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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos (One of the Twelve Great Feasts, class 2)

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15 August - Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos celebrates the wondrous way in which Theotokos' left this earthly life and was taken into heaven in a miraculous way: both body and soul. Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ received her soul and body into heaven. The Theotokos left behind an empty tomb filled with the fragrance of sweet-smelling flowers.

The Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos recalls the physical glorification of Mary as she shares in the resurrection life of her Son, Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. When, at her death (or falling asleep, that is, dormition), Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christrist received her body and soul into heaven, He in a way gave all humanity a preview of the transfiguration that awaits all of us in the Kingdom to come. Holy Tradition tells us that all the Apostles, except Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas, were transported mystically to Jerusalem in order to be with The Theotokos as she died and present at her burial. When Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas arrived the next day, they opened the tomb so that he could say his farewell. They found only an empty tomb filled with sweet-smelling flowers. We bless sweet-smelling flowers in remembrance of this great sign of her holiness.

"Dormition" is a Latin word meaning "Falling asleep".

According to Archbishop Joseph Raya

Most of the story of the life and the death of The Theotokos is not in the Bible, but in other very early Christian writings. Archbishop Joseph Raya tells it this way: "According to a very early Christian legend, while the apostles were scattered all over the the then-known world, preaching the Gospel, Mary remained in Jerusalem in the house of John [the Beloved Disciple]. Her love of God, like an ardent flame, burned steadily in her body. Finally it was revealed to her that her life was about to end. She wished to see the Twelve Apostles once more before she died. Each one of them was miraculously carried away from where he happened to be and borne on a cloud to the house on Mount Sion in Jerusalem where Mary was approaching death; every one of them, that is, except Thomas. They saw Christ Himself come down from heaven and receive the soul of His Mother in His arms. They took her holy body and placed it in the tomb prepared for it in the valley of Cedron, near Gethsemani. Thomas arrived three days later, when all was over. He wished to see for the last time the face of the woman who had been the Temple of God. He went with the other apostles to the tomb, which they opened. They found it empty, but heard an angelic concert. [It is also said that the beautiful fragrance of flowers filled the empty tomb, and this is why we bless flowers on this day.] Mary herself appeared to them and confirmed the fact of her assumption into heaven."

Our Transfiguration

Each one of us is called to be transfigured--changed by the power of Holy God so that we also shine with divine love and grace.

The Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos and the Great Feast of the of the Transfiguration of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, on August 6, remind us of our need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our own transfiguration toward the holiness and perfection that God created us to share with the Holy Trinity. We work toward this transfiguration by prayer, fasting, and sharing the many gifts God has given us.

Each one of us shares in Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ's divinity just as Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ shares our humanity. Hopefully, we too will ultimately be transfigured to new and perfect life with Holy God in eternity.

Blessing of Flowers at the End of the Divine Liturgy

At the End of the Divine Liturgy, there is the Blessing of Flowers.

Kontakion, Troparion, Exapostilarion, and Vespers Sticheron

Troparion (Tone 1)
"In giving birth you have preserved your virginity and in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God. You have passed to life, being the Mother of Life. Through your intercession, save our souls from death."

Kontakion (Tone 2)
"Neither death nor the tomb could hold the Mother of God, our watchful Protectress and our unfailing hope. Since she is the Mother of Life, Christ who dwelt in her ever-virginal womb lifted her up to the eternal life."

Hirmos

(Tone 1)
"All human generations bless you, O Mother of God. The laws of nature were overcome in you, O Pure Virgin: for your birth-giving left you a virgin, and your death became the herald of your life. O you who remained virgin after giving birth, and alive after having died, O Mother of God, deign always to save your inheritance."

Antiphon

Palsm 131
Though the prayers of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us.
Be shafa'ati Walidat il ilah, ya Mukhalles, Khallisna.
Tes bresvee-yes tees Theotokou, Soter, soson imas.

Holy Bible

The story of the life and the death of The Theotokos is not in the Holy Bible. The story is in other very early Christian writings. Because the Holy Dormition is not recorded in the Holy Bible, the Epistle and Gospel readings for this Feast don't refer directly to The Theotokos. But these readings help us to understand The Theotokos importance in God's Plan of Salvation.

Apostolos

Holy, Glorious and Illustrious Prince of the Apostles Paul's Letter to the Philippians (chapter 2, verses 5-11). The reading talks about the birth as a Human Being (Man) of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, the Savior of All People. He emptied Himself and was born as a Man and became humble and obedient, even to the point of death on the Cross. Therefore, Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ was glorified and exalted by Holy God, so that every knee "in heaven and on earth and under the earth" should bend to honor His Holy Name.

Gospel

Holy Apostle Luke the Evangelist (chapter 10, verses 38-42 and chapter 11, verses 27-28). The reading is the story of Mary and Martha. This story is read because the Mary sits at the feet of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ and listens to Him. Mary gives all her attention to the Word of God, which is what the Theotokos did, and which Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ says is the only thing that is needed.
The Mary in the story is not the Theotokos.
The story is read on almost every feast of the Theotokos.

Ikon

The ikon for The Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos shows The Theotokos lying on her deathbed, surrounded by eleven of the Apostles, and Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ receiving her soul in heaven.

Feast Day

The Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos is a feast day. The reason is that fasting is forbidden on all Great Feast days with the exception of The Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Lifegiving Holy Cross.
Feasting begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos (15 August) on 14 August evening. Feasting ends just before the Vespers of the Holy Hieromartyr Eutyches (24 August) on 23 August evening.

The Paraclisis is Said

The Paraclisis is said during the two weeks before the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos, from August 1 to August 14.

• Times of temptation, discouragement, or sickness
• The two weeks before the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos, from August 1 to August 14.

History

The Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos became popular throughout the Byzantine Empire between 588 and 602. Theodore I, Pope from 642 to 649, who was a Byzantine Christian from Jerusalem, introduced this feast to the Church of Rome and the West.

The Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos is is the oldest feast of the Mother of God.

The Western Church calls this feast "The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary".

Paper

Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God Saint Ann Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Paterson, NJ

More Information

The Dormition Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Feasts of Our Lady the Theotokos

Ikon

The Dormition Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Feasts of Our Lady the Theotokos

All The Theotokos's Great Feasts are Class 2.

Liturgical Cycle

Liturgical Cycle

Great Feast Days

Great Feast Days

Feasts Days - Specific

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ
The Theotokos
The Holy Prophet and Glorious Forerunner John the Baptist

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Wednesday, June 03, 2020, 16:44:36, CDT
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