On the15th August 2018 I had written:
The festival was sanctioned during the 16th century by the Byzantine Emperor Mauricius. Since then, it has been celebrated by Christians throughout the world but particularly in our country, with exceptional splendour.
Exquisite churches have been built to honour the Mother of God (Theotokos), like the one on the island of Tinos and numerous others on both insular and continental Greece. We mustn't forget to mention the beauty of the small, heart-warming chapels that one can find all over the land. Also, many magnificent churches, dedicated to our Lady, have been erected in countries with large Greek communities.
THE VIRGIN MARY
Today the 15th August, Christians, worldwide, celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord.
 |
| The Church of the Annunciation in Tinos |
 |
| The Icon of the Annunciation |
The festival was sanctioned during the 16th century by the Byzantine Emperor Mauricius. Since then, it has been celebrated by Christians throughout the world but particularly in our country, with exceptional splendour.
Exquisite churches have been built to honour the Mother of God (Theotokos), like the one on the island of Tinos and numerous others on both insular and continental Greece. We mustn't forget to mention the beauty of the small, heart-warming chapels that one can find all over the land. Also, many magnificent churches, dedicated to our Lady, have been erected in countries with large Greek communities.
We believe that the Virgin Mary was our protector against foreign intruders who have attacked our homeland, on many occasions, over the centuries. A few examples are:
a) The salvation of Constantinople in 626 by the Avars.
b) The siege of Constantinople by the Arabs, that lasted for seven long years but ended in the total defeat of the attackers, in 672.
c) In 865, when bandits (pirates?) tried to attack Constantinople from the north, the Greeks carried an icon of the Virgin Mary at the battlefield, and miraculously, a sudden, tempestuous wind destroyed and sunk 200 enemy ships.
d) The Greek revolution started on the 25th March 1821, the day of the Annunciation, and the men and their arms were blessed in the Monastery of St. Lavra.
e) Finally, during World War II, men of all three services of the Greek military found comfort in their conviction that the Virgin Mary was by their side, guiding and protecting them.
In times of sickness and need, many Christians, including those who may not be particularly devout, beseech the Virgin Mary, to cure, guard and guide them, during their tribulations. Moreover, She has a very revered position in Islam, as one of largest chapters of the Quran is devoted to Her.
Our Lady is a symbol of chastity, wisdom, strength, peace and maternal love, giving an archetype to humanity for a virtuous way of life.
But the 15th August 2020 is a completely different year, due to the coronavirus disease which harasses mankind due to its very high mortality rate.
We have to circulate with masks that protect us, wash our hands regularly with warm water and soap, avoid close contact with people we love, in order to protect them and ourselves from this terrible ailment.
Whoever is old has to be very careful. We must stay at home as much as we possibly can. We should not go to church or other places where many people accumulate and we can not kiss or cuddle our beloved children and grandchildren in order to save them from this incurable pestilence. A very sad situation indeed.
So let us all hope and pray that a vaccine against this horrible plague will be soon discovered by diligent researchers in China, Oxford and elsewhere in order to save humanity from this fatal disease.
In Greece and Cyprus, we also have the constant aggression of Turkey, which illegally claims Greek islands and seas. A very hazardous position which Greece and the remaining EU countries will attack in various ways.
 |
| Our Lady of the Life-Giving Spring |
(I wish to thank Wikipedia, Greek TV stations, the local press and especially Estia and General Christos Farantatos for his informative article, for the valuable information for this post.)
But the 15th August 2020 is a completely different year, due to the coronavirus disease which harasses mankind due to its very high mortality rate.
We have to circulate with masks that protect us, wash our hands regularly with warm water and soap, avoid close contact with people we love, in order to protect them and ourselves from this terrible ailment.
Whoever is old has to be very careful. We must stay at home as much as we possibly can. We should not go to church or other places where many people accumulate and we can not kiss or cuddle our beloved children and grandchildren in order to save them from this incurable pestilence. A very sad situation indeed.
So let us all hope and pray that a vaccine against this horrible plague will be soon discovered by diligent researchers in China, Oxford and elsewhere in order to save humanity from this fatal disease.
In Greece and Cyprus, we also have the constant aggression of Turkey, which illegally claims Greek islands and seas. A very hazardous position which Greece and the remaining EU countries will attack in various ways.
 |
| Fewer People but Deep Faith |
No comments:
Post a Comment