Metropolitan Timotej: Dormition of the Most-Holy Mother of God
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In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
Dear brothers and sisters,
Not even our mind, nor our tears and everything that could help us can we express our gratitude to the One who appears as more dignified (worthy) than the angels, more honoured than the cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the seraphim. The One Who carried the Immaculate God in Her. The One who preserved the virginity in the birth-giving, and after Her Dormition (falling asleep), did not abandon those who live in this wonderful, but at the same time, evil, sinful and corrupt world.
What does such a death mean? Until the coming of Christ, and above all, until His glorious Resurrection, death was a punishment. The souls of people went to hell, to the lowest reaches of Hades. The human race had no choice, no hope. After the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, death is destroyed and its power is exhausted. Now, death has no power over people. After the Resurrection, death is given as a kind of reward to the people, that is, it is Dormition (falling asleep) and resting of the souls. Souls should fall asleep in order to wake up for the future life. To wake up into a holy life, graceful life and a life in God and in His love.
According to providence, the Lord Jesus Christ did not want the soul of the Mother of God (Bogorodica) to descend into the helpless earth, where His soul descended, to destroy the barriers that man raised with his own sin, between himself and God. God allowed the Mother of God to endure suffering in this life. Her heart was pierced with weapons filled with bitterness and suffering, but She prayed and thanked God. He gave Her the strength to bear all those sufferings and torments for the glory of Her only begotten Son.
Today the Holy Church celebrates the Dormition of the Most Holy Birth-Giver of God (Bogorodica). It is a great feast. The angels were amazed at how the Son carried the soul of His Mother in His hands. They were amazed, but they rejoiced and they surrounded the Creator. Just as sin entered the world through a woman, so too through this New Woman, the New Eve, appears (enters the world) the Redeemer of sin. The radiant Light appears. The Sun of Justice appears, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament prophet David says: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His holy ones.” (Psalm 115, 6) Whose death would be more precious than the death of the One that the Holy Church celebrates today? If the death of the righteous is a birth for everlasting life, then, what shall we say about our Empress, the Mother of God? Since ancient times believers called this feast the Dormition (Uspenie) of the Most Holy Bogorodica (Birth-Giver of God). She fell asleep in peace, because She could not die. She did not taste death, but She found Herself in the arms of Her Son and our God.
Today we sing: “In Your Dormition You did not abandon us.” This testifies that wherever we are, if we call upon the Most Holy Bogorodica for help, She will answer our supplications and She will help us. She wipes out our tears, she takes our infirmities in Her hands and with Her motherly love, She brings them to Her Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today the whole world is filled with praise towards Her. All things rejoice for Her glorious Dormition. The visible world is rejoicing and invisible world is rejoicing. The wise ones are rejoicing, the foolish ones are also rejoicing.
Often we do not think and ask ourselves enough. The Patriarch of Constantinople Tarasius says: “What are we striving for and what do we want? Let’s stop for a moment and in all seriousness open our hearts toward the Mother of God (Bogorodica) and She will not forsake us. Let us purify our souls with repentance and fall on our knees praying with admiration: “O, Most-Holy Mother of God save us!” She will hear our supplications and pleadings and She will help us.”
Today, when we celebrate Her Dormition (Assumption; falling asleep), let’s turn our sight to heaven. Let us cry for our sins so that we can be worthy children of God. We must always remember that, as a representative and One who carries our prayers, before our Creator and Saviour, we have the Most-Holy Bogorodica.
The Holy Mother of God shows Her mercy and help through Her many miraculous icons. On one occasion, a soldier waited in line to venerate one of Her icons, that is, before the icon, which is called “The Comforter of All Sufferers.” This man, waiting in line, asked himself the question: “How can the Mother of God be the mother of all Christians?” At the same time he heard a voice from the icon: “For Me to be your mother, you need to become a worthy son.”
Truly, dear brothers and sisters, gathered together in this holy temple, let us turn with sincere prayer to the Most-Holy Bogorodica. Let us learn from the example of this soldier and the voice of Bogorodica. If we want our supplications and pleadings to be heard from Bogorodica, we need to purify ourselves from all unworthiness, and with repentance and humbleness to seek help from the Mother of God, and then our prayers will be heard and fulfilled.
Most-Holy Mother of God help us!
Dormition of the Most Holy Bogorodica (Mother of God)
August 28, 2018
Church of “Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God – Kamensko” – Ohrid
