👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾 The Assumption of Our Lady the Virgin #Mary: A Theological Reflection
In the liturgical traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the fast of the Assumption of Our Lady the Virgin Mary holds a profoundly significant position. This fast, known as "Maryam's fast", "Filseta" or "Maryam's assumption fast," commences on the 1st of Nehase and concludes with the celebration of her glorious Assumption on the 15th of Nehase. It embodies a period of deep spiritual reflection, prayer, and fasting, a sanctified time where the faithful devote themselves to commemorating the heavenly transition of Mary from this world to the next.
The Meaning of "Assumption"
The term "assumption," (Filseta) signifies the passage of the Holy Virgin from her earthly existence to her celestial abode, echoing her movement from Gethsemane to Paradise. This transition is not merely a physical relocation but a profound transformation from mortality to glorified existence.
Canonical Significance
The fast is held in such esteem that it is considered one of the seven canonical fasting periods in the church’s liturgical year. It is a communal observance, participated in by all—from the youngest children to the elderly—highlighting its integral role in the spiritual life of the community.
Life and Virtue of the Holy Virgin
Our Lady spent her earthly life in profound dedication to the divine will. Her years were spent in the temple, in the house of Joseph, and significantly, in close companionship with our Savior Jesus Christ, and finally, in the care of the Apostle John. This life, marked by piety and devotion, culminated in her assumption, which was attended by miraculous events and divine interventions, as chronicled by saints and scholars such as Saint Jared and the author of Melaka Maryam.
The Events of Assumption
The assumption of Mary is rich with miraculous occurrences. When the apostles, led by divine command, brought her to Gethsemane for burial, they faced opposition from those who denied her resurrection, mirroring the resurrection of Christ. An attempt to desecrate her resting place was thwarted by divine intervention, affirming her sanctified state.
Mary’s assumption was not confined to her spirit alone but included her sacred body, which was reunited with her soul in Paradise by the decree of her son, Jesus Christ. This event is a cornerstone of the faith, illustrating the profound theological belief in bodily resurrection, a prelude to the universal resurrection of the righteous.
The Liturgical and Communal Observance
During the fast, the faithful engage deeply with the scriptures and liturgical texts that recount Mary’s life, her virtues, and her divine selection as the Mother of God. This period is marked by a communal withdrawal from worldly affairs, where both monastics and laypeople partake in rigorous spiritual exercises, including fasting, prayer, and the partaking of the Holy Sacraments.
The fast culminates in the feast of the Assumption, a time of great joy and celebration where the resurrection of Mary is proclaimed, symbolizing the victory of life over death, sanctity over sin. The hymns and psalms during this period reflect her role in the mystical incarnation and the salvation narrative, tying her closely to the mystery of Christ.
Theological Implications and Closing Exhortation
The Assumption of Mary underscores several core doctrines of the Church—her perpetual virginity, her role in the divine plan of salvation, and her assumption body and soul into heaven. These doctrines are not merely to be believed but lived out in the daily lives of the faithful through devotion, purity, and the pursuit of sanctity.
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