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Understanding the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian, and during his journeys she lived at the home of his parents, near the Mount of Olives. She was a source of consolation and edification both for the Apostles and for all the believers. Conversing with them, she told them about miraculous events: the Annunciation, the seedless and undefiled Conception of Christ born of Her, about His early childhood, and about His earthly life. Like the Apostles, She helped plant and strengthen the Christian Church by her presence, her discourse and her prayers.
The reverence of the Apostles for the Most Holy Virgin was extraordinary. After the receiving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles remained at Jerusalem for about ten years attending to the salvation of the Jews, and wanting moreover to see the Mother of God and hear her holy discourse. Many of the newly-enlightened in the Faith even came from faraway lands to Jerusalem, to see and to hear the All-Pure Mother of God.
During the persecution initiated by King Herod against the young Church of Christ (Acts 12:1-3), the Most Holy Virgin and the Apostle John the Theologian withdrew to Ephesus in the year 43. The preaching of the Gospel there had fallen by lot to the Apostle John the Theologian. The Mother of God then traveled to Cyprus to see St. Lazarus the one who had been Dead-Four Days (ο τετραήμερος), where he was bishop. She also traveled to the Holy Mount Athos. St. Stephen of the Holy Mountain says that the Mother of God prophetically spoke of it: “Let this place be my lot, given to me by my Son and my God. I will be the Patroness of this place and intercede with God for it.”
At around the third hour (9 A.M.), when the Dormition of the Mother of God was to occur. A number of candles were burning. The holy Disciples surrounded her beautifully adorned bed, offering praise to God. She prayed in anticipation of her demise and of the arrival of her longed-for Son and Lord. Suddenly, the inexpressible Light of Divine Glory shone forth, before which the blazing candles paled in comparison. All who it saw took fright. Descending from Heaven was Christ, the King of Glory, surrounded by hosts of Angels and Archangels and other Heavenly Powers, together with the souls of the Forefathers and the Prophets, who had prophesied in ages past concerning the Most Holy Virgin Mary.
Seeing Her Son, the Mother of God exclaimed: “My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God My Savior, for He has regarded the low estate of His Handmaiden” (Luke 1:46-48) and, rising from her bed to meet the Lord, she bowed down to Him, and the Lord bid her enter into Life Eternal. Without any bodily suffering, as though in a happy sleep, the Most Holy Virgin Mary gave her soul into the hands of her Son and God.
Then began a joyous angelic song. Accompanying the pure soul of the God-betrothed and with reverent awe for the Queen of Heaven, the angels exclaimed: “Rejoice, Full of Grace, the Lord is with You, blessed are you among women! For lo, the Queen, God’s Maiden comes, lift up the gates, and with the Ever-Existing One, take up the Mother of Light; for through her salvation has come to all the human race. It is impossible to gaze upon her, and it is impossible to render her due honor” (Hymn following “Lord, I Have Cried”). The Heavenly gates were raised, and meeting the soul of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Cherubim and the Seraphim glorified her with joy. The face of the Mother of God was radiant with the glory of Divine virginity, and from her body there came a sweet fragrance.
Miraculous was the life of the All-Pure Virgin, and wondrous was Her Repose, as Holy Church sings: “In you, O Queen, the God of all has given you as your portion the things that are above nature. Just as in the Birth-Giving He did preserve your virginity, so also in the grave He did preserve your body from decay” (Canon 1, Ode 6, Troparion 1).
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