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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 RayaMost 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."
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Action | Name | Time |
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Fast | Dormition Fast Theotokos Fast Our Lady's Fast | Begins just before the Vespers of the Feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross (1 August) on 31 July evening evening Ends just before Vespers of the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos (15 August) on 14 August evening. |
Feast | Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos | Begins at the beginning of the Vespers of the Great Feast of the Dormition of The Theotokos (15 August) on 14 August evening. Ends just before the Vespers of the Holy Hieromartyr Eutyches (24 August) on 23 August evening. |
Day | Commemorate | Date | Apostolos | Gospel |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dormition Fast Begins | Our Lady's Fast | Fast Begins just before Vespers 31 July | ||
Procession of Holy Cross Seven Holy Macchabees, their mother Salome and their instructor, Elder Eleazar | 1 | Heb. 11:33-12:2a | Mt. 10:16-22 |
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Transfig- uration of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ | Jesus Christ's transfig- uration | 6 | 2 Pet. 1:10-19 | Mt. 17:1-9 |
Vigil of Dormition Theotokos | Holy Prophet Micheas | 14 | ||
Dormition Fast Ends | Our Lady's Fast | Ends just before Vespers 14 |
Day | Commemorate | Date | Apostolos | Gospel |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dormition of Theotokos | Theotokos' going to heaven. | 15 | Phil. 2:5-11 | Lk. 10:38-42, 11:27-28 |
Second Day Celebration | Transfer of icon of Holy Veil of our Lord, God and Savior, Jessus Christ, Holy Martyr Diomedes | 16 | 2 Cor. 11:5-21a 1 Tim 3:13-4:5 | Mk. 4:1-9 Lk. 9-51-56 10-22-24 13:22 |
Third Day Celebration | Holy Martyr Myron | 17 | ||
Fourth Day Celebration | Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus | 18 | ||
Fifth Day Celebration | Holy Martyrs Andrew the Centurion and his two thousand five hundred and niety-three companions | 19 | ||
Sixth Day Celebration | Holy Prophet Samuel | 20 | ||
Seventh Day Celebration | Holy Apostle Thaddeus Holy Woman Martyr Bassa and her children | 21 | ||
Eight day Dormition of Theotokos | Holy Martyr Agathonicos and his companions | 22 | ||
Leave taking Dormition of Theotokos | Holy Martyr Luppus Holy HieroMartyr Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons | 23 |
All The Theotokos's Great Feasts are Class 2.
Feast | Event Commem- orated | Action of Event | Significance of Event | Celebrate | Apostolos | Gospel | Date | Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nativity of Theotokos | Future Theotokos' birth | Future Theotokos being born. | Beginning of work of salvation, because she was to be Theotokos. | Theotokos birthday. | Phil. 2:5-11 | Lk. 10:38-42, 11:27-28 | 8 Sept. | Great Feast Class 2 |
Entrance of Theotokos into Temple | Future Theotokos' entrance into Temple. | Future Theotokos entering unaided into Temple's Holy of Holies. | Future Temple of Holy God enters into His Temple's Holy of Holies | Future Theotokos's union with Holy God. | Heb. 9:1-7 | Lk. 10:38-42, 11:27-28 | 21 Nov. | Great Feast Class 2 |
ºHoly Hypapanty of Our Lord, God Savior, Jesus Christ ºPurifi- cation of Theotokos | ºJesus Christ's presen- tation at Temple. ºTheotokos' purification. | Theotokos bringing Jesus Christ to Temple at prescribed time for prescribed rituals. | Messiah's first meeting with His people. | A step in process of our redemption. | Heb. 7:7-17 | Lk. 2:22-40 | 2 Feb. | Great Feast Class 2 |
Annun- ciation of Theotokos Ever Virgin Mary | Jesus Christ's conception in human form Incar- nation. | Future Theotokos' accepting Holy God's will saying yes to Holy God. | Holy God becomes human Incar- nation. | Beginning of process of our redemption. | Heb. 2:11-18 | Lk. 1:24-38 | 25 March | Great Feast Class 2 |
Dormition of Theotokos | Theotokos' going to heaven. | Holy God's taking Theotokos' body and soul into heaven. | Preview of transfig- uration that awaits all of us in the Kingdom to come. | Possi- bility of our "eternal life". | Phil. 2:5-11 | Lk. 10:38-42, 11:27-28 | 15 Aug. | Great Feast Class 2 |
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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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
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