A word from Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhiye
Christ is in the midst of us, my dear readers!
The Protection is not a guarantee against misfortune.
The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most touching and, at the same time, paradoxical holidays in the Orthodox calendar. In the canon of the feast, we proclaim: “With the hosts of holy angels and with the multitude of prophets and apostles, in great glory, as the Mother of God, entering the temple on this day, you pray for Christians, and you deliver everyone from misfortune and sorrow, covering them with your mercy…”
But where is this deliverance? Aren’t these just beautiful poetic metaphors? We have war, sorrow, innocent people are dying, homes and destinies are crumbling. But let’s not forget that every age, every era, and every individual faces the looming darkness of sorrow. The Blachernae miracle, from which the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God grew, occurred in Constantinople — a city that, centuries later, still fell, despite numerous prayers. How, then, can we reconcile the solemn assertion of the canon that the Queen of Heaven “saves everyone from misfortune and sorrow” with the harsh reality of a mourning world?
The main mistake of modern man is projecting the categories of earthly comfort and security onto Christian spirituality. It seems to us that the Protection of the Intercessor is some kind of invisible dome protecting us from any troubles, crises, illnesses, and sudden death. But our Lord Jesus Christ never promised His disciples a life free from sorrow. On the contrary: “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). The Christian’s path is not a comfortable cruise, but a procession.
If we measure the protection of the Mother of God by the measure of our spiritual and physical comfort, we will inevitably come to disappointment and murmuring. The Most Pure Virgin is not a manager of our earthly safety. She is the Mother of the Living God, who experienced the sword that pierced Her own soul at the Cross of Her Son. She knows better than anyone the value of human pain, but Her gaze is fixed on Eternity.
Yes, the Mother of God often delivers us from external, earthly troubles. The history of the Church contains thousands of testimonies to Her miraculous intercession. The Mother of God hears every quiet sigh and graciously inclines to our needs. But these deliverances are merely signs, a condescension to our weakness.
The main danger from which the Most Holy Mother of God protects Christians is not earthly sorrows, illnesses, or even physical death. The main thing She protects us from is eternal death. She covers us from spiritual destruction, from the final enslavement to sin, from despair that kills the soul before the body dies.
The real misfortune is not the loss of earthly goods, but the loss of Christ. True sorrow is not everyday difficulties, but the hardening of the heart, which is incapable of loving and forgiving. When the world around us is crumbling, when the flesh is weary from illness, it is the Protection of the Mother of God that preserves in us the spark of faith, hope, and love, preventing us from falling into the abyss of abandonment by God.
The holy angels, prophets, and apostles surround the Queen of Heaven not merely as the retinue of a ruler. They are witnesses to Christ’s victory over sin and hell. And the Mother of God brings before the Throne of the Almighty not a petition to make our life carefree and prosperous, but a prayer for the salvation of our souls for Eternal Life.
To feel the effect of the Most Pure Omophorion in our lives, we need to change our frame of reference. We must stop measuring Her protection by the measure of earthly well‑being. When sorrow comes, the Protection of the Mother of God is not necessarily manifested in the immediate resolution of the problem, but in granting the strength to endure the trial with dignity and faithfulness to Christ. Her Omophorion is not a shield that shields us from life, but a gracious, protective canopy under which the soul finds peace in the midst of any raging storm.
Let us, on this bright day, ask the Most Holy Theotokos not to remove all crosses and difficulties from our lives, but to ensure that she does not allow our spiritual downfall. Let us ask her to cover us with her mercy, protecting us from pride, despondency, and cowardice. And then, no matter how harsh the external circumstances may be, we will be able to proclaim with sincere gratitude and joy, together with the entire Church: “Rejoice, O Joy of our hearts, cover us from every evil with your holy veil!”
