Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God
Categories: parish-life, feast-days
Date: 14 August 2006 12:20:34
Happy Feast Day!
Troparion:
In giving birth you preserved your virginity,
in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos.
You were translated to life, O Mother of Life,
and by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death.
Kontakion:
Neither the tomb, nor death could hold the Theotokos,
who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions.
For being the Mother of Life,
she was translated to life by the One who dwelt in her virginal womb.
Rather than the individual parishes in our archdiocese celebrating the feast, our Archbishop requested we all turn up to St Mary's (Dormition of the Mother of God) for their parish Feast Day. It is a wonderful idea, and there were a large number of people there tonight(*). Last year we had the priests and people from other parishes turn up to our parish's Feast Day. It is a great blessing and joy to worship with our brothers and sisters in other parishes.
Our Archbishop was there, and gave an encouraging and challenging sermon, exhorting us to, like Mary, hear and follow the call of God. He also reminded us of our purpose here on earth: to become holy and to become united with God: to partake in the divine nature, as St Peter writes: there Orthodox refer to this as theosis, or deification.
Next month we will all be heading to St Mary's (Nativity of the Mother of God) for their Feast Day, and in a few weeks we will head to St Nicholas' for the Old Calendar Feast of the Dormition [St Nicholas' follows the old calendar], as well as a celebration to mark the renovation of that parish. And, they have done a wonderful job: it is indeed a beautiful parish. So, lots of chances to catch up with our brothers and sisters in Christ from other parishes: thanks be to God.
(*)as I've mentioned previously, the Patriarchate of Antioch allows Evening Divine Liturgies to be served on the eve of the Feast.