On Tuesday, we will celebrate the Great Feast of the Dormition (death)
of the Virgin Mary. Although the Virgin lived a perfect life without
sinning, because she was born into mortality, she, like all of us, would
face death; so that, like all of us, she might also be resurrected to
eternal life by Christ. Although we hear very little about her in the
scripture, this does not mean that she faded into obscurity and
unimportance after the Ascension of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The
Virgin Mary, as we shall see, was beloved not only by the 12 Apostles,
but by the whole Church and was considered to be the spiritual mother of
the Church. By her very presence, holy sayings and loving words, she
offered to the Apostles and indeed to all the believers strength and
consolation filled with the grace of God.

The Mother of God did not fear death, nor did she seek it, however, as
the years passed her desire to depart this life and to again see her Son
grew. This same desire we hear in the words of the Apostle Paul who
exclaimed, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain … I am hard
pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ …”
(Phil 1:21). She begged her Son to reveal to her three days prior to her
death so that she might prepare and so that all those whom she loved
could be present. Our Lord, out of His great love and affection for His
earthly mother granted her prayer. During her life, the Virgin Mary
would often go to the Mount of Olives where she last saw her Son as He
ascended into heaven in order to pray. It was there that she felt
closest to Him. There are many holy places associated with the Mother of
God preserved on the Mount of Olives. The stone where she stood as her
Son ascended into Heaven is enshrined at the corner of the entry to the
Church of the Ascension in the Ascension convent at the top of the Mount
of Olives. Nearby is a garden refuge called “Little Galilee” which in
the time of Christ served as a hostel for travelers from Galilee to
Jerusalem for the Holy Days. Here the Mother of God would come to pray
and there is a Church built over the place where she was met by the
Archangel Gabriel who as sent by our Lord in answer to her prayer and to
warn of her that in three days she would die and be translated into life
eternal. He also gave to her a branch of palm from paradise which shone
with the light of heavenly grace. This branch was given to her as a
token that death had no power over her and that to be absent from the
world was to be present with Christ.

Today it is the third day before the death of the Virgin and so it was
on this day that the archangel appeared to the virgin. Upon hearing the
welcome news that the day of her departure from this life and the
reunion with her Son was imminent, the Virgin Mary began to prepare for
her death and burial. After receiving this message her first response
was to pray giving thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for His great
benevolence and His answer to her prayer. She also desired to see the
Apostles again, even though they were scattered throughout the whole
world preaching the Gospel.

Returning then to her home, the house of the Apostle John on Mt Zion,
the Virgin revealed the message of the archangel to the Apostle John who
had taken her into his home as his own mother. She also showed him the
palm branch from paradise and instructed him to carry it before her bier
in the funeral procession to the place of her burial. She also spoke to
the rest of the household and to the virgins who were her companions
(Mary Magdalene, Sepphora, Abigail and Jael). Her companions wept at the
news, bewailing their orphanhood. The Virgin comforted them and then
arranged her bed and room for her funeral. The Apostle John began to
call all the believers to gather at the bed of the Virgin. St James, the
brother of the Lord (the Virgin’s stepson), also began to gather the
faithful. Seeing the assembled faithful, the Virgin told them of the
words of the archangel and showed them the palm branch from Paradise
which radiated heavenly glory. Seeing their grief, the Virgin asked them
all not to mourn, but to rejoice, for she would be standing nearer to
her Son and would be able to pray with greater boldness for them all.
She promised that she would not leave them orphans, but that even after
her death she would pray for the them and for the whole world
interceding for all and helping all who would call upon her for assistance.

While she spoke with those gathered, there was a noise like a clap of
thunder and a cloud surrounded the house. By the command of God, angels
had brought the apostles who were scattered throughout the world and
miraculously transported them on clouds to Jerusalem: Peter from Rome,
Mark from Alexandria, Matthew from a boat on which he had been traveling
and all the others. Not only the twelve Apostles gathered to say
farewell to the Virgin, but also the apostles of the seventy, the Holy
Apostle Paul and many others of the godly hierarchs who cared for the
Church assembled in the presence of the Virgin. All were struck with
sorrow that they would be deprived of the presence of the Virgin Mary
and saw themselves as orphans bereft not only of the Mother of the Lord,
but also as if bereft of their own mother, for such she was to them and
to the whole Church.

Many words of sorrow were spoken by the assembled apostles and hierarchs
and many words of consolation and comfort were offered by the Virgin.
Finally, seeing that all were gathered she spoke to them in a parable,
offering some parting instruction, saying: “My children, do you see this
world? It is a festival. God is as a king, and you, His servants, are
the merchants of my beloved Son. Now listen to this parable: There was a
great and powerful king who had two servants. The king then heard that
there was a great fair where there would be very many goods and products
offered which would bring great gain. Therefore, the king summoned these
two servants and said, ‘Make great haste to go into this country where
the festival is being held and, for one month, do business. If any of
you delay, he will lose his life!’ Straightway, the two servants took
money and went to the fair. However, one of them was senseless and
foolish; he purchased things that were useless to the king, such as
houses, shops and fields. Of all these things the king had no need, nor
would they bring him any gain. Moreover, the undiscerning servant
delayed in returning because it took time to sow the fields and to
refurbish and complete the shops and the houses, because they were in
disarray. Thus it took him about three or four months to return to the
king. Now the other servant was prudent and purchased precious stones
and returned punctually to the king. The king honored and glorified this
servant, for he found him trustworthy. As for the other servant, an
order was issued that he be executed as one who was an enemy of the king.

“The same situation is also before you, O Apostles of my Son. My beloved
Son has sent you as merchants into the world of deceived mankind, to win
those souls who will hearken to His name. Whichever of you, O my friends
and children is a friend of Thy Teacher and my Son, He will honor in His
Kingdom. Those that will not obey the commands of the Teacher, he knows
what he will suffer. …

“Always have love and peace among you, and rejoice and be glad for great
will be your reward in the Kingdom of the heavens. And though, my
friends, I go to the Kingdom of my Son and God, I am ever with you, and
I will strengthen and comfort you in your afflictions.”

The words of the Virgin remind us to follow closely the words of our
Lord and to live within the tradition of the Church which gives us
guidance to gain that which is most valuable and which brings to us the
greatest measure of the grace of God. There are many good things in the
world, but even so we must be discerning and desire not that which is
simply good – but rather that which brings to us the riches of grace
from our Lord and Master.

Just as the Apostles and hierarchs of the whole Church gathered in the
presence of the Virgin and heard her words, so also we are gathered
today with them. We grieve with the Apostles at the loss of our mother
but we are also comforted with them by her final words of encouragement
and promise. Just as she departed this life and was received into the
Kingdom of God and she now dwells with Him in Paradise, so also
throughout the years, each in their own turn, the saints have departed
this life to enter the Kingdom of God. And just as we are not orphaned
by the death of the Virgin or abandoned by her departure, nor are we
orphaned or abandoned by the saints. Just as she watches over us, so
also all the saints, following her example and promise, also watch over
us and like shepherds care for us and call to us with the voice of the
Great Shepherd. Today the Virgin prepares to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
– let us also prepare ourselves for that same journey for like her we
too are mortal and must die so that we might be raised by her Son and
our God to eternal life in His Kingdom.

Archpriest David Moser
St Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church (ROCOR)
Homilies: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/propoved/
Website: http://stseraphimboise.org