Feast Day Today: Our Church honors the Dormition of the Mother of God today, August 15th. As is known, above the Cross, our Lord Jesus Christ gave the command, and the Virgin Mary, His mother, was received by John the Evangelist at his home, where he lived with his brother James and his mother Salome, a relative of the Mother of God.
When the moment came to end her earthly life, an angel of the Lord (tradition says it was the Archangel Gabriel) made it known to her three days in advance.
The joy of the Mother of God was great, for she would meet her Only-begotten Son and the God of all mankind.
So, she went and prayed on the Mount of Olives, where the Lord Jesus used to pray. Then, she returned to the house of John, where she made her impending dormition known.
Tradition states that on the third day from the appearance of the angel, shortly before the Mother of God fell asleep, the Apostles were not all in Jerusalem, but in distant lands where they were preaching the Gospel. Then, suddenly, a cloud snatched them away and brought them all before the bed where the Mother of God lay, awaiting her dormition. Along with the Apostles came Dionysius the Areopagite, Saint Hierotheos the teacher of Dionysius, the Apostle Timothy, and the other theotokos-wise Hierarchs.
When she fell asleep, they placed her in the tomb of Gethsemane with psalms and hymns. Because, according to divine economy, one of the Apostles (Thomas, as tradition says) was not present at the funeral of the Mother of God, he requested that the tomb be opened so that he too might venerate the Body of the Mother of God.
Thus, after three days, they opened the tomb and were astonished to find that the Panagia had been bodily resurrected and assumed into the heavens. And of course, all humanity, with gratitude for her intercessions to the Savior Christ, proclaims: "Rejoice, O Mother of Life."
Name Day: Panagiotis, Panos, Panousos, Panagis, Panagos, Giotis, Takis, Panikos, Panagiota, Giota, Panagioula, Gioula, Panagoula, Naja Despoina, Despo, Depi, Pepi, Zepo * Maria, Margeta, Marietta, Margetina, Maro, Mario, Mariori, Marika, Marigo, Marigoula, Maroula, Maritsa, Manio, Mary, Mariniki, Mirella, Myrella, Mania, Mara, Maraki, Mario * Gethsemane, Jesthimane Theotokis, Theotokia Marianzela Marinela Elona, Ellona, Elona Iliostalaktis Katholiki Krystallos, Kroustallos, Kroustalo, Krystalía, Krystallía, Kroustalenía Presveia, Presveía Symela, Simela, Soumela.
Apolytikion
Mode 1.
In the Nativity you preserved virginity, in the Dormition you did not leave the world, O Theotokos; you passed into life, being the Mother of Life, and through your intercessions, you redeem our souls from death.
Kontakion
Mode pl. 2. Automelon.
The Theotokos, who is sleepless in her intercessions, and an unshakeable hope in her protections, was not held by the tomb or death; for as the Mother of Life, she passed into life, having dwelt in the ever-virgin womb.
Megalynarion
You stood by the Virgin to the right of the King of All, clothed as the Queen of all, arrayed in the splendor of immortality, raised with glory to the heavens.
The Hymn
Fortify my intellect, my Savior; for I dare not hymn the wall of the world, Your immaculate Mother; strengthen me in the tower of words, and anchor me in the weight of thoughts; for You call those who faithfully ask to fulfill their requests. Therefore, grant me a tongue, an utterance, and an unshakable mind; for every gift of radiance is sent from You, O Illuminator, who dwelt in the ever-virgin womb.