I’m not assuming anything. My question had to do with the date of that portion to which you pointed, the Axion Estin, in support of the notion of worship/adoration of Mary among the early church fathers. From what I can tell, it is of much later origin that the Divine Liturgy itself. If true that does not seem to support your contention, as I understand things.
Can you confirm that the Axion Estin is, in fact, from the 5th century Liturgy, or that it was attached 5 centuries later?
topcat54:
First off, he use of the term “worship/adoration” of Mary is 100% incorrect. It is honor or veneration. Neither the Catholic nor the Eastern Orthodox Church “worships/adores” Mary.
Now the hym “Axion Estin” is from the 10th century, that is true, but it does not reflect the development of any Doctrine. The Liturgical Hym is using terminology that does go back to the Patristic Period. The term most Holy Theotokos is surely from the Patristic Period and pre-dates the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD and “Theotokions”, i.e. Hyms to the Mother of God seemed to have been incorporated into the Liturgy after the Council of Ephesus, at least in the Eastern Church.
So while the particular Hym the “Axion Estin” is not from the 5th century, Hyms to the Theotokos started in the 5th century. The titles given to Mary as All-Holy [Panagia] in the Eastern Church are rooted in both the Patristic traditions of the West and East as well as ever-virgin.
The 2nd Council of Constantinopile, in 553 refers to Christ being born of the holy and glorious Mother of God, ever-virgin, etc.
So the axion estin hym while being composed in the 10th century, expresses beliefs that were well in place going back to the early Church.