the Virgin Saint Mary
Answers to Three Questions About
the Virgin Saint Mary
First Question:
How can we call the Virgin “the true vine that carries the cluster of life” in the Prayer of the Third Hour, while the Lord Jesus Himself said clearly, “I am the vine, and you are the branches” (John 15:1,5)?
Second Question:
How do we call the Virgin in the Midnight Prayer (the third watch) “O rational gate of life,” when Christ Himself said, “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7)?
Third Question:
How can we pray to the Virgin in the third section of the Agpeya? Is this permissible, since prayer is for God alone?
Answer to the First Question
About the Virgin as the True Vine
Calling the Virgin “the vine” does not contradict the title of the Lord Jesus. Christ is the Vine in one sense, and the Virgin is the vine in another. He is the Vine when we are the branches that grow from Him; He is the Head, and we are the members.
As for the Virgin, according to the praises of the Church in which “the cluster of life, the true Son of God,” was found in her—she is the vine that never aged nor was cultivated by anyone.
We should note something important:
The Lord Jesus often grants some of His titles to His children:
The Shepherd:
Christ called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11–12). Yet the same title is used in the Psalms, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). God also said in Ezekiel, “I Myself will shepherd My sheep” (Ezekiel 34:15). Nevertheless, He appointed some of His children as shepherds, ensuring that the whole Church be “one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Christ said to Peter, “Feed My sheep… feed My lambs” (John 21:15–16). And in the Old Testament, God said, “I will give you shepherds after My own heart” (Jeremiah 3:15). Bishops, successors of the apostles, became shepherds of the Church of God (Acts 20:28).
The Light:
Christ said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5), yet He also said to His disciples, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). “Let your light so shine before men” (Matthew 5:16). He is Light in the absolute sense; they are lights because they receive from Him.
The Bishop:
Christ is called “the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25), yet the apostles’ successors were also appointed bishops by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28).
The Priest:
Christ is “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6). Yet He also instituted a priesthood among men (Exodus 40:15), sanctifying them to serve, and in the New Testament, St. Paul calls himself a priest (Romans 15:16). Christ’s priesthood is unique because He offered Himself; human priests serve His one sacrifice.
The Son of God:
Christ is the Son of God by nature (1 John 4:14), while we are children of God by love and adoption (1 John 3:1). Hence He is “the only-begotten Son” (John 3:16).
In the same way, concerning the Vine:
Christ is the Vine, but Scripture also calls the Church a vine. In Isaiah 5:1–7, God sings the song of His vineyard and calls it “the house of Israel.” Likewise, in the parable of the vineyard and the tenants (Matthew 21:33–41), the vineyard symbolizes the Church, and God is the owner.
The Psalms say, “Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine which Your right hand has planted” (Psalm 80:14–15).
Thus, calling the Church a vine does not take away from God’s glory—it is a title He Himself gave. Similarly, calling the Virgin a vine is scriptural and fitting. The Psalm even says, “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house” (Psalm 128:3). Therefore, it is not strange to call the Virgin Mary the blessed vine.
Answer to the Second Question
The Virgin as the Gate of Life and Salvation
The Holy Scripture calls the Virgin “the gate.” In Ezekiel 44:2, the prophet saw a gate facing east, through which the Lord entered and from which none else could pass. This is understood as a prophecy about the Virgin, through whom the Lord entered the world.
If the Lord is Life (“I am the way, the truth, and the life” — John 14:6; “I am the resurrection and the life” — John 11:25), then she is truly the Gate of Life, for through her, Life Himself came into the world.
In the same way, she is the Gate of Salvation, since Christ, who came through her, is our salvation (“The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” — Luke 19:10).
The Church also was called a gate from ancient times. Jacob said of the holy place he called Bethel, “This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17).
Answer to the Third Question
Is it proper to pray to the Virgin?
We do not pray to the Virgin, but we speak to her during prayer, asking for her intercession. This is not worship—it is communication within the prayer.
We also address angels, nature, and people during our prayers, as shown in Scripture:
To Angels: “Bless the Lord, all you His angels” (Psalm 103:20–21).
To Nature: “Praise Him, sun and moon… fire and hail, snow and clouds” (Psalm 148:3–9).
To the City of God: “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion” (Psalm 147:12–13).
To People: “O clap your hands, all you peoples!” (Psalm 47:1); “Come, behold the works of the Lord” (Psalm 46:8).
To Oneself: “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:1–5); “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (Psalm 42:5).
Even to the Evil Forces: “Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity” (Psalm 6:8).
Clearly, these are not prayers to them, but addresses within prayer.
Therefore, if we can address angels, nature, and our own souls in prayer, why not the Virgin, the Mother of God, asking her to intercede for us before her Son?
As St. Paul said:
“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19), and “teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns” (Colossians 3:16).
So speaking to the Virgin during prayer is not wrong—it is part of our biblical and spiritual heritage.
An Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, published in Watani Newspaper on October 2, 1988.
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