TITLES  OF  HONOR

For St. MARY, THEOTOKOS

In The Coptic Orthodox Church 

Fr. Markos Hanna

1-THEOTOKOS (Ecumenical Council of Ephesus 431 AD).The introduction of the Christian Creed was formulated in the Third Ecumenical Council, in Ephesus, in the year 431 AD. This Council was headed by the Great St. Cyril I, the 24th Pope of Alexandria-Egypt. He defended the Motherhood of Ever-Virgin holy Theotokos, St. Mary, who gave birth to God The Logos.St. Cyril, along with the 200 bishops assembled in the Council, refuted the heresy of Nestorios, Patriarch of Constantinople, then, who was denying St. Mary’s right as a Mother of God! Saying, ignorantly, that she is the mother of the flesh not God Incarnate. The Council excommunicated Nestorios, and formulated an introduction before the Christian Creed, it says; “We magnify you, O Mother of The True Light, and glorify you Ever-Virgin, Theotokos, for you bore for us the Savior of the world ..”.

2-THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND (Exodus 25:31-40; Sunday Theotokia).The pure golden lamp-stand is compared to St. Mary, and the lamp which she carries is the Sun of Righteousness. “The unapproachable Light of the world, that proceeds from the unapproachable Light, .. dwelt in your womb, O Virgin Mary, He gives light to every man, who comes into the world” (Sunday Theotokia, part 5).

3-HOLY of HOLIES (Exodus 30:10)The Holy of Holiest was inside the Tent, and “Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by placing on its horns the blood from the offering made for atonement of sin. This will be regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the Lord’s supremely holy altar”. St. Mary became that holy Tent, and thus, holy of holiest, where God dwelt in her womb for the atonement of Mankind. 

4-THE GOLDEN CENSER (Sunday Theotokia).“You are the censer, made of pure gold, carrying the Blessed, and Live coal .. which is God the Word/Logos, Who took flesh from you, and offered Himself as incense, to God His Father” (6th part of the Sunday Theotokia).

5-AARON’S ROD (Numbers 17:8; Sunday Theotokia).“And it came to pass, that on the morrow, Moses went into the Tabernacle of witness: and behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, was budded and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds” (sprouted, blossomed and produced almonds) ; “You are called righteous, O St. Mary, .. wherein is placed the rod of Aaron, and the holy flower, of the incense” (Sunday Theotokia, part7).

6-THE BURNING BUSH (Exodus 3:1-3; Thursday Theotokia).“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him-Moses-in a flame of fire out of the midst of a brush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed” (ex.3:2); “The bush .. is a symbol of St. Mary, the undefiled Virgin, which the Word of the Father, came and took flesh from her. The fire of His divinity, did not burn the womb of the Virgin, and after she gave birth to Him, she remained a Virgin”(Thursday Theotokia, part 1). This announce the perpetual virginity of St. Mary, which was compared to the burning bush, and also the woman in the Book of Revelation 12:1.

7-THE EASTERN GATE (Ezekiel 46:12; Wednesday Theotokia).“.. one shall then open the gate that looks toward the east, .. then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate”; “The door to the east, is the Ever Virgin Mary, the honored bridal chamber, for the pure Bridegroom”(Wednesday Theotokia, part 1).

8-TABERNACLE (Exodus25:1016; Sunday Theotokia)..Was honored and blessed by God; such is St. Mary who had God within her.

9-THE OVERLAID ARK (Exodus 25:17-22; Sunday Theotokia).“And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: and shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it..”(Ex.); “And they made an ark, of wood that would not decay, overlaid with gold, within and without .. You too, O Mary, are clothed with the glory, of the divinity, within and without”.

10-THE ARK OF COVENANT (Exodus 25:10-16).

11-THE GOLDEN POT & THE VESSEL OF MANNA(Exodus 16:33; Sunday Theotokia).

12-THE STONE THAT DANIEL SAW (Daniel 2:34; Tuesday Theotokia).

13-JACOB’S LADDER (Genesis 28:12,13; Tuesday Theotokia).

14-THE RATIONAL MOUNT (Tuesday Theotokia).

15-THE LIGHT CLOUD (Isaiah 19:1).