Category: Faith Hope Love

Windowsill Bouquet of Church Flowers

Greetings on the two big Feast Days this week!

The first feast is The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Aug. 28/15

Troparion in Tone 1: In giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity, and in thy falling asleep thou hast not forsaken the world, O Theotokos. Thou hast been translated unto life, for thou art the Mother of Life, and by thy supplications, thou dost deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion in Tone 2 : The tomb, nor mortality could not hold the Theotokos, who is tireless her prayers and supplications. For, as the Mother of Life, she was translated unto life, by Him Who dwelt within her Ever-Virgin womb.

…and after the third day, they opened the sarcophagus to venerate the precious tabernacle of her who deserves all praise, but found only her grave garments; for she had been taken away by Christ, the God who became flesh from her, to the place of her eternal, living inheritance. And our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who bestowed glory on his Immaculate Mother Mary Theotokos, will also bestow glory on those who glorify her. Those who call upon her, celebrating her memorial every year, He will save from every danger, and He will fill their households with good things, like the house Onesiphorus (cf. 2 Timothy 1:16;4:19). And they will receive the forgiveness of their sins, both here and in the age to come. For He has shown her to be His cherubic throne on earth, an earthly heaven, the hope and refuge and confidence of our race, so that if we celebrate, with sacred mysteries, the festival of her holy Dormition, we might find mercy and grace in the present age and in the age to come, by the grace and kindliness of our Lord Jesus Christ: to Whom be glory and power, with His unbegotten Father and with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for the ages of ages. Amen. ~ St. John of Thessalonica (8th century)  – On the Dormition of Mary Early Patristic Homilies, page 67

The next feast after the Dormition, is the Feast of the Holy Mandylion (The Icon of Christ Not-Made-by-Hands) Aug. 29/16. Sometimes this feast is transferred to the closest Sunday after this date. For the many churches named St. Sophia, (after the Holy Wisdom of God – Our Lord Jesus Christ) today is their Name day, and is also ancient the Feast of Mid-Pentecost.

Troparion in Tone 2: We bow down before Thy pure Image O Good One, asking forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ, God; for Thou wast well pleased to ascend the Cross in the Flesh, of Thine own will, that Thou mightest save what Thou hadst created from slavery to the enemy. Wherefore, we cry out to Thee in thanksgiving: Thou hast filled all things with joy, O our Saviour, Who hast come to save the world.

Kontakion in Tone 2: O uncircumscribable Word of the Father, knowing the victorious image, uninscribed and divinely wrought, of Thine ineffable and divine dispensation towards man, of Thy true Incarnation, we honour it with veneration.

Below is a beautiful version of the Magnificat Hymn by the Virgin Mary, from St. Luke 1:46-55. The refrain to this hymn: More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify thee! ~ Axion Esti was revealed by the Archangel Gabriel himself, posing as a monk while visiting a monastery on Mt. Athos during the 10th century!

The Magnificat is sung at most vigil services.

…no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:9

With love in Christ.