THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE ALL-HOLY MOTHER OF CHRIST

After the Ascension of Christ, the Holy Theotokos took an active part together with the Apostles in spreading Christianity. Many Christians came to Her to seek courage, spiritual peace and joy. The years passed by and one day when She prayed on the Mount of Olives, Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her and said that after three days She would pass away from the world. She ac­cepted this message with joy and humility. According to the Angelic message, the Mother of God passed away in the night before the 15/28th of August. That was the 48th year of the Christian era.

All the Apostles gathered for Her funeral except Apostle Thomas who was far away from Jerusalem preaching Christianity. A solemn procession was formed to carry Her body to the grave. Some Icons of the Feast show an unbeliever trying to disrupt the procession, and his hand is cut off and remains attached to the bier. After he repented and prayed to the Virgin Mary, however, he is said to have been healed.

On the third day after the funeral, the Apostle Thomas arrived. He was deeply upset to be late and the Apostles took him to Mary's tomb. When they opened it they found nothing there but the flowers, upon which the body of the Holy Theotokos had rested. According to Holy Tradition the Most-Pure body of the Mother of God was taken up into Heaven. In the evening on that day when the Apostles gathered together in the Name of the Lord, the Holy Virgin Mary suddenly appeared to them saying: "Rejoice, I am with you all days." From that time our Orthodox Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary was resurrected by Christ on the third day after Her Dormition and was taken into Heaven with Her body. The Virgin's death is seen by the Church as a falling-asleep, i.e. Her life was so filled and guided by God's love and grace that She was transfigured by the Holy Spirit and deified.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God is celebrated on the 15th/28th of August. A two-week fasting period precedes the celebration of this feast. This is a most opportune time to think of our own coming "falling asleep" in Christ. It is a good time to repeat the petition of the Divine Liturgy: "A Christian end to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful; and a good answer before the dread Judgement of Christ, let us ask of the Lord."