Illuminated icon
As I shared earlier this week, I’ve been reflecting a bit on the Theotokos, the Orthodox name for Mary. As a former Protestant, I’ve struggled with the idea of honoring Mary like the Orthodox do. I’m not alone—it trips up many converts who aren’t used to it.
On the outside, it looked like a form of worship. However, I’m learning that the approach is very purposeful in honoring Mary in a way that always points to Christ.
It’s a balance I’m beginning to understand: nearly everything I’ve encountered in Orthodoxy, including the veneration of Mary, ultimately points to Christ. I can’t think of anything that doesn’t connect back to the Church’s singular purpose.
Tonight, I was shown that in two very clear ways.
At the start of the service, it was visual. As the sun streamed into the window, it lit up the icon of the Theotokos. In that icon, the infant Christ sits on Mary’s lap. Mary gestures to Christ with her right hand, showing us that Christ is the way.
It was a beautiful moment where creation itself—the sun—seemed to join in the worship, as physical light illuminated spiritual truth: the Light of the World in His mother’s arms.
Then, near the end of the service, it was through music. In the Dismissal Theotokion we sang:
When Gabriel greeted you, O Virgin,
he cried out like the righteous David,
for in you, O sacred ark, was the Master of all incarnate.
You were manifest as more spacious than the heavens,
for you bore your Creator!
Glory to Him Who dwells in you!
Glory to Him Who comes forth from you!
Glory to Him Who frees us through your Child!
It’s a beautiful, poetic hymn. While Mary is honored in the first half for her role in salvation, it ultimately points to Whom she brought forth. Through honoring His mother, we worshiped the Son.
I can’t say I’ve wrapped my mind around it all just yet—but I’ve connected a few more dots, and I’m beginning to see the outline of something deeper.
These reflections are part of my personal journey—how I’m seeing and interpreting things in the moment. Like any journey, my understanding may be limited or incomplete and will likely deepen over time. I share these thoughts not as conclusions, but as honest glimpses along the way.