Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. History of the holiday of the Dormition of the Mother of God, what does it mean?
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the twelve main holidays in the Russian Orthodox Church. It was installed in memory of the death of the Mother of God. Christians are led to it by the two-week Dormition Fast, which in severity can be compared with Great Lent. Let's talk about the history of the holiday.
Celebration date
Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary every year at the same time - August 28 (new style). And for Catholics - August 15, according to the old style.
History and meaning
After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian, to whom Jesus Christ bequeathed to take care of Her as his own mother.
For the closest disciples of Jesus Christ and all believers, She was a consolation and edification. The apostles wrote down everything that the Mother of God told about Her life and the life of Her son.
One day, when the Most Holy Mary was praying on the Mount of Olives, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her with a heavenly date branch in his hands and brought the news that in three days Her earthly life would end and the Lord would take Her to Himself. The Mother of God was delighted with this news: She realized that she would be able to meet her son.
After the death of the Mother of God, the apostles buried Her body in Gethsemane. Everyone was present at the ceremony except Apostle Thomas. On the third day, when Thomas arrived at the Mount of Olives, he wished to see Her tomb. They opened it, but the body of the Mother of God was no longer in it, only the shroud lay there.
That same evening, the Mother of God appeared to the apostles, surrounded by angels, and said: “Rejoice! I am always with you all the days and will always be your prayer book before God.”
Name of the holiday
The full name of the holiday is the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
"Dormition" is an outdated word. Translated into modern language it means “death”.
Traditions and signs of the holiday
On this day, festive liturgies are held in Orthodox churches. Believers bring flowers to the icon with the image of the Virgin Mary and kiss it.
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary marks the end of the summer harvest. On this day it is customary to go to church and bless bread. In this case, under no circumstances should you drop even a crumb of consecrated bread onto the floor.
Previously, unmarried girls looked forward to the holiday, since it was from this day that it was customary to begin engagements in order to get married in the fall. They said that whoever they don’t woo will spend the whole winter as a girl.
It is believed that early Indian summer begins on August 28th. According to the sign, what the weather is like on the Assumption, the same awaits us in the fall. Also, if the weather is good on this day, then the winter will be warm, and the next year will be fruitful.
Alena Filippova
The event of the holiday and its eorthological dynamics
The Gospel says nothing about the earthly life of the Mother of God after the Ascension of the Savior. Information about Her last days has been preserved by church tradition, in particular such lengthy apocryphal tales as “The Word of John the Theologian on the Dormition of the Theotokos”, “The Word of John, Archbishop of Thessalonica”, as well as the oldest holiday word on the Dormition of the Patriarch of Jerusalem Modest († 632), words St. Andrew of Crete, Patriarch Herman of Constantinople and three words of St. John of Damascus. All these sources date back to the 8th century.
If we summarize all the available information, the information content and reliability of which is not the same, we can say that at the time of Her blessed Assumption, the Blessed Virgin Mary again arrived in Jerusalem. Her glory as the Mother of God had already spread throughout the earth and armed many envious and proud people against Her, which caused attempts on Her life. But God kept Her from her enemies. She spent days and nights in prayer. Often the Most Holy Theotokos came to the Holy Sepulcher of the Lord, burned incense here and knelt down. More than once the enemies of the Savior attempted to prevent Her from visiting the holy place and asked the high priests for guards to guard the Savior’s Tomb. But the Holy Virgin, unseen by anyone, continued to pray before him.
On one of these visits, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before Her and announced Her imminent transfer from this life to an eternally blessed life. As a pledge, the archangel gave Her a palm branch. With heavenly news, the Mother of God returned to Bethlehem with three virgins who served Her (Zipporah, Ebigea and Zoila).
Then She called righteous Joseph from Arimathea and the disciples of the Lord, to whom She announced Her imminent Dormition. The Blessed Virgin also prayed that the Lord would send the Apostle John to Her. And the Holy Spirit took him away from Ephesus, placing him next to the place where the Mother of God was reclining. After the prayer, the Blessed Virgin burned incense, and John heard a voice from heaven, concluding Her prayer with the word “Amen.” The Mother of God noticed that this voice meant the imminent arrival of the apostles and disembodied heavenly forces. The apostles, whose number cannot even be counted, flew together like eagles to serve the Mother of God. Seeing each other, the apostles rejoiced, but in bewilderment they asked each other: why did the Lord gather them in one place?
Saint John the Theologian, greeting them with joyful tears, said that the time had come for the Mother of God to depart to the Lord.
Entering the Mother of God, they saw Her sitting gracefully on a bed, filled with spiritual joy. During the conversation, the Apostle Paul also miraculously appeared with his disciples: Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheus, Timothy and others from among the 70 apostles. The Holy Spirit gathered them all so that they would be worthy of the blessing of the Most Pure Virgin Mary and arrange the burial of the Mother of the Lord more beautifully.
The 3rd hour came, when the Dormition of the Mother of God was supposed to take place. Many candles were burning. The holy apostles chanting surrounded the beautifully decorated bed on which the Mother of God was reclining. She prayed in anticipation of Her departure and the coming of Her longed-for Son and Lord. Suddenly the indescribable light of Divine Glory shone, before which the burning candles faded. Those who saw this were horrified. The top of the room seemed to disappear in the rays of an inexplicable light, and the King of Glory Himself, Christ, descended, surrounded by many angels, archangels and other heavenly powers with the righteous souls of the forefathers and prophets who once foretold the Most Holy Virgin. Without any bodily suffering, as if in a pleasant dream, the Most Holy Virgin gave up her soul into the hands of Her Son and God.
Then joyful angelic singing was heard. Accompanying the pure soul of the Bride of God as the Queen of Heaven, the angels cried out with reverent fear: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women! Behold, the Queen, the Mother of God, come, take the gates, and most peacefully lift up the Ever-Bearing Mother of Light; For the sake of all people, salvation will come quickly. We cannot look at Nyuzhe and weakly render that worthy honor” (the stichera of the holiday on Lord, I cried). The heavenly gates rose, meeting the soul of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the cherubim and seraphim joyfully glorified Her. The blessed face of the Mother of God shone with the glory of Divine virginity, and a fragrance spilled from her body.
Reverently and fearfully kissing the most pure body, the apostles were sanctified by it and filled with grace and spiritual joy. To further glorify the Most Holy Theotokos, the almighty power of God healed the sick who touched the sacred bed with faith and love.
Having mourned their separation from the Mother of God on earth, the apostles began the burial. Peter, Paul, James and others from among the 12 apostles carried on their shoulders the bed on which the body of the Ever-Virgin lay. Saint John the Theologian walked ahead with a heavenly luminous branch, and other saints and many faithful accompanied the bed with candles and censers, singing sacred songs. This solemn procession began from Zion and followed through all of Jerusalem to Gethsemane.
The unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem, amazed by the extraordinary grandeur of the funeral procession and embittered by the honors given to the Mother of Jesus, reported this to the high priests and scribes. Burning with envy and vengeance towards everything that reminded them of Christ, they sent their servants to disperse those accompanying them and burn the very body of the Mother of God. The excited people and warriors rushed furiously at the Christians, but the cloudy crown that accompanied the procession through the air sank to the ground and, as it were, surrounded it with a wall. The pursuers heard footsteps and singing, but did not see any of the mourners. Many of those who intended were struck blind.
The Jewish priest Authonius, out of envy and hatred of the Mother of Jesus of Nazareth, wanted to overturn the bed on which the body of the Blessed Virgin lay. But an angel of God invisibly cut off his hands that touched the bed. Seeing such a miracle, Avfonia repented and with faith confessed the greatness of the Mother of God. He received healing and joined the host of those accompanying the body of the Mother of God, becoming a zealous follower of Christ.
When the procession reached Gethsemane, there the last kissing of the most pure body began with crying and sobbing. Only in the evening could the holy apostles put him in a coffin and close the entrance to the cave with a large stone. For three days they did not leave the burial place, performing incessant prayers and psalmody.
In the evening, when the apostles gathered in the house to strengthen themselves with food, the Mother of God Herself appeared to them and said: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days." This greatly delighted the apostles and all those who were with them. They picked up part of the bread supplied for the meal in memory of the Savior (“part of the Lord”) and exclaimed: “Most Holy Theotokos, help us.” This was the beginning of the rite of offering panagia - the custom of offering part of the bread in honor of the Mother of God, which is still observed in monasteries.
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It is not known for certain at what age the Mother of God reposed. You can think like this. Saint Dionysius the Areopagite was present at Her burial. He was converted by the Apostle Paul in 52, traveled with him for three years, visited the Mother of God in Jerusalem, then lived in Athens, where he accepted the bishopric. Consequently, he could have arrived for the burial of the Most Pure One no earlier than the year 57. It is believed that the Nativity of Christ followed in the 15th year of Mary’s life. This means that at the time of the Dormition She was 72 years old.
Based on the above, it becomes obvious that the holiday in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary could not have arisen early.
The Church came to the idea of celebrating the day of the death of martyrs much earlier than the Assumption. It is significant that the Syrian Monthly Book of the 3rd–4th centuries, in which every day of the year commemorates a saint, does not contain a single feast of the Theotokos. The reason for this phenomenon is clear: the martyrs suffered and died before everyone’s eyes, and the days of their death were etched in the hearts of Christians. As for the Mother of God, a later theological deepening into the dogma of the Incarnation and the encroachment of heresies on Her dignity, which took place only in the 5th century, were needed in order to draw the reverent attention of Christians to the person of the Mother of God.
The Mother of God holidays, or, more precisely, one such holiday, which later split into several, must have arisen in connection with the Nativity of Christ (or the Epiphany, which previously coincided with and was even identified with the Nativity of Christ). Therefore, the current Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 26 is the eorthological prototype of the Mother of God feasts.
So, among the Nestorians, the feast of the Most Holy Mary is located in the calendar immediately after the Nativity of Christ. In the Coptic calendar of the 7th century, the birth of the Lady Mary falls on January 16 (shortly after the Epiphany), and in the monthly calendar of the 9th century, January 16 is marked as “the death and resurrection of the Virgin Mary.”
According to the ancient Armenian Lectionary, the “day of Mary the Mother of God” is celebrated on August 15 (cf. the documents of the VII Ecumenical Council of 787, which record that the Assumption is celebrated on August 15).
In a number of liturgical monuments for the Assumption, an extremely wide chronological amplitude is established - between January and August. In the ancient Roman pseudo-Jerome Martyrology (7th century), January 18 is shown as depositio(death) Beatae Mariae, a August 14 – as assumptiontio(taken to heaven). This division is significant. It demonstrates how the Church of that time already looked at the death of the Mother of God: without denying the bodily death of the Mother of God, she believed that this death was followed by a resurrection, although, apparently, she thought that it did not happen as quickly as later tradition suggests.
In the later Roman calendar (8th century), there is already one holiday - the Assumption, August 15 (cf. also the Sacramentary of Pope Gelasius in the 7th century edition). At the same time, the Gallic Church, according to the testimony of Gregory of Tours († 594), celebrated the Assumption in January (see Gothic-Gallican and Luxovien missals of the 7th–8th centuries).
In the Greek Church, reliable information about the holiday being analyzed is recorded only from the end of the 6th century. Nicephorus Callistus claims that the celebration of the Assumption was established by Emperor Mauritius (592–602). However, numerous facts cast doubt on such a late dating. In Constantinople there were many churches in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, built by Constantine the Great and Pulcheria, which cannot but testify to the holiday in honor of Her.
In all likelihood, even before Mauritius, the Assumption in the capital of Byzantium was a local and optional holiday. The Emperor, in gratitude for the victory won over the Persians on August 15, made this celebration a church-wide celebration (see evidence from the Stish Prologue). This version acquires evidentiary force if we recall the eorthological history of the Presentation.
And in the West, the holiday of the Assumption was not widespread in this ancient time. It is remarkable that in the Papal Book of the 7th century, under August 15, the Greek name for the holiday is presented - Assumption. In the Gospel of 740 the inscription is given: Sollemnita de pausatione sanctae Mariae(Solemnity of the Repose of St. Mary).
However, in the Sacramentary, which Pope Adrian I (772–775) sent to Charlemagne, a different name for the holiday is already used - the Assumption of Mary into heaven.
It is possible that such variability in naming is associated, among other things, with the following circumstance: at least until the 12th century, this holiday in the West was inferior in solemnity to the days of especially revered saints.
Holiday in Orthodox worship
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Extremely detailed remarks in connection with the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary are given in the statute of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. In this way, this celebration differs significantly from the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is merely designated.
According to the charter, on the eve of the holiday everyone gathered in the church and from there, with a litany, went to the square, where the usual prayers were performed. Upon return, the Divine Liturgy was served. Upon departure, the troparion was sung (tone 8) Bless you, give birth to all of you, that is, modern ipakoi.
There were three readings at Vespers. Next: troparion 1st tone You preserved your virginity at Christmas, litany of petition, great Lord have mercy; Wisdom- and the reading began, and after it followed a memorial service, the rite of which has been lost.
The Prokeimenon, Apostle and Gospel in the liturgy are the same as now (only the second alleluary has changed: not The Lord swears to David,A Remember Your host).
Thus, instead of the current rich variety of holiday hymnography, this charter contains only two songs. But he honors the holiday with a solemn litany (procession through the city) the day before.
The modern Typikon preserved something similar only for the holidays of the Presentation, Annunciation and Easter. In addition, the charter of the Great Church allows us to consistently date the Assumption troparion and hypakoi - There's virginity at Christmas, We bless you all.
The Sophia Rite of Constantinople appoints only one day for the Feast of the Assumption, except that on the second day of the holiday a service is appointed in the Church of the Virgin Mary near Xirolof (just as the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in Blachernae is appointed on the second day of the Nativity of Christ).
The next structural and content step in the liturgical development of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary can be considered the short charter of the Studite Monastery in Constantinople. In this typicon, the holiday in question goes beyond one day for the first time.
In the charter of the Constantinople Evergetid monastery with the practice of the 11th century (according to a manuscript of the 12th century), this line is continued. And for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, a pre-celebration and a post-celebration are already codified, equal to the modern one, that is, until August 23 (eight days). However, both the pre-celebration and the post-celebration are distinguished by even less solemnity than at the present time. It is also significant that the festive vigil did not consist of vespers, which was always served separately, but of pannikhis and matins.
The Prologue to the Evergetid Typikon requires special consideration, where there is a chapter on the Assumption, which reads: “The Assumption should be celebrated among you lightly, brightly and solemnly, for it is a feast of feasts and a triumph of solemnities.” So, “for which (holiday) and the distribution of food ( diadosin- Greek) in the pylon (colonnade, porch) we command you to do it as much as possible and as much as your hand abounds.” Similar recommendations are contained in other typikons of the type under consideration, for example Nikolo-Kazolyansky.
Turning now to the numerous varieties of the Studite Rule and comparing them with the modern codification, changes can be found mainly in the ranking of the hymnography of different parts of the all-night vigil, as well as holiday, pre-holiday and post-holiday chants.
A few words need to be said about the Assumption Fast, which lasts from August 1 to 14 and ranks first in holiness (the degree of abstinence adopted for it) after Great Lent, surpassing the Nativity Fast. During this period, eating fish and vegetable oil is prohibited (exceptions in the latter case are Saturdays and Sundays).
The Assumption Fast, naturally, like the holiday itself, is characterized by less antiquity compared to other fasts.
The history of this fast is extremely edifying, since it was established without the assistance of such a powerful force of Tradition in the Church, but is based on a solid foundation of reverent love for the Mother of God.
Turning to church monuments, the first indication (it must be said, very specific and not very clear) of the Assumption Fast can be found in the typicon of the South Italian Nikolo-Kazolyansky monastery, that is, in the 12th century. From now on, the need for fasting (in the Book of the Helmsman, in the works of Anastasius of Caesarea in the 11th–12th centuries, etc.) is justified by references to the Patriarchs of Antioch. From their evidence it is concluded that the Assumption Fast, being separated from the fast of the holy apostles, was observed even before the Emperor Leo the Wise, that is, until the 9th century.
Nikon the Montenegrin says about the Dormition Fast that those who do not observe it have no basis for themselves in antiquity, however, those who observe it are established not on the apostolic tradition, but on the custom of subsequent times.
So, the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is currently the great twelfth feast, which has a stable calendar date and has one day of pre-celebration (August 14) and eight days of post-feast (the dedication takes place on August 23).
Following the repose of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In order for the picture of the Feast of the Assumption to be more complete, it is necessary to comment on the order of burial of the Mother of God - Following to the repose of the Most Holy Theotokos. This service is established in Gethsemane. Here, at the site of the burial of the Virgin Mary, a richly decorated basilica was built, the main focus of the Assumption celebrations.
So, on the morning of August 14, from 9–10 o’clock, a special service for the burial of the Mother of God is performed, consisting of the singing of the 17th kathisma with refrains - praises similar to those of Holy Saturday. The patriarch serves. After censing the bed with the shroud of the Mother of God in the cave of Her burial, after the usual start of the service ( Trisagion before Our Father), the bed with the shroud is carried to the middle of the temple under the chandelier. The patriarch stands behind the bed, and on his sides to the royal doors are bishops, archimandrites and hieromonks. The High Hierarch enters the cave again to begin the censing of the entire temple from there, which is performed during the singing of the 1st article of funeral praises: Life in the grave is expected. The article, as on Holy Saturday, concludes with a litany with an exclamation from the patriarch. On the 2nd article - It is worthy to eat the greatness of You- the oldest bishop censes (only the cave and the bed) and utters an exclamation. Article 3 states: Give birth to all the songs of Thy burial, O Virgin, and the second bishop censes. Article 3, as on Holy Saturday, transitions into the singing of Sunday troparions: Angelic Cathedral. After the litanies follow the exapostilary of the holiday ( Apostles from the ends of the earth), praise stichera and great doxology. on his Trisagion, sung protractedly, the bed with the shroud is carried by the priests to the upper platform of the basilica, where the litany is pronounced. Next, the bed moves again to the middle of the temple while the exapostilary and stichera are chanted. With thunder on the clouds, the Savior sends the apostles to the Mother of God. Then the patriarch administers the dismissal.
In Russia, the funeral rite for the Dormition was previously performed only in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in the Kostroma Epiphany Monastery and in the Gethsemane monastery near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Moreover, in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra he did not form a separate service, as in Gethsemane, but joined the polyeleos at the all-night vigil on the holiday itself.
Currently, following the repose of the Most Holy Theotokos is carried out everywhere.
In the Gethsemane monastery, Saint Philaret (Drozdov) established, in addition to the Assumption, the feast of the resurrection and ascension of the Mother of God, which is celebrated on August 17. Being a liturgical custom, the celebration, however, is not supported by generally accepted statutory recommendations. The day before, the rite of burial of the Most Holy Theotokos was performed, and in the morning a liturgy was established with a procession of the cross and the Ascension of the Virgin Mary icon.
Iconography of the holiday
The events of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary are also presented in detail in iconography, the full formation of which dates back to the post-conoclastic era.Two ivory plates date back to the end of the 10th century - for the setting of the Gospel of Emperor Otto III from the Bavarian Library in Munich and a plaque from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The general composition of the Assumption scene in both monuments will become traditional for the art of Byzantium and Ancient Rus'. The Mother of God is depicted in the center on a bed, on either side of Her are the weeping apostles, behind the bed stands the Savior with the soul of the Mother of God, depicted as a swaddled baby.
The Dormition of the Mother of God, like the Resurrection of Christ, symbolized the trampling of death and the resurrection to the life of the next century. The images of the Assumption have a complex liturgical interpretation. Thus, the bed with the body of the Mother of God is clearly likened to the throne in the temple, and the arrangement of the apostles in two groups, headed by Peter and Paul, on either side of it - their presence at the Eucharist and communion under two types. Christ behind the bed was the image of a bishop at a meal. The image in some monuments of the Apostle Peter with a censer in his hand indicated, perhaps, the incense of the holy gifts in the liturgy, and the image of the Apostle John falling to the bed of the Virgin Mary indicated a priest kissing the throne. Often in the Assumption scene two or four bishops were depicted, together with the apostles, standing before the Mother of God. These images of saints Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheus, Timothy of Ephesus and James, brother of the Lord, who were present at the Dormition of the Mother of God, they symbolized the communion of the priests by the bishop in the sacrament of the Eucharist. The angels who fly to Christ in the scenes of the Assumption with covered hands, as if to receive the holy gifts, seem to serve at the liturgy as deacons. According to tradition, the Dormition was depicted as an event taking place in the house of John the Theologian in Jerusalem - in the Zion Upper Room, where the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles had previously taken place.
Around the 11th century, an expanded version of the iconography of the Assumption, the so-called “cloud type,” became widespread. For example, a fresco from the Church of Hagia Sophia in Ohrid (Macedonia); an icon from the early 13th century, coming from the Novgorod Desyatinny Monastery, etc.
Most often, one or more burning candles are depicted at the bed of the Virgin Mary, symbolizing a prayer to the Lord. Often a jug-stamna inserted into a bowl is placed near the bed: this is one of the poetic symbols of the Mother of God, found in Byzantine and Old Russian hymnography.
In the 15th century, icons of the Assumption were widely distributed in Rus', depicting the miracle of the cutting off of the hands of the wicked Jew Avthonia by an angel in the foreground, in front of the bed. Perhaps the popularity of the plot at that time and in the 16th century was associated with the fight against heretical movements. For the first time this plot was recorded in the fresco of the Church of Panagia Mavriotissa in Kastoria (the turn of the 12th–13th centuries).
In the 17th century, monumental temple icons of the Assumption appeared, accompanied by stamps in which the “Tale of the Assumption” was illustrated. Thus, on the 1658 icon from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the stamps depict the prayer of the Mother of God before her death, the farewell of the Mother of God to her loved ones, the journey of the apostles, their conversation with the Mother of God and other scenes. The most detailed story about the Dormition of the Virgin Mary ends with the image of the Mother of God on a bed in the Garden of Eden. The same story about the Assumption is contained in the marks of the icon of the Assumption from the end of the 17th century.
Today is a bright holiday Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. People call the holiday the First Most Pure One.
The full name of this holiday, which is revered all over the world, is the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
The holiday is one of the Twelve Feasts, i.e. intolerable. Thus, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is always celebrated on August 28th. Throughout the world, the Church honors the Most Holy Theotokos as “the most honorable of the Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison of the Seraphim.”
On this day, the Holy Church remembers the righteous death of the Mother of God - an event colored at the same time by sadness about the end of the life journey of the Representative for the human race and joy about the union of the Most Pure Mother of the Lord with Her Son.
It is with the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary that the first (young) “Indian summer” begins and it lasts until September 11. And based on what the weather was like these days, they determined what the second “Indian summer” would be like - from September 14 to 28.
The Nativity of the Virgin Mary also falls during Indian Summer - September 21st.
History of the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
According to legend, the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary, lived 72 years.
We know about earthly life after the Death on the Cross and the Resurrection of the Savior from Holy Tradition. Until the persecution brought by Herod against the Church, the Most Pure Virgin remained in Jerusalem, then she moved with the Apostle John the Theologian to Ephesus. While living here, She visited the righteous Lazarus in Cyprus and Mount Athos, which she blessed as Her destiny. Shortly before her death, the Mother of God returned to Jerusalem.
Here the Ever-Virgin often stayed in those places with which the most important events in the life of Her Divine Son were connected: Bethlehem, Golgotha, the Holy Sepulcher, Gethsemane, Olivet. There She prayed earnestly. According to legend, the Jews attempted to kill Her, for which purpose, by order of the high priests, a guard was placed at the Holy Sepulcher, but at the right moment the soldiers’ vision was taken away, and they could not see the Mother of God.
Once, during a prayer on Olivet, Archangel Gabriel announced to the Mother of God about Her impending death in three days and presented a luminous branch of paradise - a symbol of victory over death and corruption: “Your Son and our God with the archangels and angels, cherubim and seraphim, with all the heavenly spirits and with the souls of the righteous he will accept you, his mother, into the heavenly kingdom, so that you may live and reign with him for an infinite time.”
The Most Holy Theotokos told the Apostle John the Theologian about what had happened, and he informed the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, and through him the entire Church of Jerusalem, in which the tradition of the Dormition of the Mother of God was preserved. Before her death, the Mother of God bequeathed Her meager property to the widows who served Her and ordered to bury Herself in Gethsemane, next to the graves of Her righteous parents and righteous husband Joseph the Betrothed.
Here are some photos taken at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Tomb of the Mother of God). Don’t judge strictly, I’m a terrible photographer, and the church itself is essentially a grotto, a tomb: it’s a little dark there and the photos aren’t very clear...
Just before her death, at her bed she saw all the apostles and disciples of her Divine Son, who were miraculously gathered by the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, who had previously dispersed to different countries with the mission of preaching the Word of God. The Apostle Paul arrived later than everyone else. Only Apostle Thomas was absent.
Thus, the Virgin Mary was able to say goodbye to them. She asked them to rejoice and not to grieve. After all, “Her death is just a short dream, and she goes to her Divine Son”
Suddenly an unspeakable light shone, darkening the lamps; The roof of the upper room opened, and Christ Himself descended with many angels. The Most Holy Theotokos turned to the Lord with a prayer of gratitude and asked to bless all those who honor Her memory. She also prayed to Her Son to protect Her from the dark satanic power, from airy ordeals. Then the Mother of God joyfully surrendered Her soul into the hands of the Lord, and immediately angelic singing was heard.
After her death, Mary was buried in the Garden of Gethsemane in the cave where the ashes of her parents once lay. During the burial of the mother of Christ there were a large number of miracles. In particular, the crippled were able to get back on their feet, and the possessed miraculously got rid of their possession.
For three days the apostles remained at the tomb of the Mother of God, chanting psalms. Angelic singing was constantly heard in the air. As St. Philaret of Moscow says, the apostles received complete and complete consolation “when, on the third day after Her Dormition, for the sake of Thomas, who was late for Her burial, opening Her tomb, they did not find Her most pure body, and after that they saw Her in the glory of the resurrection and from Her she heard a word of consolation: “Rejoice, for I am with you all the days.” The body of the Mother of God was raptured into heaven.
Jesus' disciples took Thomas to the cave where the Virgin was buried. They moved the stone that blocked the entrance, but Mary’s body was no longer in the cave - only her funeral vestments lay there. The Orthodox Church explains it this way - Jesus Christ resurrected the Most Pure Mother of God and took her with her body to heaven.
The Church calls the death of the Mother of God the Dormition, and not death, because death, as the return of its dust to the earth, and the spirit to God, “Who gave him,” did not touch our Gracious Intercessor.
“The laws of nature are defeated in You, Pure Virgin,
- the Holy Church sings in the troparion of the holiday, - in Virginity is preserved at birth, and life is combined with death: remaining a Virgin after birth and Living after death, You always save, Mother of God, Your inheritance.”
She only fell asleep, only to awaken at the same moment to eternal life and, after three days, with an incorruptible body, move into the heavenly incorruptible dwelling.
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also called the “Easter of the Virgin Mary.” On this day, in Orthodox churches they place an icon with the image of the deceased Virgin (shroud), and also decorate it with flowers.
Traditions of the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
As a rule, on the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Orthodox Christians should think about their mother and help her. It is customary to celebrate the holiday among family and friends, certainly with parents, at a rich table and delicious dishes.
All believers on this day pray and ask for help and intercession from the Most Holy Theotokos.
Signs and customs for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 28
Engagements start from this day. After all, according to the ancestors - “The Most Pure One has come - the unclean one is carrying the matchmakers.” unmarried girls were looking forward to this day with great impatience - if they were not wooed after a big church holiday, they would have to sit as girls all winter.
On this holiday, the Slavs went to the forest to collect viburnum. Competitions were held - whoever runs to the bush with the berries first will definitely get married this year.
The guys didn’t go to pick viburnum. They waited while the girls sang and danced, and then escorted them home. Parents and daughters decorated their houses with viburnum, because this berry was considered a talisman.
What not to do on this day
On this day you should not handle piercing or cutting objects, or cook food. Believers break bread with their hands, since they cannot use a knife. Moreover, You cannot stick knives, shovels or other sharp objects into the ground at the Assumption.
You cannot go barefoot to the Assumption. It was believed that in this way all diseases could be collected. Dew on this day is the tears of nature that the Mother of God has left this world and cannot be with people and help them.
Also, all those who fasted before the Dormition were delivered from the “attempt of the evil one on the soul.”
You should also not wear old or uncomfortable shoes on this day to avoid problems in life. If you rub your foot on this day, you will have a difficult life full of problems and failures.
But you were allowed to work on this day, especially if you didn’t finish something you started or needed to help someone.
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a truly bright and joyful holiday.
“We magnify Thee,
Immaculate Mother of Christ our God,
and we glorify Your Dormition all-gloriously."
There are quite a few holidays dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos in Orthodox Christianity. However, there is a main one among them - this is the Assumption. It is celebrated on August 28.
The Dormition of the Virgin Mary is included in the list of the 12 most important Orthodox holidays. This day ends the two-week Assumption Fast, dedicated to the Mother of God. The holiday of August 28 is associated with many folk traditions, signs and church rules, which every believer should know about.
What is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
The full name of the holiday is the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. This is one of the twelve Orthodox holidays. The twelfth holidays are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). Dormition - Theotokos feast.
The holiday, which is celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church on August 28 according to the new style (August 15 according to the old style), was established in memory of the death of the Mother of God. Christians are led to it by the two-week Dormition Fast, comparable in severity to Great Lent. It is interesting that the Assumption is the last twelfth holiday of the Orthodox church year (ending on September 13 according to the new style).
What can you eat on the Dormition of the Virgin Mary?
On August 28, the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, if it falls on Wednesday or Friday, you can eat fish. In this case, breaking the fast is postponed to the next day. But if the Assumption falls on other days of the week, then there is no fasting. In 2016, the Feast of the Assumption is not a fast day.
Events of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Everything we know about the death of the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ is drawn from Church Tradition. In the canonical texts we will not read anything about how and under what circumstances the Mother of God departed to the Lord and was buried. Tradition is one of the sources of our dogma, together with the Holy Scriptures.
From the New Testament we learn that the Savior, crucified on the cross, asked his closest disciple - the Apostle John the Theologian - to take care of Mary: “Seeing the mother and the disciple standing here, whom he loved, he said to His Mother: Woman! Behold, your son. Then he says to the disciple: Behold, your Mother! And from that time on this disciple took Her to himself” (John 19:26-27). After the crucifixion of Christ, the Mother of God, together with the disciples of her Son, remained in prayer and fasting. On the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles (Pentecost), she also received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In written monuments starting from the 4th century, we find references to how the Mother of God lived further. Most authors write that she was bodily caught up (that is, taken) from earth to heaven. It happened like this. Three days before her death, Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God and announced the upcoming Assumption. At that time she was in Jerusalem. Everything happened exactly as the Archangel said. After the death of the Most Pure Virgin, the apostles buried her body in Gethsemane, in the same place where the parents of the Mother of God and her husband, Righteous Joseph, rested. Everyone was present at the ceremony except Apostle Thomas. On the third day after the burial, Thomas wanted to see her coffin. The coffin was opened, but the body of the Mother of God was no longer in it - only her shroud.
What can you do on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
For our ancestors, this holiday coincided with the harvest, so the last sheaf was dressed up in a dress and carried around the villages with songs. This sheaf was called dozhinka. After such processions, the sheaf had to be placed under the icon. And then they held a very large feast, at which they sang, danced in circles, and prepared beer and mead. The next day will be the Nut Spas, so it is customary to collect nuts and prepare various winter preparations on the Most Holy Day.
Since this holiday is also the end of the Dormition Fast, that is, almost anything is possible. But it’s better to exclude fatty and meaty foods. If the Assumption fell on Wednesday or Friday, then the breaking of the fast was postponed to the next day.
You can work at home and in the garden, make rolls, ferment cabbage, and do housework. Some villagers believe that it is necessary to leave a few spikelets on this day, as this will help increase the harvest next year.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, signs
On August 28, the people celebrated harvesting, which meant the end of the harvest. At the beginning of the day, they tried to consecrate those fields where wheat and rye grew.
This holiday falls at the end of summer, so the weather conditions on this day were used to judge what autumn would be like:
- if a rainbow appears in the sky, the autumn days will be warm;
- if the weather on Assumption is clear and sunny, then autumn will be rainy and cloudy;
- a lot of cobwebs - early, frosty and little snow winter;
- if frosts set in after the Assumption, then autumn will be very long;
- observed how the water behaves. If you don’t worry, then the autumn will be windless, and there will be no snowstorms in the winter;
- if on the day of the Assumption it is very foggy, you should expect a large harvest of mushrooms, and the warm time will still please people a little;
- frost on plants on August 28 promises a very short autumn season, and frosts will come very soon.
In this article we will talk about the Holiday Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
What does the word "Assumption" mean?
"Assumption"- this is an outdated word. Translated into modern Russian it means “death, demise.”
What is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
The full name of the holiday is Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. This is one of the twelve Orthodox holidays. The twelfth holidays are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). Dormition - Feast of the Theotokos.
The holiday, which is celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church on August 28 in the new style (August 15 in the old style), was established in memory of the death of the Mother of God. Christians are led by a two-week Dormition Fast, a severity comparable to Great Lent. It is interesting that the Assumption is the last twelfth holiday of the Orthodox church year (ending on September 13, new style).
When is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary celebrated?
The Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 28 in the new style. He has 1 day of forefeast and 9 days of afterfeast. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, post-feast days are the same days after the holiday.
What can you eat at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary?
On August 28, the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, if it falls on Wednesday or Friday, you can eat fish. In this case, breaking the fast is postponed to the next day. But if the Assumption falls on other days of the week, there is no topost. In 2016, the Feast of the Assumption is a non-fasting day.
Events of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Everything that we know about the death of the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ is gleaned from Church Tradition. In the canonical texts we will not read anything about how and under what circumstances the Mother of God departed to the Lord and was buried. Tradition is one of the sources of our faith, together with the Holy Scriptures.
From the New Testament we learn that the Savior, crucified on the cross, asked his closest disciple, the Apostle John the Theologian, to take care of Mary: Seeing the mother and the disciple standing here whom he loved, he said to His Mother: Woman! Behold, your son. Then he says to the disciple: Behold, your Mother! And from this time this disciple took Him for himself (John 19:26-27). After the crucifixion of Christ, the Mother of God, together with the disciples of her Son, remained in prayer and hypostasis. On the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles (Pentecost), she also received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In written monuments starting from the 4th century we find references to how the Mother of God lived further. Most authors write that she was bodily caught up (that is, taken) from earth to heaven. It happened like this. Three days before her death, Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God and announced the upcoming Assumption. At the time she was in Jerusalem. Everything happened exactly as the Archangel said. After the death of the Most Pure Virgin, the apostles buried her body in Gethsemane, the same place where the parents of the Mother of God and her husband, the righteous Joseph, rested. Everyone was present at the ceremony except Apostle Thomas. The third day after the burial, Thomas wanted to see her coffin. The coffin was opened, but the body of the Mother of God was no longer in it - only her shroud.
History of the celebration of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Reliable information about the history of the Feast of the Assumption begins only at the end of the 6th century. Most church historians believe that the holiday was established under the Byzantine Emperor Mauritius, who reigned from 592 to 602. Most likely, before this time, the Dormition was a local, that is, non-church, holiday in Constantinople.
Icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Beginning of the 13th century, Novgorod. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Traditionally, icon painters depict the Mother of God in the center of the image - she lies on her deathbed, with the weeping apostles to her sides. A little behind the bed stands the Savior with the soul of the Mother of God, depicted as a swaddled baby.
In the 11th century, an expanded version of the iconography of the Assumption, the so-called “cloud type,” spread. We can see it, for example, in a fresco from the Church of Hagia Sophia in Ohrid in Macedonia. The upper part of such a composition depicts the apostles flying to the deathbed of the Mother of God on the clouds. The oldest example of a “cloud Assumption” in Russia is an icon from the early 13th century, which comes from the Novgorod Desyatinny Monastery. The upper part of the icon depicts a blue semicircular segment of the sky with golden stars and figures of angels carrying away the soul of the Mother of God. Now this image is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Often, when placing the Virgin Mary, icon painters depict one or more burning candles, which symbolize a prayer to God.
Divine service of the Assumption
The Feast of the Dormition has one day of pre-feast and 9 days of post-feast. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, post-feast days are the same days after the holiday.
The celebration of the holiday takes place on September 5th in the new style. The Dormition of the Mother of God is preceded by a two-week Assumption Fast. It lasts from August 14 to August 27.
There is a special service for the burial of the Mother of God. It is performed in the same way as the Matins service on Holy Saturday; During this time, the 17th kathisma is read - “Blessed are the Immaculate.” Currently, the Rite of Burial of the Mother of God can be seen in many cathedral and parish churches on the second or third day of the holiday. The service begins with an all-night vigil. With great praise, the clergy of the temple comes out with the image of the Mother of God lying in the middle of the temple; burns cense to her, and then carries her around the temple. After this, all worshipers are anointed with oil (blessed oil). Finally, litanies (a series of prayer requests) and dismissal (blessing of those praying as they leave the temple at the end of the service) are read.
The verses of the Assumption were written in the 5th century by Patriarch Anatoly of Constantinople. In the 8th century, Cosmas of Mayum and John of Damascus wrote two canons for this holiday.
Prayers of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Troparion of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
At the Nativity you preserved virginity, at the Dormition you did not abandon the world, the Mother of God, you reposed in the life, Mother of the Being of the Life, and through Your prayers you delivered our souls from death.
Translation:
At the birth of Christ, You, Mother of God, preserved your virginity and did not leave the world at His death; You have crossed eternal life, Mother of Life, and through Your prayers You deliver our souls from death.
Kontakion of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
In the prayers of the never-sleeping Mother of God and in the intercessions, the immutable hope/coffin and the mortification of uncontrollability: like God, the Mother of the Belly, left the belly in the womb, Who dwells in the ever-virgin.
Translation:
The Mother of God, with tireless prayers and unchanging hope in intercessions, the grave and death were not restrained, for He brought Her to life, as the Mother of Life, Who dwelt in Her eternally virgin womb.
The Majesty of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
We magnify You, Most Immaculate Mother of Christ our God, and glorify Your Dormition.
Translation:
We magnify You, Immaculate Mother of Christ our God, and glorify Your Dormition.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Sermon on the Dormition of the Mother of God (August 28, 1981):
“Today we celebrate our patronal holiday; we all stand before the one and only Throne that exists: the throne on which our God sits; but, as it is said in the Holy Scriptures, God rests in the holy places: not only in holy places, but in the heart and in the mind purified by deed and grace, in the life and very flesh of the saints.
Today we celebrate the day of the Dormition of the Most Holy of all saints - the Mother of God. She fell asleep in the sleep of the earth; but just as She was alive to the very depths of Her nature, so She remained alive: a living soul ascended to the throne of God, alive and with Her resurrected body, with which She now has to pray to us. Verily She is the throne of grace; The Living God dwelt in Her, He was in Her womb as on the throne of His glory. With what gratitude, with what amazement we think of Her: the Source of life, the Life-Giving Source, as the Church calls Her, glorifying Her Watery Isikon, the Life-Giving Source, the Mother of God, ends Her earthly life, surrounded by the reverent love of all.
But what does She leave us? Just one commandment and one wondrous example. The commandments are the words that She spoke to the servants in Cana of Galilee: Whatever Christ commanded, do it... They did it; and the waters of ablution became the good wine of the Kingdom of God. She leaves this commandment to each of us: understand, each of us, the word of Christ, listen to it and do not just be a listener, but fulfill it, as a result, everything earthly will become heavenly, eternal, transformed and glorified...
And She left us an example: it is said about Her in the Gospel that She put every word about Christ and, of course, every word of Christ in Her heart as a treasure, as the most precious thing that She had...
Let us begin to learn to listen as one listens with all love and all reverence, to listen attentively to every word of the Savior. Much has been said about the Gospel; but the heart of each of us responds one way or another; Otherwise, my or your heart responded - this is the word spoken by the Savior Christ to you personally... And we need to preserve this word as the path of life, as a point of contact between us and God, as a sign of our kinship and closeness with Him.
And if we live like this, listen like this, put the word of Christ in our hearts like one sows seed in plowed ground, then what Elizabeth said to the Mother of God when She came to her will be fulfilled in us: Blessed is she who believed, for everything that was said to you from the Lord will be fulfilled... Let it be this is isnami; may the Mother of God be our example; Let us accept Her only commandment, and only then will Her glorification in this holy temple, which is given to Her as a dwelling, be true, because we will then worship God in Her and through Her in spirit and in truth. Amen."
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
In the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin, for six centuries, bishops, metropolitans and patriarchs were erected, state acts were read out, prayers were served before military campaigns and in honor of victories.
The first stone building of the cathedral was laid in 1326. This was done personally by the first Moscow Metropolitan Peter and Prince Ivan Kalita. At the end of the 15th century, Grand Duke Ivan III Vasilyevich ordered the cathedral to be rebuilt; in 1479, the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti worked on this project.
The modern appearance of the cathedral was determined in the mid-17th century. It was then that the paintings and iconostasis that have survived to this day were created. In front of the iconostasis are the prayer places of the king, queen and patriarch. Also in the XIV-XVII centuries, the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin was the tomb of the metropolitans and patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.
After the 1917 revolution, the temple became a museum. Divine services began to be held there again in 1990.
Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir
The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was built in 1158–1160 by order of the Vladimir prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Initially, the cathedral was built from white cut stone; it had a single-domed stirrup with small porches and towers at the western corners.
In 1185–1189, under Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, the porches and towers were dismantled and replaced with high galleries. The cathedral was rebuilt; in particular, it became five-domed.
The paintings of the cathedral have survived to this day only in fragments. Cross-paintings of 1161 include figures of the prophets between the columns of the verdant gallery, and cross-paintings of 1189 include figures of Artemy and Abraham in the south-west corner of the ancient part of the cathedral.
In 1408, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was painted by the Monk Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. Individual images of the large composition of the Last Judgment, which occupied the entire western part of the temple, and several more frescoes have been preserved. It was for the iconostasis of this cathedral that the icon painters created the grandiose Deesis tier and the icons of the festive series, which are now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Folk traditions of celebrating the Assumption
The Orthodox holiday of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary coincided with the compressed time. At this time of year, Russian peasants were busy harvesting. That is why, in the popular consciousness, the church traditions of the Assumption overlapped with agricultural customs.
The Eastern Slavs celebrated the Dormition with the so-called “Ozhinki”. Obzhinki is a holiday of the grain harvest. In addition, this day was called “Gospodzhinki”, “Mistresses”, “Mistress Day” - these words reflected the veneration of the Mother of God, whom believers address as the Lady, the Lady.
The day following the Assumption, August 29, was celebrated as the “Nut (or Bread) Savior.” It was named after the tradition of collecting nuts at this time of summer. Towards the end of August they also began to collect mushrooms and made vegetable and fruit preparations for the winter. They tried to sow winter crops: “Winter this three days before the Dormition and three days after.”
"Nut, or Bread, Spas"
“Nut, or Bread, Savior” - this is how the common Russian people called the holiday of the Transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image of the Lord Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands, which is celebrated on August 29 (new style). This holiday fell on the first day after the end of the Dormition Fast, that is, the day after the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“Nut (or Bread) Spas” was named after the tradition of collecting nuts at this time of summer to complete the grain harvest.
Sermon on the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.Saint Theophan the Recluse:
“After the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, His Most Pure Mother lived for about fifteen years in Jerusalem, in the house of the holy Apostle John the Theologian, to whom the Lord Himself entrusted Her with the Cross. Now the time has come for her to move to the heavenly abode of her Son. When the Mother of God prayed to the Mount of Olives, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her, bringing a date branch, and informed Her of Her death three days later.
The Most Pure One was incredibly happy when she heard this news and began to prepare. At the time of Her repose, at the command of God, all the apostles, scattered to preach throughout the world, miraculously appeared in Jerusalem, except for the Apostle Thomas. They witnessed her peaceful, quiet, holy and blessed death. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in heavenly glory, surrounded by countless angels and righteous spirits, appeared to receive the soul of His Most Pure Mother and lifted Her up into heaven.
This is how the Most Holy Virgin Mary ended her earthly life! With burning lamps and singing psalms, the apostles carried the body of the Mother of God to Gethsemane, where Her parents and Joseph were buried. The unbelieving high priests and scribes, amazed by the grandeur of the funeral procession and embittered by the honors given to the Mother of God, sent servants and warriors to disperse the mourners and burn the very body of the Mother of God.
The excited people and the warriors rushed towards the Christians with fury, but were struck by blindness. At that time, the Jewish priest Athos passed by, who rushed to the grave with the intention of throwing him to the ground; He had barely touched the bed with his hands when an Angel cut off both his hands: their severed parts hung on the bed, and Athos himself fell to the ground screaming.
The Apostle Peter stopped the procession and said to Athos: “Make sure that Christ is the true God.” Athos immediately confessed Christ as the true Messiah. The Apostle Peter ordered Athos to turn to the Mother of God with earnest prayer and apply the remains of his hands to the parts hanging on the side. After doing this, the hands grew together and were healed, and instead of being cut off, only signs remained. The blinded people and the warriors touched the codrus with repentance and received not only physical but also mental sight, and everyone joined in the procession with reverence.
The third day after the burial of the Mother of God, the Apostle Thomas, who had been absent, by the will of God, arrived and wished to see Her tomb. According to his wishes, the coffin was opened, but the body of the Mother of God was not found. In the evening of the same day, during their meal, the apostles saw the Most Holy Virgin in the air in heaven, alive, with a multitude of Angels. Standing and illuminated by ineffable glory, the Mother of God said to the apostles: “Rejoice! I am always with you" ; The apostles exclaimed: “Most Holy Theotokos, help us.” This appearance of the Mother of God completely convinced the apostles, and through them the entire Church, of Her Resurrection. In imitation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, who often visited the places that Her Son and God sanctified with the feet of His most pure feet, a custom arose among Christians to visit holy places.”
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