Hymn in honor of Mary towards Christmas
L. and S. from the Haifa community sent us a beautiful hymn in honor of Mary, mother of Jesus from the Russian tradition, in Slavonic. The hymn, originally from the Byzantine liturgy in Greek, is accompanied here with images of Mary from the West and from the East.
This hymn puts us in communion with Mary as she prepares for the birth of her son. Her gift to the world of the Savior and the Lord begins with her simple, joyful "Yes" to God's initiative.
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The words of the hymn are:
It is truly right to bless thee, O Theotokos,
ever blessed, and most pure, and the Mother of our God.
More honorable than the cherubim,
and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.
Without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word.
True Theotokos, we magnify thee.
The words of the hymn are partially attributed to Cosmas the Hymnographer, a bishop who lived in Jerusalem in the 8th century. The music is traditional but put in a more modern setting by Rachmaninov.
Latin Hymns for the Holy Triduum
Stabat Mater - the most famous hymn for Lent period
Psalm 51 – for Ash Wednesday