Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

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Kosmas
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Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

Post by Kosmas »

I am a firm believer in the Holy Virgin Mary, the God-bearer. But I was truly dumbfounded when I read the last page of St. John Maximovitch's book titled The Orthodox Veneration of Mary: the Birthgiver of God.

This prayer followed right after the Akathist on page 82. It reads:

My most gracious Queen, my hope, Mother of God, shelter of orphans, and intercessor of travellers, strangers and pilgrims, joy of those in sorrow, protectress of the wronged, see my distress, see my affliction! Help me, for I am helpless. Feed me, for I am a stranger and pilgrim. Though knowest my offence; forgive and resolve it as though wilt. For I know other help but thee, no other intercessor, no gracious consoler but thee, O Mother of God, to guard and protect me throughout the ages. Amen.

Perhaps the translation is off as I hope it is. I was astonished that that near the end of the prayer it turns from normal supplication to the Virgin Mary to something that only pertains to God the Father / God the Son / God the Holy Spirit .

  1. Complete knowledge of Sin, 2. Forgiveness of Sin, 3. The will to resolve it, 4. Sole Intercessor, 5. Sole Consoler.

Can someone please tell me honestly if this is a canonical prayer or not?
I do not question St. John's sanctity but perhaps there was a mess up in the editing process.

Please help.

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GOCPriestMark
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Re: Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

Post by GOCPriestMark »

Hi Kosmas,
First of all, this prayer sounds familiar. I read it and it did not contain any surprises for me. Considering it through your eyes, as shown by your questions, I understand your concern for the choices of words used. The terminology you enumerated would be most troubling, if it is considered outside the Orthodox Faith.
The Theotokos can indeed do all the things mentioned in the prayer, by the power of God. We pray throughout our Church services, "most Holy Theotokos save us", but this is always with the unmentioned Orthodox understanding that it is by the power of God, through her prayers to God, that she saves us. This is the Orthodox understanding and I doubt that the authour of this prayer had anything else in mind.

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Priest Mark Smith
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joasia
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Re: Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

Post by joasia »

Kosmas,

I believe the questionable part is the slow trickling down of the influence that has overcome world Orthodoxy. You have the discernment to pick that out. Don't doubt your understanding of Orthodox worship. We do not pray to the Theotokos to forgive our sins. All true Orthodox prayers always ask her to save us, but as an intercession to Our Lord and Saviour, for she will hear our cries as a loving mother hears her child's cry. I think this was a deliberate attempt to slowly weed a false belief into the lives of the unfortunate ignorant Orthodox Christians that do not pay much attention to their faith.

I truely doubt the translator's work. And I'm sure that St. John would not have approved it. It is very suspicious. Please, if you will, indicate the source.

Joanna

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 50)

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Kosmas
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Re: Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

Post by Kosmas »

To Joasia-
I do not know either way if this prayer is appropriate or not. It is not in any of my prayer books that I know of and if what Fr. Mark says is true, then this prayer is "kosher" but not very popular. Would it be silly of me not to pray it even though it may be perfectly canonical?

The information you asked:

Title: The Orthodox Veneration of Mary: The Birthgiver of God.
Author: Saint John Maximovitch
Translator with Introduction: Fr. Seraphim Rose
Publisher: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood
Sixth Printing , Third Edition, 2004

The Prayer is on pg. 82 directly following Kontakion 13 of the Akathist to Our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God.

I thank both Fr. Mark and you for responding.

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joasia
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Re: Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

Post by joasia »

Kosmos,

In all understanding of the true veneration of the Theotokos, it is never implied that she will forgive sins. That is out of the question. You know enough about Orthodoxy to know that this is not an Orthodox belief.

Third edition, you say. Perhaps the ongoing editions have led to some liberal interpretations. It is obviously NOT the worship that we Orthodox hold.

Perfectly canonical? Praying to the Theotokos to forgive our sins? Then what do we need Christ for?

I hope Fr. Mark clarifies his comment as it may be interpreted as an acceptance of this form of worship.

Joanna

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 50)

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Re: Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

Post by GOCPriestMark »

What did I say that was unclear?
Which is the greater thing to ask; for the forgiveness of my sins or for the salvation of my soul?
Yet, throughout the petitions of vespers, orthros and the divine liturgy we say; "most holy Theotokos save us!" There is also an icon of St. Nicholas in a boat and the writing on it says "Saint Nicholas save us!" This does not confuse Orthodox Christians who know well that God alone saves, because we know that God has condescended to grant us salvation also through the intercessions of the saints.

Having said that, I have found this in the "Books of Akathists" Holy Trinty Monastery, Jordanville 1994, Akathist to the Theotokos - The Joy of All Who Sorrow, the second of three prayers at the end:
O my most blessed Queen, O Theotokos my hope, guardian of orphans and intercessor for strangers, Joy of the sorrowful, Protectress of the oppressed; Thou beholdest my misfortune, Thou seest my sorrow. Help me, for I am infirm; feed me for I am a stranger. Thou knowest mine offense: do Thou loose it, as Thou dost will, for I have none other help but Thee, nor any other intercessor save Thee, O Mother of God. Do Thou preserve and protect me unto the ages of ages. Amen.

In comparison to the version Kosmas posted this one uses the word "loose" instead of "forgive and resolve", but they are the same thing. The holy apostles were given the power to bind and loose sins, but it is all by God's power.

I do not see anything in this prayer that the most holy Theotokos can not do because God indeed gives her the grace/power to do it.

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Priest Mark Smith
British Columbia

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joasia
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Re: Questionable prayer to our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God

Post by joasia »

Fr. Mark bless,

Everybody knows what the meaning of forgiving sins implies. Yes, the Apostles and priest(thereafter) were given the ability to loose(forgive) sins. But, that is the Grace that works through them with the Holy Spirit. The binding and loosening of sins is exclusive to them(priesthood). The Theotokos is my most precious hope. I turn to her for everything. She can save us. Save us from dangers and attacks of the evil one. She is more honorable than the Cheribum and more glorious than the Seraphim. But, she is given a limit. She cannot loose sins. Jesus Christ exults her above all creation. The Holy Spirit was with her since birth. She was allowed to live in the inner sactuary of the Holy Temple, where the priest was allowed to go once a year(from what I remember reading).

She gave birth to God. This last part says it all. But, from what I have been practicing in faith, I don't see where she was given, by God, the right to loose sins. Through the Apostles and priest of Orthodoxy, they were given the right, by the power of God; God is forgiving the sins, through the priest. The phrase: By the power invested in me..., comes to mind. But, I have never seen any prayer where God is forgiving sins through the Theotokos. This is why I made mention of your comment. And this is why I question the intentions of the translation.

Joanna

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 50)

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