“In giving birth, You preserved Your virginity; in falling asleep, You did not forsake the world, O Theotokos. You were translated to life, being the Mother of Life, and by Your prayers, You deliver our souls from death." (Troparion, Tone 4)
The earthly journey of the Mother of God is shrouded in mystery, Her humility unfathomable, Her mysteries radiant. She Who gave us God and adopted humanity at the Cross as She completed Her earthly sojourn reveals that love triumphs over death. The Immaculate One merely bowed to the grave for a brief repose of the flesh. Fully united with God, the Theotokos was resurrected and assumed into heaven on the third day, according to tradition. How comforting to know that in the heavenly realms, One has already partaken in this joy, having entered the Life that will be fully revealed at the end of time, preceding the general resurrection!
Our Lord Jesus Christ receives the soul of the Most Holy Theotokos. Fresco from Sopocani Monastery, Serbia, 1265
Thus, we celebrate the Holy Dormition — a feast of our collective hope. It is the first fruit of Christ’s victory over death: the Dormition and resurrection of His Most Pure Mother. Death now becomes merely a temporary slumber of the body. Yet even this could not hold Her Who wholly belonged to God. The Mother of God could not be held by corruption in the tomb, even bodily. She rose again in the flesh; She is the firstborn from the dead after Christ’s Resurrection. As Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh stated, “This is already the beginning of the general resurrection, our future seen with our own eyes.”
The Assumption of the Mother of God into the Heavenly Abodes after Her resurrection
We, too, are called to conquer death: to such an intimate union with Christ that death can no longer have dominion over us. In his homily on the Dormition Saint John of Kronstadt exhorts us: “Let us strive to overcome sin within ourselves as it is the cause of death. Overcoming it is initially very difficult but will become easier and sweeter because as the suffering caused by battling sin increases, so too will Christ’s consolation within us (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:5). And the Lord, Who said that His yoke is easy and His burden light (cf. Matthew 11:30), will make the labours of ascetics light and life-giving.”
Now that the Mother of God has followed Christ through the gates of death, we can hope that by clinging to Her mantle, we will not be left alone in our final hour. “Rejoice, sinners; for while Apostle Peter leads the righteous into Paradise, sinners are led by none other than the Mother of God Herself,” comforts Saint Demetrius of Rostov.
Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin, 14th century
This hope inspired the holy fathers to dedicate monastic Lavras and monasteries to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos: Pochaev Lavra of the Dormition, Kiev-Caves Lavra of the Dormition, Sviatogorsk Dormition Lavra, Pskov-Caves Dormition Monastery, Holy Dormition Zhirovichi Monastery, Dormition Cathedral of Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Zilant Dormition Monastery in Kazan, and Adrian Dormition Monastery in Yaroslavl region.
Cathedral of the Dormition in Vladimir, 12th century
In honour of the Dormition, Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky erected the principal cathedral of Rus in Vladimir between 1158 and 1160. In 1326, the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin was founded, becoming the resting place of the Moscow Patriarchs. Subsequently, Dormition Cathedrals were constructed in Rostov the Great, Yaroslavl, Zvenigorod, Dmitrov, and Vladimir-Volynskyi.
Having received incomparable heavenly joy, the Most Holy Theotokos did not abandon Her care for humanity. After Her resurrection, She appeared to the apostles who had gathered for a meal in the Upper Room on Mount Zion, surrounded by the Heavenly Hosts. Her words were, “Rejoice. I am with you always.” The apostles unanimously exclaimed, “Most Holy Theotokos, help us.” This event laid the foundation for the “rite of the Panagia” performed in monasteries. Saint Gregory Palamas proclaims that the Mother of God is “the glory of earthborn mortals, the joy of celestial beings, and the praise of all creation… the origin, source, and root of unspeakable blessings… the apex and embodiment of all holiness.” May She guide us on our path to salvation and eternal life!
"O gracious and most merciful Queen of Heaven and Earth, Ever-Virgin Theotokos! Raise us from the depths of sin and enlighten the eyes of our hearts to behold salvation. Be gracious to us here and intercede for us at the dread judgment of Your Son. By your prayer, grant that all Orthodox Christians may live with Christ and enjoy angelic joy in the heavenly abodes.”
Prayer before the icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
The editorial team of obitel-minsk.ru prepared this material
Photos sourced from the internet
References:
1. Saint John Damascene. First Homily on the Dormition of the Theotokos // Saint John Damascene. Works. Christological and Polemical Treatises. Homilies on Feasts of the Theotokos.2. Saint Demetrius of Rostov. Homily on the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos // The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Homilies, Teachings, Sermons. Moscow, 1999.3. Feasts of the Theotokos, Sermons — Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (Bloom) (azbyka.ru)4. http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/81676.htm
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This article is a reprint from St. Elizabeth's Convent: The Holy Dormition — a Feast of Our Collective Hope (obitel-minsk.org). You can buy their products here: Church Supplies and Religious Gifts – Catalog of St Elisabeth Convent (obitel-minsk.com).
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