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Dormition of the Theotokos

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Dormition of the Theotokos For the of Life the World The monthly newsletter of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church Volume XII, Issue 8 August 2020 ON THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION (FALLING ASLEEP) OF THE ALL-HOLY AND BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, THE THEOTOKOS By Fr. George Dion Dragas 405 Huntwood Road Swansea, Illinois 62226 The Place of the Theotokos in the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Phone: 618-277-0330 Theotokos (Mother of God) occupies Fax: 618-277-1930 next to Christ the most important Cell Phone: 314-288-8036 place in Orthodox Christianity. This is [email protected] most obvious in the Orthodox liturgi- www.ssconstantinehelen.org cal tradition. Entering into any Ortho- dox church you first encounter the Fr. Achilles Karathanos Theotokos. Her sacred icon is the first Parish Priest to meet and venerate in the Narthex. She appears in her primary identity as 2020 Parish Council the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, the Savior President: John Siampos of the world, whom she holds in her Vice Pres.: Bob Karras hands. As you move further into the church, you encounter her again both Secretary: Ezekiel Wolfe in the main Nave and in the Sanctuary Treasurer: George Skidis at the most prominent places. You are thereby reminded that you cannot Issa Abuaita, Karim Asfour, Esther Davis, of her earthly life as her full participa- church yourself and approach God in Maria Skidis, Karon Wolfe tion in the salvation and eternal life Christ without the Blessed Virgin which the Lord God established for us Mother of God. She is the primary human beings through Christ. But one witness, the new Eve, the Mother of may ask. Is this not a contradiction in the second and last Adam, your Savior terms? Does not falling asleep imply Cover icon by the hand of and Savior of the world. She is the Nicholas P. Papas death? The answer is Yes and No. http://www.facebook.com/Nick.Papa.Studio Queen of the Church, of the Kingdom Yes, because she truly died. No, be- of God, of Angels and human beings cause she did not remain in death. The and of the entire creation, whom the Table of Contents Icon of the Feast of the Falling-asleep King of all chose as the unique vehicle of the Theotokos depicts her body rest- of his coming into the world to save it On the Feast of the Dormition ... pp. 1-3 ing breathless in a bed while her soul, and restore in it his eternal Kingdom wrapped in swaddling clothes like a The Orthodox Steward ...................... p. 3 of freedom, truth and love. OCMC Corner ...................................... p. 4 new-born baby, is upheld in the arms God in Us ....................................... pp. 5, 9 of the Risen and glorified Christ who St. Moses the Black.................... pp. 6, 12 The Feast of the Dormition stands behind the bed. This icon is the Parish News .......................................... p. 7 (Koimesis): The Feast of the Dormi- reversal of the usual icon of the The- Approaching the Panagia ................. p. 8 tion (Falling asleep) of the All-holy otokos which depicts the Virgin hold- Come and See ..................................... p. 9 Theotokos, celebrated on the 15th of ing Christ in her arms. Christ holding August Calendar ................................p. 10 August every year is the greatest the Virgin’s soul in his arms indicates Newsletter Sponsors .........................p. 11 among several others which commem- her entry into the Kingdom of Heaven orate her Blessed person and life. As such, this Feast marks the completion continued on page 2 2020 Parish Calendar garments (estheta and maphorion)? Ap- the Dormition of St. John Damascene, parently, according to ancient tradi- ch. 18 based on an earlier document tions, her body too was miraculously called Euthymian History). Thurs, Aug 6th Holy Transfigura- translated into heaven after its burial in tion Gethsemane, and was united with her The Ancient Tradition (from the His- Sat, Aug. 15th Dormition of the soul. Indeed her tomb was found empty tory of St. Euthymius): “There is noth- Theotokos shortly after the burial. This tradition of ing in the holy, inspired Scripture about Sat, Sept. 5th Evening in the translation of the body of the The- the death of Mary, the holy Theotokos; Athens??? otokos from the tomb to heaven but we know from an ancient and truest Sat, Oct. 3rd Evening in Ath- (metathesis or metastasis in Greek, tradition that at the time of her glorious ens??? transitus in Latin) is very strong in the falling asleep, all the holy Apostles, who Orthodox Church as liturgical practice were traveling the world preaching sal- Sat, Oct 25th Fall General As- and many and important patristic texts vation to the nations, were in an instant sembly bear witness, although sources do differ lifted up and brought to Jerusalem. As Sun, Nov. 1st Thanksgiving Din- on details. they stood before her, they saw an an- ner/ Parish Council gelic apparition, and a divine chanting Elections An admirable collection of texts refer- was heard from the higher Powers. And Sat, Nov. 7th Evening in Athens ring to early ecclesiastical sources of this so, in a state of divine and heavenly glo- tradition is the book, Early Patristic Hom- ry she placed her soul into God’s hands Sun, Nov 8th Parish Council ilies On the Dormition of Mary published in an ineffable way. Her body, which Elections by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (1997). had received God, was carried with an- Sun, Nov 22nd Stewardship It contains English translations of texts gelic and apostolic hymns, was prepared Sunday referring to the Falling Asleep in the and laid to rest in a coffin in Gethsema- Sat, Dec. 5th Evening in Athens Lord of the Blessed Virgin Theotokos by ne. It was there and for three days that John of Thessalonica, Theoteknos of the angelic choruses and hymns contin- Fri, Dec. 25th Holy Nativity of Livias, Modestus of Jerusalem, Andrew ued unceasingly. After three days, how- our Lord of Crete, Germanus of Constantinople, ever, the angelic hymnody ceased. The John the Monk of the Old Lavra, John continued from page 1 Apostles were there, and since one of Damascene and Theodore the Studite. them –Thomas– who had been absent The translator, one of the great patristic from the burial, came after the third day which the Incarnate Christ opened up scholars in this country, Professor Brian and asked to reverence that body which for us through his saving life and work. E. Daily, S.J., has provided a good dis- had received God, they opened the cof- It indicates in the most concrete way St. cussion of these texts by way of intro- fin. They could not find anywhere her Athanasius’ well known dictum: “God duction. To these texts one could go on much-praised body, and since all they became human that we (humans) may and add several others from the later could find were her burial swaddling- be made divine.” Christ the Savior tak- Byzantine fathers and ecclesiastical au- clothes and the ineffable fragrance that ing the soul of his Mother to Heaven thors of the second millennium, such as came out of them and filled their bow- marks the first resurrection, which Leo the Emperor, John of Euchaita, els, they closed the coffin again. Christians experience when they die, Isidore of Thessalonica, Philotheos of Amazed by the miracle of this mystery, thanks to our Lord’s redemptive work. Constantinople, Gregory Palamas of they could only think this: that the One The full resurrection of our humanity, Thessalonica, Nicholas Cabasilas, Dam- who willed to be incarnated and become i.e. the resurrection of the body, will askenos Stoudites, etc. These texts point human from her in his person, and to be take place at the second coming of to a common tradition, although one born in the flesh he who is God the Christ which will be accompanied by observes differences in the details as Word and Lord of Glory, and who pre- the general resurrection and the last scholars argue (see the latest discussion served her virginity incorruptible after judgment of all human beings. of Stephen J. Shoemaker, Ancient Tradi- the birth, he was also the One that was tions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and well-pleased to honor her immaculate What happened to the body of the Assumption, Oxford University Press, and spotless body, after her departure Theotokos? The Feast of the Dormition 2002). They all agree, however, that the from this world, [by endowing it] with of the Blessed Virgin does not end with tomb of St. Mary in Gethsemane, where incorruptibility and with a transposition her first resurrection, which is the entry the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary (metathesis) [to heaven] before the com- of her soul into heaven. There is anoth- was buried by the holy Apostles, was mon, and universal resurrection.” er mystery also connected with it which found empty when they opened it three refers to her holy body. What happened days later. Here is how this ‘tradition’ is Orthodox and Roman Catholic Doc- to the body of the Theotokos? Why presented by Patriarch Juvenal of Jeru- trine: This is not the place to present in there is no tradition in the Christian salem to Empress Pulcheria of Constan- detail all the variable patristic accounts Church both in East and West that tinople at the time of Chalcedon (AD of the falling asleep of the Theotokos mentions any bodily relics of the all- 451) who asked for the relic of the The- and assess their conclusions. In spite of holy Mother of God, but there are tradi- otokos to be transferred from Jerusalem differences, it is clear that they all point tions only about her girdle (zone) and to Constantinople (From Sermon II on Continued on p.
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