Orthodox Devotion to Mary Examined

There is a misconception about the honors rendered to Mary by  Orthodox Christians, with some suggestions that she is "almost elevated to a Goddess," or that she is worshipped. This popular misconception thrives but is simply not true, and that fact is clear to any person who does the most elementary investigation into the matter.

To give some insight into the matter, I grabbed my "Little Red Prayer Book" from the Antiochian Orthodox Church. This is a popular pocket-sized book with Several sections:
Daily prayers and spiritual helps
Prayers and Devotions for Confession and Holy Communion
The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom as used in the Antiochian Archdiocese
Prayers for various occasions.

Looking at the first section, Daily prayers and Spiritual Helps, the section used most often, we find 21 pages of personal/occasional prayers, with roughly 45 prayers to God. I say "roughly" because there are doxologies & repetitions that I skimmed over, so "roughly 45."

After 8 pages and 26 prayers, we come to the first (and only, really) prayer to the Theotokos. After that is a hymn saying it is truly meet to bless her and saying other nice things about her, and lastly, a quote of Scripture, "Hail Mary, etc" and statement of truth about her Son, that He is the savior of our souls.  If you wish to count all three as prayers to her, ok. That makes roughly 6% of the roughly 45 prayers. Keep in mind, she is the foremost Christian and the most honored person in the Church after God.  How does 6%, or 3 out of 45 prayers for personal daily use, fit into your notions of excessive devotion to, or "worship" of Mary?

Here are the names for Mary in those three prayers:
Theotokos
Well-Spring of Tenderness (Calling her Son "Tenderness.")
Virgin

Here are the names for God in the same first section of the prayer book:
Our God
Heavenly King
Comforter
Spirit of Truth
Treasury of good gifts
Giver of Life
Holy God
Holy Mighty
Holy Immortal
All Holy Trinity
Lord
Master
Father
Blessed One
Mighty One
Judge
God Most High
Lord of Mercies
Gracious Lord
Almighty God
Help
Refuge
Fountain of Wisdom
Tower of Strength
Merciful God
Blessed Lord
The True and Living Way
Eternal Father
Our Help and Assistance
Savior
Physician of our souls and bodies
Source of Life
Fountain of all good things
Resurrection
Life
Repose

Comparing the lists, you can see that Orthodox prayers have a lot to say about God by how He is addressed. You can see a clear difference between how God and Mary are perceived in these two lists.

Let's move into the next section, "Prayers and Devotions for Confession and Holy Communion."

In this section, there is a preparation for Confession by going through each of the Ten Commandments and examining our lives in their context. Next is the rite of confession itself, followed by three post-confession prayers. None of these are addressed to Mary.

Next, the communion prayers. These are largely for personal preparation.  Of the six pre-communion prayers, I've only heard one during Divine Liturgy, and none are addressed to Mary. Of the six post-communion prayers, I've not heard any during Divine Liturgy. One is addressed to Mary. [UPDATE: Friends have let me know that in some places, these are read or intoned after the Liturgy.]

This post-communion prayer to Mary admittedly can be difficult to accept or understand. It contains language that Lutherans and Protestants typically are reserved in using, whereas, Orthodoxy is liberal with beautiful, descriptive, adoring language, and examples can be seen in this prayer.  Mary is called "light of my darkened soul, my hope, my shelter, my refuge, my consolation, and my joy."  I don't think it's too difficult to understand these. Just as love is not a zero-sum commodity, these attributions can be applied to many. When I say to one of my children, "You are my joy!" it doesn't mean the others are not my joy, and it doesn't mean that God is not my joy. Furthermore, in the subsequent language found problematic to Lutherans and Protestants, she is said to have "accounted me worthy" to participate in communion. She is asked to enlighten the eyes of my heart, to quicken me, dead in my sin. She is asked for a few other things that seem like pretty powerful things for a person to grant, even Mary.

Let's take a moment to talk about "Typology." Jonah is a "type" of Christ in that he was in the belly of the fish three days. Joseph is a type of Christ in that he saved his people from death. Moses in that he led them out of captivity. And so on. The bible is rich in types and foreshadows.

Mary is a type of the Church of Christ. She was first to accept Him, she had Him within her, she brought Him forth to others, she urged obedience to Him.

Understanding Mary as the type of the Church, the troubling words of this prayer sound different.  Who accounts us worthy to participate in the Eucharist? Who enlightens, quickens, and does other wonderful things?  Ultimately, it's God, and He has chosen to do these things *through His Church.*  His Church is our shelter and refuge, His Church is filled with light, hope, consolation, and joy.

It can be understood rightly. That said, you can still be uncomfortable with that prayer. That's Ok. I don't believe there is a requirement that people say it. These are for personal use.

The next section is the Divine Liturgy. While she is mentioned several times, only once is she addressed directly. In a list of people and saints remembered before the Lord, Mary is named lastly, and the people sing "it is truly meet to bless thee O Theotokos. Ever blessed and most pure and the mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious and beyond compare than the Seraphim. Without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify thee."  Not really a prayer to her asking for something, but saying things about her, some of which are from Scripture, and some appear in Lutheran hymns. That's the only time she is addressed directly in the Liturgy.

Lastly, in the final section, "Prayers for Various Occasions," the Theotokos is invoked during a short prayer service for someone who has died. She is asked twice to intercede with prayers to God for the departed and for us, and the above hymn "it is truly meet" is sung/said. Mary (and Simeon) is next mentioned, but not asked for anything, in a paragraph in a prayer for the naming of a child. In the last 14 prayers, only God is addressed, mentioned, petitioned, or praised.

Whether Christians should pray to anyone besides God is a topic for a different discussion, as is the history of, and reasons for such prayers. The point of this post is to consider if the Orthodox are overly devoted to or even worship Mary.
Clearly, Mary is honored highest among all the saints of the Christian Church, but just as clearly, only One is worshipped, God alone, in undivided Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The love of Orthodox Christians for the Blessed Virgin is great, but not excessive, especially when you consider that they do not view her as "dead" and don't regard prayer to her as any different from calling your mother or a dear friend and asking for their prayers on your behalf.

I hope this helps shed some light on the matter from an actual prayer book and the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church. For far too long, stereotypes have perpetuated based on lack of information. This is my attempt to remedy a part of that lack. Next time you hear someone say "They worship Mary!" you will know that this is just a baseless allegation.

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