Akathist to The Theotokos – Heading to Egypt
This week we are heading to Egypt in the Akathist to the Theotokos. Also Happy Church New Year! This year I want to do more saint and bible story read-aloud time with my children. Be sure to check out our new year article and let me know what you plan on working on this year too! But back to the Akathist of the Theotokos!
If you missed the first five articles, be sure to read them first! Start with https://thebyzantinelife.com/akathist-to-the-theotokos/ and then follow it up with https://thebyzantinelife.com/ineffable-akathist/. Next there is https://thebyzantinelife.com/akathist-john-baptist/. Finally, read https://thebyzantinelife.com/akathist-nativity/ and https://thebyzantinelife.com/akathist-magi/.
The Sixth Set of Prayers of The Akathist to the Theotokos
Kontakion 6:
The Magi, having become God bearing heralds, returned to Babylon, conforming to your command, announcing you, the Christ, to all, and leaving Herod as a fool who did not know how to sing: Alleluia!
Oikos 6:
Illuminating Egypt with the light of truth, you cast away the darkness of error. For the idols, unable to stand your might, fell down, and those who had been delivered from them cried out to the Theotokos:
Rejoice, O Resurrection of mankind;
Rejoice, O Downfall of the demons!
Hail, O you who crushed the error of deceit;
Hail, O you who exposed the fraud of idols!
Rejoice, O Sea who drowned the symbolic Pharaoh;
Rejoice, O Rock who quenched those who thirst for life!
Hail, O Pillar of Fire who guided those in darkness;
Hail, O Shelter of the world, wider than the clouds!
Rejoice, O Food who took the place of manna;
Rejoice, O Servant of holy delight!
Hail, O Land of the promised good;
Hail, O you who flow with milk and honey!
(Refrain): Rejoice, O Bride and Maiden ever pure! /OR/ Rejoice O Unwedded Bride!
*Note, I alternated the verses beginning with hail or rejoice to give a taste for how each sounds. When praying, however, you should either begin each line with Rejoice, or begin each line with Hail. These are simply two translations of the same word. I typically use rejoice, as it is more common to Byzantine translations of the “Hail Mary” prayer, as well as I find the two syllable word to be more effective for the tones.
Akathist Kontakion 6 – Leaving By Another Road
The Magi, having become God bearing heralds, returned to Babylon, conforming to your command, announcing you, the Christ, to all, and leaving Herod as a fool who did not know how to sing: Alleluia!
When the Magi returned home, they left by a different road, having been warned by God not to return to Herod. The Magi are filled with the good news, and leave to pave the way for the Apostles to come enlighten the pagan nations. They are still able to join in the Akathist hymn, singing Alleluia with us. Meanwhile, Herod is unable to join in our rejoicing.
Oikos 6 – The Hidden Life in Egypt
The Introduction
Illuminating Egypt with the light of truth, you cast away the darkness of error. For the idols, unable to stand your might, fell down, and those who had been delivered from them cried out to the Theotokos:
Now we move away from the Magi and into Egypt, where the voiceless idols are given a speaking roll. Although, the more accurately, even the demons are forced to praise the Mother of God.
As we contemplate the journey of the Holy Family to Egypt, we experience the holiness of the hidden life of Christ and the Theotokos. Together, their lives in Egypt crushed the work of demons and unmasked the fraud of idols. They were a light to those living in darkness. And this was accomplished not by shouting from the rooftops! But instead by living a simple, quiet, holy life in their home in the foreign land. From cooking meals to washing dishes and clothes, every action of the Theotokos centred on glorifying God. Undoubtedly prayer and praises to God filled their home life. But so did all the aspects of domestic life.
We are called to live this same holiness in our homes. We too live as foreigners on Earth, waiting to be able to return to our heavenly home. And although there may be much we can do to evangelize outside the home, the way we live our lives in our houses is just as (if not more) important.
Rejoice, O Resurrection of mankind;
This title for Mary is a recurring theme in the Akathist to the Theotokos. Again we rejoice for the participation of the Theotokos in our salvation! And eve the demons/idols marvel that God honours her with such complete participation in this holy work.
We already recognized her role in bringing forth Christ and the new creation. And for her humility and obedience to the will of God as the New Eve. We also honoured her for despoiling death, bringing together imagery from the nativity and the crucifixion. Now, while we see the Christ child evading death by fleeing to Egypt, we also remember that together Christ and the Theotokos would bring about the rising up of humanity through their participation in Christ’s death and resurrection.
Rejoice, O Downfall of the demons!
The demons know their fate is to be thwarted by the Most Holy Theotokos. And here the idols of Egypt acknowledge this. By Mary’s fiat, her constant “yes” to God, repeated in every moment of her life, she crushes the power of demons and dispels the wiles of the devil. Although God can easily overcome the demons, He delights in bringing about their downfall through the Virgin. And certainly this humiliates the demons further. They could perhaps bear to be defeated by their creator. But how can the bear that another of creation should defeat them? And that it should be a woman who brings about their downfall?
Hail, O you who crushed the error of deceit; Hail, O you who exposed the fraud of idols!
Prior to Christ’s birth, we were all slaves of Satan and death. For without Christ, none were worthy to face to glory of God and live. And so humanity was captivated in the dominion of delusion. That is, until Mary brought forth Christ! And so we rejoice that the Theotokos crushed the realm of lies and falsehoods. For now we can worship God in faith and in truth!
Likewise, the Theotokos unmasked the fraud of idols. For the demons and false gods could not withstand the power of the light of Christ entering into creation. Even today, as people try to revive the old pagan beliefs and ways, these cannot withstand the greatness of the truth. And at the hour of death, and at the end of time, everything that is false will fly away.
Rejoice, O Sea who drowned the symbolic Pharaoh; Rejoice, O Rock who quenched those who thirst for life! Hail, O Pillar of Fire who guided those in darkness;
There are many metaphors, prototypes, or types of Mary in the Old Testament. And in this Akathist we now see some analogies relating to the history of Israel and Egypt. Here the idols of Egypt recognize Mary as the greater “Sea that drowned the Pharaoh and his armies.” For the Theotokos overcomes all enemies of the people of God. Consider how the furnace of Babylon burned so hot that those outside were consumed, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained unharmed. We too may enter into the fire of the heart of the Theotokos, or into the ocean of her mercy. And, devoted to her, and to Christ her Son, we will not be consumed. But enemies of Christ will perish before her!
After comparing Mary to the Red Sea, we now recall the rock, struck by Moses, which brought forth water in the desert. The Theotokos is like this rock, for she refreshes us pilgrims thirsting for eternal life. And like the wonderful mother she is, she will not refuse any of her children wishing to drink at this fountain of life!
Next we consider how God guided the people of God through a pillar of fire during the night. And He has also given the Theotokos to us to guide us through times of darkness in this life.
Hail, O Shelter of the world, wider than the clouds!
Christ first took his shelter in the womb of the Theotokos. And so she contained God within her body, earning her the title wider than the heavens. Now Christ has given Mary as a mother to us all, and she remains a safe shelter for all of us. When we consider the image of the Protection of the Mother of God, we see her veil spread out to shelter us all. And so we also call her our shelter, our protection, wider than the clouds.
Rejoice, O Food who took the place of manna; Rejoice, O Servant of holy delight! Hail, O Land of the promised good; Hail, O you who flow with milk and honey!
First, let’s look at Mary as the Handmaid of Holy Delight. In the Akathist thus far we have considered how her beauty, and the virtues that adorn her, so sweetly called God down from heaven to earth. Rejoice Celestial Ladder by Whom God Came Down! She is our acceptable incense of prayer – the expiation of the whole universe. We trust in her intercession for us before God.
The Theotokos is the greatest love of God, and offers the most perfect love to God in return. All the saints together do not love God as much as Mary. But we still seek to emulate her love. And we are grateful for her great love for God… and her great love for us too.
Finally, three of these titles in this section are quite alike. Hail, O Theotokos, sustenance replacing manna, land of promise, thou from whom flows milk and honey! How wondrous is it that Mary provided sustenance to God, feeding Him and sustaining His earthly life? And now, in heaven, she provides sweet spiritual food for us. For if Christ says His burden is light and his Yoke is easy, than that which we receive from the hands of the Theotokos is even more so. Though we might suffer what appears to be heavier burdens, these are sweetly prepared in the hands of the Virgin, and seem to us as delicious milk and honey.
The Byzantine Life
Thank you for checking out this week’s article.Today marks a new church year, so be sure to check out our articles on the Beheading of John the Baptist and on the Church New Year to honour this occasion!
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