Dormition Of Mary
Submitted by llefrois on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
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Dormition Of Mary
Description:
The Orthodox liturgical year is rich in a variety of feasts honoring Mary, which opens with the Nativity of the Mother of God, and closes with her Dormition. By virtue of the Immaculate Conception, Mary's body was considered uncorrupted at the time of death, and free from sin, therefore her body is immune to decay as a consequence of sin. The Dormition and Assumption represent Mary being taken, body and soul, into heaven to share in the glory of her Son's resurrection, and she is the first among human beings to participate in the final deification of Jesus. Her Dormition and assumption represent the potential for all human beings to share in the Glory of God, and is celebrated on August 15th, proceeded by a two-week fast.
History of The Dormition:
Ø One of the oldest Marian feasts, the feast of "The Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God" most likely began in Jerusalem shortly after the Council of Ephesus in 431, which defined Mary as the Mother of God, or Theotokos (God-bearer).
Ø The scriptures have little to say about the Mother of God, and nothing whatsoever after the Pentecost. There is no historical data indicating how long Mary remained on earth after the ascension of Christ into heaven, nor when, where or how she died.
Ø The Foundation for the feast is found in sacred traditions of the church dating from apostolic time, apocryphal writing, the faith of the people, and the unanimous opinion of the Holy Fathers.
Ø The earliest written tradition that speaks of the death of the Holy Mother is known in the West as "The Transition of St. Mary", and in the East as the "Sermon of St. John the Theologian of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God". The author of this work is unknown, and some historians believe it dates from the end of the 2nd or 3rd century, while others believe it was written at the end of the 6th century.
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