The Birth of Our Lady

About the birth of our Lady, the Virgin #Mary. (Part 2) Both Hannah and Jacob were God-fearing people who lived by the law, and God had chosen them. Since Hannah was barren, they went to God's house every day and begged for a child who would be a delight to their eyes and a hope for their hearts. One day when they were sad and praying, they saw doves happily playing with their children. Hannah cried bitterly and said, "O my Lord, who gave a child for an animal who has no conscience? Why did you not bless me with a child?" They immediately started fasting and private retreat. Jacob went to the desert and prayed, while Hannah started in the garden around her house. At the end of their fasting and private retreat, they both saw a vision and spoke. The seven heavens appeared like a veil, and they told Hannah that she saw a white bird come down from the upper sky and sit on her head. The secret of the vision is that when the physical word called "Mif(ምፍ)" is Christ, and his whiteness is his purity. Hannah said, "I saw him come down from above and sit on my head." The fullness of our Lord is the interpretation of the seven heavens. Hannah also told her husband about a vision she had, in which she saw a white dove sitting on her head, entering her ear, and sleeping in her womb. The secret behind this vision is that the Holy Virgin Mary is symbolized by a dove - a representation of her purity, holiness, and eternal virginity. In Hannah's vision, the white dove came down from her head, entered her ear, and rested in her womb. It was then that she heard the voice of the Archangel Gabriel in her ear, asking her if she would give birth to the pure dove that would conceive God through the Holy Spirit. After Jacob and Hannah saw this vision on July 30th, they said, "If we have a son, he will be dedicated to serve the house of God. And if we have a daughter, we will make a veil for God's house and she will serve there." After they swore that they saw a vision, they did not meet again that day. The God who said to Adam and Eve, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth" also granted this to them. It was not only because Hannah and Joachim entered into fasting and private retreat to complete the mourning of the court, but it was also because of their piety and devotion to God that they were granted such a blessing. This event marked a new era in the history of mankind, and through the incarnation of Christ, God's plan for salvation was revealed. In truth, many prophets announced the Sabbath and sanctified fasting. Jeremiah said that the seven days are one day, Daniel said that the seven weeks are one period of withdrawal from worldly affairs, and Enoch spoke many prophecies, counting the seven generations as one one period of withdrawal from worldly affairs. But the idea of all is the same, to reach the time of the virgin. The cry of all these ended with the cry of Hannah and Jacob. On the thirteenth day of the month of August, the archangel Gabriel appeared to Hana and announced, "You will give birth to a daughter who is greater than any human and more glorious than all the angels." And so it was by the will of God that the conception of Our Lady took place on Sunday, August 13th. Although the festival of the Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary is celebrated all over the world, the ancient and apostolic Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, where the head of God was conceived, celebrates it with great splendor on August 13th in Mahlet. The holiday is known as "Conception of Mary" and is also celebrated by Christians around the world as "The Conception of the Theotokos," but they observe it on December 9th in preparation for celebrating her birth. About the status of the #world Question፦ Why is the world the way it is today? Answer፦ The state of the world today can be attributed to a combination of human disobedience and forgetting the purpose for which we were created. The world encompasses not only the physical realm but also the people and their nature within it. In the Bible, we are instructed not to love the world in the sense of embracing its sinful aspects such as theft, adultery, and lying. However, we are also reminded that God loved the world, referring to His love for humanity. In the teachings of the Church Fathers, the term "world" is often used to denote the people living in the world, including sinners, whom God desires to save. When the Church Fathers used parables, they often referred to the owner of a house as a way to explain concepts. Similarly, God loved the inhabitants of the world, including sinners, and sought to save them. However, when individuals deviate from doing good and engage in actions that distance them from God, chaos and separation from His grace ensue. Examples of such actions include engaging in homosexual behavior, worshipping evil spirits, and other forms of moral decay. The root cause of this state of affairs lies in humanity's forgetfulness of its divine purpose. Mankind was created to reflect and emulate God's image and likeness, and our purpose is to praise Him and inherit His kingdom. However, humanity, weakened by its inherent limitations, deviated from its intended path. Humans were created with the potential to be like the holy angels, to exist in a state of communion with God. Yet, through disobedience, humans erred and lost their rightful place. Consequently, they became wandering refugees, estranged from God's grace, and inclined toward embracing evil rather than goodness. When humans were initially created, they were not destined for pain and suffering. Instead, mankind brought about these hardships through its own actions. In response, God, in His infinite love, took on human form, experienced death, and rose from the dead to redeem and elevate humanity. Despite God's sacrificial act, there remain individuals who refuse to acknowledge the path that leads to God, falling into sin and aligning themselves with evil. Many people disregard the instructions given to us and engage in what they have been cautioned against. Adam, the progenitor of humanity, lived in harmony for seven years by faithfully adhering to God's commands. However, after that time, he succumbed to temptation, committing the act he was forbidden from doing. As a consequence, he became a wanderer, losing his place alongside God and in paradise. Adam's transgression introduced scandal and discord into the world. Nevertheless, Adam repented for his mistake and reconciled with God. As St. Paul emphasized in his letter to the Romans (5:10), "While we were God's enemies, he forgave us through the death of his Son." The underlying reason for all these afflictions is humanity's separation from God. However, despite humanity's inclination to stray from purity and holiness, there is always an opportunity for repentance. The Orthodox tradition teaches that through repentance, one can bridge the gap and restore their relationship with God. St. John the Baptist, known as the Forerunner, proclaimed, "It is better to raise a person who has fallen into sin by means of repentance than to raise the dead." This highlights the transformative power of repentance, which enables us to live in communion with God once again. In summary, the current state of the world can be attributed to humanity's forgetfulness of its purpose and disobedience to God's commandments. Yet, despite our waywardness, God's love and desire for our salvation remain constant. May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Follow our Telegram group every day and share it with your friends: https://t.me/orthodoxQnAs