By Panagiotis S. Martinis
In our first article, which bore the title “The Theotokos in the Biblical and Patristic Tradition,” we referred to the person and the role of the Theotokos in the mystery of salvation, as these are expressed by the sacred writers of Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the Church, on the occasion of the feast of the Annunciation (March 25).
In the article that follows, we shall refer to the honor rendered to the Theotokos during the period of Great Lent, on the occasion of the Service of the Akathist Hymn.
B. THE THEOTOKOS IN THE WORSHIP OF GREAT LENT
During the period of the Triodion and especially of Great Lent, the Theotokos is particularly honored. Already with the beginning of the Triodion we invoke her help, chanting: “Guide me in the paths of salvation, O Theotokos… by your intercessions deliver me from every impurity.”
On the First Sunday of the Fast, the Sunday of Orthodoxy, when the Church, by the decision of the Endemousa Synod of Constantinople in the year 843, celebrates with particular splendor the final restoration of the holy icons, the Icon of the Theotokos is also solemnly carried in procession. And this is because, although all holy icons are connected with the Incarnation of the Son and Word of the Father, this is especially true of the icon of the Theotokos, since in her person we behold the Mother of the Lord, who did not give birth to a mere man, Jesus, but to God incarnate.
Then follows the great feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, which our Church celebrates with particular splendor, almost in the middle of Great Lent. Finally, the honor given to the person of the Theotokos reaches its culmination in the fifth week of the Fast with the most beautiful Service of the Akathist Hymn.
Even if we consider only these two liturgical celebrations — that is, the feast of the Annunciation and the service of the Akathist Hymn — we can understand the honor that the Church renders to the person of the Theotokos for her contribution to the work of salvation. This “role” of the Theotokos in the mystery of salvation constitutes the great feast of the Annunciation. It is the only Theometoric feast which, as is known, is based on a text of the New Testament. For this reason, like the feast of the Reception of the Lord, it “partakes of the character of a feast of the Lord,” according to the hagiologists.
The event and content of this great feast are described by the Evangelist Luke in chapter 1, verses 26–38 of his Gospel. In the well-known dialogue between the Archangel Gabriel and the Theotokos, the “key phrase,” the phrase that reveals the free will of man to cooperate in the eternal plan of God the Father for the salvation of the world, is found in the response of the Theotokos to God’s messenger: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
In the narration — or more vividly, in the scene — of the Annunciation, two persons play a leading role: Gabriel, as the messenger of God, and the Theotokos. However, the content of the dialogue between these two persons concerns a third person, whose coming surpasses human understanding, since “He shall be called the Son of the Most High.”
Nicholas Cabasilas, in his second homily On the Annunciation, praises the Theotokos who freely cooperated with God for the salvation of the world. Cabasilas goes further and makes a bold observation concerning the role of the Panagia in the work of the divine Economy, when he writes:
“…the Incarnation of the Word was not the work only of the Father who ‘was well pleased,’ nor of His Power which ‘overshadowed,’ nor of the Holy Spirit who ‘came,’ but also of the will and the faith of the Virgin. For just as, without the Father and the Holy Spirit, it was not possible for the decision of the Incarnation of the Word to exist and be offered to mankind, so also, without the offering of the will of the Theotokos, the realization of the divine plan was impossible…”
Thus, according also to the Apolytikion of the feast, “the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaims the grace.” And since the “Son of God” becomes the “Son of the Virgin,” by extension He also becomes the “Son of Man,” according to the prophecy of Daniel. For this reason, the feast of the Annunciation is “the beginning (or head) of our salvation,” and the Theotokos is greeted by the chief angel with the words: “Rejoice, beginning of Christ’s wonders; Rejoice, supreme of His dogmas.”
Cabasilas will add characteristically:
“God indeed granted to the Virgin Theotokos to become… she herself, and within herself, the human nature Theotokos.”
As is known, many of the Theometoric-related events are connected with the Queen of Cities, Constantinople, since the Panagia was its “Champion General” and protectress. For this reason, the famous Service of the Akathist Hymn was especially connected with the Monastery of Blachernae, where, after the siege of the Avars and Persians (9th century), it was chanted almost at every all-night vigil of the monastery.
The composition of this Hymn is attributed to the renowned 6th-century hymnographer Romanos the Melodist, the originator of the kontakia.
The two principal events that this Hymn seeks to highlight are: the Annunciation of the Theotokos and the Incarnation of the Savior. For this reason, in the corresponding service of the Hymn, biblical, symbolic, dogmatic, and laudatory elements are interwoven.
More specifically, the content of the Hymn may be divided into three parts: historical, theological, and laudatory. Of course, this division is formal and methodological, since historical, theological, and laudatory elements coexist and are interwoven.
The historical element is based on the Gospel narratives, which the hymnographer deepens and elaborates with his wonderful poetic talent. This element occupies the first two stases of the Hymn, from the first kontakion: “An Archangel was sent…” up to the twelfth: “While Symeon was about to depart from this present age…”
In the remaining two stases, from the thirteenth kontakion: “The Creator showed a new creation…” to the twenty-fourth: “O all-praised Mother…”, we find the theological (Christological and soteriological) elements of the Hymn.
Finally, in all twenty-four oikoi there are abundant laudatory elements addressed to the Theotokos.
The entire Akathist Hymn is a continuous encomium to the Theotokos. She is praised as the Mother of God:
“Rejoice, throne of the King; Rejoice, you who bear the One who bears all.”
The Theotokos unites heaven and earth, the uncreated with the created, and this is exalted in the verse:
“Rejoice, heavenly ladder by which God came down; Rejoice, bridge leading those on earth to heaven.”
She is also the vessel and the harbor for those who sail upon the sea of life:
“Rejoice, vessel of those who wish to be saved; Rejoice, harbor of those who sail through life.”
She is the protectress of monks and of those who follow the path of virginity. She is praised as “the wall of virgins” and “the pillar of virginity.”
And the Hymn concludes with a laudatory outburst of the poet, which reveals the deeper meaning of all the praises addressed to the “Champion General.”
The Akathist Hymn influenced many hymnographers to compose similar hymns and also inspired many Fathers to write homilies of similar content.
We shall conclude the presentation of the honor of the Theotokos during Great Lent with the following additional points: In the Compunctionate Vespers, which are celebrated on the five Sundays of Great Lent, the final hymn — which also refers to the person of the Theotokos—calls the faithful to invoke her, saying softly: “You protect all, O Good One, who flee in faith to your mighty hand…”
Likewise, in the deeply theological Great Canon of Andrew of Crete (7th century), which is chanted on Wednesday of the fifth week of the Fast, out of the 250 troparia it contains, a large number of them — the so-called theotokia — are dedicated precisely to the Theotokos.
At this point concludes the honor of the Theotokos during the period of Great Lent, insofar as it concerns the great feast of the Annunciation, the Service of the Akathist Hymn, and the Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete.
Perhaps another article could address the Triodion canons of Holy Week, the cross-resurrectional canon of Great Friday, as well as the resurrectional canon of Pascha.
May God grant us to hear the saving message of the Annunciation of the Theotokos — a message of joy and hope — since, according to the Doxastikon of the Vespers of the great feast:
“Today are the glad tidings of joy; a virginal feast; things below are joined to things above…”
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.