By Michael Ruse

If you are ever wonder why we sing “Most Holy, Most pure, Most blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary” every Sunday, come and explore this chapter with us.

Metropolitan Hilarion briefly introduces a group of topics on the Virgin Mary. After discussing this chapter, we will try to understand how the Theotokos fits perfectly in this section on the Church.

First, he looks at some New Testament references to Mary and her typology. Second, he discusses sources on her virginity and why we sing hymns to her with the term “ever-virgin.” Third, he touches on the use of the description Theotokos and also why we should call her Mother of God. From there he discusses her role as a free, willing, and quite central person involved in the plan of salvation (p.478). He mentions four important Marian feasts such her Nativity, Entry into the Temple, Annunciation, and Dormition.

With a few contrasts of Marian dogmas in Roman Catholicism, he puts these Marian prayers and dogmas in the context of the Divine Liturgy and the experience of the Church at prayer; Nativity hymns being one beautiful source.