|
|
|
Dormition of the Theotokos 2007 "All Holy Theotokos, intercede for us." If you look at the translation of the first Hymn of our Divine Liturgy you shall read: "Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, (meaning the Birth-Giver of God), O Saviour, save us." The Theotokos is the Mother of Jesus, but She no less is the Mother of us all, who as Her sons and daughters, we earnestly pray to Her to intercede for us to Her Son, our Saviour. Last Wednesday, the Christian Orthodox World celebrated the Dormition, that it the falling asleep of the Theotokos, and subsequently Her assumption into Heaven, to be with Her Son, according to His human counterpart, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But, being a weekday, and not having our own Facility, we could not have celebrated the Divine Liturgy. But, I did participate in the Liturgy of my former Parish in Daytona Beach, and invoked prayers for all you, the beloved Members of my spiritual Flock. Today, I would like to speak mainly on the "Panagia" meaning "All-Holy," and her dormition. The Theotokos is unique in the history of humankind. She has no equal. She was selected for a unique place in the realm of Divine Providence, to become the Holy Vessel of God, to give birth to the Lord's human counterpart. One of the hymnographers described Her as "superior to all the Saints."The devotion to the Virgin Mary is unlimited. There are so many Services in our Holy Church in Her honor. The beauty of the Akathist Hymn, a prayer Service during the 5 Fridays in Lent is unparalleled, in that, there are 144 phrases in the Akathist, each one hailing the Theotokos, through as many descriptions. To give you some idea of the beauty of the Akathist Hymn„ we see that She is hailed as "being the Throne of the King!" That "She bore the One, Who bears the Universe in His Hands." That "She is the Heavenly Ladder, by which God descended to Earth!" That "She is the Bridge, which conveys us from earth to Heaven. " That "She is the tree of delectable fruit, nourishing the faithful!" That "She is the well shaded Tree, under which many find shelter." That "She is the One, who proves the wise, unwise." That "She has regenerated those, who were conceived in shame." That "She is the fragrance of Christ's sweetness." Etc. The Akathist Hymn, is not only a religious, but indeed a literary masterpiece, and we slight ourselves, when we don't make an effort to delve into the great wealth of our Church since time immemorial. We should find time, and make time, to devote ourselves to discover Orthodoxy's wealth, which undeniably, will enrich us and edify us. It is no wonder then, that in the hymn of our Liturgy, following the Consecration of the Holy Gifts, we sing: "It is very worthy to bless You, the Theotokos. You, who are more honorable than the Cherubim, and incomparably, more glorious than the Seraphim; verily, You the Birth-Giver of God, we do magnify!" As we know, the Cherubim and the Seraphim are Angels, always near the Throne of God. From the days of the Holy Apostles until today, the ever loving and self-sacrificing Holy Mother has stood as a pillar near Her Children. She was the Mother of the Lord of His human counterpart, but She was, and is, the Holy Mother of us all, as we mentioned. She has been the noblest example of love, patience, devotion and fullness of life. She tasted of this fullness with the glorious Resurrection of her Son. But preceding the Glory of the Resurrection, she was immensely tried by witnessing the inhuman and barbaric treatment of Her Son. Having then tasted the agony of the Crucifixion, culminating with the Glory of the Resurrection, she is fully prepared to once again be re-united with Her Son. Tradition tells us, that she had a great desire to see all the Apostles, who were traveling all over to preach the new Faith before She would be leaving this Earth. Except for Thomas, they had gathered in Jerusalem responding to the desire of the Holy Mother, who then fell asleep in the Lord. They reverently moved Her remains, burying Her in a crypt in Gethsemane. St. Thomas arrived 3 days later, and expressed the desire to pay his respects to the Holy Mother. Going to the crypt, they found it empty.Her body followed the route of Her Soul, which was near Her Son in Heaven. From this Divine Place she listens and intercedes for us. This transition, or Assumption of the Holy Mother St. Mary, is one of the most ancient traditions of our Faith. I bring to you in translation, one of the hymns chanted on Her Day, August 15, to show you the supreme level, upon which the Church places Her: "Come, all you, who love great feasts, and let us create a choir. Let us fill the Church with a doxology for the Dormition of the Ark of God. Because, Heaven today opens wide its arms to receive the Woman, who gave Birth to Him, Who nothing can ever contain Him. Today, the Earth is returning to Heaven the Woman, who is the Source of Life. " Still another hymn states: "The Angels gather near the Apostles, and together with them stand before the Woman, who gave Birth to the Lord of Life, and who now departs from the life of this world for the Eternal Life. Let us then revere Her and beseech Her saying: 'O Lady Theotokos, do not forget us who share your humanity, and who celebrate your Holy Dormition with great warmth and love." The spirit of this great Feast of the Dormition is described in the central hymn of the Day, as follows: "In giving Birth You preserved your virginity; in Your falling asleep, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. You were transferred to Life, being the Mother of Life, and by Your intercessions, you save our souls from death. " How unfortunate though, that this Great Day, as well as so many other Major Holy Days come at a time, when there is so much strife and unrest in the world. The dark clouds are ever threatening. The horizon doesn't seem to have that silver lining, promising the dawn of a better day. Witnessing the uncertainty of the human factor, all the more, and most decidedly humankind should be bolstered by the certainty of God, --- and that without Him, humankind cannot make any positive steps forward. It should be to God, that we place our faith, and surely without reservations. It is not by chance that the first petition of our Divine Liturgy is "for peace, which comes from Above," and the petition, which follows; "For the peace of the whole world." The Church is always filled with opportunities, which are offered to the faithful for their spiritual edification. The Great Day of the Dormition of our Holy Mother is another one of these opportunities, which can work miracles in our soul. Amen. + Fr. George Papadeas
|
|
Back to home page
Send mail to
epantaz@yahoo.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|