Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the traditions of the Eastern Church

    Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the tradition of the Eastern Church, belongs to the list of twelve major religious holidays of the year. On 15th August, the old Style, August 28 - the new (Catholic and most Orthodox Churches of the world celebrate the Assumption on 15 August). We also have the Assumption Lent, which begins August 14 and lasts two weeks. The apocrypha says that in three days before the death of Mary the archangel Gabriel appeared and told about her close transition to eternity.
According to the church tradition on this very day the apostles left the place of their sermons and in a wonderful way gathered in Jerusalem to say goodbye to the Blessed Virgin and to burial her body. Being around her bed, they were blinded by bright light in which Christ surrounded by angels and archangels appeared himself. At this moment the pure soul of Mary without suffering, as if in a dream, went to the Lord. Iconographic tradition holiday says that Mary gave up her pure soul into the hands of her Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, and there was heard from heaven the sounds of angelic choirs.
The body of the Blessed Virgin was transmitted by the apostles to Gethsemane, where the tomb of her parents and St. Joseph were situated. On the road to the grave the procession of the apostles was accompanied with wonderful light cloud and angels.
Church says that the Apostle Thomas, who arrived late, was sorry, that could not be at the Virgin in the last moments of her earthly life. To say goodbye to her body, the apostles moved a tombstone. But to the surprise of all there were only risk of the Virgin Mary. Her body, like the soul was taken by the Lord of Heaven.
After the Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (431), the feast of the Assumption was called "Holy Mary, Mother of God." Its present name it received in the sixth century. Emperor Mauritius (582-602) commanded to celebrate the Assumption of the entire Byzantine Empire. The tradition of celebrating of the Assumption was introduced by Pope Sergius (687-701). But in 1950 Pope Pius XII proclaimed the dogma that "blameless Mother of God, Ever-Virgin Mary, having done a ran of her earthly life, was taken to heavenly glory with the body and soul."
Fathers of the Church St.Andrew of Crete and St. John Damascene, have made great sermons dedicated to the holiday of the Assumption. The latter also speaks on the miraculous ascension of the Virgin Mary.
In Ukraine, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary received a special honor.
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