A Homily by His Grace Bishop Parthenius of Antania, Abbot of the Holy Bigorski Monastery, delivered on the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, at the Church of the Mother of God in the village of Rostusha, on October 1/14, 2023 A.D.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!
Today, beloved, with joy and gratitude, we celebrate yet another feast of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos, called the Protection. The wondrous event that we commemorate took place in Constantinople at the beginning of the 10th century and was revealed through a vision granted to a pure heart and mind, namely, to Blessed Andrew, the Fool-for-Christ. This holy monk undertook one of the most difficult ascetic feats—feigned foolishness for the sake of Christ—appearing insane and irrational in the eyes of the world in order to outwit it and win Christ. Though outwardly it seemed that the world was mocking and deceiving him, in truth, Saint Andrew outwitted this deceitful world and became sanctified, glorified both in the heavenly and earthly Church. Truly, the feat of foolishness for Christ is one of the most challenging disciplines within Christian asceticism.
In the capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople, there were many beautiful churches dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, but two stood out in particular for their splendor and magnificence. One was the Church in the imperial palace of Blachernae, which housed the veil that the Mother of God had worn over her head and which draped down over her body, as was customary for Jewish women. The other was in the district of Chalkoprateia, built by the holy Empress Pulcheria. In this grand temple was kept the Holy Belt of the Theotokos, much of which remains preserved to this day in the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos. These two imperial churches, where the gracious presence of the Heavenly Queen was strongly felt, were frequently visited by the people of Constantinople, who continually offered prayers there, especially in times when the city was in peril. And truly, where else could the weary and grief-stricken souls of this world find refuge but in the Mother of Life, who sacrificially and maternally cares for and lovingly covers the entire world? For this reason, the Patriarchate of Constantinople decreed that frequent all-night vigils be held in these two churches, so that the faithful might continually invoke the intercessory protection of the Advocate for all humanity.
At that time, Constantinople was under great pressure, constantly threatened by attacks from barbarian forces—both the Saracens and the Russian hordes. According to established prayer practice, while the city was besieged by enemies and the soldiers kept watch on the walls, the people, together with Patriarch Eusebius and Emperor Leo IV the Wise, gathered for a vigil in the Church of Blachernae, offering prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos, imploring Her for help and deliverance. Among those present at the vigil was Saint Andrew the Fool-for-Christ, who prayed fervently with tears for the salvation of the Christian people. He was accompanied by his disciple, the young Epiphanius, who was also zealous in prayer. Around 11 o’clock at night, during that humble night of prayer, Blessed Andrew was granted a magnificent vision: he saw the Most Holy Theotokos entering the church through the royal doors, accompanied by a radiant company. Among Her glorious retinue were the Honorable Forerunner and the Son of Thunder, Saint John the Theologian, holding the All-Pure One by the arms on either side, while many other Saints, clothed in unearthly light, proceeded before and after Her, singing spiritual hymns and praises. As they approached the ambo of the church, Saint Andrew asked his disciple Epiphanius, “Do you see, child, the Lady and Mistress of the world?” Epiphanius replied, “Yes, my spiritual father, I see Her and I tremble with awe.” They then saw the Theotokos kneel and pray for a long time for the people. When She finished Her prayer, She removed Her great veil and spread it out with Her immaculate hands over all who were in the church. In Saint Andrew’s eyes, the veil was so vast that it covered the entire church. And for a long time, the blessed Andrew and Epiphanius beheld the veil of the Theotokos, spread over the people and shining with the glory of God. Through the intercessory protection of the Heavenly Queen, the city was saved.
However, since the Roman state was constantly under attack from various barbarian tribes from both the East and the West, the emperor became disheartened. Overwhelmed by inner doubt, he asked the Patriarch whether the Most Holy Theotokos truly watches over the city as its protector and whether the Saints of God genuinely intercede for the people on earth. Realizing that the emperor was undergoing a spiritual crisis and showing distrust toward the Saints and perhaps even toward God Himself, the Patriarch prayed fervently in his heart and did not immediately respond. Meanwhile, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared once more to Saint Andrew the Fool-for-Christ, telling him that on the night of the vigil, when She stood in the church, Her veil covered not only the sorrowful people in the Church of Blachernae but the entire city and all devout Christians throughout the world. She instructed him to relay this message to the emperor. However, Blessed Andrew was merely a simple monk, and on top of that, despised and mocked for his foolishness, leaving him with no means to approach the emperor. Therefore, he decided to convey the message from the Theotokos to his spiritual father, who was highly respected as one of the proto-presbyters of the Great Church of Christ, Hagia Sophia. He confessed to the proto-presbyter the vision he had shared with his disciple and the message of the Mother of God from Her second appearance. The proto-presbyter then went to the Patriarch and relayed everything. Upon hearing about this glorious manifestation of the Theotokos, the Patriarch was amazed and marveled at how the answer to the emperor’s doubt had come through Andrew the Fool-for-Christ, the humble and despised monk whom everyone mocked. He then went and recounted everything to the emperor. The emperor finally understood that the Theotokos had chosen Andrew, the scorned servant of God with a pure heart and sincere faith, who struggled with such a difficult ascetic feat, to deliver Her message: that it is She who guards the city of Constantinople, the Roman civilization, and the entire Christian world.
Beloved, we all know from life experience how great a mother’s love is. We know that a mother is tender, caring, and compassionate toward her children and always seeks to shield and justify them. No matter how much her child errs, even if everyone knows it and she herself is fully aware of it, a mother is always willing to cover her child’s mistakes, offer counsel, and give them a chance to change. Undoubtedly, a mother offers the most space, understanding, and protection. And such is our Most Holy Theotokos, the Mother above all mothers, the Mother of Life, who always covers us sinners with the veil of Her love, continually giving us new chances in life. Spiritually, She covers the entire world, being the most merciful maternal protection for all creation.
We also understand how essential a roof is to any building. A structure may have solid foundations, excellent stability, and a quality framework, but without a roof, it would all be in vain—the building could not serve its purpose or endure over time. The roof is essential and indispensable. We Christians have a solid foundation for eternal life—the Holy Baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity. The materials for building our spiritual life are found in Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition, and the Saints serve as master builders in our journey. But most importantly, we have the Theotokos as our covering. She shelters us under Her maternal protection and guides us, teaching us how to build the inner person for life in the Kingdom, enabling us to resist the deceptions of this deceitful world that entices us with its temptations and perishable beauties. It was the Mother of God who helped Saint Andrew the Fool-for-Christ persevere in his arduous ascetic struggle and successfully outwit this false world.
There is an old saying—perhaps you’ve heard it—which goes: “O world, deceitful world, blessed is the one who defeats you.” What an incredible Orthodox ascetic ethos our ancestors possessed! Even their proverbs were lessons guiding them toward the Kingdom of God. Pay attention to what it says: blessed is the one who outwits this world, which is fleeting and deceitful. And indeed, what have the many martyrs, saints, and righteous ones—whom our Church calls blessed—done? They have outwitted this world. Although, at the time, the world believed it was mocking, humiliating, and even killing those who struggled for Christ, in the end, the saints triumphed and became inhabitants of the Kingdom, which Christ opened for us and from which they assist and intercede for us. Here before us are their images, immortalized on frescoes and icons; our churches are adorned with these sacred depictions of the Saints from the heavenly Church, who, though numerous, diligently help us in our efforts to reach the Kingdom of eternal joy. For our soul naturally yearns for freedom in Christ; it desires to live eternally in His Kingdom, liberated from sin and death.
Let us also look to the monks as an example. What do they do? Through their ascetic struggles and lives of obedience, they strive to outwit and mock the world. And know this: if we do not outwit the world, it will outwit us. That is why it is so important for us monks to persevere in the ascetic struggle we have undertaken and to walk the path we have chosen to the very end. Some might say that monks do not contribute to the world because they do not marry or have children. Yet, how many of you, the faithful, have repented, come to know God, and embarked on the path of salvation because of the few monks among us? How many children have been born thanks to the prayers and efforts of the monks! Even today, we witnessed a great testimony to this—the joyous children who beautifully sang the Troparion of this feast for us. Why are they here today if not because of the strong foundation of faith that the glorious Saint John laid in these lands, supported by the monastery that has always guarded us? Throughout history, this monastery has nurtured our spiritual roots, and now it secures our future.
Let me share with you another vision related to the maternal protection of the Theotokos, revealing Her mercy and intercession for us. This vision was experienced by a monk on Mount Athos and vividly demonstrates the strength of our heavenly Mother’s protection and the importance for all of us—monks and Christians alike—of outwitting the world until the very end.
A certain monk on Mount Athos, overwhelmed by despair, began to feel that he had completely failed in life. His monastic calling had become unbearable to him. So deep was his despondency that his fellow monks noticed his troubled state. One day, he approached the abbot and expressed his desire to leave the monastery and abandon the monastic life. The elder pleaded with him to remain a few more days so that they could all pray for him together, and then, they would leave the matter to God’s guidance.
That evening, the monk had a vision of the Last Judgment—Christ’s Second Coming on Mount Athos. As we know from the Gospel, God will judge the world, summoning all who have lived throughout history, from Adam to that moment, and will separate them into two groups. In the Gospel passage about the Last Judgment, Christ says that all will rise, and He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats—some to His right and others to His left, some to eternal life and others to judgment. During the judgment of the Athonite monks, there were some whom the Lord placed on the left side, among those who had lost their salvation and were destined to be deprived of the vision of God’s face, condemned to dwell in darkness. At that moment, the Theotokos turned compassionately to Christ and said: “My Son and my God, I ask You to place even these monks, who are on the left, among the saved on the right.” But Christ replied: “My Mother, they do not deserve to be saved, for they failed to keep the monastic rules, caused scandals, and lived carelessly. How can I allow them to enter the Heavenly Kingdom?” Yet the Theotokos persisted, saying: “No, let them also stand on the right, among the saved.” She then added: “True, they sinned, but they persevered to the end in their monastic struggle, bearing the schema and the habit, and they remained monks.”
Do you see, beloved? Our Mother, the Most Holy Theotokos, saved them solely because of that. How great is Her maternal love! What a Protector humanity has received in the Theotokos, for through Her, God saved mankind. From Her, He took flesh and blood, and through this greatest of miracles, the salvation of the whole world was accomplished through and in Christ. We are all united in His deified body. Now, through His divine-human body, the way to the Heavenly Kingdom is open to every human being, for that glorified body stands at the right hand of God the Father, in the heavenly Church, in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Therefore, beloved, let us strive daily to overcome sin and death within ourselves, for every sin from this deceitful world envelops and deceives us. This is why, on the entrance to this temple, we painted the fresco “Jesus Christ – The Place of the Living.” Let me repeat once more: in Christ, beloved, we are all alive. And please, remember the proverb we mentioned today. We should make it relevant again, for today we remember many useless anecdotes and sayings but have forgotten the old, soul-saving ones that our ancestors used to guide us toward the Kingdom of Heaven. Let this precious heritage from our forebears become the motto of our lives: “O world, deceitful world, blessed is the one who defeats you.”
May you all be blessed and well!
