The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos:
V. Rev. Frank Paul Mayernick, October 2004 Message


Efharisto!

We thank the Lord above for all our dear precious friends. St. Athanasios’s Chapel community sends a heartfelt thank you to all who sent their best wishes to us during and after Ivan (the terrible) Hurricane. Our Chapel received many e-mails and phone calls expressing concern and hoping the Chapel was spared any major damage during the terrible storm. The Lord helped us and protected our beloved Chapel. The Lord blessed us! Efharisto, once again, to all for your prayers. St. Athanasios pray for us! God save us!

The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos: We begin the month of October celebrating the miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary on October 1st. The Hymns for this day teaches us that the Virgin is our Helper. “Today the Virgin stands in the midst of the Church and with choirs of Saints she invisibly prays to God for us. Angels and Bishops venerate Her, Apostles and the prophets rejoice together, since for our sake she prays to the Eternal God!” The miraculous appearance of the mother of God occurred in the mid-tenth century in Constantinople, in the Blachernae Church where her robe, veil, and part of her belt were preserved after being transferred from Palestine in the fifth century.

The Virgin took her veil and spread it over the people praying in Church, protecting them from enemies both visible and invisible. St. Andrew gazed trembling at the miraculous vision and asked his disciple, the blessed Epiphanios standing beside him, “Do you see, brother, the Holy Theotokos, praying for the entire world?” Epiphanios answered, “I do see, holy Father, and I am in awe.”

The two saintly men saw this vision and they were in awe. How much more will you be in awe when you come to the Chapel for prayer. Come and experience the miraculous wonders that God has in store for you at the Chapel of St. Athanasios.