In the Six Books Apocryphon, we read the following:
The Apostles Establish Three Annual Feasts in Mary’s Honor.
(4.11) and when they had prayed, they said, “Let
us write everything that we have seen in ‘The Departure of the Blessed One’: ‘In
the year three-hundred and forty-five, my Lady Mary went forth from this world.
And we the apostles have written that there will be a commemoration of the
Blessed one three times in the year, because if people observe the commemoration,
they will be preserved from wrath, and peace will reign over all the regions of
the earth, and all bad afflictions will be prevented from going forth over the
earth and harming it.’” And the apostles ordered that there be a commemoration of
the Blessed one in the second Kanun [January], two days after the Nativity, so
that by her offerings and prayers, the locusts that hide in the lands will be
killed, and seeds that the farmers have borrowed and sown will be blessed. And
the fragrance of her offering will ascend and persuade Christ, so that one of
the kingdoms will not be stirred and wage war with the others, and the blood of
many people be shed [31a] upon the earth, because when there are
wars, heaven and earth are in mourning over people killing each other. And the
air is disturbed, and the smell of the air is changed from people’s corpses, as
in the days of Noah, so that smell of corpses spreads from end to end of the
earth.
(4.12) And the apostles that there be a commemoration
of my Lady Mary in the month of Iyar [May], on the fifteenth, on account of the
seeds that were sown, and on account of the beard of wheat, so that from them
there will be an offering to the Lord and the Blessed one. And the apostles
ordered that for the entire month of Iyar, people should draw near to the
presence of God with weeping and mourning and prayers.
(4.13) And the apostles ordered that there
be a commemoration of my Lady Mary in the month of Ab [August], on the thirteenth,
on account of the vine-bearing clusters, and on account of the trees bearing
fruit, so that the clouds of hail, which bear stones of wrath, will not come,
and the trees and the fruit be broken, and the vines and their clusters be diseased,
and those eating them suddenly become ill, and there will be a fearful pestilence
on everyone, and it will kill parents in front of children and children in
front of parents.
Bread Offerings for Mary’s Annual Commemorations.
(4.14) And the apostles ordered that there
will be a commemoration of the Blessed one [31b] in these three months,
so that people will be delivered from hard afflictions and a plague of wrath
will not come upon the earth and its inhabitants. And the apostles ordered that
offerings that have been offered to the Blessed one should not remain
overnight, but in the evening let flour of the finest wheat flour come to the
church and be placed before the altar. And let the priests make the offering
and set up censors of incense and light the lights. And let the entire evening
service [vespers] be concerning these offerings. And when the service is
finished, let everyone pray and ay the prayer of my Lady Mary, the Theotokos, “Comet
to us and help the people who call upon you,” and with the priest’ sword of
blessing, my Lady Mary comes and blesses these offerings. And when everyone
takes his offering and goes to his house, great aid and the blessings of my
Lady Mary will enter his dwelling and sustain it forever.
(4.15) And the apostles arose and took
censors of incense and drew near to the Lord to ask him that the years and
their garlands be blessed. And the apostles prayed and said, “Lord Jesus Christ,
hear the voice of our prayers, and bless the garlands of the years that are coming
to the world, and bless the twelve months. [32a] Let Nisan come, bearing the
buds of the flowers of blessing, so that it may perfume the altars of the Lord
with glorious flowers. Let Iyar come, bearing blessed ears of corn, from which
an offering may be made to the Lord. Let Haziran come, bearing tables of newly
rubbed corn from the ears, and carrying dishes full of new bread, which the Lord
will bless and give to the people. Let Tamuz come, giving thanks for people who
sing on the threshing floors, which are full of rejoicing. Let Ab come, giving
worship to God, who has blessed and given unripe fruits. Let Ilal come,
worshipping and praise Christ, who has blessed the months and years. Let [the
first] Teshrin come and its good things, which heard the voice of the farmer
who has sown with the plow of the cross. Let [the second] Teshrin come, and its
joys with it, fragrant dew that comes from heaven, anointing and blessing the
earth and its inhabitants. Let [the first] Kanun come, and its joys with it,
thick clouds, and lightning and rain that pours out on the face of the earth.
Let [the second] Kanun come, and with it snow and ice, which please the earth.
Let Shebat come, bearing on its shoulders good things that give birth to joys.
Let Adar come, bearing gifts for the Lord, the best lambs and sheep, giving
thanks.”
(4.16) Thus the apostles prayed and said, “Yea
Lord God, who sent his Son [32b] to us to save the world from error, let your blessing
be upon the earth and its inhabitants when and offering is made to my Lady
Mary, the Theotokos.” Then the voice of the apostles’ prayer ascended to
heaven. And the Lord Jesus Christ came to them on a luminous cloud and spoke
with them and said to them, “Be strong and take courage, and be valiant and do not
be afraid. Everything that you seek will be given, and everything that you cry
out will be heard, and your wish will be constantly with your father in heaven.”
Then the apostles bowed their heads and were blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ. (“The
Six Books Apocryphon,” in The Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin Mary
[trans. Stephen J. Shoemaker; Apocryphes: Collection De Poche De L’Aelac 17;
Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2023], 221-23)
Commenting on the Six Books Apocryphon, as well as the above text, Shoemaker noted the following
Like the Book
of Mary’s Repose, the earliest direct witnesses to the Six Books
Apocryphon are in Syriac, where the text survives intact in two manuscripts
from the sixth century and in three fragmentary manuscripts—one quite substantial—from
the later fifth century. The two complete early manuscripts preface this
Dormition apocryphon with the Protoevangelium of James and the Infancy
Gospel of Thomas, whereby producing, in effect, a sort of proto-“Life” of
the Virgin Mary. Since the text was originally written in Greek, the existence
of several Syriac versions by the later fifth century indicates a much earlier composition,
and it seems reasonable to suppose that the text and its traditions most likely
belong to the previous century, as other evident confirms more directly. . . .
Theologically, the Six Books Apocryphon is quite orthodox, particularly
in comparison with the Book of Mary’s Repose. Moreover, its Marian piety
is significantly more advanced, showing a remarkably developed devotion to the
Virgin. Numerous miracles are assigned to the power of Mary’s prayers, and she
is able to work miracles throughout the world. Several of these miracles
involve Marian apparitions, and in some cases she is seemingly able to
bilocate. While the Book of Mary’s Repose draws a focus on Mary’s
intercession only during her visit the places of punishment, the Six Books
Apocryphon repeatedly invokes the unique efficacy of her petitions. Nevertheless,
it is not enough to seek her prayers, but these must be joined to regular
liturgical commemorations and offerings in her honor, to be observed on three
different occasions during the year. The rituals enjoined by the Six Books
Apocryphon for these occasions involve offerings of bread in Mary’s honor,
in a fashion strikingly similar to the practices of the “Kollyridians” as
described by Epiphanius of Salamis (Pan. 78-79). The correspondence of
these rituals with Epiphanius’ account is too remarkable to be mere
coincidence, and it seems clear that he somehow knew traditions from the
apocryphon as he was writing in the middle of the fourth century. (Ibid.,
30-31, 34, emphasis in bold added)
