Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos:
The Most Holy Virgin – Our Unashamed Hope
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1961, the Thirteenth Week After Pentecost)
The Most Holy Virgin – Our Unashamed Hope
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1961, the Thirteenth Week After Pentecost)
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
"Unashamed protection of Christians, unwavering mediator to the Maker, do not disregard the prayerful cries of sinners, but hasten, as one who is good, to our aid, as we faithfully call upon you: Be speedy to intercede, and be quick to entreat, the ever-protectress, Theotokos, of those who honor you."
So we often sing with special tenderness in honor and praise of the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos, casting before Her all our unworthy prayers and referring to Her all timely help from above alone.
Why do we have such complete devotion to our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God, and what does the author of this hymn want to instill in us with such a lively feeling of his zeal for Her? Here the Church expresses its faith and conviction that the first, all-powerful and most speedy of all Helper and Intercessor before God is truly the Most Holy Virgin Mother of God, that She, standing face to face before the Throne of Her Son and our God, prays incessantly for the salvation, blessing and protection of His inheritance. Thus the Church instills in us that the Most Holy Virgin, having become the Mother of the Son of God - our Redeemer, became the Mother of all the righteous and the reliable refuge of sinners. Throughout the Christian world, Her most pure hands are spread out with beneficial miracles and signs - undoubted and obvious pledges and proofs of Her mercy and intercession, so frequent that hardly anyone can count them. That immeasurable greatness, by which She is exalted in heaven above the Cherubim and Seraphim, is truly equal to that ineffable mercy with which She appears everywhere on earth among Christians.
Therefore, it is worthy and righteous that the Holy Church glorifies the Mother of God with unceasing voices, urging us, the unworthy, to this praise of Her. And we are all under Her all-powerful protection and intercession and embraced by Her great mercy. In our insignificance, it is dear to us to have a good and faithful helper in our everyday needs and especially in dangers; it is even more dear and joyful to have hope in the Most Holy Virgin Mary and Her intercession for us before the Throne of the Most High. We have many different needs, spiritual and physical, which cannot be satisfied by anyone except Him, and many and all kinds of dangers, which cannot be averted without His all-powerful help. And yet our prayers and petitions often do not reach the Heavenly King because of our sins and because of our extreme unworthiness. We often ask and cry to the Lord, but the Lord does not hear us, because we ask without faith, we cry without hope. We often have an inclination towards good, but we cannot follow it; on the contrary, we often do what we inwardly abhor. We want to be virtuous, but we still remain sinful. We make vows to hate sin, but we cannot part with the habit of it and destroy the delight in it in our hearts. And we, according to the word of Holy Scripture, "drink iniquity like water" (Job 15:16).
In such weaknesses, needs and spiritual dangers of ours, the Most Holy Virgin intercedes for us, who are not fully established in faith, hope and love, and inclines the mercy of Her Son and our God to us, the unworthy, asking for His mercy, intercession and protection. Knowing our weaknesses, She extends Her merciful gaze to our smallest needs and demands. Being of the same nature with us, She loves us with full holy love, and having experienced many needs, sorrows and humiliations, She is especially close to people who are unfortunate, broken-hearted, orphans, the sick, the helpless, the persecuted, the oppressed. Open the history of the Church, look into the life of the pious believing people in the past, and before you in all its fullness will appear the immensity of the blessings and miracles poured out by the Mother of God on the human race. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
