PANAGIA OF THE LIFE-GIVING FONT: GREAT INTERCESSOR

The very large and beautiful church named in honor of the Theotokos of the Life-giving Font was built about the middle of the fifth century by the Emperor Leo the Great (457-474 AD), outside of Constantinople.  Emperor Leo was a pious man (he is commemorated on January 20th) and before he became Emperor, he had encountered a blind man, who being tormented with thirst asked him to help him find water.  Leo felt compassion for him and went in search of a source of water, but found none.  As he was about to cease his search, he heard a voice telling him there was water nearby.  He looked again, and found none.  Then he heard the voice again, this time calling him “Emperor” and telling him that he would find muddy water in the densely wooded place nearby; he was to take some water and anoint the blind man’s eyes with it.  When he had done this, the blind man received his sight.

After Leo became Emperor, as the Most Holy Theotokos had prophesied, he raised up a church temple over the spring, whose waters worked many healings, as well as resurrections from the dead, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. From this, it came to be called the “Life-giving Spring.”   St. Ambrose of Milan expressed the admiration of generations when he wrote: “The first thing which kindles ardor in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose?” (The Virgins 2:2[7] [A.D. 377]).

The Emperor Justinian the Great (527-565 AD) was also cured by the waters of “The Life-giving Spring” and in gratitude built a new church temple, larger than the first. It was destroyed by earthquakes  and rebuilt by grateful emperors.

After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, this church temple was razed to the ground and the materials from it were used for building the mosque of Sultan Beyaz?t.  Nothing remained of that church’s ancient beauty, except for a small chapel, almost completely buried in the ruins.  This chapel had twenty-five steps going down into it, and a transom window on the roof, from which it received a little light.  Toward the western side of the chapel was the holy Spring, fenced about with a railing.

In 1821 even that little remnant was destroyed.  The sacred Spring was buried with it and disappeared altogether. But in the days of Sultan Mahmud, when those subject to him were rejoicing in their freedom to practice their religion, permission was sought by the Orthodox Christian community to rebuild at least the chapel.  Permission was granted to build a church temple and it was consecrated on Bright Friday in 1835. But on the night of September 6-7, 1955, it along with 73 other Orthodox churches in Istanbul, was desecrated and burned to the ground by the Turks.  The church has been restored yet once again, but not to its former magnificence.

Why is the Feast of the Theotokos Life-Giving Font of particular significance for the Orthodox Church?  The Mother of God is the first paradigm of the Church itself. She held the Lord of Life in the temple of her body, thus she became the “dwelling place of the Most High and the Ark of the New Covenant. As St. John of Kronstadt reminds us: “How honored and magnified is mankind through the Holy Virgin Mother of God, for she has been made worthy of renewal and motherhood of God Himself. She herself was made worthy of being what the Church was called to be.  It was her holiness, humility, and steadfast dedication to her Son that lifted her up as the boast of humanity.”

It was through the intercession of the Holy Theotokos that the man who thirsted, for whom St. Leo searched for water, found it. The parched one had his thirst slaked. The yearning one received what he craved.  The Mother of God is an intercessor!   St. Basil the Great himself held Mary to be a fervent intercessor: “O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all your necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity.” Mary asks for us as she asked that the servants “Do whatever He tells you.” at Cana’s wedding. We do not worship her. She can never replace her Divine Son. But she is ever with us waiting but for us to ask our needs.  The font is an apt image of the generosity of the Mother of God – it is constant, it flows freely into our hearts and souls. O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all you necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity.”  It quenches our spiritual thirst.

As we venerate Panagia the Life-Giving Font, let us ask her to intercede with her Son that the present global suffering may be removed and “normal” life be restored. Let us pray the prayer below, each individual and each family of our faith community.  Pray fervently as to a Mother waiting to sooth and heal us.

“Life giving wondrous conception united God the Logos/Word with man, and joined our fallen nature with the Heavens; the only hope of the hopeless, and the help of the helpless;  ever-ready to rescue all that flee unto You, and the refuge of all Christians, spurn me not, the branded sinner, who by shameful thoughts, words and deeds, has made my whole being useless, and through indolence has enslaved my judgment to the inunto me, the sinner and prodigal, and accept my supplication which is offered from impure lips unto You.  With Your maternal approach entreat Your Son, our Lord, and Master to open for me the merciful depths of His loving kindness; and overlooking my countless transgressions, guide me to repentance, and show me forth as a worthy worker of His Commandments. As You are merciful, compassionate and gentle, be at my side; and in this present life, be my fervent protectress and helper, thwarting the assaults of the adversaries, and leading me to salvation; and in the hour of my passing take care of my wretched soul, and cast far away the dark faces of the demons. And at the dreadful Day of Judgment, deliver me from eternal punishment, and prove me an heir to the ineffable Glory of Your Son, and our God. May this glory be my share, O my Lady, Most-Holy Theotokos through Your mediation and help, by the Grace and mercy of Your Only-Begotten Son our Lord, and God, and Savior, Jesus Christ; to Whom is due all glory, honor and worship, together with His Eternal Father, and His All-Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.”

O Holy Theotokos, Life-Giving Font, hear our humble prayer and deliver us from all sorrow, sadness, anxiety, and any impending illness.  We fly unto thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God! In thy kindness, despise not our needs and request, but hear our prayer, O pure and holy Virgin.  Amen.

Faithfully in the love of the Mother of God,
Fr. Dimitrios