The Festival of St. Mary, Theotokos
Posted on August 15, 2025 by under
Scripture: Galatians 4:4-7 (NKJV)
4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Devotion
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” As we heard yesterday, out of God’s grace and mercy the Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel to faith in Jesus when we are baptized in Christ.
The only-begotten Son of God, true God, resided in the womb of His mother, St. Mary. He whom we confess to be both true God and true Man was there in St. Mary’s womb. We may find ourselves asking with St. Mary, “How can this be?” How can God Almighty, the Creator of all that exists, be found in her womb? The angel made that clear, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
We, too, do well to listen to Scripture, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). As God chose to reside in the womb of St. Mary, so, too, He has chosen to reside in His faithful people.
Collect: Almighty God, Who didst show favor to the Blessed Virgin Mary, granting unto her to be the mother of Thine Only-begotten Son, we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst grant humility and faithfulness unto Thy Church to glorify Thee in the fulfillment of our labors, that we, who have been saved by grace through faith in Thy Son, might remain steadfast unto the end; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
