NEBAB #12: Ascension of the Virgin Mary
NEBAB #12
The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine
ASCENSION OF THE VIRGIN MARY
The Spiritual Education Unit
Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America
The Ascension of The Holy Virgin Mary
In this issue:
1. Defending the Virgin Maryam in an Anti-Marian society
2. Train up a Child in the Way he should go
3. Faith and works
4. “Ask Abba/Kes”
5. A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam
6. Children’s corner
7.ይበል ግዕዝ
8. Orthodox Q&A
CLARIFICATION ON TERMS:
Assumption: (meaning- the taking up of something/someone)
Ascension: (meaning- someone or something going up)
Excerpt from a sermon given by His Grace Abune Thaddaeus on August, 2024
“When she [the Mother of God died] on 29th January [Tir 21]... the angels took her to Paradise and put her under the tree of life from January to August… Assumption is first… and then she ascended. Assumption- they took her body from under the tree of life, they [brought] her and they buried her again, she ascended finally.”
Defending the Holy Virgin Mary
As Orthodox Christians, we are often challenged about our veneration of the Holy Virgin Mary and it can be hard to have a persuasive defense ready. Here are 3 ways we can prepare our defenses (1 Pet 3:15).
The Holy Scriptures- In prophecy, the Mother of God is spoken of with great honour (Ps 132:8,14; Ps 89:3,28; Song 4:7-8)
Early Church- St. Cyril of Alexandria says; “Hail, Mary Theotokos, Virgin-Mother, lightbearer, uncorrupt vessel. Hail, O Virgin Mary, Mother and Handmaid; Virgin, for the sake of Him Who was born virginally from you; Mother, for the sake of Him Whom you carried in your arms and nursed with your milk; Handmaid, for the sake of Him Who took the form of a servant.”
God’s response to those who oppose her- Isa 46:25; and the necessity of proclaiming her honour- Luke 1:28,49
Train Up A Child In The Way He Should Go
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6
This proverb describes a new child who was reborn through the washing of regeneration, educated and made childlike. Who is made fit for the kingdom of heaven through this process in the same way.
During the Fast of Saint Mary Clergy Retreat 2024, a lot of emphasis was placed on the role of the Sunday School in nurturing and raising up our children in the Church to be good stewards for the Kingdom and heritage of Heaven. In like manner, we must always remember that we are all God’s Children, made in his image and likeness John 1:13 That he, who is Father to us by reconciliation through his Son Jesus Christ, dwells and in acting within us through the grace of the Holy Spirit, to in return, produce and bear good fruit. Matthew 3:8
This word bear is an active verb that we see placed throughout the scripture as a form of reproduction. In the Book of 1 Corinthians 15:49, we must bear a heavenly image.
And again in the book of John 15:8 “This is to my Father’s Glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” But what is this fruit of godliness and how must we bear God’s image in this world? To discuss, our saintly Fathers remind us that since God is dwelling in us through the power of his spirit, we bear the image and likeness of heaven. To “bear an image” is not so much a matter of our nature as such, as of our choices and behavior- says St John Chrysostom.
For indeed our father Saint Paul duly explains that God has hidden himself in Man’s nature Philippians 2:8
He “humbled himself” according to Scriptures, “taking on himself the form of a slave”. He became like us that we might become like him. The work of the Spirit, seeks to transform us by grace into a perfect copy of his humbling
But we wrestle, not against flesh and blood but principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12
Faith and Works:
Examples of the Holy Virgin Mary
None of our sisters will be virgin mothers, and none of us expect to live our lives without committing sin, as the Mother of God, but we can follow many examples of our Lady Mary:
Paying Attention During Sermon/Class: Luke 2:19,51 tell us how our Lady Mary learned- and has there ever been a student like her! If we treat all the words of preaching/teaching we hear like they’re important, and meditate (think over) on them, we’ll become better students and more knowledgeable.
Generosity/Giving of Self: The Holy Tradition of the church tells us that St Mary taught St James, brother of our Lord everything she knew (being filled with the Holy Spirit) and was a mother to the disciples after our Lord left them until her departure at age 64. She never kept any goodness to herself. Let us do the same!
Ask Abba/Kes
"How do I preserve the spirituality of the fasting period throughout my daily life?"
In order to have a real and meaningful fast, our five senses must be engaged.
1. Our eyes watching movies like pornographic and violence and anything that will distract your mind
2. Your ears should not be listening to gossiping nor any negative conversation
3. The mouth should not speak evil or tell lies or curse any one, rather to bless and to encourage and strengthen others
4. The hands should not be used to steal to fight or to do no harm to others rather to give alms to the needy
5. The feet should not go to unwholesome place like fortune tellers nor to any place where you will be tempted
To reconcile with your enemy, pray at least 3 times a day morning, noon and evening
Here are some helpful prayers Psalm:
51+32+67+25+61+102+103+130+131
BIBLE QUIZ!
“At your right hand stands the Queen”- where in the Bible can this be found?
A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam
There was a certain rich and honorable man, a knight, who possessed much money and very great estates. Now his sins were very many, and he loved eating, drinking, and fornication. He also hated the poor and the needy. However, he loved Michael the archangel, and he celebrated his festival and rejoiced in him. He also served Our Lady Mary, the compassionate one, and he always made salutations to her.
One day, when he was sitting at his table, he meditated in his heart and said, “Woe is me! I am a miserable wretch. How long shall I continue in [my] sin? Woe is me! With what face shall I stand before my Lord, and what shall be my answer [to him], for I have never done any good thing? But now I will make a monastery in my country. I will establish saints there, and when the building is finished, I will become a monk and will dwell in it. I will build this monastery in Mary’s name, and I will endow the monks.” When he rose from the table, he commanded his servant to saddle his horse, which he mounted and rode out of the city. Along with another man, he went through his estate to look for a site to build on. He found a site, a rocky eminence surrounded by water, and he rejoiced that he had located a suitable place on his own grounds where he could build his monastery. He pondered how he should build the monastery, and while he was thinking out the matter, he died. Devils seized his soul and wanted to cast it into Sheol. Michael the archangel met them and said, “This soul does not belong to you; set it free!” The devils said, “If God judges rightly, it will belong to us.” When Michael heard their words, he held his peace [for a moment], then he said to them, “I will dispute with you for the possession of this soul before God.”
He went to Our Lady Mary, the intercessor, and he said to her, “O mother of mercy, do not be unmindful of your servant! Let him not be blotted out, for he used to serve you and recite salutations to you.” Our Lady Mary, the compassionate one, rose and stood before Our Lord Jesus Christ. She paid him homage and implored him to give her that soul. He said, “My dear mother, don’t be sad. I became man through you in order to deliver the races of the children of men, and everything you ask, I will grant you.” She said, “I wish you to redeem this soul and to give it a reward. He thought to build a monastery in my [honor], to become a monk in it, to glorify my name, and to do what was good. He died while he was thinking out this matter. Don’t revoke his reward!” Our Lord commanded Michael to go and redeem his soul from the devils. The archangel went straightaway to hear the judgment of Jesus Christ—may he be praised!—and said, “God has had mercy upon him; it was not his judgment, but his mercy.” Then the archangel went to take that soul and place it in everlasting rest.
O Holy Virgin Maryam, pray for us!
LIJOCH! The Children's Corner
MEMORY VERSE :
To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. (St.Luke 1 : 27)
ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)
Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language
Today, let’s break down a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ge’ez:
ቅድስት ድንግል ማርያም ወላዲተ አምላክ
kidist dingil maryam weladite amlak
Word-by-word this means:
ቅድስት (kidist)- holy (a different form of the common word ቅዱስ/kidus- also ‘holy’)
ድንግል (dingil)- virgin (plural ደናግል/denagil)
ማርያም (maryam)- Mary
ወላዲተ (weladite)- Bearer/Parent of (from the root verb ወለደ/welede- to give birth. The word by itself is ወላዲት/weladit- parent, but in order to say parent of, we must add the first form “eh” vowel to the end, making it ወላዲተ)
አምላክ (amlak)- God
ORTHODOX Q&A
Are we supposed to reverence Saint Mary?
The Church doesn’t worship anyone other than Christ, but we do give St. Mary her due reverence. We acknowledge that she is the mother of God and that she has this special relationship with Him. St. Mary herself prophesied about this when she said in Luke 1:48: “Henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” She is therefore blessed and we need to acknowledge it, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
What does the word filseta mean?
Filseta comes from the Ge’ez felese which literally means to travel abroad or to be transported. Filset can mean departure, withdrawal or even death, and refers in our case to the departure of our mother from this world. This feast also commemorates iregta leMaryam (as seen on the icon on the cover) and irget of course simply means ascension.
Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com
References
Short message on behalf the Spiritual Education Unit:
His Grace Abune Thaddaeus, Head Administrator Archimandrite Abba Gebreyesus, and all clergy and faithful- thank you for the opportunity to share this labour of love with you. Thanks also to the team of the Spiritual Education Unit for their hard work.
-Liqe Teghuan Tekle Mariam Greene
Assumption/ Ascension: youtu.be/G18txynHQM4&t=3378
Defending Mary: Taken from a presentation made at the 2024 EOTC CARLA Clergy Retreat
Miracle of the Holy Virgin Mary: pemm.princeton.edu/stories/174
CONTACT US:
Archdiocese headquarters: Medhane Alem (Saviour of the World), Old Golden Grove Rd. Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago.
Tel. 868-642-4230.
e-mail: eotc.arch.carla@gmail.com
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