… her tomb. When the tomb was opened, only her burial shroud was found, leading the Apostles to understand that she had been taken up to heaven.
Patriarch Daniel stressed that the Dormition is not simply a translation to heaven, but a passage “from earthly, perishable life to an incorruptible existence.”
He described it as a grace-filled translation of the Mother of God to the right hand of her Son, “in the light and peace of the Holy Trinity.”
The message of the Icon of the Dormition
The Patriarch also reflected on the Orthodox Icon of the Dormition, in which the Mother of God lies upon the bier while Christ holds her soul, depicted as a small child dressed in white.
“Just as the Mother of God held her Son on her left arm, close to her heart, when He was a child and presented Him to the world, so now her Son in heaven holds her soul …
The Mother of God remains present in the world through her prayers even after her Dormition and translation to heaven, Patriarch Daniel of Romania emphasized on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The Patriarch delivered his sermon at the historic Chapel of the Holy Great Martyr George in the Patriarchal Residence, where he attended the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
“Although the Mother of God passes through death and is then taken up to heaven in body as well as in soul, she remains forever present in the world through her prayers,” Patriarch Daniel said.
From earthly life to incorruptible existence
Referring to the Synaxarion and the liturgical hymns of the feast, the Patriarch recalled that the Mother of God received with joy the news of her departure from earthly life and then fell asleep in the Lord.
According to Church tradition, three days after her burial, the Apostle Thomas arrived and asked to see her tomb. When the tomb was opened, only her burial shroud was found, leading the Apostles to understand that she had been taken up to heaven.
Patriarch Daniel stressed that the Dormition is not simply a translation to heaven, but a passage “from earthly, perishable life to an incorruptible existence.”
He described it as a grace-filled translation of the Mother of God to the right hand of her Son, “in the light and peace of the Holy Trinity.”
The message of the Icon of the Dormition
The Patriarch also reflected on the Orthodox Icon of the Dormition, in which the Mother of God lies upon the bier while Christ holds her soul, depicted as a small child dressed in white.
“Just as the Mother of God held her Son on her left arm, close to her heart, when He was a child and presented Him to the world, so now her Son in heaven holds her soul in His hands and presents it to the angels,” he explained.
According to Patriarch Daniel, the icon reveals the unique bond between Jesus Christ and His Mother, as well as the honour bestowed upon her by her Son.
He further noted that the Feast of the Dormition, celebrated during the final month of the ecclesiastical year, reminds Christians both of the final days of earthly life and of the end of history.
For this reason, the Icon of the Dormition is traditionally placed above the doors in the narthex, encouraging the faithful, as they leave the church, to reflect on their spiritual condition and preparation for death.
A call to prepare for eternal life
Patriarch Daniel underlined that the Dormition calls every Orthodox Christian to prepare for the passage from earthly life to heavenly life.
“The Christian passes in soul from transient earthly life to eternal heavenly life while awaiting the resurrection of the dead—that is, eternal life for the body as well,” he said.
He added that complete salvation concerns not only the soul but also the body, through which the human person lived and acted in history.
The Patriarch also emphasized that the faithful call upon the Mother of God to intercede for them at the hour of death and on the Day of Judgment.
Concluding his sermon, Patriarch Daniel said that the Theotokos desires the salvation of all people and their participation in the eternal joy of the Kingdom of the Holy Trinity.
“The Mother of God is the protector of families, children, mothers, parents, virgins, and all the faithful, both men and women,” he said.
“In a special way, she is the protector of the poor, widows, orphans, and those whom no one loves anymore.”
Source: basilica.ro
Photo credit: Ziarul Lumina