FEAST OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE BOX OF THE THEOTOKOS

Finding possessions of the Holy Mother was cause of great joy at the time. This Sunday, June 23, is the feast of the Discovery of the Belt of the Theotokos. Because there are no relics of the Holy Mother’s earthly body (she was assumed into Heaven), her personal belongings became the object of devotion and veneration. During the time of the early Church, when Christians were persecuted, her possessions were kept hidden and secret. Her belt was the first item to be discovered in Jerusalem in the fifth century. This discovery is the basis for the first of the eight feast days in the Armenian liturgical calendar devoted to the Holy Mother.