My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
The Dormition (Koimisis) and Metastasis (Translation) of the Theotokos from
Earth to Heaven is the SUMMER PASCHA.
Our Holy Orthodox Tradition reveals to the faithful not only the Dormition (Koimisis) of the Theotokos but her Metastasis (Translation) from earth to heaven. We are reminded how the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God at Golgotha and announced Her departure from this earthly life. As a pledge to this, the Archangel gave Her a PALM BRANCH FROM PARADISE. On the day of Her Dormition miraculously all the Holy Apostles who were dispersed throughout the world were transported and brought to Her to be present at this momentous and holy event. Everyone was present except the Holy Apostle Thomas who was still in India. At the conclusion of the divine service of the Paraklesis we chant the following Exapostilarion hymn: "O You Apostles from far off, Being gathered together in the village of Gethsemane, Lay my body in burial, And You, my Son, and my God, Receive now my spirit from me." The funeral and Her burial took place by the Holy Apostles and the multitude of the faithful. Arriving late on the third day after the Theotokos was buried Saint Thomas requested that Her tomb be opened so as to venerate Her All-Holy relics and bid Her farewell. When the Holy Apostles opened the tomb, they found the grave wrappings, Her holy Body not there.
Later that day, the Holy Apostles were assembled to eat and as they raised the bread in Jesus’ Name, as was their practice, the Theotokos suddenly appeared to them and said: Rejoice! I am with you all the days of your lives. It was from this occurrence that the Holy Apostles learned of Her BODILY METASTASIS OR TRANSLATION INTO HEAVEN.
There is a special divine service held in Orthodox Monasteries called the RITE OF OFFERING OF THE PANAGIA (ALL-HOLY). A portion of the prosforon {Offering bread) used in the Divine Liturgy is dedicated in Honor to the Mother of God. This divine service is done as a procession after conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. It traces its roots to the Holy Apostles who first offered a portion of the bread, set aside at the meal in memory of the Savior and they exclaimed Most Holy Theotokos save us.
At ever Divine Liturgy, during the divine Service of the Proskomidi, where the priest prepares the Host to be offered, A TRIANGULAR PORTION IS CUT OFF FROM THE PROSFORON AND PLACED REVERENTLY AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AMNOS (LAMB) OR HOST ON THE PATEN DISKARION) IN HONOR OF THE THEOTOKOS. As the priest cuts that portion he says, "In Honor and Memory of Our Most Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Through her prayers, O Lord, accept this sacrifice upon Thy Heavenly Altar. The priest removes the triangular particle of hte prosphora and places it on the right side of the Holy Bread saying, "The Queen stood on the right side, arrayed in golden robes, all glorious."
Our Holy Orthodox Church does not adhere to the Roman Catholic dogma of the Assumption of the Theotokos. Although the Theotokos lived a life of purity and without sin, She WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE ANCESTRAL SIN which is death. Her conception WAS NOT IMMACULATE AS IT WAS FOR CHRIST WHO WAS CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Furthermore, She DID UNDERGO A PHYSICAL DEATH. Her soul was received by Christ upon Her DEATH and Her Body was transferred to Heaven.
The Mother of God was NOT raised from the dead by Christ as was Lazarus, Jesus raised Lazarus who continued to live an earthly life, having a mortal death years later. The Theotokos, on the other hand, was not raised from the dead to continue Her earthly life. Rather, Her Sacred Body was translated from this life to heaven. The Dismissal (Apolytikion) hymn chanted on Her Dormition reveals this very fact: "In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity; in thy dormition, thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Thou WAS TRANSLATED UNTO LIFE, since thou art the Mother of Life; and by thine intercessions dost thou redeem our souls from death. And the Kontakion Hymn of the Dormition says, "The grave and death could not hold the Theotokos, who is unsleeping in her intercessions and an unfailing hope in her mediations. For as the Mother of Life she was TRANSLATED TO LIFE by Him Who dwelt in her Ever-virgin womb."
It was essential that the Sacred Body of the Ever-Virgin Mary NOT remain on earth to decay. For in Her CONTAINED GOD HIMSELF WHICH IS WHY HER BODY IS HOLY AND SACRED, IT IS ACCURATE TO SAY, HOWEVER, THAT SHE WAS RESURRECTED TO LIFE IN THE ETERNAL KINGDOM. In other words, the Theotokos is not awaiting the Common or General Resurrection on the Last Day for Her soul to be united to Her Body. THEY ARE INDEED UNITED AND THE THEOTOKOS IS TOGETHER WITH HER SON IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. She was raised up by Her Son to His Heavenly Kingdom as the Mother of Life. Thus, the Dormition of the Theotokos is the SUMMER PASCHA BECAUSE IT IS COMMEMORATING THE PASSAGE FROM DEATH TO LIFE. (Resource: Mr. John Athanasatos)
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 