On October 1 the Church celebrates the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos which celebrates the appearance of the Mother of God at Blachernae in the tenth century. St. Andrew of Constantinople, his disciple St. Epiphanius, and a group of people, saw the Mother of God, during a vigil in the Church of Blachernae, near the city gates.
They saw Theotokos walk down the center of the church. She knelt down and remained in prayer for a long time. Her face was covered in tears. Then she took her veil off and spread it over the people as a sign of protection. At that time, the people in the city were threatened by a barbarian invasion. After the appearance of the Mother of God, the city was spared from bloodshed and suffering.
What is important about the Feast of the Protection? First, we are reminded that the prayers of the Theotokos are very powerful. She was the Mother of Our Lord. She watched him as He grew up and, as a child, He came to her with His troubles. He was very close to her. So her nearness to Him is a comfort and a support to us. When we cry out to her, “Most Holy Theotokos, save us!” we proclaim that she who remained at the foot of the Cross can support us as we journey down the Way of the Cross.
This feast also reminds us that we should remember and be thankful for the good things that have been done for us. The Divine Liturgy encourages us: “remembering this saving commandment and all those things which have been done for us…” The Bible also says we should always recall the things God has done and thank Him. We also should thank Him for the intercessions of His Mother, remembering what she has done. We thank Him for the testimony of His saints,those known to us and those known only to God, and remember their deeds.
A short essay I adapted for my son's religion lesson for 1 October
Most Holy Theotokos pray for me, a sinner
Relevant Reading
Feast of the Holy Skepi of the Theotokos
Facing Up to Mary
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