The Church today commemorates, in a splendorous manner, the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple.
According to Church tradition, the Theotokos, the All-Holy Virgin Mary, was brought to the Temple at the age of three, where she was consecrated to God and spent her days until she was 14 or 15 years old; then, as a mature maiden, by the common counsel of the priests – as her parents, Sts. Joachim and Anna had reposed – she was betrothed to Joseph.
Patron Saint of Greece’s Armed Forces
The major feast day is also commemorated by Greece’s armed forces in every corner of the country, as the Blessed Virgin Mary is their Patroness and Invincible Champion.
On the occasion of the twin celebration for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Monday, in his Order of the Day, extolled the significant role played by the country’s armed forces, allowing Greece to serve as a pillar of stability in the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean region.
In a related development, the chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, Gen. Konstantinos Floros, in a videotaped message on the occasion of the great feast day, indirectly referred to the latest threats by Erdogan-led Turkey, noting that whoever makes the fatal mistake of moving against Greece will find another Marathon before them.