About the Virgin #Mary; the Covenant of Mercy
Dear members of John's Repentance service, today is the monthly feast of our Lady the Virgin Mary, which is named Covenant of Mercy (ኪዳነ ምህረት). Today we celebrate the Theotokos, who formed an ineffable Covenant of Mercy with the Almighty. We hence send you a lesson on the Theotokos so you can read and participate in the blessings of this day.
Let us delve into sacred scripture, for in the Psalm of David, chapter 89 verse 3, it was proclaimed: “I have made a covenant with my chosen one.” The Virgin Mary, the unblemished Mother of God, stood as a sentinel of ceaseless prayer upon the hallowed grounds of Golgotha where the precious body of her Son once laid. For fifteen years after our Lord's ascension, she devoted herself, with the ardor of a thousand suns, to the intercession for the salvation of our souls.
Oh, what wondrous tales do the ancient tongues whisper of that fateful day, the sixteenth of February, when the celestial host descended! Led by our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the holy angels carried the Virgin to the very heavens. She beheld with her immaculate eyes the dwelling places of the prophets and the saints. Her heart overflowed with joy and she magnified the Lord.
But lo, her heart was soon to be stricken with sorrow. The angels showed her the abyss of despair, where the souls of the hapless were enveloped in the shadow of eternal flame. Wretched and forlorn, they cried out. The Virgin's heart, pure as the driven snow, wept for them.
Returning to the sacred earth, near the tomb of her beloved Son, the Virgin implored the Saviour. Her plea was as the sweetest hymn, a balm to the Heavens. She spoke, “By the manger wherein You were cradled, by the swaddling cloth that embraced You, by the very steps I took by Your side through our sojourn, I beseech You, O Lord, hearken to the humble entreaties of Your handmaiden."
Our Lady sought grace for those who hold her dear, who serve in the temples, who clothe themselves in her honor, who tend to the afflicted, who nourish the hungry, and console the mourning. For these acts of kindness render joy unto her heart, and in turn, may they be blessed with graces unimaginable, with glories unseen and unheard by human senses.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in His infinite mercy, responded, “As surely as I took on flesh to fulfill the yearnings of your heart, everything you ask shall be granted. I, Emmanuel, do solemnly swear, that My covenant shall never be shattered.”
Thus, my brethren, let us be inspired to lives of piety and charity. Our Lady, who gave birth to God in her chaste womb, she, who remains steadfast as a rock, calls us into her fellowship. How magnificent are the fruits of her womb, and oh, how exalted are those who partake in them!
Through these sacred teachings, we are brought closer to salvation. May the Virgin Mary's intercessions be a refuge, and her boundless love guide us through the tempests of this earthly sojourn.
May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every language that He has created, today and always.
May the blessings of the Holy Mother of God, the Virgin, and the Cross be upon us. Amen.
© John's Repentance
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