The Veneration of St Mary

We venerate the most holy virgin St Mary, for she is the Mother of God (Theotokos) God’s bearer.

As the Angel in the annunciation, explained to her the mystery of the incarnation saying: “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you; therefore also The Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” Luke1:35

The Coptic Church calls St Mary, the laboratory of union, stressing the fact that when the Logos, The Word of God was incarnate, His divinity was united with His humanity in the womb of St Mary. That unity of the two natures in the one nature of the incarnate word of God is without mingling, without alteration and without transmutation. “Without controversy, great is the mystery of goodliness: God was manifested in the flesh.” 1Timothy 3:16

The Titles of St Mary.

A: Titles related to Her Motherhood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

  1. The Mother of the True Light. John 1:9
  2. The Mother of the Light of the World. John 8:12
  3. The Mother of the Holy One. Luke 1:35
  4. The Mother of the Saviour. Luke 2: 11
  5. The Mother of God. Romans 9:5

B: Titles related to God’s Incarnation from Her.

  1. City of God or Zion. Psalm 87
  2. The Pot of Manna. John 6:58
  3. The Ark of Covenant. Exodus 25: 10-22
  4. Jacob’s ladder. Genesis 28:12
  5. The Burning bush. Exodus 3
  6. The Golden Censor.
  7. The Second Heaven
  8. The Tabernacle.

Feasts of St Mary

St Mary occupies the highest place in the veneration of the saints in the Coptic Orthodox church tradition. This is evident in the number of feasts that the church celebrates for her and the events in her life.

In addition, we have a fast for two weeks that is called after her name to, which is well kept by Copts young and old.

  1. The annunciation of her birth to her parents. 7th
  2. Her Birth. 1st Bashans
  3. Her Presentation to the temple. 3rd Kiahk
  4. Her Departure. 21st Toba
  5. The assumption of her body. 16th (the end of the two weeks fast called after name)
  6. The Consecration of the very first church called after her name in Philippi. 21st Ba’ouna.
  7. Her appearance in her church in Zaiton, Cairo. 2nd
  8. The monthly commemoration of St Mary every 21st of each Coptic month.

Great is the Honour of The Most Holy St Mary, the perpetual virgin who was greeted by Elizabeth saying: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb…Blessed is she who believed for there will be a fulfilment of those things, which were told her from The Lord. Luke 1: 42,45.

May Her Intercessions be with us all, Amen.

Dr Ghaly Hanna