“Although the Mother of God is laid upon the bier, her soul, like a small child clothed in a white garment, is raised in the hands of Christ, on His left side, close to His heart. For just as the Mother of God held her Son on her left arm, close to her heart, when He was a child and showed Him to the world, so now the Son in heaven holds her soul in His hands and shows it to the angels.
Similar quotes
“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
“At Bethlehem, she receives God into our world. At the Dormition, God receives her into His world. At Bethlehem, the Mother carries the Son. At the Dormition, the Son carries His Mother.
“while death ordinarily brings sorrow, the Church celebrates the Dormition with joy because the Mother of God, having been translated to heaven, continues to intercede with her Son for all humanity
“In this sense, the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God is placed above the doors of a church in the narthex, so that when the faithful leave the church, they may think about the final days of their lives on earth. For whatever spiritual state death finds them in, when the soul is separated from the body, in that state they will be judged or spiritually assessed.
“This account in the Synaxarion tells us that the Mother of God, after joyfully receiving the news that she would depart from this earthly life, fell asleep in the Lord. After her Dormition, they took her to the tomb. Three days after her burial, the Apostle Thomas arrived and also wished to see her tomb. When those present opened it, they found only the burial shroud of the Mother of God. From this, they understood that the Mother of God had been taken up to heaven.
“the Dormition of the Mother of God is not simply a translation to heaven, but above all, a transition from earthly life, which is subject to decay or corruption, to an incorruptible existence. It is her grace-filled translation to the right hand of her Son in heaven, in the light and peace of the Holy Trinity.
“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
“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,