The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is the crown of all the feasts dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary. This is not only because it is her last feast in the Church Year, but also because it reveals the fulfillment of the mission of the Mother of God. This is strongly suggested in the troparion of the Feast:

“In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering our souls from death by your intercessions.”

God chose the Holy Virgin in order to fulfill His plan for the salvation of mankind. St. Nicholas Cabasilas expresses this reality in very meaningful words, “The Virgin offers herself and is also involved, a fact which attracts the Divine Architect to earth and starts his creative hand working. Ornamenting her soul and body with so much beauty, she attracted the eye of God and revealed the beauty of our nature through her beauty. She thus attracted the Sinless One; the One which man had driven away through sin was made man through the Virgin.” We understand how the Virgin gave birth to the Giver of Life, becoming the Mother of Life. And we also understand how, through giving birth in purity to the Savior of the world, St. Mary became the Mother of all those who believe in Him. In this way, the Mother of God fell asleep but did not forsake the world, for in her quality as Mother she is with us and she hears our prayers and lifts them up to the throne of the Heavenly King.

Like the Mother of God, every mother brings children into the world, not only for this world but for the eternal Kingdom. Thus, our mothers have the holy mission of giving us physical life, but also spiritual life by bringing us to Holy Baptism. And Baptism is followed by Christian education so that every child may receive the Faith and grow up under the care of the Church, the Mother of the children of God and the Bride of Christ.

The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos reminds us of the value of this life, but also of eternal life. In this life we work out our salvation, and our present deeds gain eternal value for us and our descendants. My challenge at this glorious Feast is addressed to our mothers: let us be attentive to our children and let us give them life, but also faith. Let us be like the Mother of God in this offering of life, and let us also lift up our prayers to the Lord for our children. Thus, we will fulfill our mission as parents on this earth, and we will rejoice together with all mothers and with the Mother of God at our own passing from this life into the perfect life in heaven.

Let us ask the Mother of God to guide us all and to make us worthy to be called her children and of the heavenly Father!

† Metropolitan Nicolae