Dormition of Our Lady icon description. The Dormition of the Theotokos icon - how to ask for help? History of the Assumption of the Virgin

history of the holiday

Information about the last years of the earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos can be gleaned from a number of apocrypha and some pious traditions.

The events of the Assumption and Burial of the Virgin are known from sources such as "The Legend of the Assumption of the Virgin" by Pseudo-John the Theologian (mid-5th century), "The Exodus of the Virgin Mary" by Pseudo-Meliton of Sardis (not earlier than the 4th century), the work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite , "Word of John, Archbishop of Thessalonica." One of these apocryphal is found in the History of the Church by Nicephorus Xanthopulus. The history of the appearance of the feast of the Dormition is also described by the Monk John of Damascus in the work "The Second Praise for the Dormition of the Mother of God", where the words of the Jerusalem Bishop Juvenaly are quoted. All of the apocryphal works listed above are quite late compositions (V-VI centuries) and differ from each other in content.

Most researchers agree that the Virgin Mary lived on earth for 72 years and died around 57 AD.

By the time of Her Assumption, the Mother of God lived in Jerusalem, visiting for prayers Golgotha \u200b\u200band the Holy Sepulcher. Once during a prayer, the archangel Gabriel appeared to Her, saying that in three days She would go to Christ God. Calming Mary so that She would be ready for this hour, the archangel announced to Her: “... Your Son and our God with the archangels and angels, cherubim and seraphim, with all the heavenly spirits and souls of the righteous will receive You, His Mother, into the heavenly kingdom, so that You may live and reign with Him for an endless time. " In commemoration of his words, the archangel handed over to the Mother of God a branch of the tree of paradise, instructing her to carry her before the grave of the Mother of God at burial.

Before her death, the Mother of God wanted to gather at her bed the apostles, who by that time were preaching the Christian faith in different countries. Through the prayer of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Holy Spirit miraculously, according to tradition, - in the clouds, gathered the apostles from different parts of the earth so that they could bow to the Most Holy Virgin before Her Assumption.

Seeing the apostles, the Mother of God joyfully gave Her soul into the hands of the Lord. Here is how St. Dimitri of Rostov describes the last minutes of the Mother of God: “Suddenly in the upper room the unspeakable light of Divine glory shone, darkening the lamps. Those to whom this vision was revealed were horrified. They saw that the roof of the upper room was open and the glory of the Lord descended from heaven - the King of glory Himself, Christ, with the darkness of angels and archangels, with all heavenly powers, with the holy forefathers and prophets, who had once foreshadowed the Blessed Virgin, and with all righteous souls approached to His Most Pure Mother ".

The Apostles buried the Mother of God in the tomb of Her parents, the righteous Joachim and Anna, in which the ashes of Her husband, Joseph the Betrothed, rested, at the very foot of the Mount of Olives, or the Mount of Olives, near the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ loved to talk with the disciples so much and where He was taken by the Jews ...

Tradition keeps the story of how a passing Jewish priest Athos tried to overturn the bed with the body of the Virgin Mary, but immediately his hands were cut off by an unknown force. After Athonius' deep repentance, his hands became whole again with divine power, and he himself accepted the Christian faith.

According to the Apocrypha, the Apostle Thomas was the only one of Christ's disciples who did not make it to the funeral of the Mother of God (he came to Jerusalem on the third day after the burial). Then the apostles brought him to the tomb so that he could also worship the body of the Mother of God. As St. Demetrius of Rostov narrates, “when the holy Apostles, having rolled away the stone, opened the tomb, they were horrified: the body of the Mother of God was not in the tomb, only the burial shroud remained, spreading a wonderful fragrance; the holy Apostles stood in amazement, wondering what this meant! Kissing with tears and reverence the burial shroud remaining in the tomb, they prayed to the Lord that He would reveal to them where the body of the Most Holy Theotokos disappeared. "

On the evening of the same day, when the apostles gathered together for a meal, and the Apostle Peter, raising the ukruh in memory of Christ according to custom, said: “Great is the name of the Holy Trinity,” the disciples of Christ saw the Most Holy Theotokos in the air surrounded by angels. The Mother of God blessed the apostles with the words “Rejoice! I am with you all the days until the end of the age. " The Most Holy Virgin extended her motherly blessing through the apostles and to all believing Christians until the very last times.

Establishing a holiday

Until the 4th century, the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was not celebrated among Christians as a general church holiday. The final approval of the church celebration of the Assumption in all parts of the Christian world took place only around the 8th century. The feast day of the Assumption on August 15/28, according to the "History of the Church" by Nicephorus Callistus Xanfopulus, was established by the emperor Mauritius, who issued a special edict (second half of the 6th century).

The event of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was glorified by the canons of St. Kozma Mayumsky and Venerable John of Damascus in the 8th century, and the stichera of the holiday were written in the 5th century by Patriarch Anatoly of Constantinople. For a long time, the holiday is preceded by fasting, which was approved in the XII century. at the Council of Constantinople under Patriarch Luke. The celebration of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos always took place with special solemnity in Gethsemane at the place of Her burial, where a temple was erected in which the burial shroud of the Virgin Mary was kept. In the IV century. the sacred veil was transferred to the Blachernae temple.

In monasteries and some churches, for the sake of a special celebration of the holiday, a special service is performed for the burial of the Mother of God. This service is known from the manuscripts of the 15th century and is performed in the likeness of the service of Matins on Great Saturday. In the 16th century, this service was very common in the Russian Church, but in the 19th century it was almost forgotten and was performed in only a few places. Currently, the burial rite of the Mother of God is performed in many cathedrals and parish churches on the second or third day of the holiday. The service begins with an all-night vigil, during the great doxology the clergy goes out to the shroud with the image of the Mother of God lying in the middle of the church; its censing is performed, and then the shroud around the temple is enclosed. After this, the anointing of the believers with oil is performed, litany and dismissal are read.

In Orthodoxy, the holiday is one of the twelve holidays and lasts 9 days - from August 15/28 to August 23 / September 5. The feast is preceded by a two-week Dormition Fast from August 1/14 to August 14/27, which is the strictest after Lent.

Spiritual meaning of the holiday

The Church calls the demise of the Mother of God Assumption, and not death, therefore, ordinary human death, when the body returns to the earth, and the spirit returns to God, did not touch the Blessed One: “Natures are conquered; christmas is virgin, and the belly is a pretext for death: after birth, the Virgin, and after death, she lives, save ever, Mother of God, Thy inheritance”(Irmos 9 canon canon).

The very feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also called the "Second Easter".

This name is evidence that the Dormition of the Mother of God, like the Resurrection of Christ, is salutary for the entire human race as a trampling on death and resurrection to the life of the century to come. Like the ascended Savior, the Most Holy Theotokos in Her appearance to the apostles promised to be with the human race "all the days until the end of the age."

Iconography

The addition of the iconography of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos belongs to the post-iconoclastic era. Two ivory plates date from the end of the 10th century - the frame of the Gospel of Emperor Otto III from the Bavarian Library in Munich and a plaque from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The general composition of the scene of the Assumption in both monuments will become traditional for the art of Byzantium and Ancient Rus. The Mother of God is depicted in the center on the bed, on either side of Her are the weeping apostles, behind the bed is the Savior with the soul of the Mother of God, depicted as a swaddled baby.

Some of the earliest surviving mural images of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos belong to the 10th-11th centuries. The painting of the Assumption Church in Ateni (Georgia) dates back to the beginning of the X century. This early monument, in addition to the apostles at the bed of the Mother of God, depicts the saints who, according to Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, were present at the Assumption. These are Jacob of Jerusalem, brother of the Lord, Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheos of Athens and Timothy of Edessa.

A fresco from a cave church in Goreme (Cappadocia, Turkey), dating from the 11th century, testifies to an already established composition. In the center, on a purple, gold-carved bed with a white ornamented cover, the deceased Mother of God is depicted. For the bed - Christ, who took the soul of His Mother in the form of a swaddled baby. The Lord extends Her to one of the two angels, who must take Her to heavenly abodes. On both sides of the bed are the apostles, whose figures have survived in fragments. On the left in front of the bed - the Apostle Peter, performing the censing, on the right, the Apostle Paul falls at the feet of the Virgin Mary, behind the bed, John the Theologian clung to the very head of the bed.

During the X-XI centuries, the compositional scheme of the Assumption practically did not change. Only some details are added to it, such as, for example, the architectural backstage in the background, indicating the historical place where the event of the Assumption took place - an upper room on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. In the window niches of buildings, the virgins and wives of Jerusalem are often depicted, to whom, according to the "Word of John, Archbishop of Thessaloniki," the Apostle Peter addressed a sermon.

Sometimes the soul of the Mother of God is depicted not in the arms of Christ, but in the covered hands of an angel who carries Her to heaven. If there is enough free space for the image (as, for example, in the painting of the Church of the Holy Trinity of the Sopochany monastery), then the artist places a whole host of heavenly forces above the bed of the Mother of God, hovering around the figure of the Savior.

At the end of the 13th - first half of the 14th century, the "cloudy Assumption" version was widely adopted. In this iconographic version, the apostles wonderfully admired from different countries are depicted not only at the bed, but also in the upper part of the composition flying on the clouds to Jerusalem. In Russia, such an image is first found on an icon of the early 13th century from the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin of the Tithe Monastery near Novgorod.

On the temple icon from the Pskov Church of the Assumption "on Paromene" (first quarter of the 14th century), instead of a traditional candle, a vessel of complex shape is depicted in front of the bed of the Mother of God. The jug-stamna inserted into the bowl reminds here of the ancient prototype of the Mother of God - the golden stamna with manna, which was kept in the ark of the covenant. In this Pskov icon, the figure of Christ is inscribed in a dark blue mandorla, which appears in the iconography of the Assumption not earlier than the end of the 12th century.

At the turn of the 12th - 13th centuries, the iconography of the Assumption is complemented by a plot with the cutting off of the hands of Aphonia, depicted in the foreground of the composition in front of the bed of Our Lady. At the same time, the figures of Aphonia and the angel chopping off his hands are deliberately reduced as secondary elements of the composition. For the first time this plot was recorded in the fresco of the Church of Panagia Mavriotissa in Kastoria (the turn of the XII-XIII centuries), and in Russia the episode with the "Miracle of cutting off the hands of Afonia" appears in the murals of the Cathedral of the Snetogorsk Monastery (1313), the Church of the Assumption on Volotovo Field (1360- e years), the Church of Theodore Stratilates on the Brook (about 1380) and is present on many icons of the 15th - 16th centuries.

To the secondary plots of the composition of the Dormition, one can also include the image of the episode with the presentation of the Mother of God of her belt to the Apostle Thomas, as can be seen on the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God from the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery in 1497. According to one of the legends about the Dormition, the Apostle Thomas, who did not have time for the funeral of the Mother of God, witnessed Her ascension to heaven and received a belt from Her hands. Joining the rest of the apostles, he told them about his meeting with the Mother of God, thereby testifying to Her bodily ascension.

In the 17th century, large-scale icons of the Assumption with stamps appeared, which illustrate the "Legend of the Assumption". So, on the 1658 icon from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in stamps depicts the prayer of the Mother of God before her death, the farewell of the Mother of God to her loved ones, the journey of the apostles, their conversation with the Mother of God and other scenes. The most detailed story about the Assumption of the Mother of God ends with the image of the Mother of God on a bed in the Garden of Eden.

A similar story about the Assumption is written on the hallmarks of the icon of the Assumption of the late 17th century from the Andrei Rublev Museum. In the last stigma of this image, not only the apostles stand before the bed of the Mother of God - in the lower right corner are depicted the Old Testament righteous bowing, among whom are the prophets David and Daniel, and behind the bed of Mary is written the figure of a prudent robber with a cross, indicating that the event depicted in the icon is taking place not on earth, but in paradise. In this regard, it is particularly noteworthy that the plot of the mark in question is written on a white background. It was this color that, from the very birth of Christian art, symbolized paradise (A. Ovchinnikov: "Any image on a white background should be understood as a communion with paradise").

In talking about the iconography of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, it is also important to note that many of the pictorial elements that make up this composition have a hidden liturgical meaning. So, the bed with the body of the Mother of God is undoubtedly likened to the throne in the temple, and the arrangement of the apostles in two groups, led by Peter and Paul, on either side of it, is their presence at the Eucharist and communion under two views. Christ behind the bed is the image of the bishop at the meal. The image in some of the monuments of the Apostle Peter with a censer in his hand indicates the censing of the holy gifts in the liturgy, and the image of the Apostle John, falling to the bed of the Virgin Mary, indicates the priest kissing the throne. The images of the four saints, according to legend, who were present at the Dormition of the Mother of God, symbolize the bishop's communion of priests in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Angels flying in scenes of the Dormition to Christ with covered hands, as to receive holy gifts, are the images of deacons.

Miraculous and revered icons

Among the many miraculous and locally revered images of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, a number of the most famous icons can be distinguished.

One of the most ancient miraculous icons of the Assumption of the Mother of God was painted in 1147 and is now in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery. She is known for the miraculous salvation of the city of Pskov in 1581 during the invasion of the Polish king Stefan Batory, as well as in 1812 during the invasion of Napoleon in Russia.

The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Kiev-Pechersk) is one of the most ancient icons of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to legend, the Mother of God Herself presented this icon to four Byzantine architects, who in 1075 brought the image to the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. The icon was glorified with many miracles. Its iconographic feature is the Gospel facing the bed of the Mother of God.

The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Ovinovskaya) became famous in 1425 in the Kostroma province.

The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Pskov-Pecherskaya) together with the image of "Tenderness" in 1581 showed a miracle during the siege of Pskov by the Polish king Stefan Bathory. The chronicle recorded the first healing from the image in 1473.

The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Pukhtitskaya) appeared in the 16th century on Estonian soil. She was found by simple shepherds at the roots of an oak after the apparition of the Most Holy Theotokos at the holy spring.

The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Seven-city) was painted by the Monk Dionysius Glushitsky, the founder of the Glushitsky monastery, located in the Kadnikovsky district of the Vologda province. It is believed that from the monastery he founded, this icon of the Mother of God was transferred by some hermits at a distance of 20 versts from the monastery, to the impenetrable forests beyond the Dvintsa River in the Semigrad volost.

The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Dalmatian) is named after the monk Dalmat - the founder of the Dormition Dalmatovsky Monastery in the Perm province.

Notes

1. The feast in honor of the Dormition of the Theotokos was originally called "Blessed Memory". It was under this name that they began to celebrate it in Syria in the 5th century. In the 6th century, the name of the holiday was changed to "Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God".

2. Until the 13th century, in Byzantine art, the soul of the Mother of God carried up by angels was portrayed as a baby in white swaddling clothes. The first Byzantine monument, where the ascended soul of the Mother of God is depicted not as a baby, but as an adult Virgin, was the "Golden Gate" of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in Suzdal (1230). This image allowed some researchers to believe that in this case not only the ascension of the soul of the Mother of God to heavenly glory, which happened immediately after separation from the body, is presented, but her bodily resurrection by Christ after burial.

3. A rare iconographic detail of the Novgorod icon is the red shoes standing on the foot in front of the bed of the Virgin, which in this context may be an image of leaving the earthly path. It is known that according to the ceremonial adopted in the Roman Empire, red shoes could only be worn by persons of royal blood, including the Mother of God as descended from the family of King David. Also among the interesting features of the icon are two tall candlesticks with candles standing behind the bed.

4. A lit candle is written in front of the bed of the Mother of God at the own direction of the Mother of God, who wished that a candle burned in the upper room (according to John of Thessaloniki).

Troparion, voice 1

Thou hast kept virginity at Christmas, / Thou didst not forsake the Mother of God in the suppression of the world; / Thou hast reposed to the belly, / Mother of the Belly, // and by Thy prayers deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion, voice 2

In prayers, the unrelenting Mother of God / and in intercessions, the immutable Hope / coffin and mortification will not hold back: / like the Mother's Belly / to the belly put // into the womb the ever-virgin All-in-One

Exaltation

We magnify Thee, / Most Immaculate Mother of Christ our God, / and glorify the all-glorious // Your Dormition.

Prayer

O Most Holy Theotokos, Virgin, Lady, the highest Angel and Archangel and all creatures, Honest, angelic great surprise, prophetic high sermon, apostolic glorious praise, saints a fair adornment, strong affirmation of martyrs, monks salutary instruction, fasting immortals of purity and glorification of mothers quiet joy, infants in wisdom and punishment, widows and orphans to the Nurse, naked robes, sick health, deliverance of captives, sailing in silence on the sea, overwhelmed by a non-stormy refuge, wandering easy to the Mentor, traveling an easy passage, toiling a good peace, in a poor woman who is fast Shelter and refuge, hopeless hope, demanding Helper, sad inherent consolation, hated loving humility, sinners' salvation and appropriation to God, the faithful of all are a solid fence, invincible help and intercession! Through thee, the Lady, the Invisible, we see byst, and to Thee we offer a prayer, O Lady, Thy sinful servant: O Merciful and All-pervading Light of the clever Queen, who gave birth to the King of Christ, our God, the Life-Giver of all, glorified from the heavenly and from the earthly praised, angelic mind, radiant the star, the Most Holy One, the Lady of all creatures, the Godly Maiden, the Innocent Bride, the chamber of the Most Holy Spirit, the fiery Throne of the Invisible King, the heavenly nod, carried the Words of God, the fiery chariot, the resting place of the Living God, the ineffable composition of the flesh of Christ, the nest of the Org-eyed The dove is meek, quiet and gentle, Mother is child-loving, an abyss of mercies, unleashing a cloud of God's wrath, immeasurable depth, inexpressible secret, unknown miracle, not opened by the hands of the Church of the One Tsar of all ages, a fragrant censer, an honest crimson, God-woven porphyry, soulful raven branch, beautiful color, heavenly joy flourished for us, the grave of our salvation, the cup of the Heavenly King, in dissolve from the Holy Spirit the wine of inexhaustible grace, the Intercessor of the law, conceived the true faith of Christ, the unshakable pillar, the sword of God's wrath against the godless, the intimidation of demons, victory in battle, Christians of all false Keeper and the world of all known salvation! O All-merciful Lady, Virgin Lady, Mother of God, hear us praying to Thee, and show Thy mercy on Thy people, pray Thy Son to get rid of all evil for us and preserve our abode and every abode, and city, and the land of the faithful, and people, piously resorting and calling on Your holy name, from all misfortune, destruction, gladness, cowardice, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine wounds and, from all illness and all circumstances, and neither by wounds, nor by punishment, nor by pestilence, nor by any Thy servants will be diminished by the righteous anger of God. But observe and save with Your mercy, Lady, praying for us, and grant us the beneficial goodness of the air in the time of a fruitful offering. Make it easier, raise up and have mercy, Merciful to the Lady, to the Mother of God, in every misfortune and need of existence. Remember Thy servants and do not despise the tears and sighs from ours, and renew us with the goodness of Thy mercy, but with thanksgiving we will be comforted by finding Thy Helper. Have mercy, Lady Most Pure, for Thy weak people, Our Hope. Collect the scattered ones, instruct them on the right path, return the packs from the pious fatherly faith, support old age, educate young people, raise babies and glorify the glorifying Thee, more handsomely - observe the Church of Thy Son and keep them in the length of days. O Gracious and Gracious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Mother of God Ever-ever! By Thy intercession, have mercy on our country and its army and all Orthodox Christians, who preserve them under the roof of Thy mercy, with Thy robe of honest protection and pray from Thee, who has incarnated without the seed of Christ, our God, that he may gird us from above with power on all visible and invisible enemies of ours. Save and have mercy, Madame, our Great Lord and Father Alexy, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops and Orthodox bishops, priests and deacons and all the church worship, and all the monastic order, and all the orthodox people worship praying before your honest icon. Behold on all of us the charity of Your merciful intercession, raise us up from the depths of sinfulness and enlighten the eyes of the heart to the sight of salvation, be merciful to us here and at the Last Judgment of Your Son pray for us, having reposed in piety from the life of this servant of Yours in eternal life from the Angel Archangels and with all the saints come to worship, so they will appear at the right hand of Your Son God, and with Your prayer grant all Orthodox Christians with Christ to live and enjoy angelic joy in the Heavenly villages. Thou art, O Lord, the glory of the Heavenly and the hope of the earthly, You are our Hope and Intercessor of all those who come to You and Your holy help to those who ask. You are our warm prayer service to your Son and our God. Your Mother's Prayer can do a lot for the pleading of the Vladyka, and by your intercession to the Throne of grace of the Most Holy and His Life-giving Mysteries, we dare, even if unworthy. The same all-honorable image of Thy and with Thy hand holding the Almighty on the icon, we rejoice, sinning, falling down with emotion, and we kiss this love, longingly, Mistress, with Thy holy God-favored prayers to reach the Heavenly endless life and the shameful article of our Son of judgment on the right hand , glorifying Him is bought with the beginningless Father and the Most Holy, Good, Life-giving and Consubstantial Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

UNIAN will tell you when the Dormition of the Theotokos 2019, how it is noted, why pray at the icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

History of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On August 28, the Orthodox Church commemorates the death (Assumption) of the Mother of God. But this holiday is not only sad because of the end of the life of the Mother of God, but also joyful - after all, she was reunited with her son Jesus Christ.

Three days before the death of Mary, the archangel Gabriel appeared and informed her of her imminent death. On this day, the apostles left their places of preaching and gathered in Jerusalem to say goodbye to the Most Holy Theotokos and to carry out the burial of her most pure body.

Being around her bed, they were blinded by a bright light in which Christ himself appeared, surrounded by angels and archangels. At that moment, the pure soul of the Virgin Mary, without suffering, as if in a dream, departed to the Lord.

The Apostle Thomas did not have time for the burial of the Mother of God, therefore, after her assumption, he was allowed to enter the cave-tomb. But there he did not find the body of the Virgin. This was explained by the fact that the Lord took the body of Mary to heaven.

Why is the holiday called the Assumption

The word "dormition" means sleep. Many believers explain the meaning of the feast of the Assumption in the fact that there is no final death and fear of it. That is, there is life on Earth in a physical body, as well as life after that.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: traditions

The feast of the Assumption of the Virgin coincides with the end of the strict Assumption Fast. On this day, you can start eating a variety of foods, but only if August 28 does not fall on Wednesday or Friday. If so, you should wait another day.

By tradition, on this day, believers go to church to honor the memory of the Most Holy Theotokos, and pray at her icon.

With the Assumption, the preparation of various supplies for the winter begins. From that day on, they began to collect mushrooms and nuts in the forests for the winter.

It was also a good tradition for our ancestors to deal with salting cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables for the winter on the Assumption.

What they pray for at the icon of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The icon "Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary" is considered very strong - in front of her they ask for the protection of children and adults from diseases and the evil eye, for help in making the right decision, in difficult problematic issues. Also, it is this image that helps to adequately walk your earthly path and overcome the fear of death.

The icon "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" is considered very strong / grekomania.ru

Before this image, they pray for:

Her protection and patronage;

Recovery from various ailments;

Relief of fear of death;

Strengthening the Christian faith.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what not to do

On this church holiday it is prohibited:

Doing housework - cleaning, washing, sewing;

Pick up cutting objects, bread, for example, break it with your hands;

- Autumn Easter, how to prepare for it and how to spend it, Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov tells about the event of the holiday.

The main and greatest monastic lavras and monasteries in Russia are named in honor of the Assumption

Quickly, as always, alas, it happens, the graceful, bright, serene, sometimes, however, interspersed with autumn rain, the days of the Assumption Lent flew by. Behind there was an imperishable radiance, the non-evening light of the holiday. And now - the Assumption - the autumn Russian Easter, as this wonderful day is called. It is remarkable that our people consider the Dormition of the Lady of the Theotokos a special celebration. Otherwise, why are the main and greatest monastic lavras and monasteries named after the Assumption? The Dormition Pochaev Lavra, the inheritance of the Mother of God on earth - the Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the main temple of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra - in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin, the Pskov-Pechersky Dormition Monastery, where these days are so solemn and beautiful that almost half of them flock here. Russia in order to help the monks and workers of the monastery to lay out a path from fresh flowers along which the priesthood will carry the ancient miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, in any parish church, dear friends, if you want to actively express your love for the Heavenly Queen in an external way, you can take part in this holiday. I will tell you exactly how to do this.

Work hard for the Mother of God - take part in laying out a path of fresh flowers along which Her icon will be carried

For the Dormition, the temple is usually decorated with white lilies and roses. Lilies frame the very icon of the Assumption; in vases, these regal flowers are fragrant with a delicate aroma, creating a special atmosphere. In the center of the temple is a shroud with the image of the Mother of God, who had just betrayed Her immaculate soul into the hands of Jesus Christ, who appeared to Her, as is typical for the Son of God, who during his earthly life was in complete obedience to His Parent, until He went out to public preaching ... So, in abundance, at will and at will, bringing one, two, three lilies or roses to the church, you will feel that imperishable beautiful paradise flowers are opening in your heart by themselves, which will not be touched by earthly fading, because the Mother of God is none of Her benefactors, those who honor Her virginity and Her heavenly glory are not left without comfort, without help, without reward. If you happen to be in some Russian monastery - the Tolga women's monastery on the banks of the beautiful Volga, in the Pskov-Pechersky monastery I mentioned, I suggest you take part in laying out the path. In Pechory, in a few days, they begin this holy work, and of course, with clean hands, and most importantly, with pure thoughts. If one of you wants to quit smoking, but cannot part with the evil passion that has eaten under the skin, like a poisonous larva, if you are tired of your own irritability or are struggling with despondency, if you want to acquire the qualities that the Queen of Heaven Herself shines with ... And She, remember, exuded all grace. Her lips were anointed with peace and reason, her heart was never troubled by any thought of hostility. Friendly, smiling, quiet and laconic, She knew how to comfort every person who came to Her in accordance with his age: she was tender with babies, like a mother; respectful to old people; for the youths she was sober in her own external image, for the atmosphere of virginity hovered over her; she taught her spouses to live abstinently with mutual concern for each other; for the apostles She was a teacher, thanks to whose instructions they were not embarrassed by any persecution and malice of the Jewish or pagan, but with great boldness they glorified the risen Lord and preached the message of His rising from the dead.

So, taking part in this sweet earthly affair, in these efforts to decorate the monastery, laying out a path of fresh flowers, pray mentally: “Lady Mother of God, I want to be Your pure son ... grant me the grace to be Your pure daughter ... help me return home , to the circle of household members, to your home changed / changed so that the mind is not darkened by earthly vanity, the lips are not mired in condemnation and idle talk, and the heart has finally learned to preserve that blessed peace, those peace and silence that it penetrates here, in Your abode ... Mother of God, I will work a little and decorate this path along which the priesthood will pass, holding the icon of the Assumption in my hands, and You help me, because I was tortured by the pressure, its drops, when it is thick, then empty, ischemia, heartbeat, torments me and migraine and gout ... ”- each of us, dear friends, as you well know, has his own set of infirmities, his own medical record. The doctor is far away, the medicines are expensive. We, of course, are not canceling the therapy at all, what medicine prescribes for us. But in the days of the Dormition, it is deeply believed that the Mother of God will extend her invisible right hand to us, touch with her tender incorruptible fingers the aching body and wounded soul, and we will gain that strength and strength that people acquired who with faith touched the bed of the Mother of God then, in Jerusalem, in the 1st century after the Nativity of Christ.

According to legend, the Queen of Heaven fell asleep at the age of 70. I would like, dear friends, to remind you that a few days and hours before the Lord called His Most Pure Mother to heavenly villages, on the Mount of Olives under the shade of olives, where Her Son and God once spoke with secret, sublime conversations, with the teaching about To the Kingdom of Heaven to the apostles, the Mother of God kneeling down, sprinkling her face with tears, prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ, so that He would release Her soul from the body and release Her from visions of unclean spirits. Such was the humility of the most honest cherubs and the most glorious seraphim without comparison, Who with Her purity surpassed the angels and astonished heaven with moral perfection. Such was Her humility, Her humble self-esteem, that She asked the Creator to forbid the fallen spirits from access to Her immaculate soul. The Queen of Heaven knew that the ascent from earth to heaven is the last exam, a test that we will certainly hold, one more soon, the other later, but we all must die once and appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ. That is why the feast of the Assumption is very important for each of us.

If we give ourselves the trouble not to be late for the all-night vigil and, like a candle spreading light and warmth, we will pray at the shroud of the Virgin, gazing at Her radiant face, contemplating this beauty of lilies and roses; let us proceed to the Divine Mysteries at the Liturgy of the Dormition, and having joined, we will preserve the solemn mood of our hearts, we will not allow any worldly anger, vain curiosity, intemperance in food and drink, contemplation of other people's shortcomings to steal the beads of Divine grace from our hearts, then, undoubtedly, it will intercede for us at the hour of our own demise. Read the Canon according to the departure of the soul (it can be found in great prayer books), and you will see how these words are pronounced on behalf of the dying man: “O Queen of Heaven, I tremble and do not know where to turn my gaze: evil spirits frighten me and try to drag me to the bottom of hell, but Thou, like a gentle dove, spread Thy graceful wings over me. Accept me as Your child, fired on from all sides, stung by demonic cackle and laughter, protect me from these predatory dogs and birds, but send me guardian angels who will lead my soul to the gates of Heavenly Jerusalem, and by Your intercession I may be able to see Christ the Savior and enjoy His face, so that the dark forces would be crushed and not find a single flaw and a dark part in me ”. That is how, dear friends, we should pray in advance. He who is forewarned is armed. The one who honored the Dormition of the Theotokos himself will be honored by the Virgin Mary and will not be put to shame at the hour of the exodus.

And if, God forbid, one of us becomes hardened, loses faith, begins to desecrate the lips with unclean abuse, hated by the Queen of Heaven, corrupts himself with carnal sins and remains unrepentant, is it not about such unfortunate people said: “Death of fierce sinners”?

The feast of the Assumption serves for us the best preparation for our own death

That is why the feast of the Assumption serves for us, dear friends, the best preparation for our own demise and at the same time gives hope that God, through the intercession of the Mother of God, will add us an hour to an hour, a day to a day, a month to a month, a year to a year, so that we, having repented of all their sins, they glorified the name of the Lord by works of repentance, works of faith and love.

Returning to the historical outline of the feast of the Dormition, we recall that the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary in the Garden of Gethsemane, the one who, from her tender years, from her young nails and infant swaddling clothes, spiritually guided the Divine Mother Mary and with his presence marked the main milestones of Her life. It was from his hands, according to legend, while staying in the silence of the Jerusalem temple, that the Heavenly Queen once ate daily the immaterial heavenly bread. Archangel Gabriel, as you remember, the Immaculate Virgin Mary about the riches of the Providence of God - that, in the case of Her humble consent, the Spirit of the Lord will descend on the Virgin and weave under Her heart in the immaculate womb of the beautiful Fruit - the Holy Son of God, in whose person it is wonderful humanity and Divinity will unite. Here, too, shortly before the Dormition, the Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary the Mother of God, who had already labored to establish the Church of Christ on earth, who had already visited Athos, when idols and demons fled in horror from this lot of the Mother of God. And the archangel handed over a luminous paradise branch, which became a sure sign of the notification of Her impending blissful death.

Tradition testifies - whoever does not believe or wants to check, please read the detailed account of the feast of the Dormition at St. Demetrius of Rostov - in Russian, in Church Slavonic, in English, whatever you like - that this branch was placed in the Zion upper room , near the bed, where the Most Pure Virgin lay with a luminous face, having managed to teach her blessing to the apostles, the invisible power of God gathered in the upper room of Zion by the hour of her departure. The incredible, the impossible happened: as if the roof of this building was opened, and in Heavenly Glory, the resurrected Christ, surrounded by archangels and angels, appeared here, stepping on the stone slabs of this room, and took into His hands, like a pure, immaculate dove, the soul of the Most Holy Theotokos. Look at the icon of the Dormition, and you will see: the Queen of Heaven lying down, Her virgin and incorruptible body, and above Her in a mandorla, that is, surrounded by heavenly forces, the Son of God, and in His arms it is like a child, swaddled with clean linen swaddling. What kind of child is this? And this is the soul of the Most Holy Theotokos, never by word, deed, or even thought separated from the Heavenly Father.

On this, dear friends, we, probably, need to complete our reflection, because we are all children of God. All ages are submissive to Divine love. And of all, it is best to enter the feast of the Assumption under the arches of the church with a childishly believing soul, gentle, joyful, welcoming towards everyone, forgetting completely insignificant and unnecessary offenses, having overcome suspiciousness, shaking off the dust of despondency from their feet, so that, with a fervent, sighted faith, love trembling and trusting in the heavenly help of the Mother of God, approaching Her icon, to hear the words of the Dormition troparion: "In the Assumption, you have not left the world, the Mother of God."

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

The Feast of the Assumption (Kolmhoij) of Our Lady, known in the West as the Assumption of Mary, has two different aspects, which, however, are inextricably linked by the faith of the Church. This is, on the one hand, death and burial, on the other, the resurrection and ascension of the Mother of God. The Orthodox East managed to protect the mystery of this event, which, in contrast to the Resurrection of Christ, was not preached by the apostles. Indeed, there is a mystery here that cannot be expressed to the ears of the “outsiders,” but which is open to the inner consciousness of the Church. For for those who are confirmed in the faith in the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord, it is clear that if the Son of God took human nature in the bosom of the Ever-Virgin, then She, who served as incarnation, must be received in the glory of His risen Son, who ascended into the heavenly abodes. Rise, Lord, into Thy rest, Thou and the Kivot of Thy holy (Psalm 131: 8). "The coffin and the mortification" could not keep the "Mother's Belly" (kontakion of the holiday, voice 2), because Her Son "put away" ??????????) Her to the eternity of the next century.

The glorification of the Mother flows directly from the voluntary humiliation of the Son. The Son of God incarnates in the Ever-Virgin Mary and becomes the Son of man, who can die; Mary, having become the Mother of God, receives "glorious glory" (????????? ????) (Vespers, stichera 2, voice 1) and the first of mankind becomes involved in the complete deification of creation. "God became Man so that man becomes God." Thus, the significance of the incarnation of God is affirmed at the end of Mary's earthly life. "Wisdom is justified in her children" (Matthew 11:19). The glory of the life of the century to come, the ultimate goal of man, has already been realized not only in the divine and incarnate Hypostasis, but also in the deified human personality. This transition from death to life, from time to eternity, from the earthly state to heavenly bliss, transmits the Mother of God beyond the common Resurrection and the Last Judgment, beyond the Second Coming (papucla), which will end the history of the world. The feast of August 15 is a new mysterious Easter, in which the Church celebrates, anticipating the end of time, the secret fruit of the eschatological accomplishment. This explains the restraint of the liturgical texts, which in the service of the Assumption only partially indicate the ineffable glory of the Assumption of the Mother of God.

The Feast of the Assumption is probably of Jerusalem origin. However, Eteria did not yet know him at the end of the 4th century. It can, however, be assumed that he was not slow to appear soon, since in the VI century. he is already well known: in the West, St. Gregory of Tours is the first witness of the Ascension of the Mother of God, which was first celebrated here in January. The date of August 15 is set under the Emperor of Mauritius (582-602).

The oldest known image of the Assumption of Our Lady is on the sarcophagus in the Church of Santa Engracia in Saragossa (early 4th century), one of the scenes of which, very likely, conveys this event; then we see it on the relief of the VI century. in the Georgian Basilica Bolnis-Kapanakchi. This relief is contrasted with another, depicting the Ascension of Christ. The apocryphal story associated with the name of St. Meliton (2nd century), actually not older than the beginning of the 5th century. This legend is full of legendary details about the death, resurrection and ascension of the Mother of God - unreliable information that the Church tried to exclude. So, for example, St. Modest of Jerusalem (+ 634) in his "Praise for the Dormition" is very restrained in details: he speaks of the presence of the apostles, who were "brought from afar through the heavenly revelation," the appearance of the Lord, who came to receive the soul of His Mother and, finally, about the return The Mother of God to life, "in order to bodily take part in the eternal incorruption of the One who brought Her out of the grave in a way known to Him alone." Other words spoken by St. John of Thessalonica (+ c. 630 ), and also Sts. Andrew of Crete, German of Constantinople and John of Damascus, give more details that are used both in the divine service and in the iconography of the Assumption of the Mother of God.

Dormition of the Mother of God. Icon. Russia. XV century State Tretyakov Gallery

Dormition of the Mother of God. Detail of a sewn shroud. Moscow. 1640-1642 Moscow Kremlin Museums

The classic type of the Assumption in Orthodox iconography usually represents the Mother of God on the deathbed. Around Her are the apostles, and in the middle is Christ in glory, taking the soul of His Mother into His arms. However, sometimes icon painters also wanted to emphasize Her bodily ascension: in such cases, in the upper part of the icon, above the scene of the Assumption, the Mother of God sits on a throne, surrounded by a mandorla carried by angels to the heavenly spheres.

On our icon (Russia, 16th century), Christ stands in glory, surrounded by a mandorla, and looks at the body of the Mother, lying on the deathbed. In his left hand the Lord holds a child's figurine in white, crowned with a halo: this is the "all-bright soul" that has just been accepted by Him. The twelve apostles, "still a bed, with trembling" (Matins, stichera according to the 50th psalm, voice 6), are present at the death of the Mother of God. In the foreground, Peter and Paul are recognized on both sides of the bed. Some of the icons depict at the top the miraculous arrival of the apostles, "from the four end of the earth on the platform of rapture." The multitude of angels present sometimes make up the outer circle of the Christ mandorla. In our icon, the heavenly forces accompanying Christ are represented by one six-winged seraphim. Behind the apostles are four bishops with halos. This is St. James, "brother of God" (cf. Gal. 1:19), the first bishop of Jerusalem, and three disciples of the apostles: Timothy, Hierotheos and Dionysius the Areopagite, accompanying St. the apostle Paul. In the background, two female figures depict the believers of Jerusalem, who, together with the apostles and bishops, make up the inner circle of the Church, in which the mystery of the Assumption of the Mother of God is celebrated.

Most of the icons of the Dormition also depict the episode with Athonius: an angel cuts off the hands of this Jewish fanatic with a sword because he dared to touch the bed of the Most Holy Theotokos (see: Troparion of the 3rd canon of the first canon). This apocryphal detail, found both in the divine service and in the iconography of the holiday, should remind us that the completion of the earthly life of the Mother of God is the innermost secret of the Church, which does not tolerate profanation. Invisible to outsiders, the glory of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin can be contemplated only in the inner light of Tradition.

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The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is a great holiday in Orthodoxy. It is dedicated to the presentation (death) of the Mother of God and her ascension to heaven. Every year on August 28, Orthodox believers go to church to touch the origins. Why is there no need to grieve? Because death is just a transition to another world. The soul of the deceased, who led a righteous lifestyle, ascends to the Kingdom of Heaven for eternal life in happiness and peace.

So the Virgin Mary, having finished her earthly journey and fulfilling her destiny, gave her soul to the Heavenly Father, Jesus. On the icons of the Assumption of the Most Holy, dedicated to this event, you can see angels and archangels next to the deathbed of the Mother of God and in the center - Her Son with a baby in her arms. The baby symbolizes the soul of the deceased Virgin Mary. After death, there is a rebirth for eternal life. Therefore, the holiday is joyful and bright. It means the victory of life over death.

The Most Pure Virgin met the Archangel Gabriel on her way to Mount Eleon, where she often prayed. He was holding a palm branch in his hand. As we know, with this plant, God's messengers brought good news to believers. This time the News was about the imminent death. The Mother of God learned that in 3 days she was to ascend to heaven and meet her Son. Jesus will take her to the Kingdom of Heaven, where her mother will live forever.

Returning home, the Virgin Mary told about the fateful meeting. Then she wrote a will, in which she indicated that she wanted to be buried in Gethsemane near her parents. Also, according to her will, her vestments went to the poor servants who helped the Virgin Mary honestly and diligently for many years.

According to the old style, the Assumption of the Virgin was to take place on the fifteenth of August. The history of the holiday says that at this time candles were lit in the church, where the Mother of God lay on a bed decorated with flowers. In an instant, space was flooded with light and all the heavenly powers appeared in it together with the Lord.

The Virgin Mary rejoiced, and Jesus embraced her with words of approval. Then He accepted her soul.

The body of the Virgin Mary was placed in a tomb, the entrance to which was filled with a huge stone. But after 3 days, the Apostle Thomas began to ask and beg to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to the Most Pure. Then the other apostles pushed aside the stone and entered the cave with Thomas. The faces of all those who came froze the greatest amazement: only vestments lay on the bed, and Mary herself was not. There was a pleasant herbal scent in the cave.

What does the assumption of the mother of God mean

For a long time, the feast of the Assumption has been celebrated in churches with morning services, to which the Orthodox bring cereal seeds for illumination. It happened after night services, as soon as the sun rose.

The people called the Mother of God the Most Pure, the Lady. For this reason, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin is called:

Mistress day (Mistress);
The First Pure;
Easter of the Virgin.

On this day, we believers found our intercessor in heaven. In grief and sorrow, in suffering and sorrow, we pray to the icons of the Mother of God with requests for mercy, forgiveness, salvation. We ask for health and healing. And she helps all those who suffer, intercedes before the Lord for forgiveness and help for His lost children.

Icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary miraculous. This is the most powerful way that people pray for health and help. This icon is endowed with the power of help to walk the earthly path with dignity and are not afraid of death.

Dormition of the Virgin - August 28

On the eve of the holiday, many doubt the date of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos. The answer is simple - August 28 is the same every year. It is on this day that the Assumption Fast ends (it lasted from 14 to 28 August).

In the old days, this date was celebrated on the eighteenth of January. But the Emperor Mauritius timed the Assumption of the Virgin to the Day of Victory over the Persians and postponed the date to August 28.

The believers pray and rejoice all day. There is no place for sorrow and sadness. After all, this day once again reminds of the possibility of eternal life. This day gives one more hope for salvation. The Creator rewards righteous behavior. We are all his children. And we all have eternal life. You just need to come to Him, accept Him, love Him.

our earthly path is only a stage before eternal life. You need to go through it with dignity, with love and faith. This is the path of learning, suffering and joy. Good deeds and pure thoughts affect eternal life. It will be with those who repent of their sins and come to Christ. He will take his children into the Kingdom of Heaven.

According to the Bible, death is the result of the fall of the first people. The disobedience shown by Adam and Eve led to their expulsion from paradise, where the Lord settled them forever. Now, people were prepared for an earthly path in suffering, in order to repent and be cleansed for eternal life.

What does "dormition" mean? This is death. But it can be defeated by opening your hearts to goodness, mercy and faith. And an example of this is the Resurrection of Christ and the Dormition of the Virgin.

Signs and traditions on the day of Assumption

This holiday is held in the family. Help mothers and parents. They thank them for their care, pray to the icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
You can't put on new clothes so as not to feel discomfort all year round.
You can't use bad language and be in a bad mood.
It is forbidden to walk barefoot and pierce the ground with sharp objects, so as not to attract crop failure.
A leg injured on this day promises setbacks and obstacles.
Although the church is unequivocal about the adherence of believers to rituals and superstitions. You cannot believe in ridiculous beliefs. There is one faith: in our Lord.
A rainy day of Assumption - by dry autumn.
It is necessary to collect fruits and vegetables of the new harvest, make preparations for the winter. Pickling of cucumbers will be especially good.
Everyone prepares holiday meals for the family meal in honor of the feast of the Assumption. Bread is baked from flour of the new harvest. A piece of a loaf baked on the feast of the Assumption is placed next to the images and stored all year round. Such bread has healing powers.
They give alms and help the poor, finish the work they have begun.
Young men who decide to marry go to matchmakers.

We congratulate all believers on this bright holiday and wish peace, kindness and light in soul and life. Love and be loved. Live in harmony and happiness.

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