First, we should mention that those reverend Apostles had been called for their mission by Jesus Christ himself. He
is the One who said to them:" You did not choose Me, but I chose you
and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your
fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may
give you" (Jn15:16)
And Jesus Christ also said to them after the Resurrection" As the Father has sent Me, I also send you"(Jn20:21).
How
gracious it is that God's servants are called to the service by God
Himself. St. Paul the Apostle said in his Epistle to the Hebrews "And
no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just
as Aaron was"(Heb5:4).
In my opinion the grace of the Holy Spirit most readily fills those who undertake spiritual work wholeheartedly and determine from the very beginning to stand firm and never to give ground to the enemy in no matter what battle, until they conquer him. However, the Holy Spirit, Who has called them, at first makes all things easy for them, in order thus to sweeten the beginning of the work of repentance, and only later shows them its ways in their full truth (arduousness). Helping them in all things, He impresses on them what works of repentance they should undertake, and lays down the form and limits both as regards the body and the soul, until He brings them to complete conversion to God, their Creator.
For this purpose He constantly urges them to give exertion to body and soul in order that both alike, being equally sanctified, should equally become worthy heirs of eternal life; to exert the body in constant fasting, work and frequent vigils, and the soul, in spiritual exercises and diligence in all forms of service (and obediences) performed through the body. This (to do nothing carelessly, but always with care and the fear of God) should be zealously observed in all work done with the body, if we wish it to bear fruit.
The Church calls St. Mary, “the mother of all the living”, “mother of
the New Life” and “the Second Eve”. Eve lost the meaning due to her
name:- “mother of every living” (Gen. 3:20), - for by her disobedience
to God she obtained only death for her children instead of life, and
became the mother of the dead. Her daughter, St. Mary, took her place;
for by her faith, obedience and humility she became, through the Holy
Spirit, the mother of “Life”. She offered to Adam’s children the “Tree
of life” to eat, and thereby live forever.
A series of lectures given by Fr. Tadros Malaty on the topic of Saint Mary in the Orthodox Concept. These lectures cover Saint Mary's Virginity, The Theotokos or the Mother of God, Our New Eve, Full of Grace, Our Mediatrix, Saint Mary the model of virgins, Saint Mary and the Church & Saint Mary in the Coptic Rite. Fr. Tadros examines these qualities of the Virgin Mary supported by sayings from the Church Fathers.
ST. MARY'S VIRGINITY Aaron’s rod, in fact, is Mary. It is a type of her virginity. She conceived and bore the Son of the Most High, the Word, without human seed.
