The Falling-Asleep of the Most-Holy Birthgiver-of-God

The feast of the Falling-Asleep (Dormition) our Most-Holy Lady, the Birthgiver-of-God and Ever-Virgin Mary is the most important feast dedicated to the Birthgiver-of-God. The death of the Ever-Virgin is special because she was assumed into heaven before the general resurrection of all which will take place at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ when He will judge the living and the dead, save Mary.

This feast became popular very rapidly following the Council of Ephesus (431) which declared Mary to be the Birthgiver-of-God (Theotokos). The Byzantine Emperor Maurice (582-602) fixed the date for its celebration on August 15 (now celebrated on August 28 for parishes still using the Julian Calendar). Nearly the entire month of August is in some way dedicated to this feast. First, it is preceded by a 15-day fasting period which is short, but is second in its severity only to the Great Fast. The fast is then followed by the feast itself which is celebrated as an octave, meaning that the celebration that lasts eight days.

The last thing that sacred scripture attests to concerning Mary is that after our Lord's Ascension from Mt. Zion, she devoted herself to prayer with the Apostles in the upper room while awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). The scriptures leave us ignorant about the last years of her life, especially where and if she died. Therefore, the events surrounding the death of the Mother of God must be gleaned from various non-scriptural sources and legends.

The Apostles, being dispersed throughout the world, were miraculously reunited in Jerusalem. There they assisted at the death of the Mother of God in the house of John the on Mt. Zion. They descended from Mt. Zion in procession to Gethsemane to bury her. Today many Orthodox parishes, especially those of Greek origin, have a procession on the feast with a shroud bearing the image of the deceased Mother of God.

While the Apostles were on their way down Mt. Zion, they encountered many impious Jews. One of them, Jeohonias, disrespectfully touched the of the Mother of God and his hands immediately shriveled. Other stories claim that an angel appeared and cut off his arms which is often seen in many icons for the feast. Once at Gethsemane, the Apostles buried her and chanted her funeral service. Some legends add that Thomas did not return until three days after her death. When the Apostles opened her tomb so that Thomas might see the Mother of our Lord one last time, she was not there. Instead, the tomb was filled with flowers. Stemming from this event is the traditional of blessing flowers on this feast in honor of Mary, the Flower of Incorruption.

Though the entire office for the feast speaks of Mary's death with no specific mention of her bodily assumption into heaven three days later, it has been a subject of almost universal belief for over 1,500 years. Orthodox liturgical tradition has always maintained that she died first, just as the apocryphal stories (writings and legends about Christ and His followers which were not accepted as part of sacred scripture), relate. This is accepted almost universally by the entire Orthodox Church since Mary was subject to the same laws of nature which govern all creation. This in no way denies the majesty and glory with which she was revealed after death. Therefore, she died, but her body, from which our Savior took flesh, was spared from corruption. She was translated to heaven before this could occur.

At death believers are buried in the ground awaiting the promise of the Second Coming just like seeds are planted awaiting to burst forth into life. The Mother of God was spared this wait. Rather, she immediately burst forth to share in that glory which awaits all the righteous. Mary is called the Flower of Incorruption because she has already bloomed forth like a flower into the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom.

In condemning our first parents, Adam and Eve, to death for having eaten the forbidden fruit, this punishment also included the fact that our bodies would disintegrate in the grave to remind us of our origin: "You are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Gen. 3:19). Mary was preserved from this due to her profound similarity to Christ, her Son. Like Christ she died, was buried, and was raised from the tomb. Since she shared so intimately in the work of salvation which our Lord accomplished, she was granted the singular and unique privilege of having her life end with the glorification of her virginal body shortly after her death. In this way, she prefigures the glory that we, too, hope to share at the Second Coming.