The Most Holy Theotokos will never forget us, because She became the Mother of the eternal Love. An amazing and inexplicable mystery which should be accepted with faith, just like Theotokos accepted with faith the mystery of our Lord’s incarnation. Namely, when Archangel Gabriel revealed this great mystery to Her that She was to give birth to a Son and He would be called Emanuel, which means “God is with us”, the Immaculate Virgin asked with faith and simplicity of heart: How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (Luke 1, 34). So, when She heard from the Archangel about the Divine plan for salvation, She continued in the same humble manner: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word! (Luke 1, 38). Just look how strong Her faith is! The kind of faith that no one before had, starting with Adam and all the way up to present day. Not the Prophets, neither the righteous ones, nor the Apostles and martyrs, not even the Angels. When the angelic orders were put to a trial, part of them fell together with the satan and turned into demons. That’s why no one and nothing could be compared to the Most Pure Theotokos, regarding the faith, the purity of soul and devotion to God. It’s not by chance that the Church praises Her as “the more honorable than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim”.
Archimandrite Parthenius
(Extract from the Dormition sermon)
