The Placing of the Precious Sash of Our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God in Calcoprateia (942)
Polyeleos Feast.
Hebrews 9:1-7; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28.
Read Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Placing of the Precious Sash of the Most Holy Theotokos. The origin of the feast goes back to the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Leo the Wise (886-911). Leo’s wife, the Empress Zoe, who was afflicted with an unclean spirit, had a vision that she would be healed of her infirmity if the sash of the Mother of God were placed upon her.
The emperor called for the Patriarch, and asked him to open the coffer in which the relic was kept. When the seal was removed and the coffer opened, it was discovered that belt was completely whole and undamaged by time. The Patriarch placed the sash on the sick empress, and immediately she was freed from her infirmity. They sang hymns of thanksgiving to the Most Holy Theotokos, then they placed the venerable sash back into the coffer and resealed it.
Today’s Gospel reading is the same reading the Church gives us for all feasts of the Most Holy Theotokos. It is a familiar scene. Jesus is in the home of Mary and Martha of Bethany. Martha is busy preparing everything for the meal, while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, “listening to His teaching”. When questioned about the justice of this situation, Jesus answers, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
It is not that Jesus is uncaring or unappreciative of the work that Martha is doing in preparing things for the meal. His words should not be read as a rebuke, but as a reminder to each of us that our many duties and tasks of daily life can consume us to the point where we fail to recognize the presence and love of God “present everywhere and filling all things”. Jesus is with Martha, just as much as His with Mary, but in her misplaced anxiety Martha is unable to recognize this.
Saint Paisios the Athonite clarifies this point further: “when a little child is playing and is all absorbed with his toys, he is not aware that his father may be next to him caressing him. If he interrupts his play a bit, then he will become aware of his father’s caresses. Similarly, when we are preoccupied with too many activities and are anxiously concerned about them, when we worry too much about worldly matters, we cannot become aware of God’s love. God gives but we do not sense it. Be careful not to waste your precious energy on redundant worries and vanities, which will turn to dust one day. (Saint Paisios, “With Pain and Love For Contemporary Man”)
Today as we go about our daily duties let us try to imitate the Most Holy Theotokos, and strive keep always before us the one thing necessary. For the Lord has told us, “do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6 31-33).