The Fest of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
Come and See!
Sunday, August 14, 8:15 & 9:30am — Matins & Divine Liturgy
The story of the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos
There is not much information about the life of the Mother of God after her Son’s death. In fact, her own death is not even mentioned in the Bible at all. The last time we hear about the Theotokos in the New Testament is in the Book of Acts:
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14)
This verse tells us that the Virgin Mary stayed with the Apostles in Jerusalem, was present on the day of Pentecost, and most probably lived with John, just as Christ commanded:
“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27)
Everything else we know about Mary’s life after that moment comes from the Tradition of the Church. When she was about to pass, all of the disciples (except for Thomas) came from all over the world, leaving their ministry for a few days to honor her and say final goodbyes.
As she fell asleep in the Lord, the apostles were standing at her bedside. Then Christ Himself descended, took his Mother’s soul, and carried it right into Heaven. Mary’s body was laid in a tomb in Jerusalem, but when the Apostle Thomas came to say goodbye to her three days later, he found the tomb to be completely empty. It is believed that the Theotokos’ body was resurrected and she was taken up into Heaven bodily.
The Dormition (or Falling-asleep) is in a way the celebration of the Theotokos’ whole life. The Mother of God is praised and glorified because she agreed to be the Bearer of God and became Christ’s first Apostle. Blessed Mary is an example of great love for God, of humility and obedience.
With all of that said, the Virgin Mary was still human like every one of us. So when the time came, she too had to die, not voluntarily like Christ, but because of her human nature. Her life, death, and assumption reveal joyous news to mankind.
What happened to her will also happen to those who learn from her, who love God, who rejoice in Christ, who dedicate their life completely to God, who search and find the Truth and who do their best to follow the Light every single day. Just the way the Theotokos did.
The Feast of the Dormition is the guarantee that those who imitate her will become temples of the Holy Spirit and will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Source: Convent of St Elizabeth, Belarus
