Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center The Theotokos

"Theotokos" is the highest title given to Mary.
In 431, the Third Ecumenical Council upheld the true doctrine that Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is both fully Holy God and fully Man.

"Theotokos" is a Greek word made up of two parts. The prefix "Theo" means God and the word "tokos" means "carrier or bearer in the womb" (birth mother). (Tokos can only refer to a birth mother.) Then, the word "Theotokos" means "carrier or bearer of God in her womb (birth mother)" or "she who bore God".
The Ever-Virgin Mary was the carrier or bearer (birth mother) of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, the son of God and the second person in the Holy Trinity. The Theotokos carried Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ from His Incarnation (conception according to the Flesh) to His Nativity (birth according to the Flesh). Therefore, Mary can rightly be called "Theotokos" or "God-bearer."

The term "Theotokos" does not imply that Mary contributed anything to the divine nature of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The term "Theotokos" merely affirms the belief that the person to whom she gave birth is without division both God and a human being.

Mary, the mother of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ is the "Theotokos".
She is NOT the "Christotokos". The prefix "Christo" means "Christ" and the word "tokos" means "carrier or bearer in the womb" (birth mother). Then, the word "Christotokos" means "carrier or bearer of Christ in her womb (birth mother)".
Mary was called "Christotokos" (Mother of Christ) by Nestorius and his followers. They believed that Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was a very holy man sent by God, but was not Himself the Holy Son of Holy God, that is Holy God the Holy Son.

Honor

Because of The Theotokos’ unique role and unique relationship with Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, she has a special place of honor. We are awed by the mystery that her womb contained the uncontainable Holy God. Hymns proclaim The Theotokos to be “higher in honor than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim”.

Biography

Major events in the life of The Theotokos are commemorated on Great Feast days. They are listed at the bottom of the page.

Parents

The Theotokos' mother was The Ancester of Christ, Ann and her father was The Ancester of Christ, Joachim. They are the grandparents according to the flesh of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dormition

The Theotokos left this earthly life and was taken into heaven in a miraculous way: both body and soul. Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ received her soul and body into heaven. The Theotokos left behind an empty tomb filled with the fragrance of flowers.
For More Information Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos

The Theotokos' Childhood Home in Jerusalem and St. Anne Seminary

Supposely, the Jerusalem home of the parents of The Theotokos, The Ancesters of Christ, Ann and Joachim, was near the Pool of Bethesda.

St. Anne Seminary was located on the grounds of the the "White Fathers" or "The Society of Missionaries of Africa"property on the “Via Dolorosa” near "Lion's Gate" / "St. Stephen's Gate" / "Bab al-Asbat". This complex includes “St. Anne’s Church”, which was built on the traditional site of The Theotokos’ childhood home, and the “Pools of Bethesda”, which is the traditional site of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ curing the paralyzed man. (Jn. 5: 1-15)

Name in the Gospels

In the Gospels, The Theotokos is called simply "the Mother of Jesus."

Additional Name

The phrase "Sitt Mariam" is sometimes used to refer to The Theotokos.
The word "Sitt" means "lady" in Aramaic and Arabic. "Sitt" is a title of respect for a honored female human, a "lady".

Letters on the Ikons

In Greek, the bar above the letters means a contraction/abbreviation.
On ikons of The Theotokos, often the "MP" (with the bar above them) is on the left of her and the "OY" (with the bar above them) is on the right of her.
The letters "MP OY" (with the bar above them) is the Greek contraction/abbreviation for "Meter Theou" or Mother of God..
The letters MP OY with the abbreviation bar

Nicene Creed

The Theotokos is mentioned in the Nicene Creed.

"I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotton Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages: Light of light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried; who rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and is enthroned at the right hand of the Father; who will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; and of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I profess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come." Amen.

Great Feast Days

Major events in the life of The Theotokos are commemorated on Great Feast days. The order is the chronological, from Nativity to Dormition.

All The Theotokos's Great Feasts are Class 2.

The Theotokos's Great Feasts
Feast	Event Commem- orated	Action of Event	Significance of Event	Celebrate	Apostolos	Gospel	Date	Class
Nativity of Theotokos	Future Theotokos' birth	Future Theotokos being born.	Beginning of work of salvation, because she was to be Theotokos.	Theotokos birthday.	Phil. 2:5-11	Lk. 10:38-42, 11:27-28	8 Sept.	Great Feast Class 2
Entrance of Theotokos into Temple	Future Theotokos' entrance into Temple.	Future Theotokos entering unaided into Temple's Holy of Holies.	Future Temple of Holy God enters into His Temple's Holy of Holies	Future Theotokos's union with Holy God.	Heb. 9:1-7	Lk. 10:38-42, 11:27-28	21 Nov.	Great Feast Class 2
ºHoly Hypapanty of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ ºPurifi- cation of Theotokos	ºJesus Christ's presen- tation at Temple. ºTheotokos' purification.	Theotokos bringing Jesus Christ to Temple at prescribed time for prescribed rituals.	Messiah's first meeting with His people.	A step in process of our redemption.	Heb. 7:7-17	Lk. 2:22-40	2 Feb.	Great Feast Class 2
Annun- ciation of Theotokos Ever Virgin Mary	Jesus Christ's conception in human form Incar- nation.	Future Theotokos' accepting Holy God's will saying yes to Holy God.	Holy God becomes human Incar- nation.	Beginning of process of our redemption.	Heb. 2:11-18	Lk. 1:24-38	25 March	Great Feast Class 2
Dormition of Theotokos	Theotokos' going to heaven.	Holy God's taking Theotokos' body and soul into heaven.	Preview of transfig- uration that awaits all of us in the Kingdom to come.	Possi- bility of our "eternal life".	Phil. 2:5-11	Lk. 10:38-42, 11:27-28	15 Aug.	Great Feast Class 2

Minor Feast Days

Prayers

Hymns on Web

Chantez au Seigneur un Chant Chantez au Seigneur un Chant Chantez au Seigneur un Chant Nouveau St Jean Chrysostome Brussels, Belgium

Greek Catholic, Melkite Al-Bushra

Sing Mary, Number 1 Mary
Sing Mary, Number 2 Mary

General Information

Theotokos - Mother of God Please click on link on Resouce Center in the left hand index.
Within the Resource Center, please click on Theotokos - Mother of God, Sts. Peter and Paul Melkite Catholic Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The Ikon of the Sign

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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