The fourth to fifth century Bishop and Patriarch of Alexandria is well known and loved for his defence of the oneness of the Person of Christ, and of the Motherhood of Mary.

He said: ‘In the third book of his work on the holy and consubstantial Trinity, our father Athanasius, of glorious memory, several times refers to the holy Virgin as “Mother of God”.  I cannot resist quoting his own words: “As I have often told you, the distinctive mark of holy Scripture is that it was written to make a twofold declaration concerning our Saviour; namely, that he is and has always been God, and that for our sake in these latter days he took flesh from the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and became man.”’

From the ‘Divine Praises’: ‘Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man’; and ‘Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy’. As you praise Christ this day, and call upon the Mother of God, may you yourself be richly blessed in all things.