Vladimir Theotokos Icon (Blessed Art Thou Among Women) No. 1 | Orthodox Christian Art Poster

O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to the Saviour of our souls.

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At the Resurrection Vespers on Saturday evening, the troparion to the Mother of God "O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice!" is sung three times. This troparion is sung at the conclusion of Resurrection Vespers because of the joy of Christ’s Resurrection, the focus of Matins that follows, announces the joy of the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel advised the Virgin Mary that she was to give birth to the Son of God, effectively marking the end of Old Testament times. The words of this troparion are composed mostly of the words of greeting spoken by the archangel to the Mother of God.

- Archpriest Victor Potapov, Explanation of the All-Night Vigil Service

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Original icon: 19th century central Russian icon of the type Владимирская (Vladimirskaya), aka Theotokos of Vladimir,Our Lady of Vladimir, Virgin of Vladimir, and Vladimir Mother of God.