Prayer and reading guides · English

St. Mary, the Mother of God

No one among the saints is honored in the Coptic Church as much as the Virgin Mary. She is in every hour of the Agpeya, in the Midnight Praises and in the Liturgy. The Church calls her the Theotokos, a Greek word meaning "the one who gave birth to God."

Why "Mother of God"?

Because her Son is God. When Nestorius taught that Mary was mother only of the man Jesus, St. Cyril of Alexandria answered that the One born of her is the eternal Word of God made flesh. The Council of Ephesus in 431 confirmed it. Calling her Theotokos protects the truth about Christ.

Her "yes"

When the angel Gabriel came to her, she answered, "Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Her humble trust is the model for every Christian. She herself sang, "All generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:48), and the Church does.

Ever-virgin

The Church believes that St. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. The Coptic praises see her in the gate that the Lord passed through and left shut (Ezekiel 44:2).

She prays for us

At the Cross, the Lord gave her to the beloved disciple as his mother (John 19:26-27), and so to all of us. We ask her prayers as a mother, never in place of God. Every hymn to her leads to praise of her Son.

Tip: Pray the "Hail to you" in the Agpeya slowly. Much of it is the angel's greeting from the Gospel.

Through the year

• The month of Kiahk: a month of praises to her before the Nativity.
• The Fast of St. Mary: fifteen days in August, ending with the feast of her Assumption.
• The 21st of each Coptic month: a monthly remembrance of her.

Quick questions

Do Copts worship Mary?

No. Worship belongs to God alone. We honor her because God honored her first.

Why are there so many hymns to her?

Because through her the Word became flesh. When the Church praises her, it is praising what God did through her.