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.
'Axion Estin'
The day was not yet waken to the colours of the life. But she changed her dark wrap to pale yellow. I opened the eyes to an unusual morning with a lot of bad omens. My Mother’s gestures of unknown fears evoked my curiosities. I asked her about the happenings of this morning. But she was unknown to the things. She looked very anxious for my peace had gone. She put a black scarf on her head and asked me to come with her to streets. I washed my face in warm water and went with her to the streets which were leading to the courts. On the way, I felt the air was mixed with cruel roars and helpless cries; Crowd was terribly disturbed; Roman cavaliers were rounding the streets on their horses, It was very early in the morning, But people; including women in large numbers were flowing through the way. From the wayfarer’s conversations, I came to know, that Romans caught a pedagogue who was misguiding the Jews.
We gathered in front of the Courts. I held the hands firmly; otherwise I feared i would lose the hands of my mother in the crowd. I could see the man, who was badly wounded, standing near to the Roman Governor; Our Rabbi’s were raising their voice against him. They were placing arguments against the Galilean. When I heard that He broke the Temple Laws, I too raised my voice with them and roared to crucify...My mother asked me to shut my mouth. But I searched down for a stone to throw at him. I bowed down to the Soil to pick one which was fit for him. But I heard a strange voice, Like Dove’s hum, among the crowd; I looked up to my mother. No, it was not from her. I looked around, I saw two women who were crying, looked like mother and daughter .My heart was broken by seeing her, She was trying to say something in the crowd. Words were shivering and was not falling down. Her eyes were like sea of sorrows and I thought she might be his mother. I dropped the stone down to the Earth.
Governor washed his hands to show his innocence in the judgement. A huge number of people, Including tough Romans, Rabbi’s, Jews, Samaritans, Galileans, Women and children were following the ‘criminal’ to the Hill, .I was searching for the ‘Mother and the daughter’ among the Crowd. I saw a man helped her to meet her ‘Son’ on the way .They took another way through the market .I ran behind them. The ‘criminal’ fell down on the way. His Mother came near to him. It was the most disturbing scene in my life. Her tears fell on his wounds. He tried to Comfort her. She asked to someone “To where shall they lead my beloved son”. My eyes were rolled down with pain.
On the top of the hill, three crosses were raised against the Earth. 'He' was on the middle. Crowds were dispersing as the nature showed her anger on men’s deed. Drops of water from the skies were falling down to the Soil...He looked at the skies and yelled... My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?....Hey, I heard these voice sometimes back on another Hill...Yes, Now I know him, Jesus of Nazareth ...You know, He was the man who took and blessed the bread and fish from my hands and served the multitude....I Wondered why they hung him between the Earth and the Sky....I cried loudly on that Hill. My Mother covered me under her kappa. I took her hands away and ran towards His Mother. I hugged her to say don’t cry... All of Creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:
the angels in heaven and the race of men,
O sanctified temple and noetic paradise,
the glory of virgins, of whom God was incarnate
and became a child, our God before the ages.
He made thy body into a throne,
and thy womb more spacious than the heavens.
All of creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:
Glory be to thee.
Liturgy of St.Basil
