Mission Monthly Newsletter January 2002

...Meditate on These Things. Phillipians 4.8

"Our way lies together... You have saved my life, Christian. I will stay with you until I save yours. That is my vow."

            From the movie: ROBIN HOOD - Prince of Thieves   

Some say this kind of thing only happens in the movies.  Certainly the drama of “payback” for a life saved plays out well on the big screen.  I am also certain, although I know of no one personally, that there are real life situations where feelings of indebtedness remain for a lifetime for a simple act of kindness let alone the saving of a life.

     It is the day after Christmas and quite frankly I do not feel much like working.  The season of the Nativity fast has been a beautiful season of preparation for my family and I hope that it has been so for yours.  The last few weeks have been full with confessions, our Patronal Feast Day, pre-feast vespers and all the services our Lord’s Nativity, as well as some final shopping and preparing to host my family on Christmas Day.  I would not say that these days have been stressful but certainly I can see a level of exhaustion in our little Anthony whose schedule has been virtually rewritten over the past few weeks.  Today, however, as I hear the words, “Christ is born!  Glorify Him!” my thoughts have turned to the Mother of God.

     The day following the Nativity of Christ is called the “Synaxis of the Holy Theotokos.”  Synaxis means “the coming together.”  The Orthodox Church has many feasts honoring the life and activity of the Mother of God, and here is one intended to honor the highest act of her life, giving birth to Jesus her only son and Son of God.  My thoughts turn to her today as I reflect on her most uncommon life.  Even from before her miraculous (not immaculate) conception her life was sealed as an offering to God.  The faithfulness of her parents Joachim and Anna; her conception within the barren womb of a woman “past her time;” her presentation to the Temple at the age of three; her upbringing as a Temple virgin; the miraculous selection of “Joseph the old man” to be a husband to protect (not pro-create with) her; the coming of the Archangel Gabriel to announce her selection as God’s chosen vessel to bear His Son; her affirming and courageous response; her relationship with Joseph who faithfully accepted the many challenges of being her husband and father to her Son; the undignified birth of her Child in a manger because of a sudden whim of a king to take a census of his population, forcing her and her husband to travel “as the time of delivery drew near” without adequate lodgings; the words of the shepherds, the Magi and the old man Simeon which she was only able to ponder in her heart; the flight of her family into Egypt because her husband had a dream that her Son’s life was in danger; the return to Nazareth to a quiet and unassuming life to raise her Son and see him blossom and revealed as the Anointed One of Israel; to see her Son arrested and crucified because of a jealous, blind and fearful authority; to see her Son risen from the dead; becoming an encouragement to the followers of her Son and living out her life under the care of the grandson (St. John the Beloved Apostle) of her husband’s first wife; and ultimately her death and bodily resurrection, returning to her Son and Deliverer in the heavens.

     This list is by no means exhaustive but it shows in the Synaxis of the Theotokos a woman of unwavering dedication worthy of our deepest veneration.  It is difficult to believe any Christian would openly deny this.  And if this is not enough consider this: Is not the Theotokos worthy of our dedication since she “saved us” by giving us the One Who Saves?  Our path truly lies with the Theotokos, whose intent is always to lead us to Christ (as she told the servants at the wedding at Cana “Do whatever he tells you” [John 2:5]).  This is why we can confidently and frequently say, “Most Holy Theotokos, save us!”  She has, she does and she always will.