Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary. Kievan-Caves Icon of the Mother of God (1073), and Zaranytsia.
Feast of the Mother of God. Holy Day of Obilgation.
Philippians 2:5-11. Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28.
Read Philippians 2:5-11
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. After completing the course of her earthly life, the Mother of God died. As we Christians say, she “fell asleep,” just as Jesus said in regards to Jairus’ daughter: “Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping” (Mk. 5:39). In Christ, death no longer has power over us. Jesus has conquered death by His death. Our Lord resurrected His mother on the third day after her death, and she was assumed bodily into heaven.
The epistle reading for today’s feast contains an ancient hymn embedded in St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In this reading, we reflect on the kenosis, or “self-emptying” of God. Unlike Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden which brought death into the world, Jesus’ obedience “unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8) has brought about His exaltation by God the Father.
We are all called to humble obedience to God. The Mother of God lived her life in such an exemplary way, always consenting to God’s will in spite of all the trials, sorrows, and difficulties she would face. She is a woman of complete trust and faith in God, and through her willful obedience to God, our Lord became incarnate in her womb.
Today, let us sing the praises of the Mother of God! Let us recall the words of the doxasticheron we sang at lytia at Great Vespers for the feast:
Come, all you lovers of the feast,* let us form choirs and fill the Church with our hymns* in honour of the falling asleep of the Ark of God.* Today heaven indeed opens its bosom* to receive the Mother of the One whom the universe cannot contain.* The earth gives back the Source of Life* and receives the blessing of the Lord.* The choir of angels and apostles look with awe* as they see the One who gave birth to the Prince of Life* now herself pass from life to life.* Let us all bow together before her and say:* O Lady, do not forget the children of your house* who celebrate your holy Dormition in faith.