About the Feast of the #Ascension, #Dormition of the #Theotokos
May the peace of the Lord be with you, dear members. Let us examine the mystery and wonder of St. Mary's transition from earthly life to eternal glory, a fulfillment of the divine destiny that she accepted with her humble "yes" to the angel's message.
In the tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church, the Feast of the Dormition is not simply a commemoration of Mary's death, but a celebration of her "falling asleep," a gentle passing into the arms of her Divine Son, and her glorious Assumption into heaven. It is a feast wrapped in profound theology and profound love, a love that extends from the Mother of God to all humanity.
I. The Meaning and Significance of the Feast
The Feast of the Dormition reminds us of the unique role the Theotokos plays in salvation. It echoes the profound words of the angel Gabriel, "Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women." In her obedience, humility, and purity, Mary becomes the very vessel of God's incarnation, the bridge between heaven and earth.
The Dormition is a reflection of our journey, a journey filled with trials, temptations, but crowned with hope. Mary's earthly life was filled with sorrow and joy, suffering and consolation, darkness and illumination. In her, we see our struggles and our hope, for her Dormition is but a beginning, not an end.
II. The Historical Context of the Feast
This Feast, dear brethren, has its roots in the early Christian tradition. It is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church, deeply embedded in the liturgical and spiritual life of the faithful. The earliest references to the Dormition come from the writings of the Church Fathers, reflecting a rich and living Tradition.
The event of Mary's Dormition is surrounded by miraculous occurrences and the presence of the Apostles, who were gathered miraculously from the various places where they were preaching. The unbelief of a Jew led to a miracle that affirmed the reverence of the Holy Mother, and the tomb was found empty, pointing to her Assumption.
III. The Theological Understanding of the Feast
The Dormition of the Theotokos is not merely a historical event; it is a theological truth that speaks volumes about human destiny and God's love. Mary's bodily assumption into heaven is a foretaste of our resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ. It reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and they too will be glorified.
The iconography and hymnography of the Feast depict not merely an event but a mystery. In the icon, we see Christ holding a child, representing Mary's soul, a beautiful symbol of her becoming a child of God, even as she is His mother. The hymns of the Feast ring with poetic theology, declaring Mary as the "living ark" who contained the Uncontainable.
IV. The Practical and Spiritual Reflection of the Feast
This Feast calls us, beloved, to reflection and action. It calls us to imitate the virtues of the Theotokos – her humility, obedience, love, and purity. We are summoned to a life of prayer, fasting, and repentance, to seek the intercessions of the Holy Mother, and to aspire for the heavenly kingdom.
During the fast leading to the Feast, we repeat the prayer of the "Hail Mary" and the praises of the Theotokos, grounding ourselves in devotion and love. It is a time to seek solace in the spiritual life, to nourish ourselves with the holy scriptures, to participate in the Divine Liturgy, and to immerse ourselves in the sacramental life of the Church.
Conclusion
The Feast of the Dormition is not merely a day in the calendar but a profound theology, a living tradition, a spiritual journey. It connects us to the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection, and the Second Coming. It connects us to Christ and to one another.
The Power of #Fasting
Dear respected members who follow Orthodox education and spiritual services on John's Repentance website, today we are sharing an important lesson on the subject from the book "Orthodox Mind" written by Deacon Yohannes Getachew. We urge you to read and learn from it.
People who do not understand the power of fasting may consider it trivial and useless. However, the ignorance of people can never eliminate the greatness of fasting. We do not have to be outside of fasting to understand its power. We distinguish the taste of food by tasting, not by hearing, so it is not surprising that its taste is not known if one does not taste it while fasting. Some people want to deny its importance and convince others that it is useless. In fact, even a delicious meal tasted by a sick person does not taste good. It is not because the food is not tasty, but because the person who tasted it is sick.
The blindness of the outer eye does not hinder the brightness of the inner wine. But we must realize that the blindness of the inner eye has the power to blind the outer eye as well. Although fasting is hated by gluttons, if they knew the harm of their gluttony and used fasting as a medicine, they would understand its power to keep diseases away. Without understanding the power of fasting, we should be careful not to expose ourselves to diseases of the body and soul by abstaining from fasting. Saint Jared explains the greatness of fasting with wonder - "Look at the greatness and glory of fasting, it is sorrow for fools and joy for the wise." This clearly indicates that the power of fasting is defined by the wise. People who live in laziness and indifference may not understand the power of fasting because their desires divert their vision. In fact, the scholar said, "Fasting is a bridle; its fruit is sweet." Therefore, let us not underestimate fasting and make it easy. He advises us not to misunderstand it because of our laziness. So, fools may perceive its taste as bitter, but let us pray for them for the harm caused by distancing themselves from fasting, and let us not be carried away by their ignorance.
Saint Jared says, "Fasting has great benefits; it frees the soul from sin; it teaches the youth to be righteous and self-controlled. Fasting is holy; it brings peace; it gives happiness to the person who does it." Let us remember that we have lost peace, chastity, happiness, and favor in our lives because we spend most of our time in gluttony outside of fasting. Let us realize that our glory and beauty are within fasting due to God's grace.
The apostles explained to us the power of fasting in this way: "Furthermore, those who are being baptized should fast before baptism, and those who baptize should also fast if they can. You must tell the baptized person that they should fast one or two days before baptism. Your fasting should never be the same as that of the hypocrites." They explained to us that not only those being baptized but also the baptizer should fast before baptism.
It is clear that this system is made to honor the mystery of baptism and to make us go to the mystery water in purity. Even the baptizer should be armed with the power of fasting to protect themselves from pride or thinking highly of themselves for being a baptizer. The person who is baptized must cleanse their body by fasting so that they do not think of the holy water of baptism as any ordinary water. It should be done in holiness and not in hypocrisy like the Pharisees. The shepherd Herma revealed the greatness and power of fasting: "Fasting is very important, and it makes us keep the commandments of the Lord. (First of all, protect yourself from evil speech, evil will, protect your mind from loving anything of this world. If you refrain from doing these evil things, your fast will be perfect.) He explained to us the greatness of fasting.