The Life of the All-holy Theotokos after the Ascension of Jesus Christ
Lo, I am with you
After the Ascension of Jesus Christ the apostles returned to Jerusalem with Mary and the other holy women. Here they gathered on Zion in an upper room and continued with one accord in prayer. Every day those who believed in Christ joined their prayer. This is the very room in which Jesus Christ celebrated the Mystical Supper. Mount Zion, as the prophets had foretold, took on great significance in the New Testament: “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Here too the first Christian church arose. In front of this room is the house of John the Theologian, in which, as the Lord had appointed, His All-holy Mother lived; she was that cloud of light which guided the first steps of the newborn Church. In conversation she passed on all she had kept in her heart concerning the wondrous events that had come to pass before the Nativity of Christ and after it. As they listened to her the apostles received comfort and strength, and were confirmed in courage and in faith. All blessed the name of Mary, the most blessed, and their hope in her knew no bounds.
On the great feast, the day of Pentecost, the Theotokos was with all the apostles in the upper room on Zion, and they were preparing in prayer to receive the Spirit, the Comforter. At the third hour of the day there came suddenly a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house; the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of tongues of fire and rested upon each of those who were there. This happened on the tenth day after the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven.
The apostles did not go out into the world immediately after the descent of the Holy Spirit; they remained in Jerusalem until Herod Agrippa (in AD 44) began to persecute the Christians. The All-holy Theotokos did not leave the house of John the Theologian; the apostles, who laboured for the salvation of the Jews, went about from time to time through the towns and villages, but always hastened to return to see the Theotokos and hear a God-inspired word from her. John the Theologian did not leave her side and served her with devotion. Only once did he go with the Apostle Peter to Samaria, to baptise the newly converted Christians, and after his return to Jerusalem he was not parted from the All-holy Virgin until her blessed end.
There are many traditions about the later life of the Theotokos; while she was still alive the prophetic song was fulfilled: “From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” The glory of Jesus Christ spread among all nations, the name of His All-holy Mother became renowned, and every creature praised her.
Newly converted Christians came to Jerusalem from distant lands to see the Mother of God and to hear her. Many historical testimonies about the life of the Theotokos have survived in the writings of her contemporaries. Saint Ignatius the God-bearer wrote from Antioch to John the Theologian: “Her fame has reached us, that this Virgin and Mother of God is full of grace and of every virtue. This stirs wonder, reverence and love; and how could we not long to see the All-holy Virgin who gave birth to the true God?!”
The height of the majesty and holiness of the Theotokos shone beneath the veil of deep humility: in her the angelic nature was joined with the human. The famous Athenian scholar Dionysius the Areopagite, converted by the Apostle Paul, visited the Ever-Virgin Mary in Jerusalem three years after his baptism. He shared with the Apostle Paul the impression of his conversation with her: “I confess before God: it seemed to me beyond belief that anyone besides God Most High should be filled with such divine power and such wondrous grace. No man can comprehend what I saw and understood, not only with the eyes of the spirit but with the eyes of the body: I saw the Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord, godlike and surpassing the heavenly spirits in holiness. I call to witness God, who dwelt in the most honourable womb of the Virgin, that had I not kept your divine teachings in my memory and in my newly enlightened mind, I would have taken the Virgin for God and worshipped her as the one true God. For the human mind cannot imagine any honour and glory bestowed on a man pleasing to God that would surpass the blessedness which I, the unworthy, was counted worthy to taste. I thank my God, I thank the All-holy Virgin, I thank the Apostle John and you, who have granted me so great a grace.”
For the next ten years the Church in Jerusalem was being established by the apostles; but when in the forty-fourth year after the Nativity of Christ Herod Agrippa began to persecute the Christians, beheaded the Apostle James, threw the Apostle Paul into prison and tried to kill him too, the apostles, with the consent of the Theotokos, chose to leave Jerusalem and resolved to cast lots for which country each would take as his field for preaching the Gospel. The All-holy Virgin also wished to take part in this casting of lots, and the land of Iveria (Georgia) fell to her. She was already preparing to set out for Iveria, but an angel of the Lord told her that she must stay in Jerusalem, for the time of her departure from this world had drawn near.
Being in Jerusalem was the greatest comfort for the Theotokos: every place hallowed by the presence, the teaching, the sufferings and the death of her Son and Lord spoke so much to her soul! She often went to the Life-giving Tomb, and her heart was filled with unspeakable joy: here He had been buried as man, and here He had risen as God almighty, “trampling down death by death”.
According to tradition, Jews who hated the Christians informed the high priest that Mary, the mother of Jesus, went every day to Golgotha, knelt before His tomb, wept and burned incense. The guards of the tomb were ordered to watch for Mary closely and kill her at once. The power of the Lord protected the Theotokos: she went on visiting the tomb every day, but the guards were never permitted to see her, and after a long time they informed the authorities on oath that in all that time they had seen no one. The All-holy Virgin knew no fear before her enemies and always acted with courage, fearlessly and openly doing all for the glory of God. She lifted up prayer to God when the apostles were locked in prison, and in answer to her supplication the Lord sent an angel to set the prisoners free. She went with the Protomartyr Stephen when he was led away to be killed, and fervently besought the Lord to strengthen the martyr in endurance and receive him into the Kingdom! The earthly life of the fervent intercessor was full of comfort and of much teaching.
During the fierce persecution of the Christians, when the Apostle James was killed, the Theotokos went to Ephesus — the region that had fallen to John the Theologian for his preaching. Tradition relates the details of the journey of the Theotokos to Cyprus. She went there at the request of Lazarus, the friend of the Lord, whom the Apostle Barnabas had ordained bishop of Cyprus. Lazarus grieved that he had long been deprived of the joy of seeing the Mother of the Lord. He himself did not dare to go to Jerusalem because of the persecution by the embittered Jews. The Theotokos wrote Lazarus a letter, comforted him, promised to visit him and asked him to send a ship. Filled with joy, Lazarus sent a ship at once. The Theotokos and John the Theologian, accompanied by believers, sailed for Cyprus. Only a little of the way remained when a contrary wind grew strong; the ship no longer answered the helm and was carried off in another direction. After racing among the islands of the Archipelago it suddenly came to rest, entirely unharmed, at Mount Athos.
The All-holy Virgin went ashore; in this miraculous event she perceived the will of God, which betokened the fulfilment of the angel’s prophecy. The Hellenes held Mount Athos to be especially holy; it was full of idols and altars, and the chief temple of Apollo crowned it all. The Hellenes came here to worship the gods and to learn their fate.
As soon as the ship approached Mount Athos, the evil spirits hidden in the idols began to speak: “Men deceived by Apollo, hasten to the harbour of Clement to go out and meet Mary, the Mother of the great God Jesus.” From every side the pagans came hurrying; when they saw the Virgin shining with God’s light, they bowed down to her and began to ask what God she had borne, where He was and what His name was. The All-holy Theotokos showed them the power of the Gospel teaching. Her word was so full of grace that the pagans glorified God there and then and at once asked for baptism. Over the newly baptised she set one of her companions as their leader and teacher. To strengthen the new Christians she worked many wonders on Athos; when at parting she blessed the newly converted for the last time, she said to them: “Let this place be my portion, given me by my Son and God; I will be the guardian of this land and a fervent intercessor before God.” After this the All-holy Theotokos sailed on to Cyprus with her disciples.
Having received no news of the Virgin Mary, Lazarus grieved greatly, but very soon the greatest joy came to him. At last he saw his grace-filled guest, who brought him an omophorion and cuffs sewn with her own hands. The All-holy one comforted Lazarus, blessed the faithful and returned to Jerusalem. At this time — in the thirteenth year after the Saviour’s Ascension — the Virgin Mary was visited by Dionysius the Areopagite, who wished to ask her blessing and counsel. She received everyone, comforted everyone, turned sinners back, raised up the sick, gave hope to the despairing, and with the joy given her by God filled others too with joy.
