Akathist to The Theotokos – The Three Magi
This week we continue the series exploring the akathist to the Theotokos. If you missed the first four 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 about https://thebyzantinelife.com/akathist-nativity/.
The Fifth Set of Prayers of The Akathist to the Theotokos
Kontakion 5:
When they saw the star moved by God, the Magi followed its glittering light. Using it as a beacon, they found through it the Mighty King; and reaching the One beyond all reach, they rejoiced and cried out to him: Alleluia!
Oikos 5:
The sons of Chaldea saw in the Virgin’s hands the One whose hands had fashioned men; and acknowledging him as the Master, although he had taken the form of a servant, they hastened to honour him with their gifts, and cried out to the Blessed One:
Rejoice, O Mother of the Star Without Setting;
Rejoice, O Radiance of the mystical day!
Hail, O you who quenched the flame of error;
Hail, O Light of those who search the Trinity!
Rejoice, O you who unthroned the enemy of men;
Rejoice, O you who showed forth Christ the Lord, the Lover of us all!
Hail, O you who cleansed us from the stain of pagan worship;
Hail, O you who saved us from the mire of evil deeds!
Rejoice, O you who made cease the cult of fire;
Rejoice, O you who dispelled the flames of passion!
Hail, O you who guide the faithful toward wisdom;
Hail, O Delight of all the nations!
(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 5 – The Coming of the Magi
When they saw the star moved by God, the Magi followed its glittering light. Using it as a beacon, they found through it the Mighty King; and reaching the One beyond all reach, they rejoiced and cried out to him: Alleluia!
The Magi play an important role in the Nativity story for us. Since most of us are not Jewish, we came to the faith as Gentiles. And the Magi were the first Gentiles to worship Christ. This reminds me of the beautiful troparion for the Nativity of Christ: Your Nativity, O Christ our God, has caused the light of knowledge to shine upon the world. For by it those who worshipped the stars were taught by a star to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness. And to know You as the Orient from on high. Before Christ, we lived in darkness, worshipping creation (fire, the stars, the ocean, and so on). But now, through creation, we have been enlightened to worship the creator!
This image – going from worshipping the stars to by a star learning to worship Christ – makes the theme of this part of the Akathist.
Oikos 5 – The Magi Rejoice
The Introduction
The beginning of this Oikos continues with the Magi:
The sons of Chaldea saw in the Virgin’s hands the One whose hands had fashioned men; and acknowledging him as the Master, although he had taken the form of a servant, they hastened to honour him with their gifts, and cried out to the Blessed One:
Rejoice, O Mother of the Star Without Setting; Rejoice, O Radiance of the mystical day!
With Christ, we have entered into a new day of creation, or the eighth day. Sunday is no only the first day of the week, but it is also mystically the eighth day. And, even more incredibly, this is a day that never really ends…
So when we refer to Christ as the Star without setting, we recognize that He is the permanent “end” or “telos” of all religion. Everything in the history of creation and the world led up to His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Everything that happens now is a response to this event, either as an acceptance or rejection of it. The glory of Christ’s birth, life, and resurrection does not set, but shines ever onward.
And not only that, but Mary, as queen of Heaven and Earth, is the dawn that brings on this mystical day. She is the shining beauty of our faith. She raises all of humanity closer to God by the beauty and merits God bestows upon her.
Hail, O you who quenched the flame of error; Hail, O Light of those who search the Trinity!
Here the Magi rejoice that the Theotokos brought forth Christ, ending the ignorance of the the gentiles. Before, they were trapped in the furnace of guile, caught in the wicked errors of Satan. Now, they rejoice with the Mother of God. For she brings forth the enlightenment of Theophany. Man could not know that God is Trinity by reason alone. But through her, and through Christ, this truth is revealed. And especially so at the Nativity, Epiphany, and Theophany.
Rejoice, O you who unthroned the enemy of men;
Hail, O you who didst expel the tyrant from his kingdom! Hail O You who did banish from power the inhuman tyrant!
Mary, in her fiat, undid the disobedience of Eve. And so she earned from God the role of crushing the head of Satan. And how much more humiliating it is for the devil to be dethroned not by God, not by another angel, but by a woman! So we rejoice in the humility of Mary. And in the knowledge that through the power of the Theotokos we may be constantly protected from the wiles of the devil. So like as we continue to turn to her for aid.
Rejoice, O you who showed forth Christ the Lord, the Lover of us all!
Imagine, for a moment, Christ in the womb of the Theotokos. There, imagine the formation of his human heart, which occurred during the period of three to seven weeks after the Annunciation. The God who is love, for the sake of love, grew His own heart in the womb of the Theotokos.
There are many devotions in the Church to the love of Christ. We celebrate Christ Lover of Mankind in June, and in the Molebyn to Christ Lover of Mankind we adore His sacred heart. Although the Divine Mercy devotion was revealed to a Roman Catholic, it happened in Poland and there are many Eastern aspects to this devotion. At our wedding, the gospel reading was the blood and water pouring forth from the heart of Jesus, when the sword pierced Christ’s side. From Adam’s side, Eve was created. From Christ’s side, the Church.
And so we honour Mary for forming Christ in her womb, and Christ for his complete love and humility, that He would become man for us!
Hail, O you who cleansed us from the stain of pagan worship; Hail, O you who saved us from the mire of evil deeds! Rejoice, O you who made cease the cult of fire; Rejoice, O you who dispelled the flames of passion!
Again the magi rejoice that they have been delivered from pagan doctrine and beliefs. No longer do they worship the stars, or the elements. For Mary, with Christ, redeems us from the folly of ancient beliefs… and from the flames of human passions. And although all creation was subject to natural law before Christ (and so still able to discern that murder is evil), even with this sensibility toward the truth it was only to easy to fall into spirals of evil behaviour. With the coming of Christ there is hope for all to achieve holiness!
We are not made to serve our passions, though that is exactly what we choose to do without Christ. In Mary, the passions are in perfect balance, under her control as a tool for understanding and following the will of God. We, too, can experience this balance of our emotions and passions, as we follow the Theotokos’ direction in the path of holiness.
Hail, O you who guide the faithful toward wisdom; Hail, O Delight of all the nations!
Here wisdom may not be the clearest translation, as most other translations of the Akathist describe Mary here as the guide of guide of the faithful toward chastity. The example of the Theotokos leads us to purity. Purity of heart, mind, soul, and body.
Finally, the Theotokos is the joy and gladness of all generations. We have all received Christ from her womb. And Christ has given her to all of us for a perfect mother.
The Byzantine Life
Thank you for checking out this week’s article. We are getting ready for 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.
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