Description of the holiday

Feast of the Dormition Holy Mother of God It is celebrated on August 28 (New Style) and has 1 day of prefeast and 8 days of afterfeast.

• The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary St. Theophan the Recluse
• Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy
• Schema-Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Archimandrite Raphael Karelin
• priest Konstantin Parkhomenko
• M. Barsov

After the Lord completed the salvation of the human race and ascended Him into heaven, the most pure and blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mediator of our salvation, lived among the first Christians for quite a long time; She was filled with great spiritual joy, looking at the expansion of the church of Christ throughout the universe and at the spread to the ends of the earth of the glory of His Son and God; in these initial days In the life of the Christian Church, the Most Holy Theotokos saw with her own eyes the fulfillment of Her words that all generations would appease Her (), - Christians, who everywhere glorified Christ God, also appeased His Most Pure Mother, who then still lived on earth.

The Most Holy Theotokos approached Her most honorable and glorious Assumption already full of days; She herself wanted to leave her body as soon as possible and enter to God. Her soul was always embraced by one unceasing desire to see the sweet face of His Son, Sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven (); burning for Him with an incomparably greater love than the Seraphim. The Mother of God, pouring out streams of tears from her holy eyes, warmly prayed to the Lord that He would take Her from this vale of weeping to the blessed abode on high. Living in the house of St. John the Theologian in Zion, She often retired from here to the Mount of Olives, the place where Her Son and Lord ascended into heaven; here in solitude She offered Her fervent prayers to Him. And then one day, during such a solitary prayer of the Mother of God on the Mount of Olives that the Lord would soon send her death and take her to heaven, the archangel Gabriel appeared before Her, who served the Most Holy Theotokos from the first days of Her childhood: he fed Her in the holy of holies, brought her the good news of the birth of the Son of God from her (), relentlessly guarded her throughout her life on earth. With a bright face, the heavenly messenger conveyed to the Most Holy Theotokos the joyful words of the Lord for Her that soon, after three days, She would depart to Christ God. Announcing the hour of death to the Blessed Virgin, the archangel told Her not to be embarrassed, but to accept his words with joy, for they call Her into immortal life to the eternal King of glory:

Your Son and our God, - said the archangel, - with archangels and angels, cherubim and seraphim, with all heavenly spirits and souls of the righteous, will receive You, His Mother, into the kingdom of heaven, so that You live and reign with Him for an endless time.

As a sign of the triumph of the Theotokos over death, that is, that bodily death will not have power over Her, just as spiritual death did not possess Her, and - that She, as if falling asleep with death for a short time, will soon, as if waking up, rise and, driving away from Herself death, as from the eyes of drowsiness, will see immortal glory and life in the light of the face of the Lord, where it will depart with joyful cries with spiritual joy - as a sign of all this, the archangel handed the Blessed Virgin a branch of paradise: it was, shining with the light of heavenly grace, a branch from date palm; she was to be carried, as the archangel said, before the bed of the Mother of God, when Her most honorable and pure body would be carried for burial. The Blessed Mother of God was filled with unspeakable joy and spiritual delight, for what could be more joyful and pleasant for Her to live in heaven with Her Son and God and - bliss when contemplating His sweet face? Falling on her knees, she began to earnestly thank her Creator:

I was not worthy, - the Most Holy Theotokos prayed, - to receive You, Master, into My womb, if You Yourself had not had mercy on Me, Your servant; I have kept the treasure entrusted to Me, and therefore I have the boldness to ask You, King of glory, that You guard Me from the region of Gehenna: if heaven and angels tremble before You, then even more so a man created from dust, who does not have any merits other than those bestowed by Your goodness ; You, Lord and God, blessed forever.

The Most Pure Lady, at Her departure from this life, desired to see the holy Apostles, who had already departed with the gospel preaching throughout the universe; She also prayed to the Lord that at the hour of her death she would not see the prince of darkness and his terrible servants, but that Her Son and God Himself, fulfilling His promise, would come and take Her soul into His holy hands. When our Lady, on her knees, offered prayerful requests and thanksgivings to Her Creator on the Mount of Olives, Her prayer was accompanied by such miraculous phenomenon: the olive trees that stood on the Mount of Olives, as if animated, bowed, together with the Mother of God: when the Mother of God knelt, then the trees bent down; when She rose up, then they also straightened up again; the trees, like slaves, served the Theotokos, honoring the Mother of God.

At the end of the prayer, the Most Holy Theotokos returned home, and immediately everything shook from the presence of the invisible power of God that surrounded the Mother of God, and from the glory of the Lord, with which She was illuminated. Her face, and always shining with the grace of God more than the face of Moses, who once spoke with God at Sinai (), was enlightened with even more inexpressible glory. - The Blessed Lady began to prepare for Her death. First of all, She informed the beloved disciple of Christ, John, adopted by Her, and showed him a luminous branch of paradise, bequeathing to him precisely to carry it before Her bed; then the Blessed Virgin reported the same to the other members of the household who served Her. Then She ordered to fill Her chamber with fragrance, prepare and light as many lamps as possible in it, decorate both the chamber itself and the bed standing in it - in a word, arrange everything necessary for burial. Saint John the Theologian immediately sent to Saint James, the brother of the Lord and the first bishop of Jerusalem, as well as to all relatives and neighbors, announcing the imminent departure of the Mother of God, with the exact designation of the day. Saint James did not hesitate to inform all the Christians who lived not only in Jerusalem, but also in the surrounding cities and villages, so that with the Bishop of Jerusalem, all relatives and a great multitude of believers of both sexes gathered to the Most Holy Theotokos. The Most Pure Lady publicly told the audience the words spoken to Her by the archangel about Her resettlement to heaven and, in confirmation, she showed the branch of paradise received from Her evangelist, which, like a ray of sunshine, shone with the light of heavenly glory. Hearing from the lips of the Theotokos Herself the news of Her imminent death, the believers surrounding Her could not refrain from tears: the whole house was filled with weeping and sobs; everyone begged the merciful Lady, as the Mother of all, not to leave them orphans. But the Mother of God asked not to cry, but to rejoice at Her death, because, having become closer to God's throne, looking face to face at Her Son and God and talking with Him mouth to mouth, She can after death with great boldness beg Him for mercy and goodness; At the same time, the Blessed Mother of God promised not to leave orphans after Her departure, and not only them, but the whole world: She will visit the whole world, listening to its needs and helping the needy. The consoling words of the Mother of God wiped away the tears of the weeping and comforted their sorrow. The Most Pure Lady then made a will regarding two of Her clothes, so that they would be given to two poor widows, who with zeal, receiving food from Her, served Her. The Mother of God bequeathed to her most pure body that it be buried in the Garden of Gethsemane lying on the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem, where the tomb of Her righteous parents, Joachim and Anna, and Her Betrothed Saint Joseph was located; these tombs adjoined the valley of Jehoshaphat, which stretched between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, and was a common burial place for the poor inhabitants of Jerusalem.

During these dying orders of the Most Holy Theotokos, a noise was suddenly heard, in strength reminiscent of thunder, and the clouds surrounded the house of St. placing in Zion in front of the door of the house where the Mother of God dwelt. The Holy Apostles, seeing each other, rejoiced and at the same time were amazed, saying:

What is the reason the Lord has brought us together?

Saint John the Theologian came out to them and greeted them with joyful tears, informing them at the same time of the imminent repose of the Most Holy Theotokos. Then the holy Apostles understood that the Lord had gathered them from different ends of the universe to be present at the blessed death of His Most Pure Mother, so that they would honorably bury Her most pure body. The news of the imminent death of the Mother of God filled the hearts of the holy Apostles with great sorrow. Entering the inside of the house, they saw the Mother of God with a joyful face sitting on a bed; The holy Apostles greeted Her with the words:

Blessed are You from the Lord who created heaven and earth!

Peace be upon you, brethren, chosen by the Lord Himself! - answered the Most Pure Lady.

And then she asked:

How did you arrive here?

The Holy Apostles revealed to Her that each of them was caught up by the power of the Spirit of God from the place of his preaching and brought to Zion on a cloud. The Mother of God glorified God, who heard Her prayer and fulfilled Her heartfelt desire, to see the holy Apostles at His death.

The Lord,” She said, addressing them, “brought you here for the comfort of My soul, which, as mortal nature requires, will soon be separated from the body: the time predestined for Me by My Creator has already approached.

And in response to this, they said to Her with sadness:

During Your stay on earth, we, Lady, consoled ourselves, looking at You as our Lord and Teacher Himself, and now, being deprived of Your presence, how can we endure the heavy sorrow that has embraced our souls? But You are departing to the most peaceful abode at the will of Christ God, born to You, and we cannot but rejoice at God’s decision about You, although at the same time we cannot but mourn our orphanhood, for we will no longer see You, our Mother and Comforter.

At these words, the holy Apostles shed tears.

Do not cry, - the Most Holy Theotokos consoled them, and do not overshadow my joy, friends and disciples of Christ, with your sorrow - it is better to rejoice with Me, as I am going to My Son and God. Commit my body, which I myself have prepared for burial, to the earth in Gethsemane, and then return again to the preaching of the Gospel entrusted to you; But if the Lord wills, you will also see me after my departure.

During this conversation between the Mother of God and the holy Apostles, the vessel chosen by God, the holy Apostle Paul, also arrived: falling at the feet of the Most Holy Theotokos, he opened his mouth, praising and pleasing Her:

Rejoice, - said the holy Apostle, - Mother of Life and my preaching; If before the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ I could not enjoy the sight of Him here on earth, then, looking now at You, I think that I see Him as it were.

With the Apostle Paul were his close disciples Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheus and Timothy; the rest, from among the seventy, the Apostles, were also present - all were gathered by the Holy Spirit in order to be blessed with the blessing of the Most Pure Virgin Mary and, by their presence, contribute to the greater solemnity of Her burial. The Most Pure Lady of each of the holy Apostles called to Herself by name, praising faith and deeds in the gospel of Christ Jesus; to each one she wished eternal bliss and prayed for the peace of the whole world.

The fifteenth day of the month of August arrived, and the blessed hour, expected by all, approached - it was the third hour of the day - the departure of the Most Holy Theotokos. Many lamps were kindled in the upper room; the holy Apostles offered praise to God; but the most immaculate Virgin reclined on a decorated bed, preparing for a blessed end and awaiting the coming to herself of her beloved Son and Lord. Suddenly, the inexpressible light of Divine glory shone in the upper room, darkening the lamps. Those to whom this vision was revealed were horrified. They saw that the roof of the upper room was open and the glory of the Lord descended from heaven - the King of glory Christ Himself with the darkness of angels and archangels, with all heavenly powers, with the holy forefathers and prophets, who once foreshadowed the Blessed Virgin, and with all the righteous souls approached His Most Pure Mother. Seeing the approach of the Son, the Mother of God in great joy exclaimed the words of Her song:

- "My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoiced in God, My Savior, that He looked upon the humility of His Servant" ().

And rising from her bed, as if trying to go to meet her Son, she bowed to the Lord. He, approaching and lovingly looking at Her, said:

Come My Neighbor, come My Dove, come My precious treasure and enter the abodes eternal life.

The Mother of God, bowing, answered:

blessed your name O Lord of glory and my God, who deigned to choose His humble servant to serve Your sacrament; remember me, King of glory, in your eternal kingdom; You know that I loved You with all My heart and kept the treasure entrusted to Me, and now receive My spirit in peace and protect Me from all the wiles of the dark, satanic power.

The Lord consoled Her with loving words, urging her not to be afraid of the satanic power, which has already been defeated by Her; He lovingly urged Her to fearlessly pass from earth to heaven.

- "My heart is ready, God, my heart is ready"(), - the Blessed Virgin answered this.

And then, having uttered the words spoken by Her once, - "let it be to me according to your word"(), again lay down on the bed. Feeling indescribable joy at the sight of the bright face of Her Son and the Lord, the Mother of God, filled with spiritual delight from love for Him, gave Her most pure soul into the hands of the Lord; At the same time, She did not feel any pain, but seemed to fall asleep in a sweet dream: He Whom She conceived without violating virginity and gave birth without illness received Her soul from a pure body. And immediately a wondrous angelic singing, filled with joy, began, in which were heard, often repeated by the angels, the words of Gabriel's greeting to the Blessed Virgin:

- "Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women" ().

With such solemn chants they saw off heavenly ranks the most holy soul of the Mother of God, in the hands of the Lord, coming to the heavenly cloisters. The Holy Apostles, who were rewarded with a vision, with touching eyes accompanied the Mother of God as once the Lord ascended from the Mount of Olives (); they stood for a long time, terrified and as if in oblivion. Having come to their senses, the disciples of Christ bowed to the Lord, who with glory lifted up the soul of His Mother to heaven, and with weeping surrounded the bed of the Mother of God. The face of the Blessed Virgin Mary shone like the sun, and from Her most pure body came a wondrous fragrance, the like of which cannot be found here on earth. All believers, reverently honoring the most pure body, kissed it with fear; a sanctifying power emanated from the honest relics of the Mother of God, filling the hearts of all who touched him with joy. The sick were healed: the blind received their sight, the deaf were opened to hearing, the lame straightened up, demons were cast out - every disease completely disappeared from just touching the bed. Mother of God.

Among these events that accompanied the death of the Mother of God, a solemn procession began with Her most honorable body for its burial: the holy Apostle Peter, together with the holy Apostles Paul and James, the brother of God, standing at the head, raised together with other holy Apostles from among the twelve beds Holy Mother of God; St. John the Theologian carried in front of him a branch of Paradise that emitted radiance. The rest of the believers with candles and censers walked nearby, surrounding the bed. Everyone sang the original prayers: the holy Apostle Peter began, and the others harmoniously sang after him the psalm of David: in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt(), adding an alleluia to each verse; under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, other solemn and thanksgiving prayers and psalms. The solemn procession with the most pure body of the Mother of God was heading from Zion through Jerusalem to Gethsemane. A cloudy circle appeared over the bed and those who were seeing them off, resembling a crown and illuminated by an unusually bright radiance. And in the clouds, loudly, filling the air, there was a wondrous angelic singing. This cloudy crown floated through the air over the bed of the Mother of God to the very place of burial; during all this time, the angelic singing did not stop. But the joyous procession - a weak human language cannot fully describe it - was suddenly interrupted. Many of the Jews who did not believe in Christ, hearing unusual singing and seeing the solemn procession, left their homes and joined him: they also went out of town, marveling at the glory and honor that was given to the honorable body of the Mother of Jesus Christ. Upon learning of this, the bishops and scribes became very furious and sent servants and soldiers - having also persuaded many from the people - so that they would catch up with the procession and disperse its participants; at the same time, they ordered the disciples of Christ to be killed, and the body of the Mother of God to be burned. But when the crowd, obedient to the instigators, armed as if for battle, in a rage ran after those who accompanied the body of the Most Holy Theotokos and already began to overtake them, suddenly a cloudy circle, floating through the air, descended to the earth and, as if with a wall, surrounded both the holy Apostles and the rest of the Christians; the persecutors heard only singing, seeing no one behind the cloud. The holy angels, hovering invisibly over the body of the Mother of God and the Christians, struck the evil persecutors with blindness: some of them smashed their heads against the city walls; others felt them and, not knowing where to go, looked for guides. At this time, one Jewish priest, named Athos, happened to go on a journey: seeing the holy Apostles, the cloud, by God’s command, rose again for the greater glory of the Mother of God, and many Christians with candles and singing, surrounding the body of the Ever-Virgin Mary, Athos was filled with envy; the former malice towards our Lord flared up in him, and he said:

See what honor surrounds the body of the One Who gave birth to the flatterer who ruined the law of our fathers!

Being very strong, he ran with furious fury through the crowd of Christians to the bed in order to throw the body of our Most Pure Lady to the ground: when the impudent hands of the priest touched the bed, an invisible angel immediately cut them in the middle with the immaterial sword of God's vengeance, and they hung, not tearing themselves away from the bed , Athos himself fell to the ground, exclaiming:

Woe is me!

Realizing his sin, he began to repent and say to the holy Apostles:

Have mercy on me, servants of Christ!

The Holy Apostle Peter ordered those carrying the body of the Mother of God to stop and said to Athos:

Here you got what you wanted; know that God - the Lord of vengeance has revealed Himself (), and we cannot heal you from your wounds; this can only be done by our Lord Himself, against whom you unjustly rose up and seized and killed; but He will not want to give you healing until you believe in Him with all your heart and confess with your lips that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Son of God.

Athos exclaimed:

I believe that He is the Savior of the world - Christ, foretold by the prophets; we saw from the very beginning that he is the Son of God, but, darkened by malicious envy, we did not want to openly acknowledge the greatness of God and put Him to innocent death; but by the power of His Divinity on the third day He resurrected, confounding all of us, His haters: we tried to conceal His Resurrection by bribing the guards, but could not do anything, since the fame of this spread everywhere.

When Athos said this, repenting of his sin, the holy Apostles and all the faithful rejoiced at the joy of the angels for the repentant sinner: the holy Apostle Peter commanded Athos to attach with faith the wounds of his truncated hands to those hanging on the bed, invoking the name of the Most Holy Theotokos. Athos did this, and immediately the severed hands joined their place; they became perfectly healthy; there was only a cut-off sign, like a red thread that surrounded the elbow. Athos fell before his bed, bowing to Christ, God, born of the Most Holy Theotokos, and pleasing His Most Pure Mother with many praises: he cited prophecies from Holy Scripture that testify both to Her and to Christ, and everyone was doubly surprised, seeing the miraculous healing of the truncated hands of Athos and hearing from him wise words with which he glorified the Lord Jesus and praised the Mother of God. Then Athos joined the holy Apostles, following with other Christians to Gethsemane for a bed. In the same way, those who were stricken with blindness, who, conscious of their sin, with repentance approached with guides to an honest bed and touched it with faith, received healing - they received insight not only of bodily, but also of spiritual eyes. Merciful Mother of all, our Most Holy Lady, as by her birth she brought joy to the whole universe, so in her sleep she did not want to grieve anyone: like the good Mother of the good King, She and former enemies She mercifully comforted those who were hers with Her grace-filled gifts.

But then the holy Apostles with the whole multitude of Christians reached the Garden of Gethsemane; when they put up a bed with an honorable body, then again a cry arose among the Christians: everyone, being deprived of such a treasure, wept about their orphanhood; giving the last kiss, the Christians fell to the body of the Most Holy Theotokos and kissed it, shedding tears, so that only in the evening they could put the revered body in the coffin; but even when a huge stone was already rolled to the tomb, the Christians did not leave it, held by love for the Mother of God. - The Holy Apostles stayed at the tomb of the Most Holy Theotokos, without leaving the Garden of Gethsemane, for three days, singing psalms day and night. And all this time, the wondrous singing of the heavenly armies was heard in the air, praising God and pleasing His most pure Mother.

By a special dispensation of God, one of the Apostles, Saint Thomas, was not present at the glorious burial of the body of the Most Pure Theotokos; he only appeared in Gethsemane on the third day. The Holy Apostle Thomas greatly grieved and lamented that, like the other holy Apostles, he did not receive the last greeting and blessing of the Most Pure Theotokos; he also wept greatly because he alone did not see the Divine glory, the wondrous mysteries and works of God revealed during the Dormition and solemn burial of the Mother of God. The Holy Apostles, taking pity on him, decided to open the tomb so that Saint Thomas could see, at least dead body Blessed Mother of God, bow down to him and kiss him, and through this receive some relief from your sadness and consolation in grief. But when the holy Apostles, having rolled away the stone, opened the coffin, they were horrified: the body of the Mother of God was not in the coffin, - only burial sheets remained, spreading a wondrous fragrance; the holy Apostles stood in amazement, wondering what this meant! Kissing with tears and reverence the burial shroud left in the coffin, they prayed to the Lord that He would reveal to them where the body of the Most Holy Theotokos had disappeared? Toward evening they sat down to refresh themselves a little with food. During the meal, the holy Apostles had such a custom: they left one place among themselves unoccupied, placing on it in honor of Christ - as His part - a piece of bread. At the end of the meal, giving thanks, they took the aforementioned piece of bread, called the part of the Lord, and lifted it up, glorifying the great name of the Most Holy Trinity, then, after the words "Lord Jesus Christ, help us!" ate this piece as God's blessing. This is what the holy Apostles did not only when everyone was together, but also when everyone was away from each other. Now in Gethsemane, during the meal, they did not think about anything else and did not talk about why the most pure body of the Mother of God was not found in the tomb. And so, when, having finished the meal, the holy Apostles began to raise up a piece of bread set aside in honor of the Lord, glorifying the Most Holy Trinity, they suddenly heard angelic singing: raising their eyes, they saw the Most Pure Mother of God standing in the air, surrounded by many angels. She was illuminated by an inexpressible light and said to them:

Rejoice! - for I am with you all the days.

The Holy Apostles, filled with joy, instead of the usual "Lord Jesus Christ, help us," exclaimed:

Holy Mother of God, help us!

From that time on, both they themselves believed, and the Holy Church was taught to believe that the Most Pure Mother of God on the third day after the burial was resurrected by Her Son and taken with the body to heaven. Entering the tomb again, the holy Apostles took the left shroud to comfort the mourners and as unfalse evidence of the rise of the Mother of God from the tomb. It was not fitting for the tabernacle of life to be in the power of death and the creature that gave birth to the Creator to share the fate of corruption with the earthly creature. The legislator was the executor of the law given by Him - let sons honor their parents: He honored His immaculate Mother as Himself - as He Himself rose with glory on the third day and then ascended into heaven with pure flesh, so He raised His Mother with glory in the third day and took to Himself in the heavenly villages. Saint David foretold this, saying: "Stand, O Lord, in the place of Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy might"(); His prophetic words came true at the resurrection of the Lord and the resurrection of His Mother by Him. - carved in stone empty coffin The Mother of God, as well as Her Son, has been preserved to this day and serves as an object of reverent veneration for the faithful.

The Lord, by His special consideration, slowed down the arrival of Saint Thomas by the day of the repose of the Most Pure Theotokos, so that the tomb would be opened for him, and the church, thus, was convinced of the resurrection of the Mother of God, just as earlier, through the unbelief of the same Apostle, she was convinced of the resurrection of Christ () . - Thus, the Assumption of Our Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God took place and - the burial of Her immaculate body, Her glorious resurrection and solemn assurance of Her taking to heaven with the flesh.

After all these marvelous miracles and the mysteries of God, the holy Apostles, again carried by a cloud, each returned to the country from which he was taken during his preaching of the Gospel.

Saint Ambrose, speaking of the life of our Lady on earth, describes the wondrous spiritual qualities of the Most Holy Theotokos in this way:

She is a Virgin not only in flesh, but also in spirit: humble in heart and slow in speech; Her words are full of Divine wisdom; She is almost constantly in the reading of Holy Scripture and tireless in her labors; chaste in conversations, speaking with people as before God; She never offended anyone, wishing everyone well; no one, even the poor, not disdaining, not laughing at anyone, but everything that she saw, she covered with Her love; from her mouth never came a word that did not bring grace; in all her deeds she showed the image of the highest virginity. Her appearance was a reflection of inner perfection - goodness and gentleness.

So says Saint Ambrose. The description of the holiness of the soul and appearance of the Mother of God is also found in Epiphanius and Nicephorus:

In any case, she retained her venerable dignity and constancy; she spoke very little, only about the necessary and good, - Her words were sweet to the ear; She treated everyone with due respect; she had an appropriate conversation with each person, not laughing, not indignant, and especially not angry. Her height was average; complexion, like the color of a grain of wheat; hair is light blond and somewhat golden; glance quick, penetrating; eyes the color of an olive fruit; eyebrows slightly inclined, dark; nose is medium; lips like the color of a rose and sweet-spoken; the face is not quite round; hands and fingers oblong; there was no pride in her, simplicity in everything, without the slightest pretense; She was a stranger to any indulgence, showing, at the same time, an example of the highest humility. Her clothes were simple, without any artificial adornments, as the veil of Her head that has survived to this day speaks about it - in a word, Her Divine grace, penetrating Her, manifested itself in everything.

This is how Nicephorus and Epiphanius narrate about the spiritual and bodily image of the Most Holy Theotokos during Her life on earth.

Now, about the Mother of God, settled in heavenly abodes and standing at the right hand of the throne of God, only heavenly spirits, and the souls of the righteous, standing before the Mother of God and enjoying the sight of both God and the Most Pure Virgin, can tell; they can only tell us about her, as required by her holiness. We, glorifying the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, God alone in the Trinity, glorify according to God and His Most Pure Mother, and to Her, from all generations glorified and blessed forever, we worship diligently.

About individual events in the life of the Most Holy Theotokos from the day of Her birth, it is written on Her deliberate feasts: on conception, birth, entry into the temple, the annunciation, as well as on the Nativity of Christ and the Meeting. And here, after the story of Her immortal Assumption, in addition to the story of Her life, we will tell you where and how our Lady lived after the Ascension of Christ.

The Holy Evangelist Luke writes in the Acts of the Apostles that, after the Lord's departure into heaven, His disciples returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem; entering the upper room (where Christ's Last Supper was), "they were all with one accord in prayer and supplication, with some women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus"(). After the ascension of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God was for His disciples the only consolation, joy in sorrow and a firm teacher of faith. For all the words and miraculous events that the Mother of God composed in Her heart (), starting from the joyful annunciation of Gabriel about the seedless conception and the incorruptible birth of Christ from the virgin womb and ending with the years of the Lord’s infancy and the time of life before baptism from John, She revealed all this disciples of his Son; as having abundant revelations from the Holy Spirit and being herself a witness of all the miraculous actions that took place in the life of Christ until the day the Lord appeared to the world, the Mother of God strengthened the faith of the holy Apostles with a detailed account of the life of the Savior before His baptism. All believers, staying in the aforementioned upper room, prayed tirelessly, preparing to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit promised by the Lord from the Father. And during the descent, - on the 11th day after the ascension of the Lord, - the Holy Spirit on the Apostles in the form of fiery tongues (), the Comforter sent down from the Father () had previously rested on the Most Pure Virgin, and until now was worthy of His temple, in which He remained relentlessly . The gifts of the Holy Spirit were poured out on the blessed Virgin in greater abundance than on the holy Apostles, just as a larger vessel can hold more water in itself, and the Most Pure Virgin, the vessel richest in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, because She is higher than the Apostles, prophets and all saints, as the Church calls out to Her: "Truly, You, Pure Virgin, are above all"; Therefore, She also contained the gifts of the Holy Spirit more than anyone else.

The Mother of God lived in the house of St. John the Theologian, located on the highest place in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion: from the very time when the Lord said from the cross of His Mother, pointing to the beloved disciple: "Woman! behold, your son", and to the student: "behold thy mother"(), John took the Blessed Virgin to himself and really served Her as his mother. - After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the holy Apostles did not immediately disperse throughout the universe with the preaching of the Gospel, but remained in Jerusalem for a long time, as is evident from the Acts of the Apostles. Here it is narrated that, after the murder of the holy Protomartyr Stephen (7:59-60), there came "a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem; and all, except the Apostles, were scattered throughout different places Judea and Samaria "(); the disciples of Christ, protected by the power of God, stayed in Jerusalem for about ten years, counting from the time of the ascension of the Lord until the day when "King Herod lifted up his hands on some of those belonging to the church to do them harm"(). True, during the period of time described, the holy Apostles went away for a while to other countries, like Peter and John together to Samaria (), or Peter alone to Lydda, where he healed the paralyzed Aeneas, who had suffered for eight years (), and Joppa, where he resurrected the deceased Tabitha (), Caesarea, where he baptized Cornelius the centurion (ch. 10), and Antioch, where he founded the first throne of his bishopric; or, as James, the brother of John, went to Spain, but then they returned again to Jerusalem. At the beginning of their sermon, the holy Apostles wished to serve mainly the salvation of the people of Israel, at the same time affirming the first church in Jerusalem, which is the mother of all churches, as St. John of Damascus sings: for thou hast received the first remission of sins"; At the same time, they wished, as often as possible, to see the Mother of God and learn from Her. Honoring Her, as if the vicar of Christ, the holy Apostles looked at the most honorable and glorious face of the Mother of God, as the face of Christ Himself, and, listening to the blessed words of the Ever-Virgin, they were imbued with inexpressible spiritual joy, for the sweetness of Her words, forgetting the bitterness of troubles and misfortunes. Therefore, many of those who believed in Christ from distant lands came to Jerusalem to see the Mother of God and hear Her conversation filled with holy wisdom; that the glory of Christ and His Most Pure Mother, having spread to all ends of the universe, attracted many to Jerusalem to the Blessed Virgin, this is clearly seen from the message of St. Ignatius the God-bearer to St. John the Theologian of Antioch:

With us, he writes, there are many wives who want to see the Mother of Jesus; they are constantly seeking to find an opportunity to come to you and visit Her, to lay down at the breast that nourished the Lord Jesus, and to learn some secrets from Her. With us, She is glorified as the Mother of God and the Virgin, full of grace and virtue; It is reported about Her that She is joyful in troubles and persecutions, does not grieve in poverty and shortcomings, not only does not get angry at those who offend Her, but also does good to them; in joyful events, she is meek, merciful to the poor, helping them as much as she can; but to those who are at war with our faith, she opposes with firmness: she is the teacher of our new piety and all the faithful mentor for every good deed; especially loves the humble, and she herself is humble to all; all who see her praise her. And how humble She is when the Jewish lawyers and Pharisees laugh at Her! We were told by people worthy of complete trust that in Mary, the Mother of Jesus, human nature seems, because of Her holiness, united with angelic nature. All this arouses in us, who hear, an immeasurable desire to see the heavenly, - I will say this, - a wondrous and most holy miracle.

In another epistle, the same Saint Ignatius the God-bearer writes again to Saint John the Theologian:

If an opportunity opens up, I think to come to you in order to see the faithful gathered in Jerusalem, and especially the Mother of Jesus: they say about Her that She is honest, friendly and arouses surprise in everyone, and everyone wants to see Her; and who does not want to see the Virgin and converse with her who gave birth to the true God?

From these epistles of St. Ignatius to John the Theologian, one can easily understand with what strong desire the saints strove to see the animated shrine of God, Mary the Most Pure Virgin, and those who were able to see considered themselves the happiest. Truly blessed are the eyes of those who have seen Her according to Christ the Savior, and blessed are the ears of those who have been honored to hear from Her most honorable lips Her words reviving to spiritual life! What joy and grace they received!

For this, the Lord left His Most Pure Mother on earth, so that by Her presence, guidance, teachings and warm prayers to the Son and God, the warring church would multiply and be affirmed, and grow to the boldness to lay down her life for the Lord. The Mother of God strengthened everyone, consoled everyone with joy in the Holy Spirit, and prayed for everyone. When the holy Apostles were imprisoned, the Mother of God prayed for them with a tender heart, and an angel was sent to them by the Lord, who at night opened the doors of the dungeon and brought them out (). When the holy Protomartyr Stephen was led to his death, the Mother of God followed him from afar, and when they began to stone Saint Stephen () in the valley of Jehoshaphat, at the Kidron stream, She, along with John the Theologian, stood in the distance on one hill, from there she looked at his death and fervently prayed to God that the Lord would strengthen the sufferer and take the soul into His hands. When "Saul tormented the church"(), persecuting the believers, the Mother of God prayed to the Lord for him with such warm tears that she turned him from a predatory wolf into a meek lamb, from an enemy into an Apostle, from a persecutor into a disciple and teacher of the universe. And what blessings did the primordial church not receive from the Most Pure Theotokos, like a baby from its mother? What grace has not been drawn from this inexhaustible source? It was not without Her cares and grace-filled influence that the church was brought up and brought to a manly age - it became so strong that even the gates of hell cannot overcome it (); which the Mother of God herself rejoiced, according to the word of David, like a mother rejoicing about children (). She saw that the church children were constantly multiplying: so already at the beginning, through the preaching of the holy Apostle Peter, 3000 (), then 5000 (), and then more and more. The Holy Apostles, returning from preaching the Gospel to Jerusalem, also told the Most Holy Theotokos about the spread of the Church of Christ throughout the universe. The success of the Christian sermon filled her with spiritual joy and urged her to send praise to her Son and God.

But Herod’s persecution befell the Church: he killed James, the brother of John, who returned from Spain, with a sword, and then detained Peter and put him in prison with the intention of putting him to a similar death (), then, after the miraculous release of St. Peter from the bonds of prison through an angel, it came the need for the Apostles themselves to leave Jerusalem in order to avoid the fierce persecution of the Jews; they dispersed throughout the universe, casting lots, to whom and which of them the country falls for preaching. But before dispersing, the holy Apostles drew up a creed in order to preach everywhere in harmony and plant the holy faith in Christ. Each retired to his lot; in Jerusalem only one brother of God, Saint James, was left, appointed by the Lord himself to the bishops of Jerusalem. Avoiding persecution, Saint John the Theologian also withdrew, together with the Mother of God, by whom he was adopted: they left Jerusalem, yielding to fierce persecution and torment, until the anger of the Jews weakened: but, in order not to waste time in vain, the Mother of God and the holy Evangelist John went to Ephesus, where the lot fell to the Theologian. This sojourn of the Most Pure Mother of God with St. John in Ephesus is clearly confirmed by the following: there is a message to the clergy of Constantinople from the Fathers of the Third ecumenical council who sat in Ephesus against Nestorius; in this epistle there is such a place: “The founder of the evil heresy, Nestorius, called (for judgment) by the holy fathers and bishops of the cathedral in Ephesus, where St. John the Theologian and the Holy Virgin, the Mother of God Mary once dwelt, did not dare to come to them, being convicted by his evil conscience and excommunicating himself; therefore, after being called three times, he is condemned by the righteous judgment of the holy council and deposed from the priesthood. From these words about the stay of the Mother of God with the Evangelist John in Ephesus, it is clear that the Blessed Virgin, together with the beloved disciple of Christ, indeed, after leaving Jerusalem, spent some time in Ephesus. And not only Ephesus, but also other cities and countries, enlightened by the light of Christ's teachings, the Mother of God visited: tradition says that She was in Antioch with Saint Ignatius the God-bearer, to whom she sent a notice of Her journey before Her visit: "I will come with John, so that see you and your flock." They also say that the Most Holy Theotokos was on the island of Cyprus at the four-day Lazarus, who was serving as a bishop there, and on Mount Athos. Stefan, a monk from Svyatogorsk, writes about this.

After the ascension into heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ, the holy Apostles, together with the Mother of God, dwelt inseparably in Zion; here they were waiting for the Comforter, as the Lord commanded them, who commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until they received the promised Holy Spirit (). The disciples of Christ cast lots as to which of them and which particular country would be given to preach the Gospel of God; The Holy Mother of God said:

And I want to take part in the preaching of the gospel and I want to cast my lot with you to get the country that God will indicate.

According to the word of the Mother of God, the holy Apostles with reverence and fear cast lots, and the Iberian land fell to Her by lot. The Most Pure Theotokos accepted Her lot with joy and immediately, after the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of fiery tongues, she wanted to go to the Iberian country, but an angel of God said to Her:

Now do not leave Jerusalem, but stay here until the time - the country that fell to You will be enlightened in the last days and Your dominion will be established there; After some time, You will have the work of evangelism in the land where God will direct You.

And the Most Pure Mother of God stayed in Jerusalem for quite a long time.

The four-day-old Lazarus lived on the island of Cyprus; here he was ordained a bishop by the holy Apostle Barnabas. He greatly desired to see the Most Pure Mother of our Lord, whom he had not seen for a long time, but did not dare to come to Jerusalem for fear of the Jews. Having learned this, the Mother of God wrote a message to Lazarus: here She consoled him and ordered a ship to be sent for Her to visit him in Cyprus; but the Most Holy Virgin herself did not order for Her sake to come to Jerusalem. Having read the epistle, Lazarus was exceedingly overjoyed, at the same time marveling at the humility of the Mother of God; without delay, he sent a ship for her along with a response message. The Blessed Mother of God entered the ship, together with her beloved disciple of Christ, John, and with the others who reverently accompanied them, and all sailed to Cyprus. But a contrary wind suddenly rose and drove the ship into the harbor, located near Mount Athos; this was that short-term work of evangelism, about which the angel spoke to the Mother of God. All Mount Athos was overflowing with idols: there was a large temple and the sanctuary of Apollo, and in this place divination, sorcery and other demonic actions were performed. All pagans greatly revered this place, as chosen by the gods; people from all over the universe flocked here to worship, and here they received answers from fortune-tellers to their questions. And when the ship entered the pier, on which the Most Holy Theotokos was, all the idols immediately cried out:

All deceived by Apollo, descend from the mountain at Clement’s Quay to meet Mary, the Mother of the great God Jesus (thus the demons, who were in idols against their will, compelled by the power of God, proclaimed the truth, like those who once cried out to the Lord in the country of the Gergesins: "what have you to do with us, Jesus, the Son of God? You came here before the time to torment us"().

Hearing all this, the people marveled, and hurried to the seashore to the aforementioned pier; seeing the ship and the Mother of God, they met Her with honor and asked in their assembly:

What kind of God (You) gave birth to? And what is his name?

The Most Holy Theotokos, opening Her divine lips, proclaimed to the people everything in detail about Christ Jesus. All, having fallen to the ground, bowed down to the God who was born of Her, and showed great reverence to Her Who gave birth to Him; having believed, they were baptized, for the Mother of God performed many miracles here. After baptism, She appointed as the newly enlightened chief and teacher one of those who accompanied Her on the ship, and, rejoicing in spirit, she said:

This place shall be my inheritance given to me by my Son and my God.

After these words, the Most Holy Theotokos blessed the people, saying again:

May the grace of God be in this place and on those who live here, who with faith and reverence keep the commandments of the Son and My God - they will have everything necessary for life in abundance without hard work; they will be given heavenly life, and until the end of the age the mercy of my Son will not depart from this place; I will be an Intercessor to this place and a warm Intercessor for it before God.

Having said this, the Mother of God again blessed the people and, entering together with John and those who accompanied Her into the ship, sailed to Cyprus. She found Lazarus in great sorrow, since the journey of the Most Holy Theotokos was too long, and he was afraid that there might be a slowdown from the storm: he did not know the events that, by the providence of God, had taken place on Mount Athos. By her arrival, the Mother of God changed his sorrow into joy; as a gift to him She brought the omophorion and the bands that She herself had made for him; She told him everything that happened in Jerusalem and on Mount Athos. And they sent thanks to God for everything. Having stayed in Cyprus for a short time, having thus consoled the Christians of the Cypriot church and blessed them, the Mother of God boarded a ship and sailed to Jerusalem. (Before here, Stefan, monk of Svyatogorsk).

Having visited the aforementioned countries, the Blessed Virgin Mary again settled in Jerusalem in the house of the holy Evangelist John; the all-powerful right hand of God kept Her from the envious wiles of the God-killing synagogue, which never ceased to be at enmity against the Son of God and those who believe in Him. Of course, the embittered Jews would not have left the Mother of Jesus alive and would have destroyed Her in any way: but the special care of God overshadowed the animate Kivot of God, so that the hand of the infidels would not touch it. Once Her Son, Christ our God, after a sermon in the Nazareth synagogue, when the Jews filled with rage led Him to the top of the mountain in order to throw him down from there, passed unharmed among them: although the Jews saw Him, they could not lay their hands on and even touch Him because the power of God threw them back and kept them in such a position, since the time of the suffering of the Son of God had not yet come (); The Lord manifested the same thing over His Most Pure Matter, holding back the intrigues planned by the Jews and ruining their council against Her: very often the Jews tried to seize the Mother of God and, having tortured, kill, but could not do anything. Among so strong hatred and enmity, the Most Pure Virgin lived in Jerusalem like a sheep among wolves and like a vine among thorns, often repeating the words of her forefather David, which really came true over Her: “The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life: whom shall I fear? If the villains, my adversaries and enemies, attack me to devour my flesh, then they themselves will stumble and fall. If the regiment takes up arms against me, my heart will not be afraid; if war arises against me, and then I will hope "() for You, My Son and God, are with Me. - Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, who was converted to Christ by the holy Apostle Paul in Athens and relentlessly accompanied him for three years, visited the Most Holy Theotokos to worship Her. He greatly desired to see the Mother of God and, therefore, three years after his conversion, with the blessing of his teacher, the holy Apostle Paul, he came to Jerusalem: seeing the Most Pure Mother of God, he was filled with great spiritual joy. In his epistle to the holy Apostle Paul, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite describes his visit to the Mother of God in this way.

For me, our great leader, it was doubtless - I say as before God - that apart from the Most High God there can be nothing so full of divine power and wondrous grace, and yet it is impossible for the human mind to comprehend that I saw a good-looking and surpassing in holiness all heavenly angels the Most Holy Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ; this was given to me by the grace of God and the honor of the face of the apostle, as well as the inscrutable goodness and mercy of the most merciful Virgin. I confess again before the omnipotence of God, before the grace of the Savior and before great glory Virgin, His Mother, that when I was with John, the first among the evangelists and prophets, who, living according to the flesh, shines like the sun in heaven, was led to the good-looking and Most Pure Virgin, a great divine radiance enveloped me from the outside, enlightening my soul; at the same time, I felt such a wonderful fragrance that my spirit and body were hardly able to endure this manifestation of glory and the prelude to eternal bliss; from the glory and her divine grace my heart and my spirit fainted. I testify by God, who lived in the most honorable maiden's womb, that I would recognize Her as the true God and honor Her with the worship that is fitting only for God alone, if my newly enlightened soul did not keep within itself your divine instructions and laws: no honor and glory of people glorified God, cannot be compared with the bliss that I experienced, unworthy, at that time rewarded; this time was for me the time of the greatest bliss. I thank my most exalted and most gracious God, the divine Virgin, great among the Apostles John, and also you, the adornment of the church and the leader of the invincible, who mercifully showed me such a great beneficence.

From this epistle of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, we clearly see what divine grace shone on the face of our Most Pure Lady during Her life on earth, and how the souls were enlightened and what spiritual joy filled the hearts of those who saw Her in the flesh. Newly enlightened people of both sexes flocked to her in multitudes and from everywhere; as a true Mother, She accepted everyone equally without partiality, pouring out the bounty of Her grace to everyone, giving healing to the sick, weak health, sad consolation, and to all, without exception, affirmation in faith, steadfastness in hope and divine joy in love, and correction to sinners.

During her life in the house of St. John, the Blessed Virgin often visited those places that her beloved Son and God sanctified with the feet of His feet and the shedding of His blood. So She visited Bethlehem, where, having unspeakably observed Her virginity, Christ God was born from Her, but especially often the Mother of God came to the places where our Lord suffered by the will. Motherly love prompted Her to shed abundant tears here, and She said:

Here my beloved Son was scourged, here he was crowned with thorns, here he walked, carrying a cross, here he was crucified.

At the tomb, the Mother of God was filled with inexpressible joy and exclaimed with joyful tears:

And here He was buried, and on the third day He rose again with glory.

In addition to this, the following is reported. Some Jewish haters reported to the bishops and scribes that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, goes every day to Golgotha ​​and at the tomb where Her Son Jesus was laid, kneels, cries and burns incense; then they set up guards that would not allow any of the Christians to pass this place. From this we see that already at that time a pious custom began to visit holy places by faithful Christians and here to worship Christ God, who suffered for us by will: the first example in this regard was given by the Theotokos Herself, Who was followed by other holy women and men. So, from the bishops and scribes, full of malice and murder, guards were placed, who were ordered not to allow anyone to the tomb of Jesus, and to kill His Mother. But God blinded the guards, so that they could not see the coming to the tomb of Christ Jesus His Mother. And when the most blessed Virgin, faithful to Her custom, came to the tomb, the guards could not see either Her or those who were with Her. After a long time, they left the tomb and assured the bishops and scribes with an oath that they did not see anyone who would come to the tomb of Jesus. The Most Holy Theotokos also often went to the Mount of Olives, from where our Lord ascended to heaven: kneeling down, She kissed the feet imprinted on the stone from the feet of Christ. With strong tears, the Mother of God prayed at the same time that the Lord would take Her to Himself: of course, She was incomparably more than the holy Apostle Paul, had "the desire to resolve and be with Christ"(), and often repeated the words of David: "when I come and appear before God! My tears were bread for me day and night"(), when shall I see my beloved Son? when shall I come to Him who sits at the right hand of God the Father? () when shall I stand before the throne of His glory? When will I be satisfied with His sight? Oh, sweet Son and My God! Time pity Zion(cf.), - time to have mercy on Me, Your Mother, who is still grieving, not seeing Your face, in the sad vale of this world; bring out of the body, as from a dungeon, My soul; as a deer strives for a water source, so My soul strives for You, O God, to enjoy when Your glory appears to Me (). The Most Pure Virgin sometimes remained on the Mount of Olives for quite a long time: at the foot of the mountain was the Garden of Gethsemane and a small property of Zebedee, inherited by St. John the Theologian. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord, before His free passion, prayed to a bloody sweat, falling on His knees and His face before the Heavenly Father (). Here in this very place, His Most Pure Mother also offered up Her warm prayers, also falling on her knees and face and pouring tears on the ground; here She was comforted by the Lord through His angel, who informed Her of Her imminent repose into heaven. According to the testimony of Georgy Kedrin, a Greek historian, the Most Holy Theotokos before her death, Her angel appeared twice: the first time fifteen days before the Assumption, and the second three days; from an angel the Mother of God received a heavenly date branch, which the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian carried before Her bedside. Some, such as Meliton, Bishop of Sardis, report that the beloved disciple of Christ, before the Dormition of the Mother of God, retired to Ephesus and from there, like the other Apostles, but only before them, was caught up in a cloud and brought to the burial of the Mother of God. However, others, such as Metaphrastus and Sophronius, assert without any hesitation that St. John the Theologian never separated from the God-blessed Mother, Whom he was adopted by, but, like a true son, served Her, giving shelter in his house until Her very death. Only occasionally, very a short time, he visited the surrounding areas (as we saw above from the Acts of the Apostles: so St. John the Theologian, together with the Apostle Peter, was in Samaria), but he did this with the consent and blessing of the Mother of God Herself and immediately returned to Her again in Jerusalem; and until his return, the Most Pure Mother of God was served by Saint James, the brother of God, who never left his episcopacy - Jerusalem. If, however, we agree with those who say that John the Theologian, like the other holy Apostles, was caught up by a cloud, then, without a doubt, from the area closest to Jerusalem.

The solemn celebration of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos on August 15 is established in the reign of the pious king of Greek Mauritius. - Joyfully celebrating the all-glorious repose of the Mother of God from earth to heaven, let us give glory to Him who was born of Her and to heaven with glory received Her, - Christ our God, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Sermon of St. Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky). Word on the day of the Assumption of the Mother of God.

Sermon of St. Philaret of Moscow. Word on the day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Sermon by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary- the last twelfth fixed feast of the church year (August 1528). It is preceded by a two-week post. From the New Testament it is known that the Mother of the Lord occupied an honorable place among the Apostles (Acts 1:14). She lived in the house of John (John 19:27) in Jerusalem. The events of her subsequent life are unknown. Some traditions connect the end of Her earthly journey with Ephesus, where John moved, others point to Gethsemane. And here and there there are temples dedicated to U. The earliest apocrypha, which tells about U., is written on behalf of John the Theologian ...

Troparion of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin: the obvious incredible.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the twelve most significant holidays after Easter in the Orthodox liturgical calendar. The memory of the Mother of God glorifies this day and it falls on August 28 in a new style, and on the 15th in the old way. Before the celebration of this holy day, the Church commands all believers to fast from the 14th to the 27th of August in the name and following the example of the Most Holy Theotokos, who is in constant prayer and in the strictest fasting the days preceding Her Dormition.

Spiritual meaning and true meaning of the holiday.

It may seem absurd to many people to celebrate the day of the Assumption, i.e. death of the Mother of God, because for most of us death is associated only with heartache and longing, sorrow and the loss of the one whose life path ended forever.

Ever since ancient times to anyone common man it seemed that the phenomenon of death was the most incomprehensible and greatest of all the existing mysteries of being. Death at all times caused awe and fear in people, their complete confusion, panic and bewilderment.

However, deeply believing Orthodox Christians know and passionately believe that everything that exists in the Divine universe has acquired an unshakable and reliable life foundation for all eternity. It is not death that people need to be afraid of, but the image of that and the actions of those with which their earthly existence will be filled.

Thanks to such faith, every Christian perceives the phenomenon of death not as the complete completion of a person's life, but only as a difficult, but necessary test for eternal and true existence. In this regard, the Assumption of the Virgin causes joy among the Orthodox, because through death she received the opportunity to be with her Son again.

An atheist can live his whole earthly life under the yoke of a terrible expectation own death as complete self-disintegration, while the Orthodox believer, even when preparing for death, prepares only for a new life.

However, one should not assume that Christians rank death among the good and joyful phenomena. It, of course, is a direct violation and distortion of the order originally established in the human universe, the loss of which occurs due to the fall of man, his disobedience to the will of God and violation of the Law of God.

According to the dogmatic teaching of the Orthodox Church, God did not want people to die, they independently doomed themselves to it because of their spiritual weakness and indomitable flesh. But even in this case Our Savior showed unspeakable mercy and grace to man, He turned earthly death into a path to the eternal cohabitation of man with His Creator.

The Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God has been established since ancient times. Mentions of him can be found in the writings of Blessed Jerome, Gregory and Augustine, as well as in the writings of the Bishop of Tours.

In the IV century, the Byzantine emperor Mauritius, in honor of his victory (August 15, 595) over the Persians, timed the celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to this day, defining this day and this event as one of the most important church holidays.

However, paramount in various places this holiday took place in different time: in some places the celebration of the Holy Assumption took place in the month of January, and somewhere in August. For example, in the 7th century in the Roman Church in the West it was customary to celebrate on January 18 “the death of the Virgin Mary”, and at the same time, the 14th of August was determined as the day of “taking Her into the heavens of God”.

Only in the VII-IX centuries. the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin began to be celebrated on August 15 in most Western and Eastern Churches. The purpose of this holiday was nothing more than the glorification and preservation of the memory of the Mother of God, and of Her reunion with her Son through the Dormition.

The stichera on the Dormition of the Theotokos appeared in the 5th century; they were written by the Patriarch of Constantinople. Then, in the 8th century, two canons dedicated to this holiday appeared, created by Saints John of Damascus and Cosmas of Maium.

According to the Holy Scriptures, after the death and Resurrection of the Savior of all, until the Great Persecution of Christians, the Mother of God was in Jerusalem. Then She, accompanied by John the Theologian, moved to Ephesus. She often visited the righteous Lazarus, who lives in Cyprus, and Mount Athos, which she later blessed as a Destiny for preaching the word of the Gospel.

Shortly before her death, the Mother of God again arrived in Jerusalem, which she had previously abandoned. Here She was constantly in prayer and most often visited the places associated with the most important life events Her Divine Son.

On one of the days of Her stay on the Mount of Olives, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before her. He informed Her that in three days Her death would come, and She would leave the earth, ascending to heaven to Her Son. The Most Holy Theotokos shared what had happened with the Apostle John, who hastily announced the impending death of the Mother of God to the brother of the Lord, the Apostle James. He, in turn, is the entire Jerusalem Church, which subsequently preserved the tradition of the Assumption of the Virgin.

Before Her death, the Mother of God bequeathed all her modest property to the widows - Her servants. She ordered them to bury Herself next to Her righteous parents in Gethsemane after death.

On the day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Jerusalem, almost all the apostles gathered to say goodbye to Her, wandering around the world preaching about the Word of God. Her departure was accompanied by an unspeakable light, at the appearance of which Christ Himself appeared before Her, surrounded by numerous angels. The Mother of God turned to Him with a prayer and a heartfelt request for the blessing of all those who honor Her memory. She also called in prayer to the Son To surround Her with the protection of God from the power of Satan and the ordeals of the air, and then, in joy and grace, she gave Her soul into the Lord's hands.

For three days and three nights the apostles stayed at the tomb of the Mother of God, singing psalms. And only on the third day did perfect and complete consolation come to them from the Great Image of the Mother of God and Her words, calling everyone to rejoice, for from now on She will be with everyone and all the days. After the Resurrection and a comforting saying, the body of the Mother of God left the earth and was raptured to heaven.

The Dormition of the Theotokos is celebrated annually on August 28. Historical event this memorial day filled with sadness and joy at the same time. It was on this day that the Most Pure Virgin ended her life and finally reunited with her Son.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is considered one of the most important Orthodox holidays. This feast is related to a story that is not written in the Bible, nevertheless it is known to everyone and everyone, thanks to the stories of church ministers.

The Dormition, or in other words death, of the Mother of God is a holiday of happiness and joy. But not everyone understands how such a sad moment can serve as a legacy for Orthodox Christians. To do this, one should turn to the origins of the life of the Virgin and learn the truth of the Christian faith.

Life of the Virgin

After the crucifixion of Christ, few words are said about the Virgin Mary in the Bible. It is only known that after the Ascension of Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven, she lived in the capital of Israel, until the persecution of the Christian people began. John the Theologian, who was instructed by Christ himself to protect and take care of the Mother of the Lord, helped her move to Ephesus. Every day, the Ever-Virgin visited Bishop Lazar the Four-day, and also visited Mount Athos, which she later designated as a place for prayers and turning to God.

Before her death, the Blessed Virgin returned to Jerusalem. There she daily indulged in prayers and went to those places that were connected with the life of her Son Jesus Christ. In her prayer requests, the Mother of God begged for a meeting with her Son in heaven.

The Mother of God herself, before her death, left all her savings to her servants - widows. And she instructed them to bury her next to her parents at the foot of the Mount of Olives, in the village of Gethsemane.

History of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the day when the Virgin Mary died, all the inhabitants of the capital came to say goodbye to her. All preachers and believers under one roof gathered the news that the hour of death had struck for the Mother of God. Everyone watched her dormition, everyone came to say goodbye to the Blessed Virgin. The news of the death of the First Mother spread all over the world, because the miracle that happened that day amazed even the most strict and godless person.

The Mother of God left the world of the living with light, bright, dazzling and pure, she was surrounded by angels, among whom Christ himself appeared before her. Mary turned to her Son with a request for the salvation and blessing of all those who are next to her on this day and who pray for her. The Virgin Mary also called to Jesus in prayer to protect her with the power of the Lord God from demons and Satan, and then, in happiness and ecstasy, she completely surrendered herself into the hands of the Lord. Jesus Christ personally raised his mother in his arms to the Kingdom of Heaven.

For three days and three nights, the apostles sang biblical psalms near the tomb of the Blessed Virgin. And only on the third day did they receive true and complete peace from the Image of the Holy One, which appeared to them in the face of the Mother of God and her speech. She demanded to rejoice and rejoice, to sing in spirit, since from now on she will be next to everyone, always protecting and patronizing. After the resurrection, the body of the Mother left this world, going to the Lord in heaven.

Many people may think that it is completely absurd to celebrate the day of the Assumption, that is, the day when the Mother of God died. After all, for most people, death is nothing but pain, suffering and sadness. But true believers know the truth: death is only the beginning of eternal life. Only after repose does the real one begin, happy life in heaven, next to our Lord. Christians know that it is not death that brings suffering, but the deeds that people do while living on earth.

The feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary makes us understand that the Virgin Mary left this world in joy and with peace of mind. That life is only a hard, but forced path, to gain eternal and true life. Therefore, the Dormition of the Mother of God is a blessed holiday for Christians, because only through death do we know true happiness. We wish you good mood, strong faith. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

The Day of the Assumption is marked with the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the legend, the Holy Virgin prayed to quickly be next to the Lord in heaven. During another prayer, the Archangel Gabriel came to the Mother of God and said that death would soon come. Then Mary called the apostles and asked them to pray for her death. Soon her wish was granted: the Virgin gave up her spirit to heaven.

The celebration has 9 pre-holiday days - this is Assumption Fast. It lasts from August 14 to 27, when the body and mind reach spiritual enlightenment.

History, meaning of the holiday

The history of the celebration of the Assumption Day begins in the 6th century. For the first time, the celebration began to be celebrated during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Mauritius. Until the 6th century in Constantinople, the day of the Assumption was celebrated secretly, without the participation of the church.

The holiday is of great importance for believers. In terms of significance, the Assumption Fast and the day of the Assumption can be compared with Great Lent and Easter. On the day of the burial of the Mother of God, there is a special Service - the priests go to the shroud with the face of the Virgin Mary, lying in the middle of the temple, read prayer petitions, and then carry the mantle around the shrine.

Traditions

It has always been customary to go to church on the holiday, pray for the health of loved ones, ask the Mother of God to protect your home and family. Believing peasants necessarily observed the Dormition Fast before the celebration, during which it was forbidden to eat meat and dairy products of animal origin.

On the eve of the holiday and on the very day of the Assumption, it was forbidden to swear, swear, drink, walk and have fun. They celebrated the celebration in the family circle, be sure to set the table. It was not forbidden to drink some red wine.

Since the church celebration was already closely intertwined with Russian customs, it was believed that it was impossible to insert sharp shovels, pins, pegs into the soil during the Assumption. This was the expression of disregard for the earth, because it should also rest.

Interesting!

In the common people, the day of the Assumption was called "Master's Day."

Do's and Don'ts

During the celebration it is not forbidden:

• do household chores;
• work;
• drink:
• eat any food.

This day is a great celebration, so during its celebration a person should not feel constrained and feel uncomfortable.

It is forbidden to commit bad deeds, lie, keep bad thoughts in your head.

Signs

Since ancient times, Christians have believed that if you wear tight shoes on the day of the Assumption of the Virgin, then the year will be bad. In order not to bring disaster to their homes, people took out old worn-out shoes from the closets - they did not squeeze their legs.

Most other signs are related to the weather:

• If the weather is warm for the celebration, then the Indian summer will stand out with frosts;
• If it is rainy, then the autumn will be dry;
• If a rainbow appeared in the sky, it was a good omen and promised a warm autumn;
• A lot of cobwebs on the branches speak of a frosty winter.

In Russia, it was customary to get married for the dormition, they said: “The Most Pure One has come - the unclean is bringing the matchmakers,” so unmarried girls were looking forward to the onset of the holiday in order to get married as soon as possible.

Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin - significant event from the stay of the Mother of God on earth, which is not in Holy Scripture. This phenomenon is described in detail by the Traditions of the Saints.

The Feast of the Assumption of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 28 as a memory of the miraculous ascent of the Mother of God to Heaven to meet the Son, Father and Holy Spirit.

History of the Miraculous Day

Unbelievers do not understand the joy of believers celebrating this holiday. "Assumption" means both death and sleep. For followers of Jesus, death is the first step to meeting Christ. The gospel of John speaks in the name of Jesus that those who believe in Him will be given eternal life.

August 28 on the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Orthodox world recalls the miraculous events in the life of the Holy Virgin, preceding her departure from life and after it.

Jesus, being on the cross in terrible torment, did not forget about His Mother. At His request, the Apostle John took over the further care of the Mother of God. In the house of his parents, the Virgin lived until she met the Archangel Gabriel. God's messenger announced to the Mother of God the joyful news for Her that in 3 days Her life on earth would come to an end.

During this time, the Blessed Virgin tidied up in the room and expressed before God only one wish - to see the apostles who remained on earth scattered all over the earth before leaving.

Miraculously, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the faithful disciples of Jesus gathered at the bedside of the Mother of God, who was awaiting her death. The Savior Himself appeared near the bed of the Mother of God, and accepted her soul, embracing her like a baby with His hands.

Before leaving for Heaven, the Most Pure Virgin with great humility and by faith she asked the Son to grant a blessing to all people who revere her as the Mother of God.

As soon as her soul was in the hands of the Son, the singing of the angels filled the room. The coffin with the body of the deceased Mother of God was taken to the Garden of Gethsemane for burial in a cave.

The Apostle Thomas did not have time to say goodbye to the Blessed Mother, he arrived after her burial three days later. All this time the apostles prayed at the Holy Grave.

At the great request of Thomas, the apostles moved the stone of the cave to allow the faithful disciple of Jesus to say goodbye to His Mother. Great surprise and joy awaited the apostles - the tomb turned out to be empty. The Most Holy Theotokos was taken up by angels to heaven

The day the Mother of God went to Heaven has become a clear proof that the Kingdom of Heaven awaits faithful worshipers in spirit and truth, and thousands of believers pray daily before the icon dedicated to this day.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayers to the Mother of God

In the akathist to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, the last days Mother of God and Her miraculous ascension.

Reading the prayer to the Most Pure Theotokos, which can be said not only on the Assumption of the Mother of God on August 28, but also with any request, Orthodox believers ask:

• help to pass a worthy post;
• instruct the youth;
• keep the girls clean before the wedding;
• give mothers the wisdom to be quiet and affectionate;
• deliverance to the captives;
• provision for widows;
• travelers save on the road.

Read about the Mother of God:

What is the meaning of the holiday

Secular understanding is not given to understand the joys of the Orthodox on the day of the death of the Virgin of God. Two opposing concepts - joy and death can be combined in an accessible way, taking for the truth the words of the Apostle Paul that death is a temporary sleep until the soul is resurrected.

Important! The celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an ode to eternal life, when, according to the word of God, people who died in faith will enjoy eternity, where there will be no grief and tears.

About other Mother of God holidays:

On the Dormition, people rejoice and thank Jesus Christ, the Mother of God for the great mercy to enter the Kingdom of God.

How did the Holy Virgin deserve the worship of people

The earthly life of the Mother of God cannot be called ordinary from the very beginning. From infancy, little Mary was destined for the mission to become great personality in the history of mankind - to give earthly life to God the Son.

Icon of the Holy Mother of God

Childhood

The parents of the Virgin were pious people. The clan of Father Joachim originated from the royal family of David, the genealogy of Anna's mother began with the high priest Aaron.

Being just a baby of three years, Mary came with her parents to the temple, and was introduced into that part of the Jerusalem temple, admission to which was strictly limited even for the clergy. Even before the birth of the girl, her parents dedicated her to God.

The Holy of Holies was the repository of the ark of the Lord, in which, under the strictest control, were kept:

• stone slabs with 10 commandments carved on them, given to the prophet Moses by God on the mountain;
• manna from heaven falling from the sky during the exit Jewish people from Egypt;
• Aaron's rod that blossomed in resolving a dispute among the clergy.

Even the high priest entering the Holy of Holies had to undergo a rite of purification, and the little girl was brought there without observing the traditions, for she did not need purification due to Her holiness.

The girl's life at the temple was filled with prayer, labor and needlework. She spun linen and wool, embroidered silk ribbons. Her favorite occupation was the tailoring of priestly clothes. The dream of the young mistress was one thing - to serve God.

For 11 years of being in the temple, Mary turned into a pious, obedient to God girl, who vowed to remain virgin and belong only to God.

Girlhood time

According to temple laws, girls older than a certain age were not allowed to live at the temple, they were required to get married.

In order not to break the law and respect the vow given by the Virgin to God, the High Priest Zechariah came up with a special plan. The girl was betrothed to Joseph, an old man at the age of 80.

The genealogy of the carpenter Joseph began with the family of King David. All Jewish traditions and laws were strictly observed in his family. Holy Scripture was especially revered.

Joseph possessed special qualities of character, such as:

• modesty;
• sincerity;
• determination;
• nobility;
• peacefulness;
• honesty.

The God-fearing of Joseph became the main indicator in choosing the husband of the Holy Virgin, for the Lord saw the heart of the carpenter and entrusted him with the girl. Joseph knew about Mary's vow and promised to respect and support it.

From his first marriage, the carpenter had six children, 4 sons and 2 daughters. Youngest daughter Joseph lived with him and Mary. Both girls became close, like sisters.

At the word of the archangel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary received the news of the birth of Jesus, and Joseph was aware that in the womb of the Virgin was a child from the Holy Spirit.

Earthly life of the Virgin

Born in Bethlehem, Jesus, to whom the Mother of God gave a piece of her flesh, needed care, the pious Virgin provided him.

The Mother of God was given the honor of witnessing the first miracle performed by Jesus on earth. At the request of the Blessed Virgin, Her Son turned water into wine at the wedding feast, thereby saving the groom's family from shame.

Knowing the Divine power of the Son, the Mother of God until now has never asked Him for anything, remaining all the time in obedience and reverence. However, the current situation forced the Mother of God to ask for a son for the poor. Jesus, seeing Her sincere attitude towards people, bestows mercy.

In all her travels and sufferings, the Mother stayed with Jesus, sharing with Him dangers, persecutions, wanderings, but the main pain awaited Mary ahead.

Standing at the feet of the crucified Son, she heard mocking cries and saw all the mockery of His body, but she endured everything in silence, believing in the promises of God. After the crucifixion of Jesus, the Mother of God transferred her care to the apostles, becoming their Mother.

It is said that the main clothes of St. Mary were modesty and simplicity. Everyone who saw the Mother of God admired her love for people and beauty. The quiet, modest Mother of God still remains a model of purity and nobility of the soul. Always benevolent, ready to help, honoring the elders, the Mother of Jesus, who lived on earth for about 72 years, left a vivid example of inheritance for all the women of the earth.

Appearance of the Archangel to the Theotokos

What is forbidden to do on the Dormition

Since the eleventh century, the Russian Church has defined the day of departure from the earthly life of the Mother of God as a joyful day, therefore, sad thoughts, melancholy should not visit the minds of the Orthodox.

Important! This day is forbidden for swearing, manifestations of anger, starting a quarrel, foul language.

Squabbles during this day can bring scandals to the family for a whole year.

True believers, observing the second commandment of Christ about loving their neighbor, must learn to live, thanking God with joy, throughout their lives.

The Dormition Fast, which is celebrated on August 14-27, helps to cleanse oneself from sin, leave all insults, unforgiveness, come with joy and forgiveness to this holiday.

Popular beliefs

By folk beliefs, the earth is called mother. On the Assumption it was impossible to trample the ground with bare feet.

It is also forbidden to “stab” it with sharp objects. For disrespect for the land, people were afraid to be left without a harvest for the next year.

Walking in the dew threatened many ailments.

It is now believed that uncomfortable shoes worn for a holiday can bring problems for the whole year.

Broken, not quite new shoes at this celebration - a sign not of poverty, but the expectation of comfort until the next holy feast.

Housewives try to prepare in advance for the holiday so that they don’t cut anything later, even bread products are broken with their hands.

It should be remembered that the Orthodox Church has a negative attitude towards signs and superstitions, so you should not give them much importance.

What needs to be done on this day

noted happy event visiting a church, attending a solemn service.

Before the start of the service, it is necessary to put a candle, praying, bless all relatives and close people.

This is a very important day when the Mother of God hears prayers for children in a special way. When attending church, you should ask:

• children's health;
• a good share for unmarried children;
• not to depart from the faith;
• for help to overcome worldly temptations.

Advice! When leaving the church, it is customary to distribute alms to those in need, who ask not only near the temple, but also those who live nearby. Joy on this holiday should be for everyone, especially for those who are not financially secure.

The memorable day of the heavenly departure of the Mother of God gives a happy family life to those couples who will hold a matchmaking during the holiday.

Housewives are not forbidden to make preparations, especially pickle cucumbers, tomatoes, and collect vegetables left in the garden.

This time is favorable for forest trips to pick mushrooms, viburnum, and also harvest pears and apples.

What signs are important for the next year

Weather signs of this day are usually passed down through generations.

• Old people say that from the Dormition the sun is getting ready to sleep.
• The warmth of this day predicts a cold autumn.
• The rain will be the herald of dry autumn days.
• A warm autumn will be predicted by a rainbow that appeared in the sky on August 28.
• The abundance of cobwebs portends a frosty, little snowy winter.
• August 28 is not the day of death, but the great promise of eternal life.

Watch a video about the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin