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Слава Ісусу Христу!

I am confused, not an epiphany just a couple questions. Yesterday, August 25th being Ukrainian Independence Day we attended a “moleban” to the Mother of God aka Theotokos. It was compiled by a local contemporary who is not open to question, so I ask you for second hand clarification, understanding you are without advantage of where he pulled his research.

In petitions to the Theotokos she was credited as “our mediator before God”. In 1 Tim 2:5 it is stated there is “ one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…” and in Heb, 8:6 “He (Christ) is also Mediator…” followed in 12:24 “Jesus the Mediator…”. Should this have read “our mediator before Christ God”?

Another question is with the translation from the Slavonic of “Vladichitsee” or “Vladichitsu” as “Lady”. Decades have gone by without giving it a second thought until another local translated an English petition into Ukrainian. His usage of “nashu” or “nashey Pani” hit me with local derogatory sarcasm like a load of bricks. Is “Lady” our best option within the limitation of current English vernacular disregarding current RC preference?

If someone could please clarify my curiosity as local clerics either shrug in agreement or others are unapproachable for comment. Sometimes I am approached by converts or those who’s English is a second language for clarification and I feel I should be prepared not puzzled.

Mykhayl

Regarding the first title, the title "Mediatrix" is proper to Mary insofar as she participates in the gift of salvation and theosis given through her Son. As Theotokos, it was through her "fiat" or "yes" to God, a "yes" which defined her whole existence from holy beginning to holy end, that the Word was made flesh for our salvation thus becoming our "one mediator between God and men." Christ's mediation is through the hypostatic union. Mary's mediation is contingent and secondary and springs from her role as Mother of God and Mother of all Christians. She who as the New Eve who bore the fullness of the Grace of Paradise and Redemption in her womb and brought Salvation to the whole universe mysteriously continues in that role in the new economia as the Queen Mother interceding at the right hand of her divine Son.

Hope that clarifies!

In ICXC,

Fr. Deacon Daniel

Mykhayl:

I can't speak directly to the words you find offensive, but a point about translation I can make.

Sometimes when a thought or concept is translated from one language to another the translator is caught with no equivalent and casts about for something as close as possible. It gets even more interesting when the translator does not have a really deep grasp of both languages. And one more interesting situation happens when someone native to the first langauge has his thought or concept translated back by someone in the second language who has a grasp on the original as poor as he.

Some examples, if this seems rather murky, have come when someone translates something into Chinese from English and then has a native speaker translate back into English. I've seen some examples of this and sometimes it's hilarious and sometimes it's completely off the mark.

BOB

Слава Ісусу Христу!

Father Deacon Daniel,

Thank you, I read it three times. You were precisely logical unlike my mind so a second reading was needed. The third I think was just church custom.

Mykhayl

Bob,

Thanks, I kind of knew that and why I would never put myself in the position of a translator. I guess that is also why we use Theotokos in English. The naive English pronunciation “The - ot - o - koss” is dreadful though, especially with a British accented commanding theatrical voice on the television. If we all learned the “language of the gods” from birth we would not have this problem. Or would we?

Mykhayl