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Dec 29th, 2019
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Joined: May 2005
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Does the Orthodox church beleive the Theotokos is also the Mediatrix?
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Originally posted by Clark:
Does the Orthodox church beleive the Theotokos is also the Mediatrix? Christ is Risen! I suppose that depends on what she is supposed to me "Mediatrix" of; the word "Mediatrix" is certainly oft used for the Theotokos in the Byzantine service books; consider the common Theotokion: O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, O Mediatrix unto the creator unfailing, disdain not the suppliant voices of sinners, but be thou quick, O good one, to help us who in faith cry unto thee; hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee. Photius
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 26,405 Likes: 38
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Dear Clark,
To add to what Photius has written, the Byzantine Orthodox and Eastern Catholic tradition invokes the Mother of God in a way that would make the most traditional Roman Catholic blink in wonder:
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
ONLY she, as the Saint of Saints, can save us by her powerful intercession.
The Byzantine East, as we can see from the Octoechos and other liturgical sources, CONSTANTLY praises, glorifies and invokes the Most Holy Theotokos!
The West can teach the Byzantine East NOTHING when it comes to devotion to the Most Holy Theotokos.
We don't like additional doctrinal pronouncements about the Theotokos since the principle of "lex orandi, lex credendi" is applied in the Christian East and such additional items are completely unnecessary.
Alex
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So in the Orthodox Church, grace does not come from God to us through Mary?
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,941
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btw, Clark, you may find this litle thread about writings of John the Geometer from two years ago interesting:
https://www.byzcath.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000667
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Joined: May 2005
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Thank you that helps a little. the local Orthodox priest said that graces comes from God, but I'm not sure he caught everything I said.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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Dear Clark,
You ask: "So in the Orthodox Church, grace does not come from God to us through Mary?"
It is accurate and easy to reply that yes, grace most certainly comes to us from God through the Holy Theotokos. If you would like specific texts of Orthodox divine worship which express this teaching and belief, they are abundant (the Akathistos Hymn and the Canon "I shall open my lips and sing" are good places to begin).
Nevertheless your question troubles me, partly because I'm not altogether sure that we are using the term "grace" in the same sense and partly, perhaps, because I'm not certain that we have the same understanding of the intercessory and salvific work of the Holy Theotokos and the Saints. So I think it would be well to explore the matter further.
Incognitus
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Joined: Nov 2001
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Dear Clark,
Yes, Grace is always mediated to us from God the Father through Christ by means of the Holy Spirit.
It is further mediated to us through the Communion of Saints and the rest of the Church on earth, the Mysteries, the Priests and Bishops, the Scriptures etc.
As Fr. Meyendorff wrote, just as Mary was the Mother of Christ, so she continues to be the nurturing Mother of the Church, the Body of Christ.
Alex
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