15th of August –

The Dormition of our Holy Mother 8/14/05         

Tomorrow, the celebration of the Holy Dormition of our Holy Mother, the Ever-Virgin Mary is one of the major Holidays of the year. It seals the first 15 days of August, which are set aside, for our spiritual enrichment by fasting and prayer.

Unfortunately, we are not able to celebrate on this day because the Chapel is used for the High School during all the school days. But, we chanted the main hymn of the Holy Mother during the Minor Entrance when we circled the Holy Altar with the Book of the Gospels.

Our hymnology is a treasure of poetry and theology combined. The main hymn for tomorrow's major Holy Day, which will be heard in all the Orthodox Churches states: "In giving Birth, you, the Mother of God did retain your virginity; and in your Dormition you did not forsake the world. You have passed into Life, who in essence is the Mother of Life; and through your intercessions you deliver our souls from death!"

Indeed, the Holy Mother is the unique person in the world for all time, in that she gave Birth to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She was the chosen vessel by God, in order to bring about the reconciliation of man with God.

We must understand, that with the fall of man Divine Justice was offended. The original disobedience by the first created Adam and Eve, lost for them the Paradise, and their spiritual state to fully enjoy their intended immortal nature. But now, that they had sinned, they were condemned to taste of spiritual and physical death, when that day would come. Their lives diametrically changed, because of their disobedience.

As stated in Genesis 3:19, God said to Adam: "In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the ground; for out of it your were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

All the descendants of Adam and Eve, for all time are born with the stigma of the original sin of disobedience.

Here, we must fully understand, that God is absolute Love, but at the same time He is also absolute justice. And as we said, justice was offended by the original sin.

Thus, as the generations succeeded one another, so also did the rays of the knowledge of God. With each generation these rays narrowed to the point, that the true God gradually became unknown. However, the void felt in people's hearts, of not knowing the true God, and the strong dependency on some higher being, as was ingrained in the human hearts, caused people to create idols, which in turn they worshipped. The spiritual darkness was inconceivable.

But, the God of love, could not forever bear to have His supreme creation apart from Him. Therefore, God unveils His plan to once again open the Gates of Paradise for the fallen man to enter. Divine justice had to be justified or vindicated. But, no person, however saintly, was in a position to vindicate, or to satisfy God's absolute justice. Thus, unfolds the plan for the salvation of man, with the Incarnation of His only begotten Son, as prophesied centuries before by the great Prophets.

St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, especially in the 5th Chapter explicitly tells us, "that through one man, Adam, sin came into the world, but through One Man, Jesus, salvation has come to the world." I quote for you some verses of this Chapter: verse 12: "Wherefore, if by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed to all men, for that all have sinned." verse 17: "For if by one man's offense, death reigned through the one, (that is, Adam); much more, they, who receive the abundance of Grace, and of the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life through One, --- (that is,) Jesus Christ.

Verses 18-21: "Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so, by the righteousness of One, the Free Gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

(19) For, as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so, by the obedience of One, shall many be made righteous. (20) Moreover, the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, (the) Grace (of our Lord) did much more abound:

(21) That, as sin has reigned unto death, even so, the Grace shall reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord!"

In St. Paul's 1st Epistle to Timothy, 2nd Chapter, verses 5 and 6 we read: "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men; ---- the man Christ Jesus, Who gave himself a ransom for all."

In verses 8 to 10 from the 5th Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, it is stated so clearly. "But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we are justified --- acquitted, made righteous and brought into right relationship with God by Christ's blood, how much more certain it is, that we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Jesus.

For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His Life!"

Thus, we learn through the Apostle of Nations St. Paul the great mystery of our being justified by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

As mentioned in the beginning of this sermon we celebrate the Dormition and the Metastasis of our Holy Mother, St. Mary, that is Her being transposed into Heaven. The Holy Mother is the unique personality in the history of the world. She was the chosen Vessel by God.