This document discusses the commendation of oneself and others to God that occurs in the Eastern Orthodox liturgy. It summarizes that: 1) This commendation involves completely surrendering oneself to God's will through the intercession of Mary and all the saints, with assurance that God will accept one's trust based on having a clear conscience. 2) Historically, the commendation was originally made only through Christ, but over time came to also be made through Mary as doctrines surrounding Christ's divinity and humanity, and Mary's role as the Mother of God, became more fully developed and defined. 3) By commending oneself to God through Mary, one renews their bapt

1. THE FINAL COMMENDATION
OF THE EKTENIA
As we remember our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed
and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin
Mary together with all the saints, let us commend ourselves
and one another and our whole life to Christ God.
The absolute surrender of mortal man by himself into the hands
of God demands great boldness and must be founded on a clear
conscience. When such words of surrender are uttered by a just
man, he gives himselfto the love of God who will accept him. But
when said by a sinner, he gives himself over completely to divine
justice and anger, without any assurance that God will accept him.
That is why Cabasilas could write :
It is not given to all to commend themselves to God and to
place themselves in his care. For the words ofcommendation
are not in themselves enough; it is necessary that God should
accept us. It is essential that we have assurance (of this
acceptance), and that only comes from a clear conscience;
such a conscience as we have when our own heart does not
reproach us, when we concern ourselves with the things of
God, when, in order to care for his interests, we do not
hesitate to neglect our own. For then we abandon all anxiety
for our own affairs, confidently committing them into God's
hands, in the sure and certain faith that he will accept our
trust and will preserve it.
Since this matter requires so much wisdom and thought, we
do not make this commendation until we have first summoned
to our aid the all-holy Mother of God and the choir of all
the saints. 1
That is why such a bold surrender of ourselves to God is made
through the help of his Mother whose every action was motivated
1 Cabasilas, Commentary on the Divine Liturgy, trans. by J. M. Hussey and
P. A. McNulty (London, S.P.C.K., 1960), p. 49.

2. by pure love for him. 1
It is made also with all the saints, God's
proven friends, beloved by him. The faithful assent to this total
surrender of themselves to God by answering : "To you, 0 Lord."
While in the primitive Church Christ was being preached from the
housetops, his Mother remained hidden in the Church's tradition
until several centuries later. Hence, the ancient commendation was
made through Christ, not through his Mother : " Let us earnestly
pray and commend ourselves and one another to the living God,
through his Christ. " 3
The glorification of Mary came not so much to honor her apart
from her Son, but to safeguard the right doctrines of Christ's person.
The implications inherent in defense oforthodox dogmas concerning
Christ redounded to her glory and honor because of her relationship
to him. The more clearly defined the theology of Christ became,
the more apparent was Mary's position of honor. Her titles in this
commendation, " all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious
Lady, Mother of God, every-virgin Mary," were not imaginary
epithets coined by some pious monk, but theological tluths with a
depth of meaning deriving from doctrinal clarification of her Son's
humanity and divinity, of his one person and twofold nature, etc.
Thus, during the first three centuries, when Gnostics, Docetae,
Valentinians, and others attacked the humanity of Christ, several
writers and Fathers of the Church strongly defended true doctrine
by insisting on the facts that the Son of God was truly incarnate,
with a real body like ours, and that he was born of Mary. ~ As a
result, Mary's maternity was brought to the fore. By giving birth
to Christ, the Incarnate God, she is entitled in the strictest sense of
the word to be called the Mother of God.
• This giving over of ourselves and our whole life to God is tantamount to a
perfect renewal of the vows and promises of Holy Baptism, a perfect consecration
of ourselves to Christ through (the help of) Mary. Devotees of St. Louis
de Montfort will easily recognize its similarity to the kernel of his True Devotion.
Compare especially chap. I of Part. II, Treatise on the True Devotion to the Blessed
Virgin.
•Apostolic Constitutions, Book VIII; cf. above, p. 121.
•E.g., Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Ephes., 7 (PG 3, 648 A [Series graeca]); Ad
Smyrn., 2-6 (PG 3, 687-689 [Series graeca]); Irenaeus, Ad. haeres., III, 16, 6 f.;
III, 18, 7; III, 21, IO (PG 7, 925, 937 f., 955); Tertullian, De came Christi, 17
(PL 2, 781); Origen, In Luc. homil., VIII; Cont. Celsum, I, 35 (PG 13, 1817, 1818,
1821).

3. The term Theotokos (Mother of God) was specially coined for
her, 6
and from the beginning of the fourth century it became her
most frequent title. Mary's divine maternity came under attack in
the fifth century because the doctrine of the one person in Jesus
Christ was attacked by Nestorius and his followers, who maintained
that in Christ two persons were joined together, namely, God the
Son (the Word) and the man Jesus. Since Mary gave birth only to
the man Jesus, she could not be called Theotokos. In A.D. 431, to
the great jubilation of the people, the Council of Ephesus defined
Mary's divine maternity as a dogma offaith, condemned the doctrine
of Nestorius, and specifically assigned to her the title Theotokos. 8
The divine person who took flesh and was born of Mary had two
natures, the divine and the human. He was both God and man.
Now, as God suffered and died only in his human nature, it is true
that he was born of Mary although he took only his human nature
from her. Denying this would amount to subverting the doctrine
of the redemption and the plan of salvation, since God alone could
redeem us through an adequate satisfaction.
The name Theotokos is of particular importance for understanding
the Eastern Church's intense devotion to Mary. Byzantine liturgical
services often mention her name, usually by giving her full title, as
in the commendation we are discussing. The veneration, honor,
and reverence shown to her, far from eclipsing the worship of God,
have exactly the opposite effect: the higher the faithful's esteem ofthe
Mother of God, the deeper their appreciation of her Son's majesty,
for they venerate the Mother on account of the Son. 7
Those who
•By Origen, according to Socrates (Hist. eccl., VII, 32 [PG 67, 812]), but
some attribute it to Hippolytus of Rome (cf. H. Rabner, Hyppolyt von Rom als
Zeuge far den Ausdruck " Theotokos" in Z.K.T. 59 [I935], pp. 73-8I).
• Able defenders of Mary's maternity were not lacking before or after Ephesus.
Besides Origen, we have : Peter of Alexandria (Fragm. [PG I8, 5I7]);
Athanasius (Contra Arianos [PG 26, 349, 996, I025]); Didymus of Alexandria
(De Trinitate [PG 39, 422, 48I, 484]); Cyril of Alexandria (Anath., I [PG 76,
393], Hom. pasch. [PG77, 778]; Basil (Hom. in sanctal Christm generationem WG 3I;
1460]); Gregory Nazianzen (Epist., IOI [PG 37, I71]); Gregory of Nyssa (Epist.,
3 [PG 46, I024]); etc.
7 Byzantine theology, like the Latin, clearly marks the distinction between the
worship due to God alone and the veneration due to the Mother of God : in precise
theological terms it distinguishes :Aot't"pdot reserved for the worship of God from
fut&pi>ouAf:loc, 7tpom<uV1ja~c;, the veneration of the Theotokos, which is on an entirely
different plane.

4. JJ::J
do not believe in the Incarnation and redemption often refuse to
honor Many. This is as true today as it was in the early centuries
of Christianity.
Prysnodiva Maria (ever-virgin Mary)," Always-a-virgin," is the
exact meaning of prysnodiva and its Greek counterpart &:e:m~p8€voc;.
Coined by the Greek Fathers, this term is more precise than the
Latin virgo Maria or the English Virgin Mary, for it contains in
itself the clear and unequivocal meaning that Mary was a virgin
before, during, and after the birth of Christ. Christians, of course,
believed this from the beginning, 8 but the Church made it an article
of faith in A.D. 553 at the Fifth Ecumentical Council (II Constan-
tinople).
The doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity is in no way contra-
dicted by the Scriptures, which speak of the brothers and sisters of
Jesus (Mark 3:31). The Greek word is a translation ofthe Aramaic
ach, which expresses consanguinity in varying degrees, such as half-
brother, nephew, or cousin. 0
Though not exactly parallel, the
Ukrainian words brat," brother," and sestra, '' sister," are sometimes
used for cousin; however, usually the Ukrainians will add to them
the prefixes dvoyuridnej and dvoyuridna to indicate " first " cousins.
Nor does the passage Joseph" knew her not till she brought forth
her firstborn" (Matt. 1:25) give any reason for doubting the perpetual
virginity of Mary. The Greek €we;, "till," and the Semitic word
•Cf. Aristides, Apol. (PG 96, 1121); Justin, I Apol., I, 22, 32, 33; Dial. cum
Tryph., 66, 75, 76, 100 (PG 6, 363, 380, 627, 651, 710); Irenaeus, Adv. haeres.,
III, 19, 1-3 (PG 7, 938, 941, 953); Tertullian, De carne Christi, 23 (PL 2, 790);
Origen, Homil. 14 in Luc. (PG 13, 1834); Jerome, De perperua virginitate B.
Mariae adv. Helvidium (PL 23); Gregory the Wonderworker, Sermo in Nativ.
Christi, 13-15 (PG 10, 301-392); Ambrose, Epist., 42, n. 3 f. (PL 16, 1124); Augus-
tine, Sermo 3 in Natali Domini, n. I (PL 38, 995); Didymus, De Trinit., 3, 4
(PG 39, 832); etc.
• Aside from solid tradition that Mary had no other children than Jesus, many
instances in Sacred Scripture can be cited where the word " brother" is used in
this broad sense to indicate nephew or cousin, e.g., Lot in Gen. 14:14 as" brother"
of his uncle, Abraham; Jacob as "brother" of his uncle, Laban, in Gen. 29:15;
the sons of Cis in I Chron. 23:21-22 as brethren of their cousins, the daughters
of Eleazar. Neither the Hebrew language nor the Aramaic had any specific term
to signify " cousin "; they either had to resort to " brother " or to the rather clumsy
circumlocutions, "son of(paternal) uncle" or" son of the brother of the mother."
If one accepts the " brethren of the Lord" in the strict sense of blood-brothers,
one will encounter many difficulties in the other parts of the New Testament.

5. represented by !!cu~, merely deny the action for the period of time
preceding the verb " brought forth" without implying anything for
the period of time following it. There is simply no implication as
to the future: this use of" till" in the Scriptures can be seen clearly
in many other passages. 10
The sacred writer wished to say that
Joseph did not participate in any way in the conception of Jesus.
Neither does the word" firstb9rn" in Luke 2:7 imply any younger
brothers or sisters. It is a literal translation ofthe Greek 7tpcu't'6Toxo~,
which is the equivalent of the Hebrew b'kor, a term always used in
an absolute sense for" that which openeth the womb" (Exod. 13:2;
Num. 3:12; etc.) without implying any" second" child.. The first
male child, even if no other children were born later to the same
parents, was always called the "firstborn." Ilpcu't'6Toxo~, like its
Hebrew equivalent, merely indicated the fact that there were no
male children born before that one. This has been corroborated
by modem archaeological discoveries. 11
Mary's other titles derive from her position as Mother of God.
Her eminent holiness, for example. The Byzantine Church calls
her 7t'a:va:y£a:, "the all-holy one," 11
because she is the supreme
example of synergy, the cooperation between God's will and man's
freedom. Forever respecting the free will of man, God became
incarnate through the free consent of the person he chose as his
Mother. She could have refused, but she did not. "So the knot
of Eve's disobedience was loosed through the obedience of Mary, "
says lrenaeus, "for what Eve, a virgin, had bound through her
10
E.g., in I Tim. 4:13, St. Paul exhorts Timothy to attend to the reading,
exhortation, and doctrine "till" he comes, without implying that Timothy can
neglect these things in the future after Paul's visit. In II Kings 6:23, Michol,
the daughter of Saul, had no child" till" the day ofher death; the passage certainly
does not imply that she had children then or afterwards. Another passage
(I Mace. 5:54), in speaking of the Maccabees offering thanksgiving sacrifices,
" because not one of them was slain till they had returned in peace " does not
imply that one of them was slain after their return. Thus also Gen. 8:7, Deut.
34:6; etc.
11 In 1922, for example, in Tell el Yaheoudieh, Egypt, an ancient stele (dating
probably to a time immediately preceding the birth of Christ) was discovered;
its Greek inscription states that a woman, Arsinoe, died in bringing her " first-
born " into the world. She could not have given birth to any other children.
11 Origen may have been the first to call her mxvcxy(cx (cf. I. Ortiz de Urbina,
La Mario/ogia nella Patro/ogia Orientale, O.C.P. 6 [1940], p. 59).

6. unbelief, Mary, a virgin, unloosed through her faith. " 11 Jerome
puts it more succinctly : " Death by Eve, life by Mary." a And
Cabasilas : " The Incarnation was not only the work of the Father,
of his Power and his Spirit. . . but also that of the will and faith of
the Virgin.... Just as God became incarnate voluntarily, so he
wished that his Mother should bear him freely and with her full
consent. " 15
Also, from end to end of the Byzantine world, both Catholic and
Orthodox greet the Mother of God as iixpocnoi;, " the immaculate,
spotless one, " no less than eight times in the Divine Liturgy alone.
But especially on the feast of her conception (December 9 in the
Byzantine Church) is her immaculateness stressed : " This day,
0 faithful, from saintly parents begins to take being the spotless
lamb, the most pure tabernacle, Mary... "; 18
" She is conceived...
the only immaculate one"; 17
or " Having conceived the most pure
dove, Anne filled .... " 18
No sin, no fault, not even the slightest,
ever marred the perfect sanctity ofthis masterpiece ofGod's creation.
For hundreds of years, the Byzantine Church has believed this,
prayed and honored Mary in this 'jVay. Centuries ofsacred tradition
stand behind this title. 18
Even during the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries, when some Western theologians doubted or denied the
truth of her immaculate conception, Byzantine Catholic and Orth~
dox theologians unanimously taught it. 20
Two ofThomas Aquinas'
1
• lrenaeus, Ad. haeres., III, 22, 4 (PG 7, 959).
11 Jerome, Epist., 22, 21 (PL 22, 408).
•• Cabasilas, On the Annundation, 4-5 (PO 19, p. 488).
11
From the Office of Matins, the Third Ode of the Canon for the feast.
17 From the Office of Matins, the Stanzas during the Seating, for the same feast.
1• From the Office of Matins, the Sixth Ode of the Canon for the same feast.
u The very vasmess of available testimony precludes listing. Two excellent
surveys may be consulted : A. Ballerini, Sy/loge monumentorum ad mysterium
conceptionis immaculatae virginis deiparae spectantium (Rome, 1854-1855), and
C. Passaglia, De immaculato deiparae semper virg£nis conceptu commentarius (Rome,
1854-1855).
•• Among the better known ninth to thirteenth century Byzantine theologians :
Patriarch Photius in his homilies De Annuntiatione and De Nativitate Deiparae
(S. Aristarchis, ll>ooTtOU A6yoL xcx! oµU.!cxL,, Vol. II [Constantinople, 1900], pp. 230-
245, 368-380); George of Nicomedia in his homilies (PG IOo, 1336-1504), es-
pecially Conceptione deiparae and Praesentatione Mariae virginis; Michael Psellos
in the recently discovered and edited homily De Annuntiatione (PO 16, pp. 517-525);
John Phurnensis, Oratione de Dormitione (G. Palamas, 0eoqicxvou~ TOu xepcxµ£oo~

7. most ardent disciples among the Greeks disagreed with him on one
point only, his failure to admit the immaculate conception of the
Mother of God. 11
Demetrios Kydonios (fourteenth century) trans-
lated some of Aquinas' works into Greek, but vehemently opposed
Thomas' views on the immaculate conception. 21
No less did the
other great Thomist, Georgios Scholarios (fifteenth century), in his
synopsis of the immaculate conception. 23
The Greek Orthodox Church's beliefin the immaculate conception
continued unanimously until the fifteenth century, then many Greek
theologians began to adopt the idea that Mary had been made
immaculate at the moment of the Annunciation. 84
Among the
Eastern Slavs, beliefin the immaculate conception went undisturbed
until the seventeenth century, when the Skrizhal (Book of Laws)
appeared in Russia, 16
and proposed what the Slavs considered the
"novel" doctrine ofthe Greeks. The views proposed in the Skrizhal
oµr.AEcxt, [Jerusalem, 186o], append., pp. 271-276); Michael Glykas, Anna/es,
III (PG 158, 439-442); Germanus II, Patriarch of Constantinople, In annuntia-
tionem (edit. Ballerini, op. cit., Vol. II, pp. 283-382); Theognostos the Monk,
In dormitionem (PO 16, pp. 457-562); Nicetas David, In nativitatem B.M.V.
(PG 105, 16-28); Leo the Wise, In dormitionem and In praesentationem (PG 107,
12-21); Patriarch Euthymius of Constantinople, In conceptionem Annae (PO 16,
pp. 499-505); Bishop Peter Argorum, In conceptionem B. Annae (PG rn4, 1352-
1365); John Mauropos, In dormitionem (PG 120, 1075-1114); James the Monk,
In nativitatem et in praesentationem B.M.V. (PO 16, pp. 528-538). Cf. Jugie,
L'ImmacuUe Conception dans l'Ecriture Sainte et dans la tradition orientale [Rome,
1952], pp. 164-307, for others.
11 Aquinas seems to have been in error on this point, cf. Summa Theologica,
III, q. XXVII.
11
Demetrios Kydonios, Hom. in annuntiationem deiparae, contained in Cod.
Paris gr., 1213 (cf. Jugie, op. cit., pp. 276-279).
•• Georgios Scholarios, In dormitionem (PO 16, p. 577); cf. Petit-Siderides-
Jugie, <Euvres compl~tes de Georges Scholarios, Vol. I [Paris, 1928], pp. 202-203;
also Petit-Siderides-Jugie, op. cit., I, p. 501; also Jugie, Georges Scholarios et
l'ImmacuUe Conception, Echos d'Orient (Paris-Istanbul, 17 [1915], pp. 527-530).
•• Nicephorus Callixtus, however, expressed doubt during the fourteenth century
(cf. Jugie L'Immaculee Conception dans l'Ecriture Sainte et dans la tradition orientale,
p. 213), but the great Cabasilas' (1371) teaching on the immaculate conception
(In nativitatem [PO 19, pp. 468-482]; In dormitionem [PO 19, pp. 498-504])
still had great influence in the subsequent centuries. Perhaps even more influential
was Patriarch Gregory Palamas (1446-1452) whose homilies on the Mother of
God are second to none even today (De hypapante; De annuntiatione; De dormitione
[PG 151]; also In Christi genealogiam and In praesentationem [edit. K. Sophocles,
Tou bJ &ylot~ 1totTpo~ '1jµwv I'peyop(ou TOU IItx>.cxµiX oµr.AEcu x[3', Athens, 1861]).
••The Skrizhal is the Russian version of John Nathaniel's 'H 0e:i:cx :he:tTOupy(«.

8. _,_,I
were branded as blasphemous, especially among the Staroviery (Old
Believers), who maintained the ancient customs and beliefs, however
small or inconsequential. 28
This reaction confirms the ancient
Byzantine and Slav tradition of the immaculate conception. Only
after Pope Pius IX defined the dogma in 1854 did opposition to the
doctrine solidify among most Orthodox theologians. 27
The Orthodox
Church, however, has never made any definitive pronouncement on
the matter. Its official position is rather a suspension of judgment
than a true objection. When Patriarch Anthimos VII, for example,
wrote his reply to Pope Leo XIII's letter in 1895, and listed what he
believed to be the errors of the Latins, he found no fault with their
belief in the immaculate conception, but objected to the fact that
the Pope had defined it. 118
'1m:pe:uA.o"(1lµ€v7J, "the one most blessed beyond all others," is
another way of saying what Elizabeth told Mary at her visitation :
" Blessed art thou among women. " Of all God's creatures, Mary
is indeed the most blessed with grace, beauty of soul and perfection.
The inspired Greek words, recorded by St. Luke (1:28), which the
angel Gabriel spoke on the day of the annunciation, were : Xix'i:pe:,
xe:xixpL't'W(lEVlJ, " Hail! Full of grace! " The Greek perfect participle
refers not so much to time or tense but, rather, to the kind of action,
namely, perfected, fully completed. Ifthe sacred author had wished
merely to indicate past time, he would have used the aorist participle.
The word xe:xixpmuµEV7J, therefore, is more precisely translated here
as " completely graced, perfectly graced " rather than simply" having
been graced. " Indeed Mary was perfectly blessed, for she was
perfectly graced. In the history of mankind, no woman is better
known, loved, and venerated than the "all-holy, immaculate, most
blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary.
To every petition ofthe Great Ektenia the faithful respond," Lord,
have mercy. " " Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, thou son of David,"
cried the woman of Canaan who sought the cure of her daughter
18 Cf. N. Subbotin, Materialy dlja istorii Roskola, Vol. IV (Moscow, 1878),
pp. 39-SO, 229, and Vol. I (Moscow, 1874), p. 457.
17 Most of them seem to have objected on the grounds that it was unnecessary
to define it.
•• 'E>CXA'l)atotG"tLXlJ 'AA7j6&LIX (Constantinople, 1880-1923, Vol. 15 (1895), p. 244.

9. (Matt. 15:22). "0 Lord, thou son of David, have mercy on us,"
pleaded the two blind men on the road from Jericho (Matt. 20:30).
"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us," called out the ten lepers as they
stood afar off (Luke 17:13). Jesus heard their humble prayers and
granted their petitions. " Lord, have mercy, " cry the people in the
Divine Liturgy to the same Christ who walked the byways of
Palestine nearly two thousand years ago.
The expression" have mercy" must be taken in its total scriptural
sense. The Greek word et..b]crov, used in the Gospels and early
Liturgies, is popularly translated as " have mercy, " but this does
not convey the whole meaning. 'Et..b]crov has the same root form
as et..cx(ov (referring to olive oil or to the tree from which it comes).
Homer uses the word et..cx(ov almost exclusively as anointing oil.
Oil is poured out to soothe and heal, as in the parable of the good
Samaritan. In the Old Testament, it is poured on the heads of
kings and priests as the image of God's grace which comes down
and flows on them (Ps. 133:2), empowering them to transcend mere
human capability.
The original idea is contained in the olive tree of Genesis (8:6-21).
Of the several birds sent out by Noah to find dry land, only the
gentle dove returns with an olive twig. This is a sign from God
that his wrath is ended, that he is giving man another chance. The
olive tree and its oil indicate primarily the end of God's wrath, an
offering of peace to sinners who have turned against him. It speaks,
moreover, of God's healing grace abundantly poured upon us in
order that we may live according to his will, and receive an increase
in power. A hand, wounded and festering, is unable to work, but a
healed one can. By our own power, we can do nothing, but with
the grace of God we can work miracles.
The Slavonic milost and pomyluj go back to the Greek eAb]crov in
that they, too, express the end of God's wrath toward us and the
healing oil of his grace, but they bring out especially his loving-
kindness. Their root-form expresses endearing tenderness; hence,
when we pray," Have mercy on us" (pomyluj), we are not merely
asking God to save us from his wrath, ·to heal us, but we are also
asking for his love. Knowing the power of perseverance in prayer,
the faithful reiterate this cry fifty-nine times during the Divine

10. Liturgy (excluding the rite of preparation). The cry is sent up to
God after each petition, because in hearing and granting each
petition, God will show his mercy-love toward his people. The
people never tire of calling for it, because they know that as sinners
they have no right to it.· But God will hear the mournful cry of his
people and will show them his mercy, for "not by the works of
justice which we have done, but accorcling to his mercy" (Tit. 3:5)
does he save us. The people of God know that his " mercy exalteth
itself above judgment" (James 2:13).