Θεοτόκος
Theotokos
The God-Bearer — the icon of theosis
The Theotokos (Mary, the mother of Jesus) appears throughout the Philokalia as the supreme example of what the tradition teaches: a human person so fully receptive to the divine presence that God was able to take flesh within her. The tradition sees her as the icon of theosis — the living demonstration that human nature can be so transformed by grace that it becomes the dwelling place of the divine.
The Dormition (her falling-asleep, commemorated August 15) is one of the major feasts in the calendar because it represents the completion of her journey — the full flowering of what began with her "yes" to the divine invitation. For the tradition, she is not merely a historical figure but a living reality who continues to intercede for those who pray.