To: MarMema
"I am unsure about the actual significance of this belief in the Orthodox church, as I have never once heard it discussed in any sermon, etc. Nor does the average Orthodox surfer tend to find writings and discussion about it on the net, on Orthodox sites."
What a pity that the Orthodox sites you frequent have fallen away from proclaiming and defending Holy Tradition on this issue! I encourage you to make the effort to gain a deeper knowledge of Orthodox theology, in particular the constant Orthodox teaching on Mary's perpetual virginity, before you attempt to speak on its behalf in fora such as this one. You should begin frequenting instead the many reputable Orthodox sites (e.g. the books and official websites of the various Orthodox communions around the world: Greek, Russian, Constantinopolitan, etc.)
Have you not read your own Orthodox saints on this issue?
"The Church teaches that Christ was truly born of the ever-virgin Mary" (St. Epiphanios of Cyprus, "True Exposition of the Faith"). "It is indispensable for us to confess that the holy, ever-virgin Mary is truly the Birthgiver of God, so as not to fall into wicked blasphemy. For those who deny that the Holy Virgin is truly the Birthgiver of God are no longer believers; they are disciples of the pharisees and sadducees" (St. Ephraim the Syrian, "To the Monk John").
Who knows? Maybe you don't attend the Divine Liturgy as you should, if you are, in fact, Orthodox. If you did, you would know that the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom contains numerous references to and invocations "Remembering our most holy, pure, blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God." But then, perhaps you don't attend Liturgy often enough to know about that fact.
Or, perhaps you do know it, but for some unfathomable reason, you've placed personal agendas against the Catholic Church before your obligation as an Orthodox believer to speak the truth. I don't know, and I won't pass judgement. God alone knows.
To: Patrick Madrid
"Remembering our most holy, pure, blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God."Just FYI, for your future, Patrick, I know the liturgy quite well enough to sing the entire thing for you at a moment's notice.
This is, however, exactly a good presentation you made to show the Orthodox position on Mary. We remember her as holy, pure, blessed, and we then commit ourselves as a parish to Christ, our God.
190 posted on
07/09/2003 10:14:57 AM PDT by
MarMema
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