was born. There shepherds and magicians found him, who came to worship the Savior and bring him their gifts. The wise men came from the East, because shortly before this they saw in heaven a sign - a new star, which announced the birth of God's son on earth. The magi were astrologers, and having long since calculated this great event, they awaited the appearance of a sign that would tell them about the fulfillment of the prediction. The shepherds who came to Jesus were shepherding the sheep in the vicinity of Bethlehem, and suddenly the Angel of God appeared to them, announcing that a great baby was born in the city of David, who would be called the Savior of the world. And the shepherds, leaving all, went to Bethlehem, and the Angel showed them the way.

On the 40th day, the parents brought Jesus to the Jerusalem temple, on the steps of which they met Simeon the God-receiver, a well-known righteous man, who once had the Holy Spirit predicted that he would not die until he saw Christ. Simeon, having worshiped the Savior, bestowed upon him his blessings, and Mary predicted future sufferings, saying that the weapon would pierce her soul. Thus, the icon of the “Seven Mistress” appeared, in which the Mother of God is depicted with arrows piercing the heart, a symbol of maternal torment and pain for the death of her only son. Orthodox Christians recall the meeting of Simeon and Christ during the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, considering this event as a prototype for the meeting of the Savior of the World with humanity, as personified by the God-bearer.

The flight of Mary to Egypt.When the Magi, led by a guiding star, came to Bethlehem, they went to King Herod, believing that he could know where to find the born baby, the future King of Judea (in the horoscope of Jesus, they saw that he would become the King of Judea in a symbolic, spiritual sense) . But Herod took their question literally and was very frightened, asking them to tell him without fail when they would find Jesus. But the magi violated their promise, and King Herod, afraid that he would be thrown from the throne, decided to kill all the babies recently born in Bethlehem. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and informed him that a great beating of infants was coming, therefore Joseph and his family must urgently leave the city. The next day the couple went to Egypt, fleeing from the monstrous atrocities of Herod, and lived in Egypt until the death of the king. Subsequently, having learned that the son of Herod reigned in Bethlehem, they did not dare to stay in this city and settled in Nazareth.

Further life of the Virgin.The Virgin Mary is not often mentioned in the Gospel, and all the testimonies about her future life, unfortunately, are very stingy and scattered. Collecting the particles of her biography, it becomes clear that she was always with her son, accompanying him on trips and helping in her preaching work. During the crucifixion, she stood at the cross, and Jesus, dying, asked the apostle John to take care of her. Mary's life was full of experiences and sufferings that only mothers can understand. She suffered, seeing as the high priests did not accept her son. Her heart was bleeding when Pilate gave Jesus to be crucified. She fainted from pain when nails were driven into the palm of her only son. She felt His pain, as her own, and her loving maternal heart could barely endure these torments. Virgin Mary initially knew what fate awaits Jesus, and therefore there was not a day in her life when sharp arrows of grief would not pierce her soul. The prediction of Simeon the God-Receiver has come true. Mary deliberately gave her son to be torn apart, and did she have a choice? How could she resist the will of the Most High? She sacrificed her life to the One who saved the whole world ... The Virgin Mary was with the myrrh-bearing women, who came to the cave to spread the body of Jesus with oil. She did not depart from her son after the resurrection, and remained among the apostles from the time of the ascension of Christ, at the descent of the Holy Spirit, and during the apostolic preaching of Christianity in subsequent years. When the disciples of Jesus cast lots for the distribution of land to spread the teachings of Christ, Mary dropped Georgia. But the angel of the Lord who appeared was commanded her to preach among the pagans on Mount Athos, which is now considered the abode of monasticism and the House of the Virgin.

The Virgin Mary died at the age of 48 in Jerusalem, and the apostles came to her coffin, only the Apostle Thomas did not have time to say goodbye to Mary. At his request, the coffin was open, but to the surprise of all those present, it turned out to be empty. According to legend, Jesus descended from heaven for his Mother and brought her into the kingdom of God.

Images and symbols of myth

Madonna and Child (Madonna Litta).
Leonardo da Vinci. 1490 - 1491g

The virgin is the prototype of the perfect man, which embodies all the best that is in Creation. She and the sky, and the earth, and the ladder connecting heaven and earth. It is a symbol of true Divine Love, which any believer can touch while praying or visiting holy places.

One of the main symbols of the Virgin Mary is Jacob’s Ladder (Mary is the connecting link between heaven and earth). It is like a ladder that leads humanity to God through the deification of the flesh. The burning bush (burning, but not burning, a thorn bush, from which the Lord himself appeared before Moses on Mount Sinai) is also a sign of the Mother of God, announcing the immaculate conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

The Virgin Mary is also called the “manna pot”, because her son is the bread of life that can satisfy a person’s spiritual hunger.

The tabernacle of the congregation, a marching Jewish temple, in which the Ark of the Covenant is kept and offerings are offered, is also considered the image of the Mother of God as the guardian of all the spiritual traditions of Christianity.

The Nerukosechnaya Mountain with a stone that has fallen off from it is an allegory associated with the Mother of God, where the fallen off stone is Jesus Christ. On many icons, the Mother of God is depicted on this mountain surrounded by other symbols.

Communicative means of creating images and symbols

Icon of the Virgin "Joy of All Who Sorrow"
(last quarter of the XVIII century)

The most famous work telling us about the life of the Virgin Mary is undoubtedly the Bible. Biblical fragments dedicated to the Virgin Mary are divided into direct references (in the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles and Epistles), as well as the Old Testament prophecies about the Virgin, which should be the mother of Christ and the biblical prototypes, symbolically speaking of the saving mission of Mary.

Since ancient times, the Virgin Mary was described by church historians (Nikifor Callista, monk Epiphanius, and others), depicted as the greatest sculptors and artists (Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Raphael), was painted on icons by such icon painting masters as Theophanes the Greek, Andrei Rublev, the evangelist Luca, Ivan Bezmin and many others. Many icons and statues of the Virgin Mary are surrounded by profound veneration and are considered miraculous. The most famous miraculous statues in the monastery of Montserrat (Spain), in the Austrian Mariazell and in the Mexican city of Jalisco. Another famous Mexican shrine is the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Mexico). In Eastern Europe, the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God (Czestochowa, Poland) and the Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God (Vilnius, Lithuania) stand out among the revered shrines. All these cities, along with such places of the Virgin, as Lourdes and Fatima, are objects of mass pilgrimages. The Virgin Mary is traditionally depicted in certain clothes: a purple maforia (a bedspread of a married woman covering her head and shoulders), and a tunic (long dress) in blue. Mahorium is decorated with three stars - on the head and shoulders. In Western European painting, the traditional attribute of Mary is the white lily, a symbol of purity.

In addition to the images, we can not fail to mention the numerous holidays dedicated to the Virgin Mary - the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Annunciation, the Dormition and many others, which are celebrated every year by believers all over the world, who thereby show their love, devotion and deep respect for the Virgin Mary.

The social significance of the myth

Sistine Madonna. Raphael

In the Orthodox tradition, the love of Christ is inseparable from the love of the Mother of God, who is the intercessor of all Christians before the throne of God. In this matter, Orthodox and Catholics disagree with Protestants, who, following the ideas of the Reformation, believe that there can be no intermediaries between God and man, and reject the Divinity of the Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary is a symbol of the consecration and glorification of human nature, because she was the first among people who was honored to accept the Holy Spirit, which entered it during the Annunciation. Orthodoxy does not agree with Catholicism that the Virgin Mary was also conceived immaculately, this separates her from humanity, to whom she showed with her example how to be a real Christian. She walked with Christ all of His journey — from birth to Calvary. And also, any Christian can follow the Savior in his daily life by crucifying his sins and passions. For the first time, the wisdom of the earth and the heavenly united in Our Lady, therefore, the secret of Christianity and its ultimate goal are hidden in it. The Mother of Christ and now sanctifies the world with her Love and Purity, keeps it from harm and adversity with its veil. Nowhere is the Mother of God so worshiped as in the Orthodox Church. Many holidays are dedicated to her, and not a single divine service is complete without a prayer appeal to Her.

Hail Mary

(Mother of God, Blessed Virgin Mary) - the mother of Jesus Christ. Born from the descendants of King David, Joachim and Anna.

The pious Joachim and Anna remained childless for a long time, and according to Jewish beliefs only those who had many children were considered blessed by God.

Spouses prayed to God to give them a child and promised to devote him to God. Finally, their prayers were heard: God gave them a daughter, who was called Mary.

The birth of the Virgin Mary, who was destined to become the Most Holy Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on September 8 (21).

The pious parents did not forget their vow and, as soon as their daughters had passed three years, she was brought to the Jerusalem temple to devote to the service of God. In commemoration of this event, November 21 (December 4), the Christian Church celebrates the introduction to the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Until she was fourteen years old, Mary was brought up at the temple, but she could no longer stay there. Her parents died, and according to Jewish custom, the girl could not live alone, so Maria was betrothed to her relative, middle-aged carpenter Joseph, who replaced herfather's

On the holy (immaculate) conception, the Bible says:

“Archangel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to the Virgin, engaged to her husband, named Joseph, from the house of David; The name of the Virgin is Mary. And the angel came in to her, and said: Hail, Blessed One! The Lord is with you; blessed are you between wives. She, seeing him, was embarrassed by his words, and wondered what kind of greeting it would be. And the angel said to her: Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God; and, behold, you shall conceive in the womb, and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus: He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David his Father, and will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to His Kingdom. Mary said to the angel: How will it be when I do not know my husband? The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will descend on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy Child will be called the Son of God ... Mary said: I am the servant of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her ”(Lk. 1: 26–35.38).

Becoming the mother of the Son of God, Mary supported him at crucial moments in life. She attended the wedding at Cana of Galilee, where she inspired Jesus to perform His first miracle. And she stood at the cross of crucified Jesus.

“Jesus, seeing the mother and the disciple standing here, whom he loved, says to his mother: Woman! behold thy son Then he said to the student: behold your mother! And from that time this disciple took Her to him ”(John 19: 26–27).

This student was the evangelist John the Theologian himself. At his home in Gethsemane, Maria ended her days (according to some reports, 15 years after the death of the earth and the spiritual resurrection of her son, that is, in 48 AD)

After the crucifixion and resurrection of the Son, the Most Holy Theotokos became the mother to all His disciples and prayed to God only that Christ take Her to him. Once, while praying on the Mount of Olives, the archangel Gabriel appeared to her and said that after three days Her earthly life would end and the Lord would take Her to him. Before his death, Christ made all his disciples return to Jerusalem to bid farewell to her. Not only came the apostle Thomas.

At the death of the Mother of God, an extraordinary light flooded the room and various other miracles were performed. She was buried in the Garden of Gethsemane with her parents.

Three days later, Thomas came to the city and, learning of the death of the Mother of God, went to worship her most pure body. But when the stone was discovered, there was nothing in the cave except the burial shrouds.

In the evening, the apostles heard the angelic singing and, lifting their heads, saw the Mother of God in heaven: she became a prayer-book and intercessor before the Lord for all sinful people.

Once in the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, the holy fool Andrei and the young Epiphanius witnessed a miracle in the Vlacherna temple. They saw the Mother of God standing on a cloud, praying for all who were in the temple. And after the Mother of God disappeared, the coverlet removed by Her from the head (in Greek, an omophorion) remained - protection to the worshipers.

Since then, the cover of the Mother of God invisibly extends over the Christian world as a defense. And in memory of this event, on October 1 (14), the Orthodox Church established the great feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Lit .:   Gauthier de Kuensi, "Wonders of the Virgin Mary." Tristan Remy, the story "St. Mary of the Intercessor."

The image of the Mother of God is one of the most revered in Russia. He not only occupies one of the central places in the main iconostasis of cathedrals and temples, but also in many of his varieties is present in all the paintings and wall icons of temples. Similarly, among the home icons of believers, the image of the Mother of God, “the warm protector of the cold world” (M. Yu. Lermontov), ​​is necessarily present.

Image .:   V. Vasnetsov, “The Virgin and Child”, 1889. Leonardo da Vinci, “Madonna and Child” (“Madonna Litta”). Hugo van der Goes, "The Crowning of Our Lady", con. XV century. Giotto, “Nativity of the Virgin”, approx. 1305. Dionysius, “The Virgin Hodegetria”, 1482; "Nativity of the Virgin", 1490. Duccio, Madonna Ruchelai, 1285. Albrecht Durer, Coronation and Ascension of Mary, 1510. M. Lorenzo, Coronation of Mary, 1414. Stephen Lochner, Madonna in the Pink Arbor, 1440 -e Master from Moulin, “Madonna in Glory,” approx. 1500. Michelangelo Buonarotti, “Madonna of Dani”, 1503-1504. Raphael, “Sinkstinskaya Madonna”, 1513. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “Childhood of the Virgin Mary”, 1848 - 1849. Stephen Sokolov, “The Mother of God Hodegetria”, 1718. Francisco Surbaran, "The adolescence of Mary", 1641 - 1658. Titian, "Introduction to the temple", 1534 - 1538. Georges de La Tour, "Raising Mary", first. floor. XVII century. Theophanes the Greek, "Assumption", con. XIV century, "Mother of God", the end of XIV - beginning. XV centuries., "Mother of God of the Don", con. XIV century. Chimabouz, “Madonna Santa Trinita”, 1260 - 80. Martan Shongauer, “Madonna in the arbor of roses”, 1473.

Moose .: Bach - Gounod, “Ave Maria!” S. Rachmaninov, “The Virgin Mary ...”, “She never sleeps in prayers ...” Schubert, “Ave Maria!”

In the novel of F. M. Dostoevsky “The Brothers Karamazov” there is such an episode.

Listening to the father Paisius reading the Slavic Bible at the funeral service of the elder Zosima, Alyosha listens through the slumber and touches:

““ Oh, yes .. this is Cana of Galilee, the first miracle ... Not grief, but the joy of the people was visited by Christ, for the first time creating a miracle, the joys of the people helped ... And he knew another great heart of another great being who was right there, his motherthat it was not only for the great terrible feat of his own that he descended, but that what is available to his heart is the ingenuous, wise joke of some dark and simple creatures who affectionately called him to their poor marriage ... ””

Mother of God, Mother of God, Mother of God, Virgin Mary   - in the church tradition of the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary who gave birth to Jesus Christ.

   The name "Mother of God" is known among all Orthodox Slavs. The constant epithet of the Virgin among Orthodox Slavs is the Most Holy, Most Pure, sometimes replacing her name.

The folk cult of the Virgin differs from the ecclesiastical in its greater earthiness. The Virgin Mary acts as a protector from misfortunes, evil spirits, adversity and suffering. She is a heavenly intercessor, sympathetic, gracious and sympathetic. Therefore, it is often addressed in prayers, conspiracies, spells.

Virgin Mary is considered the patroness of women in labor. And, of course, the Mother of God is the intercessor of children in this and in the next world.

Excluding Jesus Christ, there is not a single saint in Christian iconography who would so often be portrayed by artists of all times as the face of the Blessed Virgin. At all times, icon painters tried to convey to the face of the Virgin all the beauty, tenderness, dignity and grandeur, which only their imagination was capable of.

The Mother of God in Russian icons is always sad, but this sadness is different: sometimes mournful, sometimes light, but always full of spiritual clarity, wisdom and great spiritual strength, the Virgin Mary can solemnly "show" the Baby to the world, can gently, press the Son to Herself or easily to support Him - She is always full of awe, worshiping her Divine Infant and meekly resigned to the inevitability of sacrifice. Lyricism, enlightenment and detachment - these are the main features characteristic of the depiction of the Virgin on Russian icons.

There is only a small part of the iconography dedicated to the Mother of God - the Virgin Mary.

Kazan - the most revered icons in Russia, the image of the intercessor of all the people.

Vladimirskaya - The image of the mother of the intercessor in all troubles and sorrows.

Quick listener- pray for the Lord to hear human prayers.

Iverskaya - pray for protection from enemies and non-prefragers.

Satisfy my sorrows - pray for consolation in sad moments of life.

Mercy - pray for the gift of the Divine miracle, healing.

Feodorovskaya - before this icon they pray in difficult childbirth.

Jerusalem - pray for family well-being, health, conception of children.

Kozelshchanskaya - pray for the healing of orthopedic diseases,

Three-armed - pray for the healing of diseases of the hands and feet.

Prizri on humility  - pray for healing from diseases, women's health and well-being.

Fertile sky  - pray for the gift of God's Grace in everyday life, help in business.

Softening of evil hearts  - pray for the softening of the hearts of those who come to you with evil thoughts.
Affection - mothers pray for the prosperous marriage of their daughters, for happiness and prosperity.

Smolensk - pray for help in finding the right paths in life.

Barskaya - pray for good relations in the family, for children and health.

Unexpected joy  - pray for the gift of spiritual enlightenment.

Three joys - pray for the forgiveness of sins committed.

Prayer to all icons of the Mother of God



O Blessed Virgin, Mother of God of the Most High, Intercessor and cover of all those who come to You! Prizri from the height of your holy on me sinner, adhering to the most pure image of you; Listen to my warm prayer and offer it to your beloved Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; beg him, let my gloomy soul light upon me with the light of his Divine grace, save me from all needs, sorrow and sickness, and send me a quiet and peaceful life, physical and spiritual health, let my suffering heart die and heal my wounds, and teach me In good deeds, my mind will cleanse from the thoughts of vain and cleanse, teach me to fulfill the commandments, teach me from eternal torment, and not deprive me of my Kingdom of Heaven. O Holy Mother of God! You, Joy of all the grieving, hear and me the sorrowful; You, called the Quenching of Sorrow, quench my sorrow; You, Kupino Neopalimaya, save the world and all of us from the malicious fiery arrows of the enemy; Thou, seeking the lost, let me not perish in the abyss of my sins. On Ty Bo on Bose all my hope and hope. Be in my life a temporary Intercessor and about life everlasting before Your beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Intercessor. To you, the Most Holy Mother of God, the Most Blessed Mary, reverently revere the end of my days. Amen.

Ps.The popular veneration of the Virgin is associated with the "Virgin feasts" - Annunciation - April 7th,
Assumption - August 28th, Christmas - September 21st, Intercession - October 14th, Introduction to the temple - December 4th.

In order to understand the Christian tradition and the very Divine image of the Mother of God, it is useful for every Christian to know such truths: the Blessed Virgin Mary is literally the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the Mother of God; She dwells as the eternity before the birth of Jesus Christ, at Christmas and after Christmas; The Virgin Mary follows the Savior, as the highest power of all the heavenly powers - the holy apostles and holy fathers of the church. The books of the Old and New Testaments, the very earthly life of the Virgin Mary, bring this generalization.

More than two thousand years separate us from the day when the Most Holy Virgin appeared in the light of God. Today it is difficult to even believe that She had a mortal life filled with human worries, joys and sufferings. We are accustomed to perceive Her as the Queen of Heaven, and She had her earthly character traits - a tendency to peace, thought, as evidenced by Her contemporaries. The iconographers forever captured the divine touching smile of the Virgin Mary, it is not even a smile, but an image of kindness itself.

Mary's mother was called Anna, her father bore the name Joachim, both tribal branches had honorable ancestors, among whom were patriarchs, high priests and rulers of the Jews from the branches of wise Solomon and the mighty David. Joachim and Anna were not considered prosperous and noble, although they lived comfortably, raising large flocks of sheep. Only one sadness oppressed them: there were no children. The coming of the Messiah was already predetermined, and childless people obviously lost hope of having a Messiah as their descendant, as each family secretly dreamed of. Among the Israelis at that time, even the clergymen perceived the childless as punished from above. This confirms the fact of the life of Joachim. On the feast of renovation of the Temple of Jerusalem, he and other residents brought rich gifts for the Temple, but the priest refused to accept them - Joachim's childlessness was the reason. He carried his grief heavily, for some time he even retired to the desert, where weeping repeatedly turned to God: "My tears will be my food, and the desert will be my home until the great and wise Lord hears my prayer." And then Joachim heard the words of the Angel of the Lord: "I have been sent to tell you that your prayer has been heard."

Your wife Anna will give birth to you a wonderful daughter, and you will call her Maria. Here is your confirmation of my words: entering Jerusalem, you will meet your wife Anna behind the Golden Gate, and she will also please you with joyful news. But remember that your daughter is the fruit of divine gift. "

Anne also appeared Angel of the Lord and also said that she will give birth to a blessed daughter. The small southern town of Nazareth, where Joachim and Anna lived, was located three days from Jerusalem. From the very beginning of their life together, they walked from Nazareth on foot in order to express their great request to God in the famous Temple of Jerusalem: to have a child. And now the dream has come true, their joy knew no bounds.

December 9 (Hereinafter in the biography of the date given in the old style.) The Orthodox Church celebrates the conception of the Blessed Virgin, and on September 8 - the birth of Her. Three years old, Mary was introduced to the Temple of Jerusalem. It was a very important moment, it is not by chance that the Orthodox Church celebrates such an event. It took place in a very solemn atmosphere: the procession was opened by girls - the same age as the Most Holy Virgin, with lighted candles in their hands, and behind them Joachim and Anna marched together with their blessed daughter, holding hands. They were followed by numerous relatives, among whom were very distinguished persons. The faces of all were illuminated with joy. The virgins went with the singing of spiritual songs, their voices merged with the singing of the Angels.

In the Temple of the Blessed Virgin of Jerusalem was destined to spend many years. That temple was a type of monastic cloister. Within the walls of the Temple there were 90 separate spacious rooms-cells. One-third of them were assigned to the virgins who devoted their lives to God, the remaining rooms were occupied by widows who gave lunch to keep celibacy. The older ones took care of the younger ones, taught them to read the holy books, needlework. The Blessed Virgin Mary surprised everyone at once with the fact that she easily comprehended the most difficult places of the sacred books, better than all adults who had studied these books all their lives.

After the birth of the desired child, parents die very soon, first Joachim at 80, followed by Anna. There was no one to even visit a little child in the Temple. The orphanhood and the consciousness of her loneliness even more turned Mary’s heart to God, in Him was her whole destiny.

When Mary was fourteen years old, the high priests announced to her that it was time to get married. Mary replied that she wanted to devote His life to God and wants to preserve virginity. How to be?

The angel of the Lord appeared to the high priest Zechariah and told him the counsel of the Most High: "Gather unmarried husbands of the tribe of Judah from the kind of David, may they bring their staffs. And to whom the Lord will show a sign, that you will hand over the Virgin, so that he will become the guardian of Her virginity."

All that happened. The high priest Zechariah gathered unmarried husbands near the temple and turned to God with a prayer: "Lord God, show a husband who is worthy to become the Virgin's betrothed." The staffs of the invited husbands were left in the sanctuary. When they came for them, they immediately saw how one staff bloomed, and a dove sat on the branches that appeared. The owner of the staff was the 80-year-old widower Joseph, who was engaged in the carpentry craft. The dove, flying off the staff, began to spin above Joseph's head. And then Zechariah said: "You will take the Virgin and you will keep Her." At first, Joseph objected, fearing that with his adult sons who are older than Mary, he would become a laughing stock of people. Tradition says that Mary herself was very upset that she had to leave the Temple of God. But by the will of the Most High, the betrothal was accomplished, only Joseph became not the husband of Mary, in our usual sense, but the keeper of holiness and caring servant of the Virgin Mary.

Not much has been said about Scripture about Joseph, but still a rather clear image can be added up bit by bit. The elder was a descendant of the kings of David and Solomon, a man of firm and truthful disposition, modest, attentive, hardworking. From his first marriage to Solomiya, he had two daughters and four sons. Prior to engagement with Maria, he lived for many years in honest widowhood.

Joseph brought this otrokovitsu God to his house in Nazareth, and they plunged into ordinary everyday affairs. Only Mary did not leave the presentiment of a great accomplishment, something indescribable, extraordinary. All people were waiting for the coming of the Messiah, as the only deliverer from numerous vices that entangled people like webs.

The luxurious Rome, having conquered many countries, excelled in pleasures, wallowed in debauchery, perversions, savagery, forgetting about all the virtues. The catastrophe of the spirit always leads to a catastrophe of the body. Only the Most High could be the doctor of the spirit. And the Virgin Mary instinctively, without realizing to herself in that report, was preparing for the execution of the greatest Divine plan. She soul comprehended the appearance of the Savior, She still did not know how God would send His Son to Earth, but Her soul was already preparing for this meeting. In this way, the Most Holy Virgin of things could only unite the ancient foundations of the Old Testament with the new Christian laws of life.

For the evangelism of His Divine Purpose, the Lord chose the archangel Gabriel, one of the very first angels. The icon "Annunciation" (the celebration of March 25) reveals to us this great act of the Lord. It depicts a quiet gathering of an angel from heaven to Earth in the guise of a gorgeous young man. He gives the Virgin Mary a heavenly flower, a lily, and utters precious words; "Rejoice, Blessed One: the Lord is with you! Blessed art thou in women!" The meaning of these heavenly words is that the Most Holy Virgin conceives a Son, whose kingdom will have no end. She previously read the holy books, in particular, of the prophet Isaiah, that a certain Virgin would give birth to the Son of Man from God. She was ready to become that woman's servant, and did not think about her own divine destiny.

Modern man can create doubt in his mind. The immaculate conception raised questions throughout the ages. But the most surprising thing is that the gospel heard first of all doubted Mary herself. "How will it be with me when I don't know my husband?" - were her first words.

The fact may indeed seem dubious, if one comprehends it with a cold mind. But it must be accepted not by the mind, but by the soul. The Immaculate Conception or the eternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the union of the heavenly and the earthly, the spiritual and the material. It was the moment of the rebirth of the worldly man into Holiness, which people have been worshiping for two thousand years.

Moscow Metropolitan Hierarch Philaret (1782-1867) speaks of this phenomenon with penetration and exaltation: "A virgin is ready to become a mother, She is inclined towards Divine Purpose, but does not want and cannot experience an earthly marriage, this common path to birth on Earth .. It is the heart that is alone with the love of the Divine. All - all thoughts, feelings, aspirations - are given to the invisible, unapproachable God. He alone could be Her desired, Her imperishable bridegroom. And at that moment as She was told about the Son, Her purest soul scared by one opportunity to think about marriage earth, with power rushed there in height, to the only God willing and the wait. And then it happened mysterious, miraculous, virgin birth ... "

So the words of the Archangel Gabriel were confirmed: "The Holy Spirit will find on You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore, the one Who is born holy will be called the Son of God."

Materialists cannot comprehend this miracle. Some accept only physics, others take a more courageous step - into metaphysics. But how natural and logical to recognize the Divine principle! Although the concept of "beginning" is applicable to a specific phenomenon, but God is Eternity, which cannot have a beginning or an end. God is a force that affirms harmony in the universe.

The icon "Annunciation" helps a mortal person to accept this spiritual essence and connects us with the Divine world. In Nazareth, where the Archangel Gabriel preached to the Virgin Mary, in the 4th century a temple was erected in memory of the Annunciation. In the altar, inextinguishable lamps burn, casting light on the words that contain the essence of the greatest sacrament: "Yic Verbum caro fuit" ("Here the word flesh was"). Above the throne - the image of the Annunciation and a number of vases with white lilies. The flower, which was in the hands of the Archangel Gabriel, symbolizes purity.

It is necessary to imagine the state of the Virgin Mary, which should explain to her husband the reason for the already visible fruiting. The sublime and sinful stood on the same scales in her imagination. The hardest drama was brewing in the soul of an earthly man. And what was the condition of Joseph, who was in awe of Mary, but saw changes in her figure and suffered from the questions that tormented him ?! Of course, the Virgin Mary could tell Joseph everything as it was ... But would he believe that Divine fruit was hidden in Her womb? And how to say about Yourself, how about Holiness? To all such supposed explanations, questions and answers, the Virgin Mary preferred silent suffering. After all, She was aware of the fact of the ascension of a mortal man to an unattainable height.

Righteous Joseph, unaware of the mysteries of the Lord’s incarnation, showed extraordinary kindheartedness. After long torments, various assumptions and hesitations, he decides to secretly hand over to the Virgin Mary a letter of divorce without specifying the reason for the divorce. St. John Chrysostom explains this act in the following way: "Joseph showed amazing wisdom in this case: he did not accuse and reproach the Virgin, but he only thought to let her go." He really wanted to preserve the honor of the Virgin and save her from the persecution of the law, thereby satisfying the demand of his conscience. And only he decided to implement his plan with a letter, as an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Instantly resolved all the contradictions and omissions of the Lord's revelation.

The most fully and diversely represented in the spiritual literature, in the iconography of the Nativity of Christ and all further His earthly life. Over the course of two thousand years, such a number of books has been written about it that is incalculable in the usual editions. There was no other similar life on Earth that would attract human souls to itself with such unshakable power. For a gigantic period of time (in the usual human understanding) in honor of Jesus Christ on Earth, the burning of lamps and candles did not stop. If the black forces blew up the temple of God, the candle burned in some hut. If it was extinguished in one part of the world, it always shone with a flame in a pure manner in another. At all times, the great spiritual feat of Christ, about which all people in the world must know, remained the highest ideal of serving God the Father and the ministry of God the Son - humanity. The life of Jesus Christ was a living example of the fulfillment of the two first biblical commandments: to love God and to love your neighbor.

The non-observance of these commandments by humanity leads him to destruction. Life has convinced this repeatedly. Evil as it migrates across the planet in time. History records: the obscurantism of pagans of various kinds, the ferocity of the dynasty of Herods, the cruelty of Nero, the frenzy of the Jesuits, the disastrous consequences of the doctrines of philosophers like Nietzsche, the deception of false prophets and the perishing temptations of the new "kings" and the so-called democracy. Where the commandments of the Lord are not kept, evil invades there, lies flourish, and faith in God becomes false; where the commandments of Christ the Savior are not kept, there are constant bloodshed, and love of neighbor is manifested only in words; where the commandments of the Most High are not kept, power abounds there, and the people live in poverty. Such a society is doomed to ruin.

If we imagine that Jesus Christ would not have come to earth, then in opposition to evil, there would have been no power at all, and humanity would have long since ended its existence. The Savior appeared on earth during the reign of King Herod. What people associate with this name is clear. At all times and to this day, the Herods have called the most vile rulers. Whoever opposes them should follow the covenants of Christ.

At all stages of the spiritual feat of Jesus Christ himself in the name of saving people, His Mother, the Most Holy Mother of God, stood beside Him. She carried Her cross with the greatest earthly dignity. On a cold night, She, having given birth to a son, could not shelter Him in Her home ("She bore Her firstborn son, and swaddled Him, and put him in a nursery, because there was no room for them in the hotel) Luke 2: 7." King Herod, unjustly commanding the people, was very much afraid of the coming of the Messiah, he in every way impeded the fulfillment of God's intentions. Having learned about the birth of Christ, he went to a terrible, barbaric atrocity - ordered to kill all babies in Bethlehem and its surroundings, hoping that among the dead would be the newborn King of Judea - the Savior. 14,000 innocent children - boys - fell victim to Christ by the will of King Herod. What fear did the Mother of God experience for the life of the Son?

She experienced every second of Jesus’s life, from birth to crucifixion and ascension. And it is necessary to imagine Her grief as it shook the soul when an ignorant crowd mocked Holiness, when the blood froze on the brow of Her Son from a crown of thorns and when the Prechistoe Jesus body had to be removed ...

After the Ascension of Christ, the earthly journey of the Virgin was still quite long and fruitful.

She was destined, along with the apostles, to spread the teachings of Christ to the world. Rejoicing in the successes of the disciples of the Son, the Virgin Mary herself almost never spoke before the people. However, there is one miraculous exception in the legends ... About it later. The essence of the Christian teaching of God the Mother sought not in words, but in life itself. By the way, this is the most effective method of teaching children to parents: you can talk a little and do a lot, then children will definitely understand how to do it and what to do. Virgin Mary diligently served the poor, served the poor, looked after the sick, helped orphans and widows. She devoted a lot of time to prayers at the tomb of the Son. The Virgin Mary was buried by Joseph the Betrothed, when Jesus was in adolescence. Joseph, too, modestly and nobly performed his life feat. It is a feat that the life of each of us must be, the essence of life lies in that in order to fulfill with dignity the God-given purpose for every person. How to perform? Follow the conscience. Conscience must be a guide to life - predestined by God, kept by man. With her being, with material and spiritual efforts, the Mother of God taught people to live, waking Conscience in a person - the voice of God. Mother of God - Mother of God, standing in front of the icon - In her image, a person reveals his soul, trusts secrets, sends repentance for sins, hoping for Her mercy and mediation before God. And the Mother of God connects the particle of this Divine principle in man with the Most High.

The terse Virgin Mary once had to speak to people with a wonderful sermon, the tradition of which has reached our days. Virgin Mary intended to visit Cyprus.

The ship crossed the Mediterranean Sea, and the desired island was about to appear. But suddenly a storm descended on the ship, and it became uncontrollable, it was carried to the other side of the light, as if by the will of the heavenly Pilot. The ship hit the Aegean Sea, sped between numerous islands and stopped by the will of the Almighty at the foot of Mount Athos. That area was literally swarming with idolatrous temples with the enormous temple of Apollo in the center, where various fortune-telling and pagan magic were performed.

But here the Mother of God left the ship on the earth, and from everywhere the people began to flock to the questions asking: who is Christ and what did He bring to Earth? And then She had to tell people for a long time about the mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, about the sufferings for the sins of people that fell on His share, about punishment, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.

She revealed to people the essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ - of repentance, forgiveness, love of God and neighbor - as great values ​​that affirm goodness, justice and prosperity in the world.

After such a professed sermon of the Mother of God, an extraordinary action took place. All who heard her desired to be baptized. Leaving Athos, the Mother of God blessed the newly converted Christians and uttered prophecy: "The ego of the place shall be my lot given to me by my Son and God. May my grace rest upon those who live here with faith and piety and keep the commandments of my Son and my God. They will have abundant and with little difficulty all that is necessary for earthly life, and the mercy of My Son shall not be scanty to them. Until the end of the age, I shall be the intercessor of this place and intercede for him before My God. "

The further history of Athos to this day confirms that Divine patronage is felt and materialized over that place in all ages.

The blessings of the Virgin like Athonite are so endless that one can make up a whole chronicle of them. Many icons of the Mother of God are dedicated to this. About them the story ahead. Toward the end of her earthly life, the Mother of God aspired towards Heaven with her whole being. And once during the prayer, the archangel Gabriel appeared to her again with a happy and radiant face, just as decades ago, when he brought the Good News from the Most High. This time the message was that the Blessed Virgin Mary had only three days to remain on Earth. With the same great joy, she received this message, for there could not have been more happiness for Her than to forever see the image of Her Divine Son. Archangel Gabriel handed Her a paradise date branch, radiating an extraordinary light day and night. On the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, the Mother of God first told the Apostle John, who was hardly separated from the Mother of God.

After notifying all of the households about her upcoming departure from the sinful Earth, the Mother of God commanded to prepare Her quarters accordingly: to decorate the walls and the bed, to burn incense, to light candles. She admonished loved ones not to cry, but rather to rejoice in the fact that in speaking with her Son, she would direct His goodness to all living on Earth, she would visit and protect the needy.

The Apostles and disciples, notified by the Holy Spirit, gathered in a miraculous way from all over the world to spend their last journey on the Mother of God. They turned out to be about seventy - the most devoted preachers of the teachings of Christ. On the good news of the 15th day of August and the third hour from noon, everyone gathered in the temple, which was decorated especially for the sacred unprecedented event. A multitude of candles glowed, the Mother of God sat on a beautifully decorated bed and prayed selflessly in anticipation of her exodus and the coming of His Son and Lord. According to legend, you can present an extraordinary picture.

At the appointed time, the whole temple was covered with a solemn heavenly light never seen before. As if the walls were spread apart and Christ Himself, King of Glory, ascended over the heads of people, surrounded by a host of angels, archangels and other disembodied forces, with the righteous souls of the forefathers and prophets.

Having risen from the couch, the Blessed Virgin bowed to Her Son and the Lord with the words: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoices in My God the Savior, as a prince for the humility of His servants! .. My heart is ready; wake to Me according to Your verb ..."

Looking upon the brighter face of the Lord, His dearest Son, without the slightest bodily suffering, as if sleeping sweetly, the Mother of God handed over to Her hands the brightest and most pure soul of Her.

In his letters on the veneration of the Most Holy Mother of God (M. 1844), Metropolitan of Moscow Saint Philaret explains this solemn moment of transition from mortal life to eternal life of the Virgin Mary to her compatriots: "Priestnede wore the Son of God in her arms during her earthly infancy, then in return for this, the Son of God carries Her soul in His hands, at the beginning of Her heavenly life. "

On the ground, the burial of the body of the Virgin Mary was done. Saints Peter and Paul with the Lord's brother, Saint James, and other apostles lifted the couch on their shoulders and carried him from Zion through Jerusalem to the village of Gethsemane. St. John the Theologian was carrying a paradise date branch, handed over to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. The branch shone with the light of heaven. Over the whole crowded procession and the most pure body of Our Lady, a cloud circle suddenly appeared - a sort of crown. And the joyous singing of the heavenly forces spread in space. Shining and Divine Chant accompanied the procession to the very burial.

The tradition shows how unbelieving residents of Jerusalem, amazed by the extraordinary grandeur of the funeral procession and embittered by the honors given to the Mother of Jesus Christ, reported on what they saw to the Pharisees. Their order followed: to destroy the whole procession, and burn Maria's coffin! But a miracle happened: a shining crown - the Divine sphere, as a protective cap, hid the procession. The warriors heard the footsteps of the people accompanying the Mother of God, heard singing, but could not see anyone. They ran across each other, at houses and fences, they felt as if they were blind. Nothing could prevent the solemn burial.

In the Holy Scriptures we will not find anywhere in the story of the death of the Virgin Mary. Death did not happen. Of course, in the sense that this happens to an ordinary person when the body is interred and the soul is to God. The departure of the earthly life of Our Lady, the holy Orthodox Church calls the Assumption. And sings the Assumption of the Virgin in the following way: "The laws of nature are defeated in You, the Virgin is pure, virginity is preserved in birth and life is combined with death: staying by birth by Virgin and after death alive, You will always save, Our Lady, your heritage."

Assumption means that the Virgin Mary, after a heavy many years of wakefulness, had a sweet sleep, reposed to the eternal source of life, becoming the Mother of Life, saving Her souls from mortals and death from death and introducing a living sense of eternal life in Her Assumption.

The apostle Thomas, as legend has it, arrived in Gethsemane only on the third day after the burial of the Most Holy Theotokos. He grieved a lot and wept about it and was very sorry that he had not been awarded Her blessings. And then the other apostles allowed him to open the coffin to make the final farewell. A stone was rolled away, a coffin was opened, but ... the body of the Virgin Mary was not there. The apostles began to pray to the Lord that He would reveal to them His secret.

By evening, the holy apostles sat down to eat. As was customary between them, they left one place not occupied, but before him they put a piece of bread, so that after the meal, doing thanks to the Lord, glorifying the name of the Holy Trinity, this piece of bread to be tasted by all as a blessed gift with a prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ help us! " Everyone thought and talked about the meal only about the miraculous disappearance of the body of the Virgin. The meal was over, everyone got up and, as is customary, lifted the bread set aside in honor of the Lord ... Looking up, preparing for prayer, everyone saw the Most Pure Virgin Mary surrounded by many angels. And they heard from Her: "Rejoice! I am with you all the days!"

The whole earthly life of the Virgin fits into the specific 72 years, as evidenced by the calculations of the ancient holy fathers of the church (St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, St. Simeon Metaphraste), authoritative church historians agree with them. But from the entire holy life of the Most Holy Virgin, the Orthodox Church singled out four major spiritual events celebrated by great feasts: the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Introduction to the Temple, the Annunciation and the Assumption. These holidays are attributed to the so-called - the Great Twenty and equated to the great feasts of the Lord. All of them together in a year - twelve. Each holiday is a great spiritual event, a reflection of which is an infinite number of icons.

But at the same time, the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos themselves have a special life, a special history, they preserve miracles and still have a gracious effect on a person.

Before interpreting the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, it is interesting and useful to present Her earthly appearance according to the descriptions of eyewitnesses that have come down to us in the sacred books. But the main feature of the Blessed Virgin, defining all of her spiritual content, St. Gregory of Neokesariysky defined: “She has the mind, controlled by God and directed towards God alone”. The immaculate spiritual qualities of the Virgin are all Her contemporaries, without exception, put in the forefront.

Saint Ambrose in the guise of the Virgin observes those traits that can serve as an ideal of a person: "She was not long-tempered, lover of reading ... Her rule was not to offend anyone, to wish everyone well, to respect the elders, not to be jealous of the equal, to avoid boasting, to be sensible love virtue. When did she even offended her parents with her face? when she was in disagreement with her relatives? when she was proud of a modest person, laughed at the weak, declined the poor? nothing had been hard on her eyes first words, nothing improper in the actions: movements are modest, quiet tread, his voice flat, so that the solid form of her was an expression of the soul, the personification of purity. ".

Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, three years after his conversion to Christianity, was vouchsafed to see the Most Holy Virgin Mary face to face in Jerusalem, describes this meeting: “When I was introduced before the God-shaped Most Serene Virgin, I was blessed by the Divine Light from outside and within so great and immeasurable and such a wondrous fragrance of various aromas spread around me, that neither my weak body, nor the spirit itself could endure such great and abundant signs and rudiments of eternal bliss and glory. "

Saint Ignatius the God-bearer amazingly accurately defines the essence of the grace-bearing effect of the Virgin on ordinary mortal people: "In her, the angelic nature with the human was united."

From the legends, memories of contemporaries of the Blessed Virgin, a quite visible image emerges. Church historian Nikifor Callist verbally painted it: “She was medium-sized, her hair was golden, her eyes were fast, her pupils were olive-like, eyebrows were arched and moderately black, his nose was oblong, his lips were blooming, filled with sweet speeches; his face was not round and not sharp but somewhat oblong, arms and fingers are long. "

At all times, the holy fathers of the church expressed their genuine delight in the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary of our Daughter of Mary. For example, the great theologian of the Orthodox Church, St. John of Damascus (VIIth century), says: “God loved her so much - the highest and purest light, that through the invasion of the Holy Spirit, she essentially united with Her, and was born from Ney a perfect person, without changing and mixing properties ".

It is these properties, specifically defined and named by the venerable chroniclers of the church, the holy fathers and contemporaries of the Virgin Mary, are present in each icon of the Virgin Mary, corresponding to a particular event in Her life, a particular feast of the Virgin Mary, a particular phenomenon associated with Her.

The first icon painter who left the most accurate image of the Virgin was the disciple of the Apostle Paul and his assistant, the holy Evangelist Luke. Pious believers wished to see the face of the Mother of God. Saint Luke paints the image of the Virgin Mary and presents it directly to Her. She, seeing the first icon of the Mother of God, or rather her image, involuntarily uttered: "Grace begotten of Me and My own with this icon, let it be!". Her blessing and made the icons of the Mother of God grace - giving the believer the blessing, deliverance from vice, filling the soul with divine light.

The history of the first icon is unique. For many years she was in Antioch, where believers first called themselves Christians. Next, the holy image moves to Jerusalem, and then falls to Constantinople to the holy queen Pulcheria (in the middle of the first millennium). Together with her husband, Emperor Markian, they erect three magnificent temples in Constantinople in honor of the Virgin Mary - Chalcopraei, Odit-Gitrii and Vlacherna. An icon painted by St. Evangelist Luke is placed in the church of Odigitria.

Virgin in the fate of Russia, as a mother for a baby. In the worship of the Mother of God by the Russian people is a special secret. It lies in the hope of omnipotent motherly intercession before God. After all, the Most High is not only a great benefactor, but also a formidable judge. Among the Russians, who have such a valuable trait in character as repentance, God-fear has always coexisted with God-worship. As a mother dear, asks the God-fearing sinful man of the cover of the Virgin, going to the Lord's judgment. A man knows his sins, and God has given him a conscience. The great Intercessor, Protector, Savior - Mother of God helps to answer for God for sins and helps. It softens the punishment, but exposes the conscience in a person. When the poet says that he cannot understand Russia with the mind, he means Conscience. The Russians entrusted this vulnerable and completely non-material “structure” to the Virgin Mary.

There is no more illustrious name in Russia than the Most Holy Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary. From the very beginning of the Russian history, the main cathedrals are dedicated to the Mother of God. Byzantine masters erect, at the command of the Most Holy Mother of God, in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra the Assumption Cathedral. The vozn-desire of the Mother of God to be in Russia is witnessed in the Kiev-Pechersk paterik. And since then, people in Russia have begun to consider their Fatherland - the House of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The veneration of the Virgin is accomplished primarily through icons. Only in the church calendar there are about three hundred revered icons of the Mother of God. Each has its own name. There is almost no day in the year for this day to be lit by the celebration of this or that icon of the Mother of God.

The outcome of the great historical events is associated with the miraculous influence of the icons of the Virgin Mary. The Don Icon helped in the Kulikovo Battle; in rescuing Moscow from Tamerlane and at great standing on the Ugra - Vladimirskaya; in the Time of Troubles during the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow - Kazan; when the ruling dynasty of the Romanovs was approved - Theodorov; in the Battle of Poltava - Kaplunovskaya. In 1917, on the day of the abdication of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II from the throne, as if the Mother of God Himself, appearing unexpectedly in the form of the Sovereign, took upon herself the succession of the power of the Russian State. But many people did not save this holy image, they did not save themselves either.

For the Russian person, the saving property of the Virgin has always been honored, as the blessing of his own mother. The people entrusted the Virgin and soul to themselves. The icons of the Virgin were treated as a living shrine, therefore they often gave them their own names, as a person.

The Virgin Mary (the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Theotokos) is a 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 the immaculate Virgin of the Holy Spirit. The miraculous birth occurred when Mary was already engaged to She married Joseph and accompanied him to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

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

  Mention of the Virgin Mary in the Bible.

The Virgin Mary is mentioned several times in the New Testament. Most often, the Immaculate Virgin Mary is mentioned in Luke's Gospel. By name, it is mentioned 12 times. All references are related to the birth and childhood of Jesus.

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

Mark's Gospel  calls her once by name (6: 3) and mentions her as the mother of Jesus, without naming her by name at 3:31 and 3:32.

Gospel of john  mentions it twice, but never by name. The Gospel says that the Virgin Mary accompanied Jesus when He began His miracles in Cana of Galilee. The second link says that the Virgin Mary stood at the cross of Jesus.

AT Actsit is said that the Apostles, Mary and the brothers of Jesus gathered in the upper room after the Ascension of Jesus.

AT The revelation of john  described wife, clothed with the sun. Many believe that this is the description of the Virgin Mary.

  Pedigree of Our Lady.

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

At the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his sister Mary of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.

From this phrase semantically incomprehensible the sister of his mother, Maria Cleophas, - this is one face or two different women .   Jerome thinks this is one person. But the historian of the beginning of the second century, Hegesippus, believed that Maria Cleopova was not the sister of the Virgin Mary, but her cousin on the part of Iosif the Bandman.

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

  Biography of the Virgin Mary.

Immaculate Virgin Mary was born in Nazareth in Galilee. After her engagement with Joseph (engagement is the first stage of Jewish marriage), the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced to her that she would be the mother of the promised Messiah. After the first expression of distrust in the announcement, she replied: “I am a servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. ” Joseph Obruchnik planned to quietly disperse 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 you who are born in Her are from the Holy Spirit."

In support of her words, the angel also informed Mary that her cousin Elizabeth, who had previously been barren, 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 completely believed in the words of the angel. Then the Virgin Mary delivered a grateful speech to the Lord, which is known as Magnificat or praise of the Virgin Mary.

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

After the days of cleansing, Jesus was carried to Jerusalem to present before the Lord, as custom demanded. The Virgin Mary sacrificed two turtle doves and two pigeon chicks. Here Simeon and Anna also prophesied about the future of the baby. After visiting Jerusalem, the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed returned with their baby Jesus to Galilee, to the city of their Nazareth.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared to Joseph at night and warned that King Herod wants to kill the baby. The holy family fled to Egypt at night and remained there for some time. After the death of Herod in 4 BC. O., they returned to the land of Israel, in 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 returning from the celebration of Passover in Jerusalem, but the presence of the mother is still visible in His mortal life.

Bible scholars argue a great deal about why Jesus separated from his parents, and in particular from 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 a conflict in the Holy Family. A few quotes from the Bible really prove this point. Mark's gospel describes the moment:

And his mother and his brothers came, and, standing outside the house, they sent to him to call him.

Around him sat the people. And they said to him: Behold, thy mother and thy brethren and thy sisters, outside the house, ask thee.

And he answered them: Who is my mother and my brothers?

And looking at those around him, he says: Behold my mother and my brothers;

for whosoever will do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. ()

The quotation attributed to Mark’s gospel, Christ: “ There is no prophet without honor, unless in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house ". Also proves the possibility of conflict.

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

American biblical scholar Bart Erman believes that "there are clear signs in the Bible not only that Jesus' family rejected his message during his public ministry, but also that He, in turn, rejected them publicly."

The Virgin Mary was present when, at her suggestion, Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding at Cana, turning water into wine. The Virgin Mary was 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 motive in art, and is called “drink” or “pity”.

After the Ascension of Jesus, we find one single mention of the Virgin Mary in Acts. After this, there is no mention of Mary. Her death is not described in the Holy Scriptures, 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 of the Catholic Church and many others.

  Data about the Virgin Mary from the apocryphal texts.

The following biographical data is taken from the apocryphal literature.

According to the apocryphal gospel of Jacob, Mary was the daughter of St. Joachim and St. 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 the betrothal with Joseph, Mary was 12–14 years old, and Joseph was 90., however, this data is not reliable. Hippolytus of Thebes claimed that Mary died 11 years after the Resurrection of Jesus and died in 41 years.

The earliest extant biographies of the Virgin Mary - Life of the Virgin,established in the 7th century by St. Maximus the Confessor, who considered the Theotokos to be a key figure in the early Christian Church.

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

According to legend, in Ephesus, the Most Holy Virgin Mary retired during the persecutions 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 was adopted. According to this doctrine, the Virgin Mary "The virgin conceived, the virgin gave birth, the virgin remained." Hymns to the Mother of God are an integral part of the divine service in the Eastern Church and their positioning within the framework of liturgical sequence indicates the position of the Mother of God after Christ. In the Orthodox tradition, the order of enumeration of saints begins with the Mother of God, followed by angels, prophets, apostles, church fathers, martyrs, etc.

One of the most beloved Orthodox Akathists is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Five of the twelve great holy days in Orthodoxy are dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

• Nativity of the Virgin

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin  - This is a holiday dedicated to the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Christmas of the Virgin is celebrated on September 21.

• Introduction to the temple

Introduction to the Temple of the Blessed Virgin  - A holiday dedicated to one of the events in the life of the Virgin Mary. Her parents Yohim and Anna brought their daughter to the Temple at the age of three, because they had previously given a vow to dedicate the child to God. The holiday is celebrated on December 4th.

• Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

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 located the Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. According to the apocrypha “The Legend of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God”, the apostles were transferred to the deathbed of Our Lady in 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 open, but the body was not there. Therefore, it is believed that the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven. The Assumption of the Virgin is celebrated on August 28th.

• Protection of the Holy Virgin

Protection of the Holy Virgin  celebrated on October 14th. The basis of this Orthodox holiday is the tradition of the appearance of Our Lady to the foolish Andrew. It happened in Constantinople, which was besieged by enemies. People in the temple prayed to God for salvation from the barbarians. Holy Fool Andrei 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 them the people who were present in the temple, thereby protecting them from visible and invisible enemies. The veil of the Virgin shone brighter than the rays of the sun. It is believed that the Virgin Mary saved Constantinople.

  Veneration of the Virgin in the Orthodox Church.

The prerequisites for the exaltation of the Virgin Mary by all nations (clans) 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 gazed upon the humility of his servant, for from now on all generations will please me; what made me greatness greatness, and his name is holy ().

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

... blessedly 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 the mother, therefore the Mother of God is revered as a petitioner for the human race. There is a huge number of icons of the Mother of God. Many of them are considered miraculous.

Mankind has been waiting for its Savior for a very long time. Even in the Old Testament, God promised that the Savior would come to this world through a woman, but without a male seed. The Virgin Mary voluntarily went for it, 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 Virgin Mary from the very beginning knew that the earthly ministry of her Son would end quickly and tragically. As a mother, she suffered the worst in order to save humanity.

  Mariology - the doctrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mariology is a theological teaching about the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. Christian mariology seeks to unite the Holy Scriptures and 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 the complete veneration of Mary in the Roman Catholic Church to the minimization of the role of Mary 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.