The memory of the Church is maternal because the Church itself is our mother.  Each of us, have been reborn in the womb of the baptismal font.  The deepest point of the church is identity.  The one woman who defines the church is the one whose icon always stands at the front of the Church, whose icon is always prominent when the church gathers, the lady who kept all things pondering in her heart.

When the word was made flesh and when the memory of the church was established, it was through the conscious and willing assent of Saint Mary’s faith.  The Gospel of Luke begins with angelic messages and ends with angelic messages.  In each case the angelic messages is given to a male and female.  The angel begins with giving a message to Zachariah, father of Saint John the Baptist.  Zachariah does not believe him.  Zachariah was struck dumb because if we don’t have faith, we are supposed to keep our mouth shut.

At the end of the Gospel, the angel appears to our Lady, the Mother of God.  She believes.  The deepest memory of the Church is the memory of the Virgin Mary.  She is the Mother, at the heart of the Church.  She is however very silent for she does not say much and has very few recorded words besides the Magnificat.  Saint Mary represents the silent contemplation of the Church.  She is the one who literally embodies Christ.  She en-fleshes Christ.  Since she did that, there is not much to say. Is there?  The men can talk about it but she is the one who did it.  That is why she becomes the very heart of the church.  That is why the Orthodox Church focuses on Saint Mary for we need to be like her that Christ may be born in us today.  Her life, well lived, becomes an intercession for the Church until the second coming of Christ.

When the Holy Spirit descended on the Church in the upper room, the Apostles were the ones who went out and spoke.  The Holy Spirit did not descend simply on the Apostles.  Saint Luke mentions that the holy women were there with Mary the Mother of the Lord.

May the prayers and intercession of our most beloved lady Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, be with us all.  Amen.