This article will examine The Akathist Hymn. Composed circa the 6th century, it consists of 13 stanzas of praise directed primarily toward Mary. It is sung in Eastern Orthodox churches as part of the assigned church services during Lent. It is also among the works listed in the Catholic Church's Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, which grants a plenary indulgence for its recitation.
In addition to the Akathist Hymn, a selection of other Marian prayers are covered in the Appendices of this article.
Each stanza of the hymn is broken into two sections - a kontakion and an oikos. To simplify, just the stanza number will be used in the following citations. The text used in this article is found here, though some other versions are more expansive.
The first stanza begins:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 1
An archangel was sent from Heaven to say to the Theotokos: Rejoice! And beholding Thee, O Lord, taking bodily form, he was amazed and with his bodiless voice he stood crying to Her such things as these:
Rejoice, Thou through whom the curse will cease!
Rejoice, height inaccessible to human thoughts:
Rejoice, depth undiscernible even for the eyes of angels!
Rejoice, Thou through whom creation is renewed:
Rejoice, Thou through whom we worship the Creator!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
To begin, the "agent" argument should be addressed, because it inevitably arises in discussions on this topic. The praises given to Mary, such as the "thou through whom creation is renewed", and "thou through whom the curse will cease" above, are excused on the basis that they are actually praises toward Christ, and Mary is only offered them because she is the conduit through which Christ accomplished the incarnation. Does this work?
The answer is, no, it does not. This type of argumentation has a number of problems, which render this practice inappropriate:
The last point above is exemplified in the first stanza where Mary is called the "height inaccessible to human thoughts", and the "depth undiscernible even for the eyes of angels".
In light of such statements, which are idolatrous exaltations of a human sinner, one's reading of the rest of the text is shaped. The layman reading these hymns is given an impression, and that impression thoroughly exalts a woman, not the Lord, even if the worst and most blasphemous bits seek refuge behind that facade.
Moving on to the second stanza:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 2
Rejoice, assurance of those who pray in silence!
Rejoice, beginning of Christ's miracles:
Rejoice, crown of His dogmas!
Rejoice, heavenly ladder by which God came down:
Rejoice, bridge that conveyest us from earth to Heaven!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Above praises Mary as the "bridge that conveyest us from earth to Heaven". As discussed already, this will be excused on account of the incarnation ("agent" defense). However, it exhorts people to view Mary as a means of eternal Salvation, and co-savior, who in addition to Christ, is likewise required for our entrance into Heaven.
The third stanza says:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 3
Rejoice, table bearing a wealth of forgiveness!
Rejoice, Thou Who makest to bloom the garden of delight:
Rejoice, Thou Who preparest a haven for souls!
Rejoice, acceptable incense of intercession:
Rejoice, propitiation of all the world!
Rejoice, good will of God to mortals:
Rejoice, boldness of mortals before God!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Above, notice the statement that Mary is "the propitiation of all the world". The Word of God says:
1 John 2:1-2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
This is a one-to-one, direct stealing of Christ's work and saving office, and applying it to Mary.
Further, this stanza calls her a "table bearing a wealth of forgiveness". In what sense does Mary bear forgiveness? It likewise calls her "an acceptable incense of intercession". These statements lend to her being set up as an intermediary between sinners and God - the basis for the "boldness of mortals before God", which is to say, the reason we aren't terrified to approach God, even though that too is rightly ascribed only to our High Priest Jesus Christ in Hebrews 10:19-22.
Moving on to stanza four:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 4
Rejoice, opening of the gates of Paradise!
Rejoice, firm support of faith:
Rejoice, radiant token of Grace!
Rejoice, Thou through whom hades was stripped bare:
Rejoice, Thou through whom we are clothed with glory!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Here, Mary is the "opening of the gates of Paradise", "through whom hades was stripped bare", and "through whom we are clothed with glory".
Once again, notice the mix. The "through whom" statements ("agent" defense candidates) are interspersed between statements designed to praise Mary herself - "firm support of faith", "radiant token of grace". This furthers a conflation of the role of Christ with that of Mary in the mind of the reader.
The fifth stanza says:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 5
Rejoice, Thou Who didst extinguish the furnace of error:
Rejoice, Thou Who didst enlighten the initiates of the Trinity!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst banish from power the inhuman tyrant:
Rejoice, Thou Who didst show us Christ the Lord, the Lover of mankind!
Rejoice, Thou Who redeemest from pagan worship:
Rejoice, Thou Who dost drag us from the works of mire!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst quench the worship of fire:
Rejoice, Thou Who rescuest from the flame of the passions!
Rejoice, guide of the faithful to chastity:
Rejoice, gladness of all generations!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Here, we see a litany of praises, all of which could just as well be applied to God - something that signals a major problem, when those praises are theological in nature.
How did Mary "extinguish the furnace of error"? She didn't, Jesus did. How did Mary "banish from power the inhuman tyrant (Satan)"? She didn't, Jesus did. How did Mary "redeem us from pagan worship"? She didn't, Jesus did. And so on.
The sixth stanza says:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 6
Rejoice, uplifting of men:
Rejoice, downfall of demons!
Rejoice, Thou who didst trample down the dominion of delusion:
Rejoice, Thou who didst unmask the fraud of idols!
Rejoice, sea that didst drown the Pharaoh of the mind:
Rejoice, rock that doth refresh those thirsting for life!
Rejoice, pillar of fire that guideth those in darkness:
Rejoice, shelter of the world broader than a cloud!
Rejoice, sustenance replacing manna:
Rejoice, minister of holy delight!
Rejoice, land of promise:
Rejoice, Thou from whom floweth milk and honey!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Here, we see more explicit usurpation of Christ. Mary is the "rock that doth refresh those thirsting for life", when that rock which gave water was identified as Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). Mary is the "sustenance replacing manna", when Christ said He was the bread of life, replacing manna (John 6:48-51).
In this Exodus-themed stanza, Mary is also put in place of the physical manifestations of God towards the Israelites during the Exodus. She is called the "pillar of fire", and in the next verse, is paralleled with a "cloud", which were the forms the Lord appeared in during the wandering in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22, 14:19-20, 14:24, 33:9, 40:34-38, Numbers 9:15-23, 10:34, 12:5, 14:14, Deuteronomy 1:33, Nehemiah 9:12, 9:19, Psalm 78:14, 99:7, 105:39):
Exodus 13:21
21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Finally, Mary is called "the land of promise", "from whom floweth milk and honey", that is to say, she is the Promised Land, which was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 33:1-3). What does it mean for a human being to be designated the Promised Land, and how does it not imply a refuge of Salvation belonging only to the Lord Jesus?
Continuing on, the seventh stanza says:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 7
Rejoice, crown of continence!
Rejoice, tree of shining fruit, whereby the faithful are nourished:
Rejoice, tree of goodly shade by which many are sheltered!
Rejoice, supplication before the Righteous Judge:
Rejoice, forgiveness of many sins!
Rejoice, robe of boldness for the naked:
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
The construction of Mary's Salvific role is continued above, which declares her to be the "supplication before the Righteous Judge", and the "robe of boldness for the naked". It is as if she is our protector from Jesus, who is the righteous judge (John 5:22).
The eighth stanza reads:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 8
Rejoice, Thou through whom transgression hath been absolved:
Rejoice, Thou through whom Paradise is opened!
Rejoice, key to the kingdom of Christ:
Rejoice, hope of eternal good things!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Here, Mary is the "key to the kingdom of Christ". This removes room for the "agent" defense, as she is being distinguished from Christ as having the key to His kingdom, even though Biblically, it is Christ Himself who is the key-bearer (Revelation 1:18, 3:7).
Mary having the "key to the kingdom of Christ", in conjunction with her "opening of the gates of Paradise" from the fourth stanza, creates a troubling image in the mind of any believer. And here again, in the seventh stanza, she is "thou through whom Paradise is opened". Mary is therefore portrayed as having agency as to who enters Heaven.
Moving along, the ninth stanza says:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 9
Rejoice, Thou Who didst fill the nets of the fishermen!
Rejoice, Thou Who drawest us from the depths of ignorance:
Rejoice, Thou Who enlightenest many with knowledge!
Rejoice, ship for those who wish to be saved:
Rejoice, harbor for sailors on the sea of life!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Above, we again see direct conflation with Jesus Christ. Mary is "thou who didst fill the nets of the fishermen", when that was a miracle that the Lord performed (Luke 5:1-9, John 21:1-6), and was symbolic of the abundance found in Him, and our total reliance on Him for all good things.
Then, Mary is again given soteriological symbolism, as she is the "ship for those who wish to be saved", as well as the "harbor for sailors on the sea of life". The Salvation and refuge to be found in Christ is thus attributed to Mary, again.
The tenth stanza says:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 10
Rejoice, gate of salvation!
Rejoice, bestower of divine good!
Rejoice, for Thou didst renew those conceived in shame:
Rejoice, for Thou gavest wisdom to those robbed of their minds!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst foil the corrupter of minds:
Rejoice, Thou Who dost wed the faithful to the Lord!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Above, Mary is called the "gate of Salvation". She "renewed those conceived in shame", and "weds the faithful to the Lord". She is being set up unambiguously as a Co-Redeemer, to whom we owe our Salvation.
Moving on, the eleventh stanza reads:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 11
Rejoice, Thou Who blottest out the stain of sin!
Rejoice, laver that washest the conscience clean:
Rejoice, cup that drawest up joy!
Rejoice, aroma of the sweet fragrance of Christ:
Rejoice, life of mystical gladness!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Here, Mary is "thou who blottest out the stain of sin", the "laver that washest the conscience clean". This, combined with stanza seven's statement that she is the "forgiveness of many sins", leaves the very clear impression that one is to resort to Mary in order to be forgiven of their sins.
The twelfth stanza says:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 12
Rejoice, tabernacle of God the Word:
Rejoice, saint greater than the saints!
Rejoice, ark gilded by the Spirit:
Rejoice, inexhaustible treasury of life!
Rejoice, precious diadem of pious kings:
Rejoice, venerable boast of reverent priests!
Rejoice, unshakable fortress of the Church:
Rejoice, inviolable wall of the kingdom!
Rejoice, Thou through whom victories are obtained:
Rejoice, Thou through whom foes fall prostrate!
Rejoice, healing of my flesh:
Rejoice, salvation of my soul!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!
Here, the hymn is reaching a climax, and it culminates in directly calling Mary the "Salvation of my soul". This statement pairs with stanza ten's title of "gate of Salvation", to unapologetically render Mary, at the worst, one's Savior, or at the least, one's Co-Savior - neither of which are acceptable to God (Isaiah 43:11, 45:21, Hosea 13:4).
Finally, the hymn concludes:
The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 13
O all-praised Mother Who didst bear the Word, holiest of all the saints, accept now our offering, and deliver us from all misfortune, and rescue from the torment to come those that cry to Thee: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Here, Mary is implored to "deliver us from all misfortune, and rescue from the torment to come", that is, to save us. This is yet another egregious placing of Mary on equal grounds with the Lord, as one to look to, and rely on, for Salvation.
And, what is startling is the frequency with which this is done in the hymn. Recall stanza two's statement that Mary is the "bridge that conveyest us from earth to Heaven". Recall stanza three's statement that Mary is the "propitiation of all the world". Recall stanza four's statement that Mary is the one "through whom we are clothed with glory". Recall stanza seven's statements that she is our "supplication before the Righteous Judge", and the "robe of boldness for the naked". Recall stanza eight's statement that Mary is the "key to the kingdom of Christ". Recall stanza nine's statement that Mary is the "ship for those who wish to be saved". Recall stanza ten's statement that Mary "weds the faithful to the Lord". All of these things taken together leave the impression that Mary is to be, functionally, one's savior, in whom they are to place their hope for Salvation, and justification before God.
This article could be multiplied with very many other Marian prayers, doctrinal statements, and hymns (see the Appendices). It exemplifies the absurd, and frankly blasphemous role to which Mary is exalted in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, which could never be obtained by any fair reading of the Bible, but rather is a reflection of monastics, who had an obsession with asceticism and virginity (Colossians 2:20-23), and who lived many hundreds of years after the real sinner named Mary, who gave birth to Christ (before going on to have other children) was long dead and buried, elevating her to such an unbiblical position out of misplaced devotion, and departure from the model given by the Apostolic writings and other Scripture.
Another popular and authoritative Marian prayer in Roman Catholicism is the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Litany. This prayer, which is often incorporated into the Rosary, has had various lines added to it by Popes over the centuries, indicating, obviously, their approbation of it. It is cited positively in Pope Pius XII's encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam (1954 AD). It is also listed in the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, which grants a partial indulgence for its recitation. The text used for this section is from the Vatican's website.
The Marian portion of the prayer addresses Mary with a title, followed by "pray for us":
The Loreto Litany
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Morning star,
Refuge of sinners,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven
Omitted above are dozens of other praises given to Mary in the full prayer, but the above are objectionable for the following reasons:
Therefore, the Loreto Litany is another example of a prayer which exalts Mary far beyond what any fair reading of the New Testament could ever possibly yield.
The Hail Holy Queen is another authoritative Marian prayer, typically recited at the end of the Rosary. It is also listed in the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, which grants a partial indulgence for its recitation. It is cited favorably in Pope Pius XII's Encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam (1954 AD).
The text used in this section is from the Vatican's website:
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy;
Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us;
And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.
The most objectionable line above is the one in which Mary is called "our life, our sweetness, and our hope". The Vatican version begins this line with another "Hail", which unambiguously means these titles are directed toward Mary, whereas some versions which lack that "hail" may read from the previous line as though Mary is merely the mother of "our life, our sweetness, and our hope". If one were to only read it that way, it would not be as bad - however, the Vatican version explicitly disallows that reading, and historically, it is not the correct way to understand the prayer.
This is affirmed by Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787 AD), a Saint and Doctor of the Church, who, commenting specifically on this prayer, says:
Alphonsus Liguori - The Glories of Mary, Chapter 2, Section 1 (pg. 80)
In order to understand rightly the reason why the holy Church calls Mary our life, we must consider that as the soul gives life to the body, so divine grace gives life to the soul; for a soul without grace, though nominally alive, in truth is dead, as we find in the Apocalypse: "Thou hast the name of being alive, and thou art dead." As Mary, then, obtains for sinners, by her intercession, the gift of grace, she restores them to life.
Alphonsus Liguori - The Glories of Mary, Chapter 3, Section 1 (pg. 115)
Modern heretics cannot endure that we should salute Mary in this manner by calling her our hope. Hail, our hope, "spes nostra salve".
Alphonsus Liguori - The Glories of Mary, Chapter 3, Section 1 (pg. 116)
The king of heaven, because he is infinite goodness, greatly desires to enrich us with his graces; but, because confidence is necessary on our part, in order to increase our confidence, he has given his own mother for our mother and advocate, and has given her all power to aid us; and hence he wishes us to place in her all our hopes of salvation and of every blessing.
Alphonsus Liguori - The Glories of Mary, Chapter 3, Section 1 (pg. 126)
Oh mother of holy love, oh our life, our refuge, and our hope, thou knowest that thy Son Jesus Christ, not content with making himself our perpetual intercessor with the eternal Father, would have thee also engaged in obtaining for us, by thy prayers, the divine mercy.
However, Mary cannot, in any sense - even tangentially - ever be called "our life". She is not "our life" temporally, experientially, or eternally, in any sense whatsoever. Biblically, Jesus Christ "is our life" (Colossians 3:4, John 14:6), and the only thing that determines whether someone has Eternal Life is whether they believe in Him (John 3:36).
Similarly, Mary cannot be called "our hope", in any sense whatsoever. Biblically, Jesus Christ is "our hope" (1 Timothy 1:1), that is, our joyful expectation of glorification (Colossians 1:27). His resurrection from the dead is the basis for our "living hope" (1 Peter 1:3), and His Second Coming is our "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). The Bible, therefore, exalts Jesus as "our hope", and leaves no room for calling anyone else "our hope".
Another errant part of this prayer is when it portrays Mary as the one to whom we are to look to for mercy - "Turn then, thine eyes of mercy toward us" - and calls her our "advocate", whereas, as mentioned already, the Bible says our "advocate with the Father" when we sin is "Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).
Therefore, this short prayer is also heterodox, and detracts from the worship of Christ in its exaltation of Mary.
Of note in discussions around Mary's role in official Roman Catholic teaching is the statement of Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903 AD) in his Encyclical Octobri Mense, which says:
Pope Leo XIII - Octobri Mense (1891 AD)
4 With equal truth may it be also affirmed that, by the will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God, for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ. Thus as no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother.
How great are the goodness and mercy revealed in this design of God! What a correspondence with the frailty of man! We believe in the infinite goodness of the Most High, and we rejoice in it; we believe also in His justice and we fear it. We adore the beloved Saviour, lavish of His blood and of His life; we dread the inexorable Judge. Thus do those whose actions have disturbed their consciences need an intercessor mighty in favour with God, merciful enough not to reject the cause of the desperate, merciful enough to lift up again towards hope in the divine mercy the afflicted and the broken down. Mary is this glorious intermediary;
Here, Mary is presented as the way of Salvation, as without her, "no man" can approach Jesus Christ. To Pope Leo XIII, Jesus is our way to the Father, but, of Jesus, he says "we believe also in His justice and we fear it", "we dread the inexorable Judge". Therefore, another mediator between mankind and Jesus is required - "Mary is this glorious intermediary".
Leo mentions the need for recourse to Mary in the context of a person who has done "actions (which) have disturbed their conscience". He presents Jesus as harsh - the Judge to be feared, and avoided, in such situations. However, in direct contradiction to this, the Bible says our "advocate with the Father" when we sin is "Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). It does not say that Jesus is unapproachable, but rather that He is our sole basis for being able to approach God for mercy in our time of need (1 Timothy 2:5 with Hebrews 4:15-16).
The Bible exalts Jesus Christ as holy, and as the judge of mankind (2 Timothy 4:1, John 5:21-22). However, for those who have been born again into the family of God by faith, and have been made members of Christ's own Body, the Bible never presents Jesus as unapproachable, or one to whom a believer can only go to, while trembling, through a more "gentle" intermediary, such as Mary. Such a concept is unknown to Biblical Christianity.
The Glories of Mary is a book on Mariology written by Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787 AD). It is mostly a compilation of historical Marian devotions by other Saints, and teachers throughout Catholic history.
Lending to its authority is the status of Liguori, who is a Saint, and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX (1792-1878 AD) in 1871. The edition of The Glories of Mary cited in this article has the imprimatur of Archbishop John Hughes (1797-1864 AD) of New York.
The book was also favorably cited by Pope Pius XII (1876-1958 AD) in his Encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam:
Pope Pius XII - Ad Caeli Reginam (1954 AD)
25 For all these reasons St. Alphonsus Ligouri, in collecting the testimony of past ages, writes these words with evident devotion: "Because the virgin Mary was raised to such a lofty dignity as to be the mother of the King of kings, it is deservedly and by every right that the Church has honored her with the title of 'Queen'." (S. Alfonso, Le glore de Maria, p. I, c. I, ยง1.)
This is mentioned for the sake of Catholic laymen and apologists, who, rightfully embarrassed by the contents of this book, would wish to intimate that it is not authoritative, nor representative of what Catholicism teaches about Mary. Alphonsus Liguori was an ordained priest, bishop, Saint, and Doctor of the Church. His book received official approbation many times, cites many earlier Saints, was quoted by a Pope, and the English translation was approved by an Archbishop.
Comparatively, what an unordained apologist, or Catholic laymen says, is magisterially meaningless, having no authority whatsoever to determine what Roman Catholicism teaches about anything. They are not at liberty to declare anything in this book to be heterodox, but rather, must submit to it as containing nothing heterodox according to the Church, unless they can bring the opinion of an actual authority in Catholicism to declare it so, which would only be creating contradiction within their hierarchy, given how many authorities have already approved it over the course of so many years.
Beginning the book, Liguori starts by demonstrating his total misconception of Biblical Salvation, stating that the explanation of Mary is a means of obtaining Eternal Life:
The Glories of Mary - Introduction (pg. 18)
St. Bonaventure declares that those who are devoted to publishing the glories of Mary are secure of paradise; and Richard of St. Laurence confirms this by saying that to honor the queen of angels is to acquire life everlasting, since our most grateful Lady, adds the same author, pledges herself to honor in the other life him who promises to honor her in this; and is there any one ignorant of the promise made by Mary herself to those who engage in promoting the knowledge and love of her upon the earth? 'They that explain me shall have life everlasting.'
Liguori, rather than exalting the Holy Spirit's work of bringing the lost to Christ (John 16:8), states that "all graces are dispensed by the hand of Mary alone, and that all those who are saved are saved solely by means of this divine mother":
The Glories of Mary - Introduction (pg. 19-20)
If the assertion is true and incontrovertible, as I believe it to be, and as I shall prove in the fifth chapter of this book, that all graces are dispensed by the hand of Mary alone, and that all those who are saved are saved solely by means of this divine mother, it may be said, as a necessary consequence, that the salvation of all depends upon preaching Mary and confidence in her intercession.
Liguori calls Mary an "anchor of salvation", in addition to Jesus Christ:
The Glories of Mary - Introduction (pg. 21)
Oh, blessed is he who clings with love and confidence to those two anchors of salvation, Jesus and Mary! He certainly will not be lost.
Liguori portrays Jesus Christ's role as that of judge, whereas the work of dispensing mercy has been assigned to Mary, contrary to the Bible's statement that Jesus is "a merciful and faithful high priest" (Hebrews 2:17), and that God is not only righteous in justice, but also "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4):
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 1 (pg. 27-28)
The High Chancellor of Paris, John Gerson, meditating on the words of David, 'These two things have I heard, that power belongeth to God, and mercy to thee, O Lord,' says that the kingdom of God, consisting of justice and mercy, the Lord has divided it: he has reserved the kingdom of justice for himself, and he has granted the kingdom of mercy to Mary, ordaining that all the mercies which are dispensed to men should pass through the hands of Mary and should be bestowed according to her good pleasure. St. Thomas confirms this in his preface to the Canonical Epistles, saying that the holy Virgin, when she conceived the divine Word in her womb and brought him forth, obtained the half of the kingdom of God by becoming queen of mercy, Jesus Christ remaining king of justice.
Liguori portrays Mary as protecting us from the wrath of God:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 1 (pg. 32)
Mary not only gives, but she herself presents to us milk and wool: the milk of mercy to inspire us with confidence, and wool to shield us from the thunderbolts of divine justice!
Incredibly, Liguori portrays God as having an obligation to Mary, and Him listening to her prayers on the basis of being indebted to her:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 1 (pg. 33)
Nothing resists thy power, since thy Creator and ours, while he honors thee as his mother, considers thy glory as his own, and exulting in it, as a Son, grants thy petitions as if he were discharging an obligation. By this he means to say that, though Mary is under an infinite obligation to her Son for having elected her to be his mother, yet it cannot be denied that the Son also is greatly indebted to his mother for having given him his human nature; whence Jesus, as if to recompense Mary as he ought, while he enjoys this his glory, honors her especially by always graciously listening to her prayers.
Liguori presents Mary as the dispenser of Salvation:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 1 (pg. 35)
Mary was made queen of mercy for this very end, that she might save by her protection the greatest and most abandoned sinners who have recourse to her.
Section 1 of Chapter 1 ends with a disturbing prayer, in which Mary is seemingly given the role of divine chastiser - which is God's role, Biblically speaking (Hebrews 12:6) - in addition to savior:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 1 (pg. 38)
Therefore I say to thee with St. Bonaventure, Oh, Lady, I submit myself to thy control, that thou mayest rule and govern me entirely. Do not leave me to myself. Rule me, oh my queen, and do not leave me to myself. Command me, employ me as thou wilt, and punish me if I do not obey thee, for very salutary will be the punishments that come from thy hand. I would esteem it a greater thing to be thy servant than Lord of the whole earth. Thine I am, save me! Accept me, oh Mary, for thy own and attend to my salvation, as I am thine own.
Liguori teaches, without citing anything, that Mary loved God more in her first moment than all the angels and saints combined have loved Him for their entire lives:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 3 (pg. 53)
But who has loved God more than Mary? She loved God more, in the first moment of her life, than all the saints and angels have loved him in the whole course of theirs; ...
If the love of all mothers for their children, of all husbands for their wives, and of all saints and angels for their devoted servants, were united, it would not be so great as the love that Mary bears to one soul alone.
Liguori portrays Mary as "offering" Jesus to God the Father at the cross, and says that if the executioners had been lacking, Mary herself would have crucified Jesus:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 3 (pg. 55)
Finally, she gave him to us again at the foot of the cross, in those three hours when she was witnessing his death; because then, at every moment, she was offering up for us his life, with the deepest grief and the greatest love for us, at the cost of great trouble and suffering, and with such firmness, that if executioners had been wanting, as St. Anselm and St. Antoninus tell us, she herself would have crucified him in obedience to the will of the Father, who had decreed he should die for our salvation.
Liguori construes Mary as the co-savior of humanity, as she "co-operated with her Son in the salvation of all":
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 3 (pg. 57)
And who, says St. Anthony, can comprehend the care which this loving mother has of us all? Therefore, to all she offers and dispenses her mercy. For our mother has desired the salvation of all and has co-operated with her Son in the salvation of all.
Liguori cites Proverbs 8:17, which is wisdom personified, of Mary:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 3 (pg. 57)
Oh, how easy it is, exclaims the same blessed Albertus, for those who love Mary to find her, and find her full of love and pity! "I love them that love me," (Proverbs 8:17) she assures us, and declares that she cannot but love those who love her.
However, the above cannot be applied to Mary, as in context, the one who "loves them that love me" also says "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was", and is described as existing with God from the very beginning of creation (Proverbs 8:22-31). This use of Proverbs 8:17 as being a reference to Mary, is therefore twisting Scripture. Mary is nowhere in context, and the text cannot be applied to her.
Liguori ascribes the Mary the role of delivering believers from temptation, which is Biblically something the Lord instructed believers to ask directly to God the Father (Matthew 6:13, Luke 11:4), and it is likewise God the Father who always provides for us a way to escape temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13):
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 4 (pg. 70)
While the sinner, then, is obstinate, Mary cannot love him; but if he finds himself enchained by some passion which makes him a slave of hell, and will commend himself to the Virgin, and implore her with confidence and perseverance to rescue him from his sin, this good mother will not fail to extend her powerful hand, she will loose his chains, and bring him to a state of safety.
Liguori, citing Saint Bonaventure, again applies a text to Mary that in its original context refers to God, citing a twisted form of Job's saying "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15):
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 1, Section 4 (pg. 75)
Who could distrust the goodness of this mother? said St. Bonaventure. Though she should slay me, I will hope in her; and, confident in my trust, I would die near her image, and be saved.
Liguori again presents devotion to Mary as the means of obtaining Eternal Life:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 2, Section 1 (pg. 81)
Listen, as St. Bonaventure exclaims here upon these words, listen, all ye who desire the kingdom of God; honor the Virgin Mary, and ye shall have life and eternal salvation.
Liguori says that Mary is "the mediatrix of peace between the sinner and God":
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 2, Section 1 (pg. 82)
She says, in the holy Canticles, that God has placed her in the world to be our defence, and therefore she is ordained to be the mediatrix of peace between the sinner and God.
In a prayer in Chapter 2, Liguori has the reader looking to Mary for salvation from fear of Jesus:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 2, Section 2 (pg. 100)
If in thy heart thou hast pity for me, thou wilt not cease to protect me; and if thou dost protect me, what should I fear? No, I fear nothing; I fear not my sins, for thou canst remedy their evil consequences; nor the demons, for thou art more powerful than hell; nor thy Son who is justly angry with me, for at one word of thine he will be appeased. I only fear that through negligence I may fail to implore thy protection in my temptations, and that this may cause my ruin.
Liguori presents Mary as a city of refuge to whom one can flee to who "dares not to supplicate the Lord for pardon":
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 129)
This fenced city, as the blessed Albertus Magnus explains it, is the holy Virgin, whose defence is grace and glory. "Let us be silent there," according to the gloss: "since we may not dare to supplicate the Lord for pardon, it is enough that we enter into the city and are silent, for then Mary will speak and will pray for us.
The above is heterodox, as a person who is too afraid to supplicate the Lord does not know Him (Isaiah 55:7).
Liguori states, of Mary, that "sinners know no refuge but thee", "thou art our only hope", "to thee we intrust our salvation":
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 130)
Let us say with St. Thomas of Villanova: Oh Mary, we poor sinners know no refuge but thee. Thou art our only hope; to thee we intrust our salvation. Thou art the only advocate with Jesus Christ; to thee we all have recourse.
Liguori presents Mary as protecting believers from Jesus:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 133)
But now, if God is offended with any sinner, and Mary undertakes to protect him, she restrains the Son from punishing him and saves him. Also, continues St. Bonaventure, no one can be found more fit than Mary to place her hand upon the sword of divine justice, that it may not descend upon the head. Richard of St. Laurence expresses the same thought, when he says: God lamented, before the birth of Mary, that there was no one to restrain him from punishing the sinner; but Mary being born, she appeases him.
Liguori tells a story in which Jesus rejects a person, and refuses to pardon them, and so that person recourses to Mary:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 139-140)
He said a "Hail Mary," as usual; but what did he see? He saw the infant covered with wounds, and fresh blood flowing from them. Both terrified and moved in his feelings, he remembered that he himself too had wounded his Redeemer by his sins, and began to weep, but he observed that the child turned away from him. In deep confusion, he had recourse to the most holy Virgin, saying: "Mother of mercy, thy Son rejects me; I can find no advocate more kind and more powerful than thou, who art his mother; my queen, aid me, and pray to him in my behalf." The divine mother answered him from that image: "You sinners call me mother of mercy, but yet you do not cease to make me mother of misery, renewing the passion of my Son, and my dolors." But because Mary never sends away disconsolate those who cast themselves at her feet, she began to entreat her Son that he would pardon that miserable sinner. Jesus continued to show himself unwilling to grant such a pardon, but the holy Virgin, placing the infant in the niche, prostrated herself before him, saying: "My Son, I will not leave thy feet until thou hast pardoned this sinner."
Liguori again presents Jesus as one whom a sinner "dare not approach" - the fearful Judge who must be approached only via an intermediary:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 4, Section 1 (pg. 153)
He prostrated himself before the altar of the divine mother, and recited with deep feeling this prayer; he renewed his vow of chastity, promised to recite daily the rosary, and then added: "Oh my queen, be my advocate with thy Son, whom I dare not approach."
Liguori again portrays Mary as essentially having total control over God:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 6, Section 1 (pg. 202)
St. Bernardine of Sienna does not hesitate to say that all obey the commands of Mary, even God himself; signifying by these words, that God listens to her prayers as though they were commands.
Liguori again presents Mary as the one who, in effect, protects us from the charges of Jesus Christ:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 6, Section 3 (pg. 235)
As Jesus is mediator with the eternal Father, so Mary is our mediatrix with Jesus, to whom the Son refers all the charges which, as judge he has against us.
Liguori, citing Saint Anselm, Antoninus, and Bonaventure, makes the Salvation of all dependent on their relationship with Mary:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 8, Section 1 (pg. 255)
St. Anselm says that, as he who is not devoted to Mary and protected by her cannot be saved, so it is impossible that he should be condemned who recommends himself to the Virgin and is regarded by her with affection. St. Antoninus asserts the same thing in nearly the same words: As it is impossible that those from whom Mary turns away her eyes of compassion should be saved, so it must be that all those towards whom she turns her eyes, and for whom she intercedes, shall be saved and glorified.
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 8, Section 1 (pg. 256)
St. Bonaventure, too: He who neglects the service of Mary shall die in sin. And in another place: He who has not recourse to thee, oh Lady, will not reach paradise. And on Psalm xcix., the saint goes so far as to say that those from whom Mary turns away her face, not only will not be saved, but can have no hope of salvation.
Liguori again presents Mary as the protector of believers from the judgment of Jesus:
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 10 (pg. 318)
Oh Mary, our advocate, to thee it belongs to shield thy servants, and defend their cause before the tribunal of Jesus Christ.
A prayer near the end of the book distinguishes between the merits of Jesus, and the prayers of Mary, as aids to obtaining Salvation - contextually making it seem as though the mertis of Jesus Christ are not sufficient:
The Glories of Mary - Prayers to the Divine Mother for Every Day of the Week - Sunday (pg. 764-765)
He sends me to thee, that thou mayest succor me, and he wishes me to have recourse to thy mercy, that not only the merits of thy Son, but also thy prayers may aid in my salvation.
Another prayer near the end of the book compels one to place the hope of their Salvation into the hands of Mary, so as to be saved from Jesus's judgment:
The Glories of Mary - Prayers to the Divine Mother for Every Day of the Week - Saturday (pg. 771-772)
In thy hands, then, I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I commit my soul. It was lost; thou, by thy intercession, must save it. I wish to be enrolled among thy most devoted servants; do not cast me out. Thou dost go in search of the wretched to relieve them; do not abandon a miserable sinner who has recourse to thee. Speak for me; thy Son does whatever thou dost ask of him. Take me under thy protection, and this will be enough: yes, for if thou dost protect me I fear nothing: nothing from my sins, for thou wilt obtain for me the remedy for the injury I have inflicted upon myself; nor from the demons, for thou art more powerful than all hell united; nor from Jesus my Judge himself; for by one prayer of thine he is appeased. I only fear that through my negligence I may cease to invoke thee, and shall thus be lost.
The above is a small sample of quotations from this book. The edition cited in this section, as can be seen in the final quotations above, is over 700 pages long.
In conclusion, Liguori's book demonstrates that lurking not too far below the surface of prayers like the Memorare, and the Hail Mary, lies a vast iceberg of frankly idolatrous Mariolatry that is rooted in authoritative, historical Roman Catholicism.
Eastern Orthodox expressions of Marian devotion can be seen in their liturgy, prayer services (Matins, Vespers), and other prayers that are typically recited in the offices of the Church.
The Jordanville Prayer Book compiles many prayers from these sources into a single volume. It is one of the most popular Orthodox prayer books in English, but derives its authority from the fact that it is compiling prayers from the Orthodox Church's authoritative services and resources. The edition cited here begins with a page stating, "Printed with the blessing of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia by the Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, N.Y.".
The Morning Prayers section contains a plea to Mary for eternal Salvation, which seems to give her Salvific agency:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Morning Prayers, Prayer VII, to the Most Holy Theotokos
Guide me to the path of repentance, for I am tossed in the storm of life. Deliver me from eternal fire, and from evil worms, and from Tartarus.
In another prayer, Mary is again given Salvific agency, as the person praying tells her that they are "hoping in thee", and addresses her as "the salvation of the Christian race":
Jordanville Prayer Book - Prayers Before Sleep, Troparia
The door of compassion open unto us, O blessed Theotokos, for, hoping in thee, let us not perish; through thee may we be delivered from adversities, for thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Another evening prayer speaks of "attaining Paradise through" Mary:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Prayers Before Sleep, Prayer IX, to the Most Holy Theotokos
O good Mother of the Good King, most pure and blessed Theotokos Mary, do thou pour out the mercy of thy Son and our God upon my passionate soul, and by thine intercessions guide me unto good works, that I may pass the remaining time of my life without blemish, and attain paradise through thee, O Virgin Theotokos, who alone art pure and blessed.
Another evening prayer has the person praying telling Mary "All my hope I place in thee", "my soul hath hoped in thee", and presenting Mary as the means by which Jesus conveys Salvation:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Prayers Before Sleep, Kontakion to the Theotokos
Most glorious, Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, present our prayer to thy Son and our God, that through thee He may save our souls. All my hope I place in thee, O Mother of God; keep me under thy protection. O Virgin Theotokos, disdain not me a sinner, needing thy help and thy protection, and have mercy on me, for my soul hath hoped in thee.
A prayer for the Feast of the Annunciation contains a cry to Mary for temporal deliverance - a purpose for which Scripture compels us to "call upon the name of the Lord" (Romans 10:13):
Jordanville Prayer Book - Troparia and Kontakia of the Twelve Feasts, The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos
To thee, the Champion Leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and of thanksgiving as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Theotokos; but as thou art one with might which is invincible, from all dangers that can be, do thou deliver us, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, thou Bride Unwedded.
The prayer for deliverance above - "O Theotokos; but as thou art one with might which is invincible, from all dangers that can be, do thou deliver us" - is repeated four other times in the book, as well.
In a prayer for the Feast of the Dormition, Mary is once again given Salvific agency:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Troparia and Kontakia of the Twelve Feasts, The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
In giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity; in thy dormition thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Thou wast translated unto life, since thou art the Mother of Life; and by thine intercessions dost thou deliver our souls from death.
Even in a relatively simple prayer for the Passion Week, Mary is needlessly inserted as the conduit of mercy between God and believers:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Passion Week Troparia, Holy and Great Monday
Beware, therefore, O my soul, lest thou be weighed down with sleep; lest thou be given up to death, and be shut out from the kingdom. But rouse thyself and cry: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God; through the Theotokos, have mercy on us.
This insertion of "through the Theotokos", in a prayer asking for blessings from God, is done six other times in the book, as well.
A prayer from the Pentecostarion refers to Mary as the "Water of salvation", and the dispenser of divine grace:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Troparia and Kontakia from the Pentecostarion, Friday of Bright Week
From thine unfailing fount, O Maiden full of grace, thou dost reward me by pouring forth of the unending streams of thy grace that passeth human understanding. And since thou didst bear the Word incomprehensibly, I entreat thee to refresh me with thy grace divine, that I may cry to thee: Rejoice, O water of salvation.
A prayer in the Supplicatory Canon to Jesus Christ asks Mary for Salvation by way of her prayers and intercession:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Supplicatory Canon to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Ode I
O most holy Theotokos, save us. O Lady who gavest birth to Jesus our God, pray for us worthless servants, that by thy prayers, O immaculate one, we who are defiled may be delivered from torment, O spotless one, and enjoy everlasting glory.
This section, combined with Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, has one pray, "O most holy Theotokos, save us", over twenty times.
Another prayer in this section says to Mary, "Thou alone art the protectress of the afflicted":
Jordanville Prayer Book - Supplicatory Canon to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Ode III
O most holy Theotokos, save us. O Virgin who gavest birth to my Jesus, implore Him to deliver me from Gehenna. Thou alone art the protectress of the afflicted, O thou who art full of divine grace. And vouchsafe me the life that ageth not, O all-blameless one.
Another prayer in this section says to Mary, "Beside thee we know no certain protection":
Jordanville Prayer Book - Supplicatory Canon to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Ode V
O most holy Theotokos, save us. O maiden Mother of God, who gavest birth to Jesus, implore Him to save all Orthodox monastics and laity, and to deliver from Gehenna those who cry: Beside thee we know no certain protection.
Another prayer in this section entreats Mary for deliverance from temptation, and the fires of Hell:
Jordanville Prayer Book - Supplicatory Canon to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Ode IX
O most holy Theotokos, save us. O Theotokos, who didst carry Jesus, O only unwedded Virgin Mary who knewest not wedlock, O pure one, invoke Him, thy Son and Creator, to deliver them that hasten to thee from temptation and perils, and the fire that is to come.
The Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos contains a prayer in which one calls Mary their "only hope":
Jordanville Prayer Book - Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, Troparion
To the Theotokos let us run now most earnestly, we sinners all and wretched ones, and fall down, in repentance calling from the depths of our souls: O Lady, come unto our aid, have compassion upon us; hasten thou, for we are lost in a throng of transgressions. Turn not thy servants away with empty hands, for thee alone do we have as our only hope.
In the Canon of Repentence to Jesus Christ, Mary is called "my salvation":
Jordanville Prayer Book - Canon of Repentence to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Ode III
Bound now with many fetters of sins, and held fast by cruel passions, I flee unto thee, my salvation, and cry aloud: Help me, O Virgin Mother of God.
The Order of Preparation for Holy Communion contains a prayer in which Mary is asked to "propitiate" Jesus on the believer's behalf:
Jordanville Prayer Book - The Order of Preparation for Holy Communion, Ode IV
Propitiate for me also Him that came from thy womb, O Lady, and keep me, thy servant, undefiled and blameless, so that by obtaining the spiritual Pearl I may be sanctified.
The Akathist Hymn, covered above in the main section of this article, is also contained in its entirety in the Jordanville Prayer Book.
In addition to the above, there exist many other Orthodox prayers and hymns that could be cited, but the Jordanville Prayer Book is representative of what is found in them as well - excessive devotion and exaltation of Mary.
Mother of the Light is an Eastern Orthodox Marian prayer book, published in 2018 by Newrome Press. The introduction states:
Mother of the Light - Introduction, pg. XV-XVI
This volume contains thirteen prayers to the Theotokos, together with three supplicatory canons by St Theodore the Studite, St Methodios of Constantinople, and St John of Euchaita. The prayers are taken from a group of writings attributed to the fourth-century Church Father, St Ephraim the Syrian. Popular in the Byzantine period, these writings are not in fact the work of St Ephraim, but were written in Greek by patristic and Byzantine writers, whose names for the most part have been lost or were never recorded. Today these writings are described as the work of "Ephraim graecus," or the "Greek Ephraim," to distinguish them from the authentic works of St Ephraim written in Syriac. These writings form a vast number of works that, in their most recent edition, fill seven volumes, and are second in number only to the works of St John Chrysostom. Though these writings are difficult to date, many of them were read by the learned patriarch, St Photios of Constantinople, and thus we can safely assume that at least some of the texts in the collection are at least as old as, and in some cases likely older than, the ninth century.
The Introduction goes on to say that Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1357 AD) read Prayer XII every day (Introduction, pg. XVII), according to the Life of St Gregory Palamas, written by his disciple Saint Philotheos Kokkinos (Notes on the Translation, pg. 81). The supplicatory canons were written by Saint Theodore the Studite (759-826 AD), Saint Methodios I of Constantinople (788-847 AD), and Saint John of Euchaita (1000-1080 AD).
Therefore, these prayers can reasonably be said to represent authentic, ancient Eastern Orthodox Marian piety.
Prayer II has the one praying say that they "dare not ask the loving God to heal my many sins and incurable wounds", that Mary is their only hope and refuge, and also ascribes to Mary a litany of operations or roles, including "ransom of my sins":
Mother of the Light - Prayer II, pg. 2-3
Do not let me, your unworthy servant, be lost forever; but using your maternal intercessions heal my miserable soul, which has been ruined by my evil passions, and which the enemy has broken, and crushed, and ground into the earth on account of my love of sin. This is why I am utterly filled with shame, and this is why I do not dare ask, nor do I have anyone to entreat on my behalf, the loving God to heal my many sins and incurable wounds. I have defiled the temple of my body, staining it grievously through my disgraceful desires. I have corrupted all my senses through unlawful and unseemly acts. I have no confidence to raise my hands to heaven, for I have defiled them with sinful deeds; nor do I have a mouth to open in prayer, for I have sullied it by mocking and judging my neighbor.
Because of this, all-pure Lady, I, the wretched prodigal, fall down before your ineffable compassion. I have no other hope or refuge apart from you, for you are my consolation and are quick to come to my aid. You are the joy of my soul, the solution to my sorrows, my liberation from captivity, the deification of mortals, our propitiation and refuge, the resurrection of those who have fallen, the renewal of my soul and body, the ransom of my sins, a God-given drop of rain for my withered heart, a shining light in my darkened soul, the covering of my nakedness, the cessation of my sighing, the transformation of my misfortunes.
The list of roles or operations given to Mary at the end is as extreme as anything seen in this article thus far. She is called:
The above takes the operations belonging to Jesus Christ, or the Trinity more generally, and ascribes them to Mary, stealing glory from God, and elevating Mary far beyond any Biblical warrant.
And, Mary is presented as the recourse for one who believes that they "dare not ask the loving God to heal my many sins and incurable wounds". This view leads them to say, "I have no other hope or refuge apart from you", to Mary. This view is unbiblical, the Bible says that "if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). This verse keeps coming up in this discussion, because it is a key verse in opposition to the view put forth by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, wherein Jesus is very far, and distant, and not to be approached when one sins. Rather, one must approach God, in fear and trembling, only through the apparently more merciful Mary when they sin, which is exactly the opposite of what 1 John 2:1 teaches, and intends to impart. Jesus is our Advocate when we sin, and our robe of boldness before the throne of God to obtain mercy (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Prayer III has one pray that they "place all my hope" in Mary:
Mother of the Light - Prayer III, pg. 5
O Virgin Lady Theotokos, who carried Christ our God and Savior in your womb, I place all my hope in you, and it is in you, who are higher than all the angelic powers of heaven, that I trust. Protect me, O all-pure One, by your divine grace. Set my life on a straight course, and direct me to the will of your Son and our God. Grant me the forgiveness of my sins. Be my refuge, protection, helper, and guide, and lead me to eternal life.
Orthodox may respond that they have other prayers in which they place "all their hope" in Jesus, or God, but this is not the point. It is not as if we are trying to catch them in a contradiction. The point is that it is innappropriate to pray to a departed Saint and tell them that one places "all their hope" in them, regardless of the context. That type of prayer is to be reserved for God alone.
Prayer III continues:
Mother of the Light - Prayer III, pg. 6-7
Do not look upon my sins, which I have committed both in words and deeds, and in each and every one of my bodily senses, both voluntarily and involuntarily, both in knowledge and in ignorance. Make me instead a completely new man. Establish me as a temple of the All-Holy, life-creating, and governing Spirit, who dwelt in and overshadowed your all-pure womb, for He is the Power of the Most High God. This I ask knowing that you are the helper of those exhausted from their labors, the protector of all who are in danger, the savior of those who are lost, the safe harbor of those imperiled by the waves of life, and the strength and helper of those surrounded by troubles.
Notice that one is asking Mary to "Make me instead a completely new man". This operation, once again, is a usurping of the operation of God through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). She is also called "the savior of those who are lost", when the God reserves that title for Himself exclusively (Isaiah 43:11, 45:21, Hosea 13:4).
Prayer IV says, to Mary:
Mother of the Light - Prayer IV, pg. 9-10
You are above the cherubim, incomparably more glorious than the seraphim, and more honorable than the whole creation. You are the joy of angels, the salvation of mortals, the key unlocking heaven, the mother and servant of the unsetting Sun.
Above, Mary is clearly given Salvific agency, being the literal "key unlocking heaven", and "the salvation of mortals".
Prayer IV continues, calling Mary "the redemption of sinners", among many other things:
Mother of the Light - Prayer IV, pg. 10
You are a flash of lightning illumining the faithful, the redemption of sinners, the security of those who are standing, the restoration of those who have fallen, the bestirring of the indolent, the strength of those who pray, the concord of the Church, the victory of armies, the giver of all good gifts, the good order of towns and cities, the peace of the world, the patient endurance of ascetics, the courage of spiritual athletes, the treasury of undefiled life, the swift Cloud bringing the heavenly dew to those on the earth, the Lamp of the unapproachable Light.
Prayer IV also echoes Prayer II, stating that Mary is "the solution of all sorrow, the liberation of captives, the deification of mortals" (pg. 12). It also says:
Mother of the Light - Prayer IV, pg. 12
You are the majesty of God's awesome plan of salvation, the brilliant adornment of God's gracious descent, the redemption of the world, our propitation and shelter, the gift most greatly desired and surpassing all good things.
Later, she is called "the forgiveness of those in error, our defense before the Just Judge" (pg. 13), and "the Redemption of my sins" (pg. 13).
Prayer IV portrays Mary as in effect having total control over Jesus, and again ascribes the Lord's work of redemption to her in every practical way:
Mother of the Light - Prayer IV, pg. 15-16
Do not withdraw your protection from me, but help me, and save me. I know your Only-begotten Son is pleased by your prayers and requests. And He is bound under obligation to honor you, since He Himself said: "Honor your father and your mother," and He will fulfill this obligation to you because He Himself loves His servants, and freely chose to live among them, and it was you who enabled Him to do this, by serving His ineffable birth. Thus He rejoices in your supplications, reckoning your glory as His own, and He obligingly fulfills all your requests. Only this I ask: Do not despise my unworthiness, and do not allow my base and vile actions to hinder your immeasurable mercy.
O my Theotokos! Your name is desired above all other names! Apart from your help, I have no other foundation or support. You removed every tear from the face of the earth. You filled creation with goodness. You made heaven glad, and you saved the things on earth. You transformed the creature by propitiating the Creator. You brought angelic beings to earth and raised human beings to heaven.
Notice the above states, "Your name is desired above all other names", whereas the Bible says that Jesus is the "name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:9-10).
Prayer V, as Prayer II, says to Mary, "I do not dare to draw near with boldness to your Son", and repeatedly establishes her as the only hope of sinners, and mankind more generally:
Mother of the Light - Prayer V, pg. 17
We have you, O Theotokos, as our protector and mediator before God, to whom you gave birth. It is to you whom we turn for help, and we have you alone as our shelter and refuge. You alone have a mother's boldness of speech with your Son, and for this reason I draw near to you with all my soul. I do not dare to draw near with boldness to your Son, but instead I pray to you that I might obtain salvation through your intercessions to Him. Do not, therefore, despise me, my Lady. Do not be far from me, for I have placed all my hope in you. Do not disregard me in my time of need, for I am in danger and filled with many sorrows. Because you are compassionate and the Mother of the merciful God, have mercy on me your servant.
Prayer V continues on to say, "Grant that the Just Judge might look upon me favorably; that He might consider me in His kindness and compassion. Through your intercessions, Bride of God, deliver me from the eternal fire" (pg. 18-19), placing Mary as one's hope of Salvation - "you are the protection of sinners" (pg. 18), "you are the hope of all Christians" (pg. 19).
Later, Mary is addressed as, "you, who are the redemption of my sins" (pg. 21), "source of all that is beautiful in life" (pg. 22), "source of all good things" (pg. 22), "the hope of my salvation" (pg. 22). And, Mary is spoken of, essentially, the savior of her servants:
Mother of the Light - Prayer V, pg. 23
Fill me with divine gladness, and through your mediation grant me a place among the righteous and the holy. Unite me with your devoted servants in the earth that the meek shall inherit, in heavenly tents, in the land of the living, in the joy of the saints. Make me worthy of these things, for you are the hope and protection of all Christians, and the joy and gladness of the whole world.
Prayer VI has one pray that Mary cleanse them of their sin, and grant them forgiveness:
Mother of the Light - Prayer VI, pg. 25
Grant me, O Lady, true compunction and tears of repentance. Cleanse my soul thoroughly of its many stains, and grant me forgiveness, for you are a God-bearing woman, and you gave birth to a man-bearing God.
Prayer VII teaches the unbiblical doctrine of the Super-Virgin Birth, addressed in its own article here:
Mother of the Light - Prayer VII, pg. 26
O Virgin, you are incomparably beyond all virginity, for unlike every other virgin, your virginity remained incorruptible before you gave birth, during your birth giving, and after you gave birth.
Prayer VII presents Mary as the one who restores a sinner to the "compassion" of Jesus, which seems to imply that sinners alienate themselves from the compassion of God, and must resort to Mary for restoration:
Mother of the Light - Prayer VII, pg. 26
After the union of humanity and divinity, it is again through you that we are restored to God, for whenever we lose our way, either through the envy of the devil or because of our own ignorance and carelessness of mind, we find our way back to your Son's compassion through your unceasing prayers to Him.
In a section of Prayer VII which is intended to be read "After Holy Communion", the person praying thanks Mary for making them "worthy" to be a comminicant in the Lord's Supper:
Mother of the Light - Prayer VII, pg. 30
All-holy Lady, Theotokos, the light of my darkened soul, my hope, my protection, my refuge, my consolation and my joy: I thank you that you have made me worthy, unworthy though I am, to become a communicant of the pure Body and the precious Blood of your Son.
In Prayer VIII, Mary is called "living water", and "the true vine":
Mother of the Light - Prayer VIII, pg. 31
O most holy and highly praised Mother of God, you are the source of mercy, an abyss of tender love, living water, the protection of sinners and a harbor for those lost on the sea of life. Without seed you received God in your womb, and became worthy to be the Mother of God. You are the true vine, the urn containing the heavenly Manna, the restoration of those who have fallen, the refuge of all, and the life of the world.
The "living water" in the Gospels referred to the Gospel, Eternal Life, or Jesus Himself:
John 4:10-14
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The above cannot be applied to Mary. She is nowhere in the context of John 4. Calling her "living water" is unbiblical.
In regard to Prayer VIII calling Mary, "the true vine", once again, this is taking a title belonging to Jesus Christ and applying it to Mary, as Jesus said "I am the true vine" (John 15:1). Mary is a branch on the True Vine, just as every believer is. She is not, however, properly to be called "the true vine", because that term specifically refers to Jesus Christ, and His preeminent role as the nourisher of all believers.
Prayer IX has a repentant sinner pray to Mary, obtaining the cleansing of their sins via her intercession, so that she can be said to "Sprinkle me with the hyssop of your mercy, and purify me":
Mother of the Light - Prayer IX, pg. 33
Fill my eyes with spiritual tears, and enlighten them with the light of your intercessions, so that I might not sleep unto death. Sprinkle me with the hyssop of your mercy, and purify me. By your grace, wash me in tears of repentance and I shall be whiter than snow. Yes, O Mother of my Lord, Jesus Christ, receive this my pitiable confession and prayer.
Prayer IX continues, after a lengthy lament as to how sinful the person praying is, to say:
Mother of the Light - Prayer IX, pg. 37
O strong Mother of the strong and living God, extend your helping hand to me in my time of trouble and confusion! Show your mercy to me the sinner, and raise up my soul, saying to it: "I am your salvation." You, O Spotless one, are my helper and my protector. Accept the entreaty of your unworthy servant. I believe, O pure Maiden, that you are able to do this. Save me, you who are the undeviating way for those who repent. Grant unto me, though I am more wretched and pitiable than all men, your wondrous mercy, for you are my hope, O holy Lady Theotokos.
Prayer X begins with, "Virgin Lady Theotokos, you are the salvation of all Christians" (pg. 38). It continues on to say the following:
Mother of the Light - Prayer X, pg. 40
O Lady Theotokos, who gave birth to Christ God the Savior, in you I place all my hope. It is in you I trust, for you are higher than all the powers of heaven. Protect me, O Spotless one, with your divine grace. Direct the course of my life, and lead me to the holy will of your Son and our God. Grant me forgiveness of my sins. Be my refuge, shelter, and helper, and lead me to eternal life. In the hour of my death - O my Lady, my Lady! - do not abandon me, but hasten to help me, and rescue me from the hateful grasp of the demons. I know you can do this, for you have the ability to bring about whatever you wish, as the good Mother of Christ our God; and only you can do this, O Theotokos, for you alone are higher than all things on earth.
Notice above, also, that Mary has "the ability to bring about whatever (she wishes)". As can be seen from the other prayers, this is ostensibly through petitioning Jesus. But, Mary is portrayed as functionally omnipotent, throughout this book, as a result of having total control over Jesus, who honors all of her petitions, as He is "bound under obligation to honor" Mary (pg. 15).
Prayer XI praises Mary with, "You are the hope of sinners and the help of the helpless" (pg. 42), and "You are the consolation of the whole world" (pg. 43), and, "you, O pure one, are my defense, my protection, my safe harbor, and I know no other place of refuge but you" (pg. 43).
Towards the end of Prayer XI, she is called "defense of the faithful" (pg. 45), "restoration of Adam, ransom of Eve" (pg. 45), "fountain of grace and immortality" (pg. 46), and "pure one, who crushed the head of the spiritual dragon, and who cast him bound into the abyss" (pg. 46). This last praise applies Genesis 3:15, in which Jesus is prophesied to crush the head of the serpent, to Mary.
Prayer XII, which Saint Gregory Palamas was alleged to be so fond on, contains the unbiblical distortion of one being hindered or unable to go directly to Jesus on account of their sin, and needing to instead resort to Mary:
Mother of the Light - Prayer XII, pg. 47
Accept this present confession of my many and grievous sins, and present it to your only-begotten Son and God, entreating Him to have compassion on my wretched and miserable soul. On account of the multitude of my transgressions, I am hindered from raising my eyes to Him and asking for forgiveness. For this reason I bring you forward as my intercessor and mediator, because even though I have enjoyed many great gifts from my Creator, I - ungrateful wretch that I am - have not been mindful of them, and thus I have become no different than a senseless animal.
Later in Prayer XII, Mary is again portrayed as one who is functionally omnipotent:
Mother of the Light - Prayer XII, pg. 48
Have mercy on my lowliness, O Spotless one, and take pity on my weakness. Like no one else, you have great boldness of speech with the One who was born from you. You can do all things, because you are the Mother of God. And you are able to do all things, because you are above all created beings. Nothing is impossible for you; you need only wish it.
The prayer continues to say, of Mary, "you are the hope of all who live everywhere, even unto the ends of the earth" (pg. 49). It also places Mary into the role of one's savior, saying:
Mother of the Light - Prayer XII, pg. 50
Finally, be at my side when my lowly soul is separated from my wretched body, and ease the burden of that unbearable distress. Grant relief to that indescribable pain, and console me during that inconsolably difficult passage. Deliver me from the dark forms of the demons; raise me far above the vengeful account keepers, the aerial custom houses, and the rulers of darkness. Tear up the records of my many sins. Reconcile me to God. Make me worthy to stand at the right hand of His blessing in the hour of the fearsome judgment. Deliver me from the eternal and unendurable torments, and make me an inheritor of His wondrous and incorruptible good things.
The above also contains a reference to the unbiblical doctrine of the "aerial custom houses" - an Orthodox doctrine which posits a testing of one's soul at the hour of death, wherein one is tried by demons to determine the state of their soul.
The prayer then concludes by calling Mary, "the mediator and advocate for all sinners", once again usurping the position of Jesus Christ with respect to mankind:
Mother of the Light - Prayer XII, pg. 51
In the age to come, grant me to partake of the sweetness of the heavenly banquet, the delights of paradise, the kingdom of God, where all the righteous rejoice. And when I, the unworthy one, come to receive these things, I will glorify for endless ages the honorable and magnificent name of your Son and God, who accepts all who come to Him in genuine repentance - thanks to you who became the mediator and advocate for all sinners - for through your intercessions, O glorious and transcendently good Lady, all human nature is saved, praising and blessing the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the all-holy and consubstantial Trinity, always, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In Prayer XIII, Mary is called "the transcendent and marvelous courage of the martyrs, and the reason for their contests and victories. You are the cause and patron of their victory crowns and their eternal and glorious rewards" (pg. 52). This is unbiblical, as it is Jesus who says, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
Later in Prayer XIII, Mary is called "the entrance to eternal life":
Mother of the Light - Prayer XIII, pg. 52
You are the door of revelations and spiritual mysteries, the fountain of light, the entrance to eternal life, the overflowing river of mercy, an endless sea containing all the divine gifts and wonders. It is to you that we pray, and it is you whom we beseech, the compassionate Mother of the compassionate Lord: Have mercy on us, your lowly and unworthy servants. Look kindly upon our captivity and abasement. Heal the wounds of our souls and bodies.
Also in Prayer XIII, Mary is again portrayed as functionally omnipotent, as one prays to her that she is "able to bring about whatever you wish, in heaven or on earth, merely by the power of your will":
Mother of the Light - Prayer XIII, pg. 53
Show our lawless enemies that the only King and Master is your Son and God, and that you are truly the Theotokos, who gave birth in the flesh to the true God, and that you can do all things, and are able to bring about whatever you wish, in heaven or on earth, merely by the power of your will.
This ends a survey of the thirteen prayers which precede the supplicatory canons, toward the end of the book. The amount of idolatrous exaltation of Mary contained in these prayers is on par with, or beyond anything else covered in this article.
The first supplicatory canon is that of Saint Theodore the Studite. The format alternates between a sinner entreating Mary, Mary entreating Jesus on his behalf, Jesus's response to Mary, and Mary's response to the sinner. In it, Jesus is portrayed as distant and unmerciful, even in spite of the sinner having repented and confessed, and Mary's supplication on his behalf.
For instance:
Mother of the Light - Canon of Saint Theodore the Studite to the Theotokos, Sixth Ode, pg. 59-60
(The Sinner to the Theotokos) I am not rich with words, and am poor in virtues. I love neither to pray nor undertake fasts, O Bride of God. Therefore I seek refuge in you.
(The Theotokos to Christ) Attend to me, my compassionate Son, for it is your Mother who implores you. The man running to me is devoid of good works and cries to me: "I have no other hope but you, O Lady."
(Christ to the Theotokos) O Mother, who pleads so ardently, cease speaking on behalf of this man! For while he says that I am compassionate, he continues to defile himself, failing to see my wrath.
(The Theotokos to the Sinner) On your behalf, I entreated my Son and God that you might obtain mercy. But he cried out to me to cease interceding for you to be saved.
The above presents a Jesus who not only cannot be reached directly for mercy, but even when reached through an intermediary appointed for the purpose, is still unforgiving.
The canon ends with:
Mother of the Light - Canon of Saint Theodore the Studite to the Theotokos, Ninth Ode, pg. 62-63
(The Sinner to the Theotokos) O Maiden, I have shown myself a greater sinner than all other men, therefore I am ashamed to approach your Son. But I beg you to implore Him to take pity on me, and to receive me drawing near to Him with ardent faith and longing.
(The Theotokos to Christ) O Word, deliver your servant, who draws near to You, from punishment, I implore You: Remember not his transgressions. For though he sinned, O Savior, he turned to me for refuge and I entreat You. Through me receive this man, for You fulfill the petitions of all.
(Christ to the Theotokos) O Mother, he is not worthy to take refuge in Your mercy, for no man has provoked my wrath as much as he. But by Your precious prayers, I will not punish him on the Day of Judgment if he brings me fruits of repentance.
(The Theotokos to the Sinner) Though you were in the depth of Hades, through my prayer and intercessions you have been raised up to the heights to my Son. See that you do not fall back into your former grievous sins. Depart, and stay on the path of repentance, lest you be cast down into Gehenna.
The above, once again, and contrary to Scripture, endorses the view that a sinner is to resort to Mary, "ashamed to approach your Son". Also notice how even after nine odes of entreating for mercy, and the intercession of Mary, the repentent sinner is only provisionally forgiven - "I will not punish him on the Day of Judgment if he brings me fruits of repentance". The last thing said to him in the canon is, "Depart, and stay on the path of repentance, lest you be cast down into Gehenna".
The second canon is that of Saint Methodios I of Constantinople. It contains the following:
Mother of the Light - Canon of Saint Methodios to the Theotokos, Fourth Ode, pg. 66
The whole earth is astonished seeing the wretched things that I have so recklessly and shamefully done; my deeds have even counfounded the great mercy and compassion of your Son.
Because this prayer is addressed to Mary, it is teaching, in the mind of the one praying, that even after one has "confounded the great mercy and compassion" of Jesus Christ, there still remains one apparently more merciful - Mary - who is to be resorted to.
It also presents Mary as the reconciler of sinful mankind to Jesus:
Mother of the Light - Canon of Saint Methodios to the Theotokos, Eighth Ode, pg. 69
I have confessed to you the multitude of my sins. No one else has angered your Son and my God as much as I have, O pure Lady. I beg you to reconcile me to Him quickly, through your prayers.
The final canon is that of Saint John of Euchaita, intended "to be said after recovery from illness" (pg. 71). It contains statements such as:
Mother of the Light - Canon of Saint John to the Theotokos, Third Ode, pg. 72
"The depths of my sin cast me into an ocean of illness, O good One, but hastening to the calm and peaceful harbor of your compassion, I found healing, and now with ardent devotion I glorify you.
You became the relief of my illnesses, and you took away all my pain, O most gracious Lady of God. I, your servant, give you thanks and praise you in faith.
You did not disdain my petitions to you in the hour of my pain, for you, O Lady, are a living fountain of compassion, and through your divine visitation you eased the pain of my body and my soul.
From my bed of pain, from the gates of death, and from the narrow confines in which I was trapped, you brought me to a place of light, to the breadth of recovery and health. For this, I magnify you, O pure Maiden."
This canon also addresses Mary with, "you who are the only helper of mankind" (pg. 74).
This concludes an overview of the Mother of the Light prayer book. The only impression that one can get after reading such a book is that Mary has functionally replaced Jesus in Eastern Orthodoxy, and is somehow closer, and more merciful than He is, as she is the all-powerful, all-merciful one to whom a person is to recourse after having angered Jesus Christ.
Pope Leo XIII - Octobri Mense (1891 AD)
4 We adore the beloved Saviour, lavish of His blood and of His life; we dread the inexorable Judge. Thus do those whose actions have disturbed their consciences need an intercessor mighty in favour with God, merciful enough not to reject the cause of the desperate, merciful enough to lift up again towards hope in the divine mercy the afflicted and the broken down. Mary is this glorious intermediary;
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 2, Section 1 (pg. 82)
She says, in the holy Canticles, that God has placed her in the world to be our defence, and therefore she is ordained to be the mediatrix of peace between the sinner and God.
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 129)
This fenced city, as the blessed Albertus Magnus explains it, is the holy Virgin, whose defence is grace and glory. "Let us be silent there," according to the gloss: "since we may not dare to supplicate the Lord for pardon, it is enough that we enter into the city and are silent, for then Mary will speak and will pray for us.
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 139-140)
He said a "Hail Mary," as usual; but what did he see? He saw the infant covered with wounds, and fresh blood flowing from them. Both terrified and moved in his feelings, he remembered that he himself too had wounded his Redeemer by his sins, and began to weep, but he observed that the child turned away from him. In deep confusion, he had recourse to the most holy Virgin, saying: "Mother of mercy, thy Son rejects me; I can find no advocate more kind and more powerful than thou, who art his mother; my queen, aid me, and pray to him in my behalf." The divine mother answered him from that image: "You sinners call me mother of mercy, but yet you do not cease to make me mother of misery, renewing the passion of my Son, and my dolors." But because Mary never sends away disconsolate those who cast themselves at her feet, she began to entreat her Son that he would pardon that miserable sinner. Jesus continued to show himself unwilling to grant such a pardon, but the holy Virgin, placing the infant in the niche, prostrated herself before him, saying: "My Son, I will not leave thy feet until thou hast pardoned this sinner."
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 4, Section 1 (pg. 153)
He prostrated himself before the altar of the divine mother, and recited with deep feeling this prayer; he renewed his vow of chastity, promised to recite daily the rosary, and then added: "Oh my queen, be my advocate with thy Son, whom I dare not approach."
Mother of the Light - Prayer II, pg. 2
Do not let me, your unworthy servant, be lost forever; but using your maternal intercessions heal my miserable soul, which has been ruined by my evil passions, and which the enemy has broken, and crushed, and ground into the earth on account of my love of sin. This is why I am utterly filled with shame, and this is why I do not dare ask, nor do I have anyone to entreat on my behalf, the loving God to heal my many sins and incurable wounds. I have defiled the temple of my body, staining it grievously through my disgraceful desires. I have corrupted all my senses through unlawful and unseemly acts. I have no confidence to raise my hands to heaven, for I have defiled them with sinful deeds; nor do I have a mouth to open in prayer, for I have sullied it by mocking and judging my neighbor.
Mother of the Light - Prayer V, pg. 17
We have you, O Theotokos, as our protector and mediator before God, to whom you gave birth. It is to you whom we turn for help, and we have you alone as our shelter and refuge. You alone have a mother's boldness of speech with your Son, and for this reason I draw near to you with all my soul. I do not dare to draw near with boldness to your Son, but instead I pray to you that I might obtain salvation through your intercessions to Him. Do not, therefore, despise me, my Lady. Do not be far from me, for I have placed all my hope in you. Do not disregard me in my time of need, for I am in danger and filled with many sorrows. Because you are compassionate and the Mother of the merciful God, have mercy on me your servant.
Mother of the Light - Prayer XII, pg. 47
Accept this present confession of my many and grievous sins, and present it to your only-begotten Son and God, entreating Him to have compassion on my wretched and miserable soul. On account of the multitude of my transgressions, I am hindered from raising my eyes to Him and asking for forgiveness. For this reason I bring you forward as my intercessor and mediator, because even though I have enjoyed many great gifts from my Creator, I - ungrateful wretch that I am - have not been mindful of them, and thus I have become no different than a senseless animal.
Mother of the Light - Canon of Saint Theodore the Studite to the Theotokos, Ninth Ode, pg. 62-63
(The Sinner to the Theotokos) O Maiden, I have shown myself a greater sinner than all other men, therefore I am ashamed to approach your Son. But I beg you to implore Him to take pity on me, and to receive me drawing near to Him with ardent faith and longing.
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 2, Section 2 (pg. 100)
If in thy heart thou hast pity for me, thou wilt not cease to protect me; and if thou dost protect me, what should I fear? No, I fear nothing; I fear not my sins, for thou canst remedy their evil consequences; nor the demons, for thou art more powerful than hell; nor thy Son who is justly angry with me, for at one word of thine he will be appeased. I only fear that through negligence I may fail to implore thy protection in my temptations, and that this may cause my ruin.
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 133)
But now, if God is offended with any sinner, and Mary undertakes to protect him, she restrains the Son from punishing him and saves him. Also, continues St. Bonaventure, no one can be found more fit than Mary to place her hand upon the sword of divine justice, that it may not descend upon the head. Richard of St. Laurence expresses the same thought, when he says: God lamented, before the birth of Mary, that there was no one to restrain him from punishing the sinner; but Mary being born, she appeases him.
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 10 (pg. 318)
Oh Mary, our advocate, to thee it belongs to shield thy servants, and defend their cause before the tribunal of Jesus Christ.
The Glories of Mary - Prayers to the Divine Mother for Every Day of the Week - Saturday (pg. 771-772)
In thy hands, then, I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I commit my soul. It was lost; thou, by thy intercession, must save it. I wish to be enrolled among thy most devoted servants; do not cast me out. Thou dost go in search of the wretched to relieve them; do not abandon a miserable sinner who has recourse to thee. Speak for me; thy Son does whatever thou dost ask of him. Take me under thy protection, and this will be enough: yes, for if thou dost protect me I fear nothing: nothing from my sins, for thou wilt obtain for me the remedy for the injury I have inflicted upon myself; nor from the demons, for thou art more powerful than all hell united; nor from Jesus my Judge himself; for by one prayer of thine he is appeased. I only fear that through my negligence I may cease to invoke thee, and shall thus be lost.
Jordanville Prayer Book - The Order of Preparation for Holy Communion, Ode IV
Propitiate for me also Him that came from thy womb, O Lady, and keep me, thy servant, undefiled and blameless, so that by obtaining the spiritual Pearl I may be sanctified.
Mother of the Light - Canon of Saint Methodios to the Theotokos, Eighth Ode, pg. 69
I have confessed to you the multitude of my sins. No one else has angered your Son and my God as much as I have, O pure Lady. I beg you to reconcile me to Him quickly, through your prayers.
The Glories of Mary, Chapter 3, Section 1 (pg. 116)
The king of heaven, because he is infinite goodness, greatly desires to enrich us with his graces; but, because confidence is necessary on our part, in order to increase our confidence, he has given his own mother for our mother and advocate, and has given her all power to aid us; and hence he wishes us to place in her all our hopes of salvation and of every blessing.
The Glories of Mary - Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg. 130)
Let us say with St. Thomas of Villanova: Oh Mary, we poor sinners know no refuge but thee. Thou art our only hope; to thee we intrust our salvation. Thou art the only advocate with Jesus Christ; to thee we all have recourse.
Jordanville Prayer Book - Prayers Before Sleep, Kontakion to the Theotokos
Most glorious, Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, present our prayer to thy Son and our God, that through thee He may save our souls. All my hope I place in thee, O Mother of God; keep me under thy protection. O Virgin Theotokos, disdain not me a sinner, needing thy help and thy protection, and have mercy on me, for my soul hath hoped in thee.
Jordanville Prayer Book - Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, Troparion
To the Theotokos let us run now most earnestly, we sinners all and wretched ones, and fall down, in repentance calling from the depths of our souls: O Lady, come unto our aid, have compassion upon us; hasten thou, for we are lost in a throng of transgressions. Turn not thy servants away with empty hands, for thee alone do we have as our only hope.
Mother of the Light - Prayer II, pg. 2-3
Because of this, all-pure Lady, I, the wretched prodigal, fall down before your ineffable compassion. I have no other hope or refuge apart from you, for you are my consolation and are quick to come to my aid. You are the joy of my soul, the solution to my sorrows, my liberation from captivity, the deification of mortals, our propitiation and refuge, the resurrection of those who have fallen, the renewal of my soul and body, the ransom of my sins, a God-given drop of rain for my withered heart, a shining light in my darkened soul, the covering of my nakedness, the cessation of my sighing, the transformation of my misfortunes.
Mother of the Light - Prayer III, pg. 5
O Virgin Lady Theotokos, who carried Christ our God and Savior in your womb, I place all my hope in you, and it is in you, who are higher than all the angelic powers of heaven, that I trust. Protect me, O all-pure One, by your divine grace. Set my life on a straight course, and direct me to the will of your Son and our God. Grant me the forgiveness of my sins. Be my refuge, protection, helper, and guide, and lead me to eternal life.
Mother of the Light - Prayer V, pg. 17
We have you, O Theotokos, as our protector and mediator before God, to whom you gave birth. It is to you whom we turn for help, and we have you alone as our shelter and refuge. You alone have a mother's boldness of speech with your Son, and for this reason I draw near to you with all my soul. I do not dare to draw near with boldness to your Son, but instead I pray to you that I might obtain salvation through your intercessions to Him. Do not, therefore, despise me, my Lady. Do not be far from me, for I have placed all my hope in you. Do not disregard me in my time of need, for I am in danger and filled with many sorrows. Because you are compassionate and the Mother of the merciful God, have mercy on me your servant.
Mother of the Light - Prayer X, pg. 40
O Lady Theotokos, who gave birth to Christ God the Savior, in you I place all my hope. It is in you I trust, for you are higher than all the powers of heaven. Protect me, O Spotless one, with your divine grace. Direct the course of my life, and lead me to the holy will of your Son and our God. Grant me forgiveness of my sins. Be my refuge, shelter, and helper, and lead me to eternal life.