It is the Fast of St. Mary. Please give me something to read about her.

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Blessed Fast of the Mother of God. During this holy time, it is spiritually profitable to meditate on the role of the Holy Virgin Mary in the economy of salvation and her exalted status in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Here are a few points of reflection and readings based on our tradition and liturgical texts:

1. The Annunciation and Her Obedience

The foundation of our veneration for St. Mary begins with her "Yes" to the Archangel Gabriel. As we see in the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38), her faith allowed the Uncontainable God to be contained within her womb.

In our liturgical prayers, particularly in the Introduction to the Watos Theotokia, we chant:

"We worship the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the holy and co-essential Trinity."

Following this glorification of God, we immediately seek the intercession of the Theotokos, for "the King is enthralled by [her] beauty" (Psalm 45:11). She is the one who brought the "righteousness from God" into the world through her faith.

2. The Theotokos as the New Eden

The Church Fathers, such as St. John of Damascus, describe St. Mary as a "spiritual Eden." Just as the first Eden was the garden where life began, St. Mary is the "fountain of life" because she carried the Creator of Life.

She is often referred to as:

• The City of God: The place where the King dwells.
• The Second Heaven: Because the Sun of Righteousness rose from her.
• The Burning Bush: Which Moses saw; the fire (Divinity) dwelt within her, yet she was not consumed.

3. Her Perpetual Intercession

During this fast, we lean heavily on her prayers. As the Crowning Ceremony and our daily praises (Tasbeha) remind us:

"All calmness in the world is through the prayers of Saint Mary the Virgin."

We do not worship St. Mary—worship (latria) is reserved for God alone—but we honor her (doulia) as the highest of all saints, higher than the Cherubim and Seraphim, because of her unique union with the Word of God.

4. Her Dormition and Assumption

The Fast of St. Mary leads us to the feast of her departure (Dormition) and the announcement of the assumption of her body. Tradition tells us that her death was "painless" and that she now stands at the right hand of her Son, interceding for the human race.

Suggested Reading for Today:

• The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1: To reflect on her humility and the Magnificat.
• The Theotokia of the Day: If it is a Sunday, read the Sunday Theotokia which explains the symbols of St. Mary in the Old Testament (the Tabernacle, the Golden Censer, etc.).
• Psalm 45: Which describes the Queen standing at the right hand of the King.

May the blessings of this fast and the intercessions of the Mother of God, be with you.