Hello, everyone!
This past Sunday, I was at an Antiochean parish, where the Typica was celebrated, because the priest was at the Antiochean convention. This prayer was in the service:
"A Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos:
O all-holy Lady Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, my hope, my shelter, my refuge, my consolation, and my joy: I thank thee that thou hast accounted me worthy, although unworthy, to be a partaker of the immaculate Body and precious Bloody of thy Son. But do thou, who gavest birth to the true Light, enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart. O thou who didst bear the Fountain of immortality, enliven thou me who lie dead in sin. O compassion-loving Mother of the merciful God, have mercy upon me, and grant me humility and contrition of heart, and humility in my thoughts and deliverance from the bondage of my vain imaginings. And account me worthy, even unto my last breath, to receive without condemnation the sanctification of the immaculate mysteries, unto the healing of both soul and body. And grant unto me tears of repentance and confession, that I may hymn thee and
glorify thee all the days of my life, for blessed and glorified are thou
unto all ages. Amen."
As one who is not Orthodox (though I've obviously been studying for some time), I was deeply troubled by this.
I have no difficulty with Mary's praying for us, or with asking for her prayers. But this seems to reach an entirely different level, where the Virgin almost seems like a species of divinity, where she grants mercy, forgiveness, etc., out of her own being, without reference to her Son.
This seems very, very different from the portrait of Mary in the scriptures, which is one of humility, of deference, of one who is the "handmaid of the Lord," and who -- when asked for something in John 2, defers instead to the Savior.
Any thoughts or enlightenment would be deeply appreciated. I am really, really troubled by this, so much that I left the church thinking I would never again go into an Orthodox church. I want to be told if I am wrong.
in Christ,
Jim Huffman
