Comparative Theology, book by H. H. Pope Shenouda III

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III






Difference between the Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Intercessions of the Saints


Intercession

Our Protestant brethren reject intercessions of the Virgin Mary or of the angels or of the saints they base their rejection on Saint John the Apostle: "... we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1John.2: 1) and the words of the Apostle Paul: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1Tim.2: 5).
(1) In fact there is a fundamental difference between the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ and the intercessions of the saints

The mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ is an atonement, which means that He mediates for the forgiveness of our sins, being the Atoner who paid our debts on our behalf. His mediation means that He says to the Father: "Do not count their transgressions because I have carried their iniquity" (Is.53:6). Thus He stands as a Mediator between God and men; or rather, He is the only Mediator between God and men; He fulfilled God’s Divine Justice and granted people the forgiveness of sins, by dying for them.



This is what St. John the Apostle meant when he said: "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1John.2: 1,2). Here, the atoning mediation is very clear. It is a
mediation for the sinner: "If anyone sins", and this sinner needs atonement. The only One who offered this atonement was Jesus Christ the righteous. Hence He can mediate for us through His blood which was shed for us.
The same meaning is given in the words of St. Paul the Apostle about the Lord Jesus Christ being the only Mediator between God and men. He says: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all" (1Tim.2: 5,6). The Lord Jesus Christ mediates for us as the Redeemer who sacrificed Himself and paid the price of our sins.
This type of mediation is utterly unquestionable. It is attributed to Christ only, whereas the intercessions of the saints has no connection with atonement or redemption. It is intercessions for us to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

(2)The intercessions of the saints for us are merely praying for us; they are of the pleading type, which is completely different to Christ's atoning mediation

This is sanctioned by the Holy Bible which says: "...pray for one another" (Jas.5: 16). The saints themselves asked people to pray for them. St. Paul said to the Thessalonians: "...pray for us" (2Thess.3: 1) and asked the Hebrews the same request: "Pray for us" (Heb.13: 18). He also said to the Ephesians: "...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints - and for me" (Eph.6: 18,19),

. The request to pray for one another is countless in the Holy Bible. If the saints ask us to pray for them, shall we not ask them to pray for us? If we ask the prayers of those who are still in their spiritual combats, 44 subject to sufferings like ourselves", shall we not ask the prayers of the saints who completed their striving and departed to Paradise, living with Christ? Or have these saints been demoted after their departure from earth to Paradise so that we are only allowed to ask their prayers when they are on earth and forbidden to do so when they are in Paradise close to God? If we ask the prayers of human beings, is it too much to ask the prayers of the angels?

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III






Examples of Intercession


(3) God requests people to ask the intercession of the righteous
God Himself asks that, accepts it and paves the way for it to happen. I will give you some examples of such intercessions that God accepted:

(a) The story of our Father Abraham and King Abimelech. Abimelech made a mistake and took Sarah, Abraham's wife, into his palace. He did so with a clear conscience because Abraham said that she was his sister. The Lord came to Abimelech in a dream, threatened him with death and said to him: "Now therefore, restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live" (Gen.20: 7). God could have forgiven Abimelech as soon as he returned Sarah to her husband. However, He put a condition for His forgiveness: Abimelech would be forgiven and would live provided that Abraham would pray for him. Thus God asked for the intercession of Abraham and made it a condition for forgiving Abimelech.
(b) The story of Job and his three friends. In the same
way, the Lord conditioned the intercession and prayer of Job for his three friends so that He would forgive them. Concerning this, the Holy Bible says: "...the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly' " (Job.42: 7,8).
In both events God Himself spoke to the erring person. However, He did not grant him forgiveness directly but conditioned the forgiveness to the prayer of the saint for the sinner so that the sinner might receive forgiveness and the saint would be venerated in the eyes of people. God not only accepts this mediation but rather asks for it.

(c) The intercession of Abraham for Sodom. God could have punished Sodom without letting Abraham know about the matter. Abraham did not intervene on his own accord, but the Lord revealed the matter to him, involved him in it, gave him an opportunity to plead for the people of Sodom and accepted his intercession. God willed that this event be recorded to exalt Abraham in the eyes of all people and to show us how He venerates His saints. The Holy Bible says: "And the Lord said,
'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing' " (Gen.18: 17). Then the Lord presented to Abraham the subject of Sodom, gave him the opportunity to intercede for its people in the hope that there existed in the Country fifty or forty or thirty or twenty or ten righteous persons for whose sake the Lord would not destroy the whole Country.

The mere fact that the Lord would not destroy the Country for the sake of the righteous who lived in it gives us an idea not only of Abraham's dignity but also of the dignity of those righteous in front of the Lord. The Lord said: "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes... If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it... I will not do it for the sake of forty... I will not do it if I find thirty there... I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty... I will not destroy it for the sake of ten" (Gen.18: 26-32).
The phrase 'for the sake of" has its divine value which signifies that God saves persons for the sake of others and it is also a clear proof of the mediation of the righteous for the sake of sinners. The Lord accepts this mediation without the beneficiaries asking for it.

(d) The intercession of Moses for the people of Israel.
God willed to destroy the people because they worshipped the golden calf. Yet He did not do it directly but revealed the matter to Moses the Prophet, gave him a chance to intercede for the people and accepted his intercession.
In the same way that Abraham said to God: "Far be it from You", Moses said to Him: "Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self. " Then the Bible says: "So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people" (Ex.32: 7-14).

(e) The departed have greater favour with God. The above are examples of prayers of living persons for the sake of living persons. As for the departed, they have greater favour with God to the extent that He has mercy on people for their sake even without them praying. How much more then if they do pray for someone?
Examples of this are the merciful and compassionate works God did for the sake of His servant David. When Solomon sinned, God decided to tear his kingdom away from him, but He said about the division of the kingdom: "Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear away the whole kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen" (1Kin. 11: 12,13).
The Lord repeated the same words in His speech to Jeroboam: "Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel). However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes" (1Kin.11: 31,32,34).


In one chapter the Lord repeats the phrase 'for the sake of My servant David" three times. That is why the Psalmist prayed to Him, saying: "For Your servant David's sake, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed" (Ps. 132: 10).
If David has such favour with God, how much more has the Virgin Mary, the angels, John the Baptist who is the greatest born of women, and the martyrs who were tortured and tasted death for the sake of the Lord?
Therefore, since we ask the prayers of our fellows on earth, why do we not ask the prayers of those whom "shine like the brightness of the firmament" (Dan.12: 3)? And why do we not ask the prayers of those who fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith (2Tim:4: 7)?
If intercession, which is prayer, is considered mediation, and if every mediation is unacceptable, then every man's prayer for the sake of another is an unacceptable mediation since we have only one Mediator!
In refusing the mediation in prayers, on the pretext that the relationship between God and man is a direct one which in the Divine love does not need the prayers of others, then the Apostle would be wrong (far from it) in saying, "pray for one another" (Jas.5: 16)!
Accordingly, prayers for the sake of others which are mentioned in the Holy Bible are meaningless and not in accord with the Divine love!
Because God loves people, He does not need others to pray to Him for the sake of His children to remind Him of His Providence and Paternal love!
Those who think in this way misunderstand the Divine design when God asked Abimelech to let Abraham pray for him (Gen.20: 7) and when He asked Job's friends to let Job pray for them (Job.42: 8).
The prayers of men for each other (whether they have departed or are still striving in the flesh) is a manifestation of the mutual love which exists between humans; a proof of man's belief that those who have departed are still living and that their prayers are accepted by God, and an indication that God venerates His saints.
God permits intercession for the benefit of men and this intercession rears a bridge between the inhabitants of heaven and those on earth,

Heaven is no longer an unknown and frightful place to people but they have come to believe in the work and love of the saints' souls.
The following are important questions frequently asked by those who deny intercession:

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Do angels and saints know our condition on earth?

Do the souls of the saints know our condition? Do our prayers reach them?
We reply in the affirmative. The proofs are:
(a) There is no doubt that knowledge in heaven is greater than that on earth. It is surprising that someone asks: Do saints in heaven know our news and our prayers on earth? The Apostle Paul replies, saying: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" (1Cor.13: 12).
So in the next world our knowledge will increase and many secrets will be revealed to us when we take off this body which binds the soul. There, the knowledge of the soul will expand and go beyond the sphere of limited knowledge to a wider sphere. To this knowledge will be added the knowledge revealed by God to the souls, namely, anything that is enclosed within the sphere of the Divine Revelation.
(b) The knowledge of the angels is shown clearly in the Lord's words: "...there will be more joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance" (Lk.15: 7).

This means that the news of the earth reaches the inhabitants of heaven, whether the angels or the souls of the saints. They know who repents and who needs repentance, and they rejoice over the repentance of one sinner. Unless they know the news of the earth, how could they rejoice?

(c) The angels know our prayers because they carry them to God's throne. There are numerous text-proofs in the Book of Revelation. It is written: "Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of all the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand" (Rev.8: 3,4). Here we see the prayers of the saints ascending before God from the angel's hand and censer. So how can the angels not know our prayers?

Likewise, the twenty-four priests know our prayers and ascend them before God. In the Book of Revelation, it is written: "...the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev.5: 8). This is proof that they know the prayers which they ascend to God.

Similarly are the angels of little children of whom the Lord Jesus Christ said: "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matt.18: 10).

(d) The story of Abraham, the rich man and Lazarus(Lk.16). our Father Abraham said to the rich man: "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things" (Lk.16: 25),


. How did our Father Abraham know the evil things which Lazarus endured? How did he know the good things the rich man received? How did he know that the rich man's family "have Moses and the Prophets", when he had departed from earth hundreds of years before Moses and the rest of the prophets? How did he know all that? How could Abraham, of whom the Lord said: "Your father Abraham our rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad" (John.8: 56), not know?

(e) A testimony from the souls of the martyrs: St. John says in the Book of Revelation: "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony for which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' And a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed" (Rev. 6: 9-11). Therefore the martyrs know, after their death, that the Lord has not yet avenged their blood. They cried with a loud voice to God, saying: "How long will You let the evil prevail on earth? Until when are You going to let the strong in body destroy Your children? Until when will they keep on shedding this blood?" How do they know all these things? They do know, and when the number of their fellow servants are completed, they will know.

(f) The amazing story about the Prophet Elijah (2Chr. 2l): It is written in the Book of Chronicles that King Jehoram killed all his brothers, walked in the ways of King Ahab, built high places on the hills of Judah, caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and led Judah astray. Then he received a letter from the Prophet Elijah who had departed from earth and ascended to heaven many years before. The letter he received from the Prophet
Elijah read: "Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel… the Lord will strike your people" (2Chr.21: 12-14). How did that happen? How did Elijah, after his departure from earth, know what was happening? How did he send his letter to Jehoram?

(5) The greatness, knowledge and ministry of the saints

(a) During his lifetime, Samuel the Prophet was consulted about a lost donkey. It was said about him: "...there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go" (1Sam.9: 6). If the man of God, while he was on earth, knew the unseen, how much more would his soul know in heaven!

(b) When Elisha was on earth, he perceived what Gehazi did in secret when he accepted the gifts from Naaman the Syrian (2Kin.5: 25-27).

(c) One of the officers of the King of Aram said about Elisha to his master the king: "...but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom" (2Kin.6: 12).

(d) Elisha perceived, at the time of the famine, that the King of Israel had sent a messenger to kill him (2Kin.6: 32). If Elisha, while still in the flesh, had the gift of knowing secret things, how much more would he know in heaven after putting off his body?

(e) Likewise, St. Peter the Apostle knew what Ananius and Sapphira did in secret. He disclosed it to them and punished them (Acts 5: 3,9).
(f) Also, St. Paul knew that after he would leave, savage wolves would come in among the Ephesians and would not spare the flock (Acts 20: 29).

If the Apostles knew that much while they were still in the flesh, how much more would the Lord reveal to them in heaven!

These saints have knowledge and have a message for people. Their life, which started on earth did not end with their departure to heaven. We ask them to intervene more than we ask those who are still striving on earth like ourselves and have not yet departed.

(6) Other examples of the greatness of the saints

(a) The bones of the Prophet Elisha were capable of performing a great deed. They were a blessing and brought a dead person back to life by mere contact, without prayer; they were only bones with no life in them (2Kin.13: 21). How much more effect would Elisha's soul have in heaven? Undoubtedly his soul is more powerful than his bones; having more knowledge and having more favour with the Lord! How much more effect would the souls of saints similar to Elisha, have in heaven?

(b) If the handkerchiefs and aprons which touched Paul's body had the blessing of healing many sick and of driving out many demons (Acts 19:12), how much more blessing would his soul and the souls of saints similar to him, have in heaven?

(7) The saints who departed are still living

The Lord explained this fact when He said: "...have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Matt.22: 31,32). Therefore those saints are still living. Why should we consider them dead and not ask their prayers?

We should not forget as well the appearance of Moses and Elijah with the Lord Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses died fourteen centuries before the birth of Christ and is still living just as Elijah who was taken up to heaven. Their souls did not die; they are in Paradise and they see more than we do.

(8) Examples of the intercession of the angels

There are two examples in the Book of the Prophet Zechariah: (a) The intercession of the angel for the sake of Jerusalem: The angel prayed and said: "O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?" (Zech.1: 12) If the angel interceded for Jerusalem even without the latter asking him to, how much more will he intercede if you ask him for his prayers?

(b) The intercession of the angel of the Lord for the sake of Joshua the high priest: The angel stood against Satan who was going to bring an accusation against Joshua, and said to him: "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (Zech.3: 1,2)

(c) Another example is in the Book of Genesis: An angel of the Lord guarded and saved Jacob. Jacob talked about him when he was blessing Ephraim and Manasseh and said: "The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads" (Gen.48: 16).
(d) We should not forget that the Holy Bible said about the angels: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (He.1: 14) This means that they have a work to perform for the people on earth.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

The saints' favour with the Lord

(a) We ask the intercession of the saints because of the great favour they have with the Lord who loves them and puts them in charge of merciful deeds for the sake of men. Also because of the greater knowledge and extensive capabilities their souls enjoy after leaving their bodies.
(b) Whilst talking about the saints' favour with the Lord, we mention that God sometimes associated His name with their names. He said: "I am the God of your father - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Ex.3: 6).

(c) That is why the saints used to remind the Lord of His saints so that His compassionate and merciful heart would be moved immediately on hearing their names and remembering His promises to them, and we have discussed this issue before here on st-takla.org in other pages. In interceding for the people of Israel to be saved from perishing, Moses the Prophet said to the Lord: "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven' " (Ex.32: 13).
(d) We recall that when King Hazael of Syria oppressed the Israelites, the Holy Bible says: "But the Lord was gracious to
them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence" (2 Kin. 13: 23).

(e) On the subject of the saints' favour with the Lord, we present the example of God's reproach to Aaron and Miriam when they criticized Moses. The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and said to Aaron and Miriam in front of Moses: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision, and I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?" (Num.12: 68)

(f) Another example of the saints' favour with the Lord is the Lord's words to His Apostles: "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me" (Lk.10: 16) and "If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour" (John.12: 26).

(10) Objections and replies

(a) It is said that in asking the intercession of the saints, we pray to them. We reply that we do not pray to the saints; we only ask their prayers and their support for us. Our talk to the Virgin Mary is not a prayer to her but it is a filial talk from children to their mother; a sort of confiding the secrets of our hearts to her and not praying to her. We kindly request her intercession for us as she is the Queen who sits at the right hand of the King.

(b) It is said that intercession is a sort of mediation. We see nothing wrong with that, as God Himself accepted mediation and He demanded it. He asked Abimelech to let Abraham pray for him so that he would live (Gen.20: 7), and He asked Job's friends to let Job pray for them lest He treat them according to their follies (Job.42: 8). He allowed Abraham to plead for Sodom (Gen. 18) and allowed Moses to plead for the sake of the people of Israel. He listened to them and accepted their pleadings.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







The spirituality of asking the prayers of the saints
(a) Asking the intercession of the saints implies belief in the life to come; belief that the departed are still living and have their work to perform; belief in the constant relationship between heaven and earth, and belief in venerating the saints who are venerated by God Himself.
(b) Intercession is a fellowship of love between the members of the One Body. The Church is the body, Christ is the Head and all of us, whether on earth or in heaven, are members of the One Body. Love, prayers and fellowship are peretually exchanged between the members of the One and same Body. We plead for the departed in our prayers and they intercede for us through their prayers; it is an inseparable relationship.
It is regrettable that people who object to intercession seem adamant to destroy this fellowship. They resist our for the sake of the departed and their prayers or intercessions for us? Does the love relationship between God the Father and every believer contradicts the existence of love relationship between God's children? Did the Lord Jesus Christ not ask the Father: "...that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us... that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one" (John.17: 21, 23)?
(c) Intercession is beneficial. Whoever denies it loses its benefits and gains nothing in lieu. Those who believe in intercession benefit from the love relationship between them and the saints. They benefit from the mere connection with the souls of those who have departed. They add to their own prayers the more profound and powerful prayers of those abiding in the next world, without any loss on their part.

However, those who deny intercessions of the saints lose this relationship and these prayers without gaining anything in stead. They lose a simple and an uncomplicated belief manifested by those who celebrate the feasts of the saints, visit their churches and ask their prayers. How would they cope with meeting these saints in the next life after, while they have refused to venerate them or ask their prayers and intercessions?
(d) Intercession entails meekness of heart. The person who asks for intercession is a humble person. He is not conceited about his personal relationship with God, but takes the position of the sinner and the weak who requests the intercession of others for his sake,
. Vice versa is he who denies intercession. He might pompously ask: "What is the difference between me and those saints? The relationship between me and God is too strong to need intercession"! He raises himself to the rank of the saints, martyrs and angels.
Those people will be reproached by the Apostle's words: "Pray for us" (Heb.13: 18) and "...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Eph.6: 18).

(e) Intercession is proof of God's justice in the principle of equal opportunities. If God permits Satan to fight His children, tempt them in false visions and dreams and torments them, so, according to His justice and the principle of equal opportunities, He permits the angels and the souls of the righteous to help His children on earth. Thus God's justice is manifest in the intervention of the souls of those abiding in the next world in the life of men.
If God permitted Satan to harm Job, He also permits angels to bandage the injuries of men and to minister to His children without them asking. How much more if they pray for it! "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Heb.1: 14).
So long as the angels are sent forth for this purpose why should we not ask their intervention to help us while they are near us?

(12) Intercession is a living reality
The intercession of the saints for us is not merely a theological research text-proved from the Holy Bible, but it is a living reality we experience. It is a living history through the generations, narrating the amazing relationship between those who departed and those who are still living on earth. It is a living contact with the saints who truly pity our state more than we do to the extent that sometimes our problems are solved for us due to their intercessions for us without our request or prayers. They understand more than we do and they apply the verse: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" (Rom.12: 15) more than we do.
Intercession is proof of the bond between the members of the Church on earth and the members of the Church in heaven. It is one Church: one part of it is on earth, which we call Church Militant and the other part is in heaven which we call Church Triumphant. Both of them pray for each other.
Those who reject the intercession of the saints are in fact disregarding the marvellous miracles that occurred and are testified to by people, through the prayers of the saints on the occasion of their feasts or in their churches and monasteries. It appears that such dogmatic arguments in theology may of resulted in denial of factual history and day to day facts of life.
It suffices to mention the miracles which occurred by the appearance of the Virgin Mary in her Church at Zeitoon. Whether to Christians or Muslims, and which were documented by the people's oral and written testimonials. Also the miracles which occur in the name of St. George, Archangel Michael and other saints. All these should be sufficient to convince our Protestant brethren in coming to terms with the reality of the intercessions of the saints.
Read the life-stories of the saints and you will come to know about the intervention of the angels and saints in people's lives. You will see how they appear, foretell, give promises and guidance and bring good news of the birth of a saint from a barren mother or of God's choice of a saint for His ministry. As far as these people are concerned, the subject of their relationship with the saints is not a one day and night acquaintance but it is ages-long relationship. It is a relationship we can never destroy. It is a relationship between people, the angels and the saints. This is why many of these people find it difficult to understand the Protestant stance of rejecting the inseparable bond between the Church on earth and its members in heaven.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


The Veneration of St. Mary the Virgin



(1) Our Protestant brethren do not venerate our Lady the Virgin nor do they ask for her intercession. Some of their groups even go to the extent of likening her to the eggshell that loses its value after the chick hatches. This exaggeration in not venerating the Virgin Mary is probably a reaction to the exaggerated veneration given her by the Roman Catholics. Thus our Protestant brethren do not celebrate any of the Virgin's feasts.
(2) Some Protestant groups call the Virgin Mary ‘our sister’.
(3) In addition, our Protestant brethren say that after the Virgin had given birth to the Lord Jesus she consumated her marriage to Joseph and begot children known as Jesus' brothers" or "the Lord's brothers".
(4) Our Protestant brethren also object to some of the titles which our Church gives to our Lady the Virgin.
(5) One of the features which reveals the non-veneration of the Virgin is that, in their translation of the Holy Bible, they
have changed the title given her by the angel from 'full of grace" into "highly favoured". (6) Our Protestant brethren frequently give our Lady the Virgin the title 'Mother of Jesus' instead of 'Mother of God' (Theotokos).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III




Venerating the Virgin Mary

It suffices to mention the Virgin's words which are recorded in the Holy Bible: "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" (Lk.1: 48). The phrase "all generations" means that venerating the Virgin is a universal dogma which commenced at the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ and will continue until the end of ages.
Some of the venerations of the Virgin Mary are recorded in the Holy Bible. For example Elizabeth, who was about the same age as saint Mary’s mother, said to her: "But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy" (Lk1: 43,44). What amazes us here in the Virgin's greatness is that when Elizabeth heard her greeting, she "was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Lk1: 41). The mere hearing of the Virgin's voice caused Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit.



Not only did the Virgin receive veneration from the human race but she also received it from the angels,

. This is clear from Angel Gabrielle’s greeting to her. He said: "Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" (Lk.1: 28) The phrase "Blessed are you among
women" was repeated by Elizabeth in her greeting to the Virgin Mary (Lk.1: 42). In addressing Virgin Mary, Archangel Gabriel used more glorious and venerating manner of speech, more than what was used for Zacharias the priest (Lk1: 13).
There are many prophecies in the Holy Bible that refer to the Virgin Mary. Among them are "At Your right hand stands the Queen" (Ps.45: 9). The Divine Inspiration also says of her: "The royal daughter is all glorious within" (Ps.45: 13). Therefore, the Virgin is the Queen and the daughter of the King. That is why the Coptic Church, in all the icons of the Virgin Mary, portrays her as a crowned queen and places her at the right hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, glory be to Him.

The Church, in her hymns, praises the Virgin, saying: "Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all" (Prov.31:29).

St. Mary the Virgin was the desire of all generations. She is the one whose Offspring was able to "bruise the Serpent's head", thus fulfilling God's first promise of saving man (Gen.3: 15).

As the Virgin is the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, so all the titles of the Lord can be attributed to her motherhood.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the true Light (John.1: 9). He said of Himself. "I am the light of the world" (John.8: 12) Therefore, His mother the Virgin is the Mother of Light or the Mother of the True Light.

Since Christ is the Holy One (Lk.1: 35), thus the Virgin is the Mother of the Holy One.

Since Christ is the Saviour, as it was said to the shepherds:

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk.2: 11), and since His name is Jesus, that is, 'Saviour', because "He will save His people from their sins", therefore the Virgin is the Mother of the Saviour.
Since Christ is God (1John.1); (Rom.9: 5); (John.20: 28), therefore the Virgin is the Mother of God.

Since Christ is the Lord, according to Elizabeth's words to the Virgin Mary: "the mother of my Lord" (Lk1: 43), therefore the Virgin is the Mother of the Lord. In the same way, she is the Mother of Emmanuel (Matt.1: 24) and the Mother of the Word Incarnate (John1: 14).

If the Virgin Mary is the Mother of Christ, then unquestionably, she is the spiritual mother of all Christians. It suffices that when the Lord Jesus Christ was on the cross, He said to St. John, the beloved Apostle, of her: "Behold your mother!" (John.19: 27) If the Virgin is mother to St. John who addresses us, saying: "My little children" (1John.2: 1), therefore she is the mother of us all. Consequently, the title "our sister" is not welcomed and does not deserve a reply because it is unacceptable and illogical to consider the mother of Christ the sister of His children who believe in His name!

Whoever venerates the Virgin is in effect venerating Christ Himself. If to honour one's mother is the first commandment with a promise (Eph.6: 2); (Ex.20: 12); (Deut.5: 16), should we not venerate our mother the Virgin, the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ and the mother of the Apostles? The Virgin is the one to whom the angel said: " The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God" (Lk1: 35). She is the one who was praised by Elizabeth who said: "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Lk.1: 45).
The phrase 'Blessed are you among women', which was said by Angel Gabriel and by St. Elizabeth, means that if the Virgin is compared with all the women of the world she will be the blessed one because none of the women of the world received the glory which she had received through the Divine Incarnation. Undoubtedly, God chose our Lady the Virgin from among all women, because no other woman has ever had the Virgin's qualities. This shows her exaltation and elevated position. That is why Isaiah the Prophet named her 'a cloud' in his prophecy of the Flight into Egypt (Is. 19: 1).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



Titles of Virgin Mary


With regard to God's indwelling in the Virgin during the Incarnation, the Church calls her the Second Heaven and the Tabernacle or the Dome of Moses.
The Church also calls the Virgin the City of God or Zion, as it is said in the psalm: "And of Zion it will be said, 'This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her"' and "Glorious things are spoken of you, 0 city of God!" (Ps. 87)
Since the Lord Jesus said that He resembles the manna because He is the Living Bread that came down from heaven (John.6: 58), therefore, the Church calls the Virgin the Manna Pot.
Regarding St. Mary's virginity, the Church calls her Aaron's Rod which blossomed (Num.17).

The Ark of Testimony (Ex.25:10-22) is a type (resemblance) for Virgin Mary because firstly, the Ark was overlaid with gold
on the inside and the outside, symbolising her purity and elevation. Secondly because the Ark was made of Acacia wood which does not decay, symbolising her sanctity. Thirdly because the Ark contained the manna, which symbolises Christ the Living Bread who came down from heaven, and lastly because the Ark contained the two tablets of the Law which symbolise Christ the Word of God (John.1: 1). The ladder reaching from earth to heaven which Jacob saw in his dream, is a type (resemblance) for Virgin Mary. Being this conjunction between earth and heaven in the Incarnation of Christ; She was the earth in which heaven dwelt and whilst she was on earth she bore heaven within her (Gen.28: 12).
The burning bush that was not consumed and which Moses saw (Ex.3), is a type (resemblance) for Virgin Mary, upon whom came the Holy Spirit with His Divine fire and she was not consumed.
Since the union of Divinity and Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ resembles the union of coal and fire, therefore, St. Mary the Virgin, who bore within her that Union, resembles the censer. She is called Aaron's Censer or the Golden Censer, signifying her exaltation.

The Church also gives the Virgin the title 'The Good Dove’ because:
1. In her meekness she resembles the dove.
2. The Holy Spirit, Who appeared in the form of a dove (Matt.3: 16), came upon her.
3. She brought the message of man's salvation, resembling the dove that brought the message of the return of life to the earth after the Flood (Gen.8: 10,11).
The Virgin is also likened to the Church and many prophecies apply simultaneously to the Virgin and to the Church.
The symbols and resemblances of Virgin Mary in the Church rituals and in the Holy Scriptures are numerous. She is venerated because:
1. the Holy Spirit came upon her,
2. she is the mother of God,
3. she is of perpetual virginity,
4. she is holy,
5. the Holy Bible testifies of her,
6. the Lord Himself venerated her, and
7.because of her miraculous signs and sacred appearances.
This veneration is expressed in the Church rituals, hymns and songs, in the Church prayers asking for her intercession, in celebrating her many feasts and in consecrating one of our fasts in her name.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III






The Virgin’s Feasts



1. Her (dormition) dying, 21st Toubi and the 21st day of every Coptic month
2. Her nativity, 1st Pashans
3. The annunciation to her parents, 7th Mesra
4. Her presentation into the Temple, 3rd Keyahk
5. Her entry into the land of Egypt, 24th Pashans
6. Her assumption, 16th of Misra
7. Consecration of her church in Philippi, 21st Ba’ouna
8. Her appearance in her church at Zeitoon, Cairo, 2nd April

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

The Virgin Is the True Vine

Two Questions on the Virgin's Titles

(1) Why do we call the Virgin ‘the vine’ in the prayer of the Third Hour, saying: “O Mother of God, you are the true vine bearing the Fruit of Life”, when the Vine is the Lord Jesus Christ who says plainly of Himself: “I am the True Vine and My Father is the Vine-dresser. I am the Vine, you are the branches” (John.15: 1, 5)?
(2) Why do we address the Virgin, in the third watch of the Midnight Prayer, saying: “O noetic gate of life”, when the gate is Christ who says of Himself: “I am the door of the sheep” (John.10: 7)?

(1) The Virgin Is the True Vine
Giving the title 'the true vine' to the Virgin in no way contradicts the title of the Lord Jesus Christ as the True Vine. The Lord is the Vine in one sense and the Virgin is the vine in another.
The Lord is the Vine when we are the branches; He is the Origin and all of us originate from Him; He is the Head and all of us are members of His Body.
As for the Virgin, according to the Church's hymns, she is the one who bore the Fruit of Life - the Son of God. She is the vine who neither experienced senescence nor was reaped by anybody.
Here we would like to record an important point:
The Lord Jesus Christ grants us some of His titles

(1) The Lord says: “I am the good Shepherd” (John.10: 11,14). This title was given to God by David in his psalm when he said: “The Lord is my Shepherd” (Ps.23: 1), and was also given to Him in the Book of Ezekiel (Ez.34: 11-16).

Nevertheless, the Lord appoints some of His children shepherds. While He is concerned to make the whole Church “one flock and one Shepherd” (John.10: 16), He says to Peter the Apostle: “Feed My lambs. Tend My sheep” (John.21: 15,16). In the Old Testament the Lord says: “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart” (Jer.3: 15),
. The title 'shepherd' became the title attributed to the Apostles' successors; the bishops who are to "shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20: 28). St. Peter says: "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers” (1Pet.5: 2).
(2) The Lord Jesus Christ calls Himself ‘Light’ when He says: “I am the Light of the world” (John.8: 12); (John.9: 5). Nevertheless, He says to His disciples: “You are the light of the world” (Matt.5: 14) and “Let your light so shine before men” (Matt.5: 16).
There is no doubt that the Lord is the absolute Light in the full sense of the word. His disciples are light because they derive their
light from Him and with His light they shine before others. In the same way, He is the Shepherd in the full sense of the wordbut they are shepherds because they are God's stewards appointed by Him to shepherd His flock.
(3) It is said of the Lord Jesus Christ that He is the Bishop: “The Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1Pet.2: 25). Nevertheless, the Apostles' disciples were ordained bishops by the Holy Spirit (John 20:20-23) (Acts 20: 28); (1Thess.3: 2); (Phil.1:1); (Titus1: 7).

(4) It is said of the Lord Jesus Christ that He is the “Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps.110: 4); (Heb.5: 6). Yet there are numerous verses in the Holy Bible about the high priest, the chief priest and the priests to whom God gave an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations (Ex.40: 15).

In the Old Testament it is written: “Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness” (Ps.132: 9,16); “And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to sanctify him” (Lev. 8: 12) and “you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty” (Ex.28: 2). In the New Testament, we notice that St. Paul calls himself a priest (Rom.15: 16).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Priest in the sense that He offered Himself a Sacrifice on our behalf. But priests from the human race are ministers and stewards of God's mysteries. They offer the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Old Testament they offered what symbolised Christ's Sacrifice.
(5) It is written that Christ is the Son of God (1John.4:14,15) and that we also are children of God (1John.3: 1). Christ is the Son of God in the sense that He is of God’s Essence, Nature and Divinity. But we are children through love and adoption. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Only Son (John.3: 16).

Likewise is the title ‘vine’

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Vine. The whole Church is called the vineyard and the Lord sang a song of the vineyard about the Church in the Book of Isaiah (Is.5: 37) in which He says: “Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?” And the Divine Inspiration says: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel” (Is.5: 7).

The same meaning applies to the parable of the vineyard and the tenants, which the Lord told in (Matt.21: 33-41). In this parable, the vineyard is the Church, the tenants are the priests, and God is the Landlord.

In calling the Church ‘the vine’ we quote the words of the Divine Inspiration in the Book of Psalms. We say to God: “Return, we beseech you, 0 God of hosts; look down from heaven and see and visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted” (Ps.80: 14,15).

Do we steal God’s glory if we call the Church 'the vine' when Christ Himself has bestowed upon her that title? Do we steal God’s glory if we call people the vineyard, when the teaching of the Holy Bible commands us to do so? Or is this just an attack against the Church of which the Holy Bible says: “Sing to her, a vineyard of red wine! I, the Lord, keep it. I water it every moment” (Is.27: 2,3)?
Moreover, the title ‘the vine’ is given to every blessed mother, as the psalm says: “Your wife shall be like a. fruitful vine in the very heart of your house” (Ps.128: 3).

Therefore, it is not surprising to call St. Mary the Virgin ‘the vine’.