MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER: Prayer of Saint Bessarion of Agathonos to Saint Mary of Egypt

Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism.

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written.

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.

April 1, 2023

Prayer of Saint Bessarion of Agathonos to Saint Mary of Egypt

By Saint Bessarion of Agathonos

Mary of Christ, Egyptian
Protector of sinners
of repentance and salvation
you are a true example.

Accept the prayer made to You
by one more sinner
full of passions and vices
obscenities and selfishness.

Sin distresses me
it won't let me get up
and to my Christ immediately go
with mercy, grace to be clothed.

That's why my gaze towards You
I have turned and I'm asking You
for this favor to do for me
to Christ entreat for me.

You who journeyed on this path
the desolate and dark,
You who tasted every passion
when still from Christ were afar.

You alone, You know
the rebuke and evil
which sin causes
to the Prodigal and sinner.

That's why Your gaze always

You have fixed carefully
to every victim of sin
who looks at You imploringly.

Say a prayer to our God
to our Jesus the Redeemer
to the Theotokos and Panagia
Ah! ask her for a favor.

To accept me in her arms
the Prodigal and sinner
and give me His mercy
His grace, be my purifier.

Prayer of a sinner

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.