THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN THE PATRISTIC-LITURGICAL CONCEPT
/SVIATOK NARODENIA PRESVÄTEJ BOHORODIČKY V PATRISTICKO-LITURGICKOM PONÍMANÍ/

Milan PETRISKO

doctorand, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Presov, Masarykova 15, 08001 Presov, Slovakia, milan.petrisko@smail.unipo.sk, 00421517724729

Abstract

The aim of this theological work is to examine and clarify the historical origin of the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In our environment, we have very little information about this holiday, which is beginning to appear especially during the Nestorian disputes, when various false teachings about the Blessed Virgin Mary were spread. Therefore, we worked mainly with liturgical books reflecting the Orthodox ecclesiastical tradition. This tradition has been overshadowed many times by the false teachings, additions, and apocrypha that the Church still faces today. Another goal was to confront the work with the works of the Holy Fathers, which give us a correct view of the researched issues. In the final part, the work tries to analyze and connect the knowledge with the Church tradition and the Scriptures. Based on these criteria, it aims to provide a comprehensive view of the issues examined.

Keywords

Feast, Nativity, Blessed Virgin Mary, holy fathers, liturgical texts

SUMMARY

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is dedicated to a plenty of beautiful holy father’s homilies. All of them help us to understand not only the spiritual significance of the very mystery of the Nativity of the Virgin from old and infertile parents, but also to penetrate into the dogmatic depths of the Church's theological teaching on the Blessed Virgin, about her eternal virginity, about the importance of her personality in the history of the salvation of the human race. Among other things, these holy sermons celebrate the greatness of Her holiness and spiritual struggle. They speak clearly of the moral perfection of the Mother of God and sublimely speak of the selfless maternal love of the Pure Virgin for Her Son. Since our effort was mainly to clarify the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin from the point of view of the holy fathers, we tried to draw at least a little out of this wealth of the Orthodox Church and thus make available the depth of theology hidden in this feast.

(Language: slovak)

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