Saint Mary is regarded as the highest saint in the Orthodox Church. She is higher than all the heavenly saints and any man or woman saint who ever lived. She is called the Theotokos, which is a Greek word meaning “Mother of God.” Saint Mary is the Mother of God. The Coptic church focuses on the life of Saint Mary in the month of August. The fast of Saint Mary is from August 7 – August 21. The feast of the assumption of Saint Mary is August 22.
We magnify you, O mother of the True Light and glorify you O Theotokos, the Holy Virgin, for you have born for us the Savior of the world, who came and saved us." No other personality from the New or the Old Testament has been venerated like St. Mary. She has been raised in status above the Cherubim and the Seraphim, for she has said through the Holy Spirits, "...behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name." (Lk 1:48-49)
St. Mary the Virgin is the Mother of God; Theotokos. (Lk 1:43). She was the seed of David (Rom 3:1); the bride-to-be of Joseph (Mt 1:18-25); kinswoman of Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist (Lk 1:36); attended to ceremonial purification (Lk 2:22-38); fled into Egypt with Joseph and Jesus (Mt 2:13-15); lived in Nazareth (Mt 2:19-23); took twelve-year old Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem (Lk 2:41-50); at the wedding in Cana of Galilee (Jn 2:1-11); concerned for Jesus' safety (Mt 12:46, Mk 3:21-31, Lk 8:19-21); at the cross where she was entrusted by Our Lord Jesus Christ to care of John the Evangelist (Jn 19:25-27); in the Upper Room with the disciples where the Holy Spirit came down upon them (Acts 1:14).
St. Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne, were righteous people in front of God. They prayed earnestly asking God to grant them a child. Six years after they were married, they had Mary, and they knew that she was a special gift from God. They gave her the name "Mary" which means "Royal Incense" because she would become a special offering to God. When Mary was three years old, Joachim and Anne took her to the temple and dedicated their child to God. She spent nine years in the temple. When Mary was twelve years old, Zacharias the priest wanted to find a suitable man who could take care of her. He gathered the canes of her male relatives, and put them in the temple. The next day the cane of Joseph the carpenter budded, just like Aaron's rod in the Old Testament (Num 17:8). So Mary and Joseph became engaged. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceive in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.'" (Mt 1:18-21) Our Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit, venerates St. Mary more than any other personality in the Bible because God took flesh from her. Therefore, she became like a second heaven or a dwelling place for God.