The Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God
The third of the great feasts of the summer is the commemoration of the dormition or “falling asleep” of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, which is celebrated on August 15th. This is the most important of the feasts dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It is preceded by a two-week fast period, the “Dormition Fast,” which begins on August 1st and lasts until August 14th inclusive.
The Dormition Feast is a second Easter, a celebration of great joy. Since the death of Christ on the cross and His burial cannot be separated from His glorious Resurrection from the dead on the third day, so too, the falling asleep of Mary in death and her burial cannot be separated from the glorious assumption of her soul and body into heaven.
The Story
On the cross, Jesus entrusted His beloved Mother to the care of His disciple John. From that moment on, she remained in Jerusalem, at the house that belonged to John, located on Mount Sion, close to the Upper Room of the guesthouse where the Last Supper took place, the appearance of Jesus after His Resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit. This Upper Room became the first church, the first gathering place of Christians in Jerusalem. It was given the name “The Church of Sion” because of its location in Jerusalem.
From that time on, the Blessed Virgin Mary spend most of her time in Jerusalem, close to the Mother Church, and her Son in the Most Holy Eucharist. She would often go to the various places that were associated with her Son: Bethlehem, where He was born; Golgotha, where He was crucified and died; the Holy Tomb, where He was buried and from which He arose alive; the Mount of Olives, where He often stayed and from where He ascended into Heaven. She prayed often at the place of her son’s ascension asking Him to take her from this world.
When the time came for her departure, the archangel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary and announced that after three days, she would be taken from this world into heaven. She returned home with great joy. Soon, she would be together with her son, in His Father’s House.
All the apostles were assembled together by the Holy Spirit, to be present by her side on the day of her departure, in the home of St. John on Mount Sion. The Blessed Virgin Mary “fell asleep” in their presence. She died peacefully and naturally, without any pain or illness. A fragrant aroma arose from her body, which remained incorrupt.
The apostles carried the body of Mary in procession to Gethsemane, where she was laid to rest close to the burial place of her parents, Joachim and Anna. The apostle remained there at her tomb, keeping vigil for three days.
By God’s providence, the apostle Thomas was delayed and was not present at the dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her funeral and burial. He arrived on the third day after the burial of her body. When the apostles opened to the tomb to allow Thomas to venerate her body, the found the tomb empty. Her body had been assumed into heaven. Only the burial cloth remained.
After the Ascension of her Son, the Blessed Virgin Mary stayed in Jerusalem, being cared for by St. John the Theologian, into whose care Christ committed her from the Cross.
The History of the Feast
The feast of the Dormition is one of the oldest Marian feasts. It began in Jerusalem, shortly after the Council of Ephesus, which took place in the year 431 AD (fifth century). The feast was initially called “The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God,” and then, “The Memory of the Mother of God,” that is, the memory of her Dormition. It was celebrated in Jerusalem and Palestine on August 15th.
In the sixth century, the name of this feast was changed to “The Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God,” which remains to this day. During the reign of Emperor Mauricius (582-602) and by his decree, the Dormition of the Mother of God became an official major feast day celebrated throughout the Eastern Roman Empire on August 15.
The feast of the Dormition feast appeared in the West under the influence of the East, at a later date. It was accepted in Rome under Pope Sergius I (687-701), and from Rome celebration of the feast spread to other countries of Europe. By the eighth century, it was introduced into the Latin calendar as a major feast, celebrated on August 15th.
The Icon of the Dormition
On certain icons of the Dormition, we see the gates of Heaven are opened. The blue semi-circle represents the uncreated light of God breaking through from the invisible world into the visible world. Within this light are that gates of Heaven, opened from the time of Christ’s Ascension into heaven. They are prepared now to receive the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ, at her Assumption into Heaven.
Horizontally, in the center, we see the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary, resting on a funeral bed (bier), decorated with ornated coverings. Purple represents royalty. She is the Blessed Mother of the eternal King, Jesus. Red represents divinity. Her soul and body have been inseparably clothed in the divine nature of God. And so, when her soul departs, her body remains incorrupt. Her hands are crossed over her heart, as a sign of total faith and surrender to God.
At her right side, at her head, we see the Apostle Peter. He holds a censer in his hand, indicating that he is the main celebrant at her funeral service and burial. This confirms that he is the first among the apostles, appointed by Christ to lead His Church on earth.
At the left side, at the feet of the body of Mary, we see the Apostle Paul. In some icons, he points with his hand to Mary, which reveals that he is close to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Surrounding the body of Mary, we see the holy apostles, who have been brought together by the Holy Spirit. The only apostle missing is Thomas. By God’s providence, he will arrive later, on the third day.
Among those assembled around the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see holy bishops. Some icons will portray two: St. James, the brother of the Lord, and the first bishop of Jerusalem; and St. Timothy, a disciple of St. Paul and a bishop of the early Church. Other icons include two more bishops: Heirotheos, the first bishop of Athens, an inspired hymnographer, who was present at the Dormition of Our Lady; and St. Dionysius the Areopagite, who was also present, and was the first to mention the Dormition of Our Lady in his writings.
In the background, we see two buildings. They indicate that the event is happening in the city of Jerusalem. The falling asleep of Mary may have take place indoors, in the house of St. John the Apostle on Mount Sion in Jerusalem, but the funeral procession and burial takes place outdoors. The body of Our Lady is carried to Gethsemane, where is she is laid to rest in a tomb, close to her parents, Joachim and Anna.
At the bottom of some icons, we see a Jewish priest, who tries to disrupt the funeral by overturning the bier and the body of Our Lady. At the moment when he is about to overturn the ark of the New Covenant, his hands are cut off by an invisible angel. When he cries out for forgiveness and God’s mercy, the apostle Peter restores his hands. The priest comes to faith and becomes a member of Christ’s Church.
In the center of the icon, we see our Lord, Jesus Christ. He appears in glory, in a mandorla of blue, which represents God as uncreated Light. In His left hand, Jesus holds the soul of His Blessed Mother, wrapped in swaddling clothes, as an infant who is born into eternity. His right hand is free, because all authority over the living and the dead has been given to Him by His Father.