Thursday, July 2, 2020

"You have given us Your Mother, O Lover of mankind, as a help to Your servants..."

The Mosaic of the Theotokos and Christ from the Apse of the Great Church of Christ: Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople (source)
  
You have given us Your Mother, O Lover of mankind, as a help to Your servants, as the Compassionate One, through whom You worked Your economy in an awesome manner, and You raised up our first-formed father to a divine rank. Therefore, as we honor this all-sacred festival, we hymn Your might, O All-mighty Jesus.
  
Mosaic from Hagia Sophia depicting Christ and the Theotokos, before the Holy Emperors Justinian and Constantine the Great (source)
  
The City that honors you, and glorifies you out of need, is cared by you through your precious Robe, O All-hymned [Theotokos], and O Spotless One, she is ever delivered from the most godless barbarians, from famine and earthquake, from civil war, O unwedded Virgin, and therefore she glorifies you, O Panagia and Bride of God, the helper of mankind.
  
Another mosaic from Hagia Sophia of the Theotokos and Christ (source)
  
Your precious Robe was granted to your City, O Lady graced by God, as an eternal treasure, a protection and pride and an unassailable wall, and a treasury of healings, and an ever-flowing spring of wonders, as an eternal harbor of salvation for those who are storm-tossed, and therefore we hymn you, O All-hymned Lady.
  
-Prosomoia of the Stichera from the Feast of the Deposition of the Robe of the Theotokos

(source)
  
On a sad day when the Turkish government votes to turn Hagia Sophia once again into a mosque, we pray that Most-Holy Theotokos might ever protect the Christians and their lands throughout the world, and most-importantly, that she might intercede that we be granted Paradise! (source)
  
Most-Holy Theotokos, save us!

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