St. Mary (Morth Mariyam)

Saint Virgin Mary is of Judah's tribe and the descendant of King David. She was born in 14 BC and was her pious parents', Yovagim (Joachim) and Hane (Anne), only daughter. When she was three years old, her devout parents took her to the temple of God as one vowed to Him. Shortly thereafter, both her parents departed this life.

The priests and pious women of the temple brought young Mary up with great care and devotion. They taught her the worship of the One True God, virtuous deeds, the Hebrew language, the sacred texts of the Old Testament, and the practical skills of spinning wool and weaving linen and silk. Under their guidance, she grew in wisdom, grace, and favor with God until she reached the age of fourteen.

At that age, she was espoused to a veracious man called Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was a relative of hers and a righteous man of great virtue. Though betrothed, Mary continued to live a life of prayer and dedication to God, preserving her virginity as a sacred offering to the Lord.

The chief of angels, Gabriel, was sent by God to announce to her the descent of the Holy Spirit upon her and the birth of Jesus, the Redeemer of the world, through her. In profound humility and faith, Mary accepted this divine mission, saying, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

She became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit and gave birth to the Lord Jesus Christ while remaining a virgin—a heavenly miracle that astonished the world and fulfilled the ancient prophecies. This miraculous virgin birth demonstrated that God can accomplish all things according to His divine will, transcending the laws of nature.

The Blessed Virgin Mary brought up the Lord Jesus in the house of His foster father Joseph, where He lived and grew in wisdom and stature. She was present at His first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana in Galilee, where at her intercession, He transformed water into wine, revealing His divine glory for the first time.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Mary heard Him preaching His gospel of love, mercy, and salvation. She witnessed His teaching, His miracles of healing, and His compassion for all people. With a mother's heart, she accompanied Him through His ministry, supporting Him even when others doubted.

Most poignantly, she stood beneath the Cross at Golgotha and witnessed His crucifixion and death in the flesh—a sword of sorrow piercing her own soul, as the righteous Simeon had prophesied when Jesus was presented at the temple. In His final moments, our Lord Jesus Christ entrusted her to the care of St. John the Beloved Apostle, saying, "Woman, behold your son," and to John, "Behold your mother."

Mary believed in Christ's glorious resurrection from the dead and was present with the apostles when He ascended to heaven forty days after His resurrection. She witnessed the descent of the Divine Spirit upon the assembled disciples on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them with tongues of fire and empowered them to preach the Gospel to all nations.

Following the Ascension, she lived in the house of St. John the Apostle, who took care of her with filial devotion as our Lord had commanded. There she persisted in worship and meditation on the heavenly mysteries, serving as a spiritual mother to the early Church and interceding for the faithful with her prayers.

She departed this life around 56 AD, according to the most reliable accounts, after having lived most probably seventy years. The holy apostles conducted her funeral service with great solemnity and reverence, and her virtuous body was buried in Gethsemane Village outside of Jerusalem. Afterwards, God carried her to His heavenly paradise, where she reigns as Queen of Heaven and Earth, forever interceding for all who call upon her name.

Our Lady the Holy Virgin Mary, the Bearer of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate God, has a lofty position in Christendom higher than that of the angels, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and doctors of the Church. This exalted status is because God has chosen, purified, sanctified, and preferred her above all women of earth. She is the diadem of the virgins and the crown of all Christians.

The Syriac Orthodox Church calls Mary "Yoldath Aloho (ܝܳܠܕܰܬ݂ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ)" (Mother of God) because she gave birth to Christ, God truly incarnate in human flesh. She is revered as the Perpetual Virgin and Mother of God, and she holds the first place among all the saints. However, the concept of Immaculate Conception for St. Mary, as taught in some Western traditions, is not accepted in our Orthodox theology.

According to the constant teaching of the holy fathers since the beginning of the Christian Church, God is pleased to respond to petitions offered to Him through the intercession of St. Mary, the Virgin Mother. St. Mary is the mediator for all grace and advocate for all the devotees before God. The historians and narrators have registered countless graces and miracles that believers have received through her intercession. Millions throughout the ages have honored her with the sweetest songs and sought refuge in her prayers.

The Syrian Church opens her daily worship by glorifying the Almighty God. Immediately following, she uses special invocations in which she praises our Lady the Virgin and seeks her mediation in the night, morning, and evening prayers, except during most of the lent days. Besides these daily prayers, in her festivals the Church recites prose invocations and chants wonderful hymns in which she describes Mary's high virtues and everlasting merits, in a way that captivates the minds and delights the ears.

In the sacramental services and prayers of the Church from the earliest periods, the mediation of St. Mary has been an integral part of our worship. The altars of churches are sanctified invariably with the name of St. Mary above and beyond the names of other saints, signifying her preeminent position in the communion of saints.

In our common prayers, the Lord's Prayer beginning "Our Father who art in Heaven" is generally followed by a repetition of the message of Angel Gabriel from Luke 1:28—"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee"—and the words of praise of Elizabeth from Luke 1:42—"Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." We conclude with an appeal for her mediation on our behalf forever before the Almighty, even at the moment of our death.

The Syriac Orthodox Church possesses one of Christianity's most precious relics: the Holy Girdle (Soonoro in Syriac) of the Virgin Mary. According to sacred tradition, this girdle was handed over to Apostle St. Thomas by the Yoldath Aloho (ܝܳܠܕܰܬ݂ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ) herself during her assumption to heaven. St. Thomas, who had arrived late to witness her dormition, received this blessed token as evidence of her bodily assumption.

St. Thomas carried this precious treasure with him to India, where he preached the Gospel and eventually suffered martyrdom. In 394 AD, together with the coffin of St. Thomas, this invaluable Girdle of the Holy Virgin Mary was transferred from India to Raha (Edessa) and was established in a church that came to be known as "The Church of the Girdle."

This church was initially erected as a small, simple structure, almost like a cellar underground, due to the violent persecution of Christianity by pagans in the first three centuries. The faithful carefully consigned the precious girdle in this sacred place as a treasure for believers. However, over the passage of time, the exact location of the girdle was forgotten.

In mid-April 1953, while scrutinizing ancient manuscripts, His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem I discovered a Garshunian book containing historical letters. Among these documents were forty-six letters written centuries earlier by the notables of the Archdiocese of Homs to the notables of Mardin, Turkey. These letters described how, while renovating their ancient church—the Church of the Virgin, Lady of the Girdle—in Homs, they made an extraordinary discovery.

According to these historical documents, during the demolition work for enlarging and renewing the church, which had become old and small with a deteriorating wooden ceiling, they found the Holy Girdle placed in a vessel in the middle of the holy altar. The discovery filled the faithful with immense joy and blessing.

On July 20, 1953, in the presence of His Lordship Alexandros, the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Homs, and other prominent witnesses, Patriarch Aphrem I opened the Holy Sanctum. They discovered a marble plate inscribed with the words: "This church was built in the time of the preacher called Malaya [Elijah] in AD 59." Within a stone vessel and a silver vessel, they found the Holy Girdle wrapped upon itself, together with a thin metal pipe containing a hollow bone with what appeared to be parchment or thick paper.

Researchers and scholars examined the relic thoroughly and unanimously confirmed its authenticity and antiquity. Today, the Holy Girdle is preserved in the Church of the Girdle in Homs, Syria, where it has been venerated since ancient times. Multitudes of Syrian believers and people from various Christian denominations from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and other countries come to venerate this sacred relic and seek its blessings with Christian devotion and piety.

In the Syrian Orthodox Church, along with the Holy Mass (Qurbono), a special textual prayer service in the name of St. Mary is generally conducted at the request of devotees seeking her intercession. The text for this beautiful service can be found in the book of "Qurbana Kramam" (Order of the Holy Qurbono).

In Malankara, this prayer service was first published in Syriac by St. Gregorios of Parumala at the behest of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, demonstrating the deep devotion to the Yoldath Aloho (ܝܳܠܕܰܬ݂ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ) that has characterized our Church from ancient times to the present day.