Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church A Parish of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese

Ecumenical Patriarchate 10201 Democracy Blvd

Potomac, Maryland 20854 301-299-5120(Office) 301-367-9051(cell)

www.holyresurrection.com www.facebook.com/groups/hroc25

YouTube: HROC Media Very Rev. Peter Zarynow, Pastor Protopresbyter John Fedornock

Subdeacon Anastasios Davis Reader Stephen Sudik ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Sunday 23 August 2020 Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Martyr Lawrence Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:2-12 Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35

Tone Two 23 Aug (SUN) 11th Sunday after Pentecost Chanting of the 3rd Hour 9:10am Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom 9:30am Blessing of Grapes & First Fruits 26 Aug (Wed) 12th Wednesday after Pentecost Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom 9:30am (attendance limited to our seniors 65+)

28 Aug (Fri) FEAST OF THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom 9:30am Blessing of Flowers & Herbs 30 Aug (SUN) 12th Sunday after Pentecost Chanting of the 3rd Hour 9:10am Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom 9:30am Blessing of Flowers & Herbs

Announcements: As we are well into the Phase 2 reopening please keep in mind all protocols that were set out for us, with the blessing and guidance of our Metropolitan Gregory. These will be followed for the foreseeable future, given that the Covid-19 pandemic is not over. As he guides us, continue to keep our Metropolitan in your daily prayers, along with all of the Hierarchs of the Assembly of Bishops! We are in the Dormition Fast until the Feast of the Dormition on 28 August. All fasting guidelines are to be observed during this two-week period. If there are any questions, please contact FrPeter Change in the livestream schedule for this week: Because of the Feast of the Dormition there will be a slight change in listing of Services for this week. Divine Liturgy will be on Friday 28 Aug. There is no Liturgy scheduled for Saturday. We will be livestreaming the Feast day Liturgy on Friday, there will be no livestream on Sunday. For next Sunday, if you are not in church here at HROC, please go to the Cathedral (they begin Divine Liturgy 9am) or to another parish that offers this to the faithful. Many thanks to Proto. John Fedornock for serving the Liturgy for us this morning in Fr Peter’s absence. We are grateful to God for Fr John’s continuing ministry! Many Years! Mnohaja L’ita! Confessions be heard by appointment. Your Confession will be heard with Father, in front of the Icon of Christ, in the front pew. Masks (face cover) are required for both priest & penitent. Social distancing will also be in effect. Call Father Peter to set a time and date for an appointment. Home visits (Sick calls) have resumed, especially for those not able to return to church at this time. If you would like Father Peter to bring the Sacraments to you at home, call to make an appointment and go over the protocols for visits. This is also for those not comfortable with coming out into crowds but would still want to receive the Sacraments. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Wednesdays at 9:30am for our seniors (age 65+). Please call the Rectory if you are planning on attending. We can accommodate up to 10 households each Divine Services. NOTE: While we are in the situation where we are not able to meet fully, if you are able, please continue to make your regular tithe/offering to the parish. Even though we are not together, the bills continue to come in (electric, water, communications, etc.) Your continued support is necessary and appreciated. Your offering can simply be made through the PayPal button on our parish website homepage or by sending it in the mail to the church. (Also, new in the tax code for 2020, all charitable donations, no matter if you take the standard deduction or itemize, will be able to be used as deductions when you file your returns in early 2021.) Grocery Gift cards from Giant are still available. Contact Mark or Marie Sudik to have them mailed to you. A reminder for attending Divine Services during Phase 2: you will receive a phone call from Fr Peter to attend on Sunday mornings. All Divine Services will begin at 9:30am. So far, this seems to be working well, with everyone being able to attend about every third week. If, for some reason, you have not yet received a phone call, or if you were hesitant at first but now want to attend, please let Father know and you will be put in the rotation.

During this time of Covid-19, if you have any candle requests, please email or text them to Fr Peter by no later than Wednesday evening. Candles will be lit as requested.

Candle Offerings Altar Candles: Happy Birthday Helena-love Baba & Dido (Many Years!) Eternal Light: Gods choicest Blessing as you celebrate your 50th birthday Christine- love Mom & Dad and the Breno family (Mnohaja L’ita!); Happy Birthday Debbie Boyd-Lois (Many Years!)

Vigil Candles Offered For the Living (Many Years! Mnohaja L’ita!) 1-health of Mom-your loving family- Chrysa, Taina & Craig 1-health Dad Michael-love Alex & Melanie 2-for health-love Mom & Dad Jonathan & Lara; Stephanie 2-for health-John & Sheila HROC parishioners; Family members 3-special intention-John & Sheila Fr. Peter & family; Diocesan Priests & their families; OCMC Missionaries 1-health of Chris Fallon-Michael, Kathleen, John & Anna 1-health & blessings Marge Tomasevich-Joanie 1-blessings, grace & strength Judy Naugle-Joanie 1-specail intention Roby Family-Scott 2-special intention-brother George Archbishop Michael; Barbara Knighton 2-special intention-George Dahulich Metropolitan Gregory; Bishop Matthias 6-for health-George Dahulich Fr Tom Kadlec; Fr Jim Dutko; Chris Fallon; Charlie Myers; Barbara Knighton; Matushka Anastasia Karlgut 5-happy birthday-George Dahulich Mark Sudik; Grace Antonishek; Sem. Dan Katz; Debbie Boyd; Archbishop Michael 1-health of Savannah, Chloe, Caroline, Christopher, Natalie, Cole-love Grandparents 1-happy birthday Debbie-Mom & Dad 1-health of HROC Parishioners-Ray & Georgene 17-health & healing-John & Marie Smith Irene Dzubak; Melanie Samson; Fr Tom Kadlec; John & Barbara Homick; Chris Hudack; Ray & Georgene Ammon; Marge Tomasevich; Carol Miller; Marie Skasko; Paňi Eleanor Pribish; Lois Erhard; Chris Fallon; Emilia Zak; Stephen Brancho; Charlie Myers; Debbie & Tom Delare; Rose Marie Jung

6-special intentions-the Breno Family Breno Family; Fedornock Families; Peart Family; Nakonecznyj Family; Zankey Family; Fabian Family 1-happy birthday Tobin Zankey-the Breno Family 2-specail intention-Mom & Dad Angela & Brian; Stephen 1-special intention Mark-love Marie 1-special intention Marie-love Mark 9-for health-Mark, Marie & Stephen Mom/Baba; Ann Thear; Helen Beverage; Verna Czap; Nancy Shields; Mike & Josie Czap; Skeets; Williams Family; Charlene Myers 12-health & special intention- Mark, Marie & Stephen

Chris Hudack; Ray & Georgene Ammon; Marge Tomasevich; Irene Dzubak; Carol Miller; Alex & Eleanor Breno; Fr John & Paňi Marge; James Battaglini; Bridget Myers; Charlie Myers; Paňi Bernadette; Fr Peter

1-health of Charlie-love Debi 3-birthday blessings Mark-Charlie, Debi, Jacob & Joey Erin; Suzy; Beth 1-health Grammy & Skeets-Charlie, Debi, Jacob & Joey 1-specail intention Jacob & Joey-love Mom & Dad 1-sp. intention healthcare workers-Charlie, Debi, Jacob & Joey 2-for health-Paňi Jean Hutnyan Muhlenberg Family; Hutnyan Family 1-for health for Tom Fay -Steve Ellis 1-for health and safety of citizens of Beirut-Steve Ellis 1-for safety of California wildfire fighters-Steve Ellis 1-health & healing of Hayley, Bob, Dan, Chris Hudack, John Homick, Peggy & Bruce, Andrea, and all who are sick-Lois 1-health of Savannah, Caroline, Natalie, Karen K., Elizabeth Michel, Marge Tomasevich and Aunt Ann-Lois 1-happy birthday Dorrie-Lois

Vigil Candles In Loving Memory: (Memory Eternal! Vicnaja Pamjat!) 1+in loving memory of Les-love Carol 1+in memory Mother & Father–Carol Miller 1+loving memory of my husband Tom-your loving wife Ann 1+in loving memory of our father-Chrysa, Taina and Craig 1+in memory of Steve Sheftic-love your family 2+loving memory-the Fallons Paňi Jeannette; Anna & John Luchok 1+in memory of Marion Fallon-Diane 1+in loving memory of Helen Rowland-Diane 1+in loving memory Parents & Grandparents-Diane & Brian 1+Memory Eternal Parents/Grandparents-Koval Family 2+Memory Eternal-Koval Family Uncle George & Uncle Tony 3+Memory Eternal –love Alex, Melanie Mother Katherine; Dad John; Mother Elaine

5+in memory-John & Sheila Dad Kraynok; Mom Kraynok; Charles Hrapchak; Anna Hrapchak; Evelyn Hrapchak 1+In loving memory of Metro-Love, Joan and Family 1+in loving memory of parents Peter & Ann Dahulich-love son George 2+in memory-Paňi Jean Hutnyan Fr. Andrew; Mom & Dad 1+Eternal Memory, Dr. Theodore Corcoran-Rose Plowchin

Follow Your Diocese On-Line Diocesan Website: http://www.acrod.org Camp Nazareth: http://www.campnazareth.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acroddiocese Twitter: https://twitter.com/acrodnews You Tube: https://youtube.com/acroddiocese

The passions are serpents. When one of them emanates from the heart, it’s like a snake sticking its head out of a hole. Strike it in the name of Christ. It’ll withdraw at once. As soon as another one

manifests itself, hit that as well. Strike them all. Saint Theophan the Recluse

The second Issue of SPF50 is available NOW!! It is a digital edition. If you didn’t start with us on March 1, consider joining now. Make a commitment to reading Scripture and Praying together with your family. Visit the Diocesan Website at acrod.org and look for the SPF50 section or go directly to the SPF50 web page at https://www.acrod.org/ministries/acrod-family/spf50 to find out more about SPF50 and how to help your family read Scripture and Pray together at home. Don’t forget to fill out the Commitment Card which is available in the SPF50 Section of the Diocesan Website, and return the Card to FrPeter.

℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘℘ NOTE TO PARENTS: We are beginning to get our new Sunday School year planned, and, like everything else, it will be a little different than usual. Details will be worked out in the coming weeks, but we will not actually begin the Academic Year until Sunday 4 October. This will give time to work out a schedule for virtual classes and also to plan for, if things change, actual class in person. This will also give time for our students going to get back into “school mode” as schools will be starting the year via online learning. Look for more details coming late August/early September. Please pray for the following: Metropolitan Gregory, Bishop Matthias, Fr. Frank & Paňi Connie Miloro; Fr. John & Paňi Betty Jean Baranik, Fr. John Fencik, Fr. Paul Stoll, Fr. Robert Teklinski, Fr. John Gido, Dn. Peter Skoog & family, Pañi Kathy Dutko, Fr. Gregory Allard, Fr. Lawrence Barriger, Fr. James Gleason, Fr. Luke Mihaly, Fr. Ted & Paňi Marjorie Mozes, Fr. Thomas Blaschak, Hieromonk Michael, Fr Thomas Kadlec; Paňi Donna Smoley, Fr. Michael & Paňi AnnaMarie Slovesko, Fr John & Paňi Patricia Duranko, Fr. Christopher Rozdilski, Fr John & Paňi Cindy Zboyovski, Fr. Jonathan & Paňi Marsha Tobias, Fr Robert Lucas, Pañi Delores Zuder; Paňi Amy George, Fr Ken Ellis; Paňi Dorothy Hutnyan, Fr Ed Pihanich, Elisa Castilla, Ann Thear, Beth & Ed ‘Skeets’ Williams, Carol Miller, Cindy Russell, Michael Buchko, Dorothy Mastronicola, Angie Wali, Nancy Lynn Arthur, Mary Urbas, Tony Zankey, Justin Popek, Karen Ogden, Joshua, Faye & Tess, Emilie Dixon, Shirley Miree, Michael Rake, Olga Vasconez, Diane Dupere-Lindell, Gerry Sadler, Ann Eckert, Lois Hall, Marshal Smith, Dave Stanton, Florence Gregoric, James & Melody Peyton, Louann Giger, Daniel Ward, Jennifer Brady, Carol Blum, Katie Bleeker, Alexi Williams, Missy Johns, Susan Buckley, Constance Amey, James Lazor, Debbie Dell, Rose & Douglas Eade, Robert Horsch, Edward & Grace Yoon, Michael Dinneen, Kellie Barett, Joan Detwiler, Joan Kondratick, John Homick, Jim David, Melanie Samson, Mary West, Laura Gary; Richard & Wendy Sulich; James Durachko, Julia Rapach, Randi Caffalle, Hayley Marshall, Jon Green, Aleia Dick, MaryJane, Kyle & Rosie Brant, Mary Agnes, Alicia, Lisa Cherno, Stephen Brancho, Emily, MaryMargaret , Leslie Perez, Thomas & Deborah Delare, Diana Hannan; Ed Murphy; LeLe Luu; Bridget Myers; Devan Merrill; Joann Wiant; Bob Fitzurka; Vasili Pavuk; Frank Pavuk; Richard, Kari, Nicholas & Daniel Zarynow; Olga Vovk; infant Emilia Zak, Elizabeth Fabian & daughter

May Our Lord Jesus Christ Touch Them with His Healing Hand

What is the worst sin one can commit?

Fr. Steven Belonick writes: “The question of my Liturgical Theology professor Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, rang in my ears and elicited all sorts of responses from my classmates: murder, adultery, apostasy, abusing a child—but no one guessed the ‘right’ answer.

“None of the things you suggest are correct,’ explained Father Alexander: “The greatest sin a person can commit is to forget God. Every other sin, no matter how egregious, finds its beginnings in that one primordial sin. We are meant to be ‘doxological’ and ‘Eucharistic’ beings—that is, glorifying and thanking God always.’

Father Alexander’s words were reminiscent of St. Paul the Apostle’s words to the Romans: For though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened’ (Romans 1:21). “—and I never forgot them” (as appearing in St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Annual Report, 2016).

So remember that God is by our side always. Then we will be much less prone to fall. From Fr Paul Martin, Thought of the Day

⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏⅏

Hope in God redeems those who have fallen into sin, restores the wounded to health and loses the bonds of the prisoners. Hope rises like the rosy dawn in the moral firmament and illumines those darkened

by the grime of the sorrowful soul. It pours the balm of comfort onto the wounds of the heart which is in mourning.

Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis

The Sacraments

Holy Matrimony (Marriage) Marriage was not invented or instituted by Christ. The Lord, however, gave a very specific meaning and

significance to human marriage. Following the Old Testament Law, but going beyond its formal precepts in His messianic perfection, Jesus taught the uniqueness of human marriage as the most perfect natural expression of God’s love for men, and of his own love for the Church.

According to Christ, in order for the love of a man and woman to be that which God has: perfectly created it to be, it must be unique, indestructible, unending and divine. The Lord himself has not only given this teaching, but he also gives the power to fulfill it in the sacrament of Christian marriage in the Church.

In the sacrament of marriage, a man and a woman are given the possibility to become one spirit and one flesh in a way which no human love can provide by itself. In Christian marriage the Holy Spirit is given so that what is begun on earth does not “part in death” but is fulfilled and continues most perfectly in the Kingdom of God.

For centuries there was no particular ritual for marriage in the Church. The two Christians expressed their mutual love in the Church and received the blessing of God upon their union which was sealed in the holy eucharist of Christ. Through the Church’s formal recognition of the couple’s unity, and its incorporation into the Body of Christ, the marriage became Christian; that is, it became the created image of the divine love of God which is eternal, unique, indivisible and unending.

When a special ritual was developed in the Church for the sacrament of marriage, it was patterned after the sacrament of baptism- chrismation. The couple is addressed in a way similar to that of the individual in baptism. They confess their faith and their love of God. They are led into the Church in procession.

They are prayed over and blessed. They listen to God’s Word. They are crowned with the crowns of God’s glory to be his children and witnesses (martyrs) in this world, and heirs of the everlasting life of his Kingdom. They fulfill their marriage, as all sacraments are fulfilled, by their reception together of holy communion in the Church.

There is no “legalism” in the Orthodox sacrament of marriage. It is not a juridical contract. It contains no vows or oaths. It is, in essence, the “baptizing and confirming” of human love in God by Christ in the Holy Spirit. It is the deification of human love in the divine perfection and unity of the eternal Kingdom of God as revealed and given to man in the Church.

The Christian sacrament of marriage is obviously available only to those who belong to the Church; that is, only for baptized communicants. This remains the strict teaching and practice of the Orthodox Church today. Because of the tragedy of Christian disunity, however, an Orthodox may be married in the Church with a baptized non-Orthodox Christian on the condition that both members of the ­marriage sincerely work and pray for their full unity in Christ, without any coercion or forceful domination by either one over the other. An Orthodox Christian who enters the married state with a non-Orthodox Christian must have the sacramental prayers and blessings of the Church in order to remain a member of the Orthodox Church and a participant in the sacrament of holy communion.

According to the Orthodox teaching, only one marriage can contain the perfect meaning and significance which Christ has given to this reality. Thus, the Orthodox Christian tradition encourages widows and widowers to remain faithful to their spouses who are dead to this world but alive in Christ. The Orthodox tradition also, by the same principle, considers temporary “living together,” casual sexual relations, sexual relations with many different people, sexual relations between members of the same sex, and the breakdown of marriages in separation and divorce, all as contrary to the human perfection revealed by God in Christ. Through penance, however, and with the sincere confession of sins and the genuine promise of a good life together, the Orthodox Church does have a service of second marriage for those who have not been able to fulfill the ideal conditions of marriage as taught by Christ. It is the practice of the Church as well not to exclude members of second marriages from the sacrament of holy communion if they desire sincerely to be in eucharistic fellowship with God, and if they fulfill all other conditions for participation in the life of the Church.

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(Marriage, continued) Because of the realization of the need for Christ in every aspect of human life, and because, as well, it is

the firm Christian conviction that nothing should, or even can, be done perfectly without Christ or without his presence and power in the Church by the Holy Spirit, two Christians cannot begin to live together and to share each other’s life in total unity—spiritually, physically, intellectually, socially, economically—without first placing that unity into the eternity of the Kingdom of God through the sacrament of marriage in the Church.

According to the Orthodox teaching as expressed in the sacramental rite of marriage, the creation of children, and the care and love for them within the context of the family, is the normal fulfillment of the love of a man and woman in Christ. In this way, marriage is the human expression of the creative and caring love of God, the perfect Love of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity which overflows in the creation and care for the world.

This conviction that human love, imitative of divine love, should overflow itself in the creation and care for others does not mean that the procreation of children is in itself the sole purpose of marriage and the unique and exclusive justification and legitimization of its existence. Neither does it mean that a childless couple cannot live a truly Christian life together. It does mean, however, that the conscious choice by a married couple not to have a family for reasons of personal comfort and accommodation, the desire for luxury and freedom, the fear of responsibility, the refusal of sharing material possessions, the hatred of children, etc., is not Christian, and can in no way be considered as consonant with the biblical, moral and sacramental teachings and experience of the Orthodox Church about the meaning of life, love and marriage.

In light of the perspective offered above, the control of the conception of children in marriage is a very delicate matter, discouraged in principle and considered as perhaps possible only

with the most careful examination of conscience, prayer and pastoral guidance. The abortion of a child already conceived is strictly forbidden in the Orthodox Church, and cannot be

justified in any way, except perhaps with the greatest moral risk and with the most serious penitence in the most extreme cases such as that of irreparable damage to the mother or her probable death in the act of childbirth. In such extreme situations, the mother alone must take upon herself the decision, and all must be prepared to stand before God for the action, asking His divine mercy. ֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎

Laurence the Holy Martyr & Archdeacon of Rome

Commemorated 10/23 August This Saint, who was born in Spain, was the Archdeacon of the Church of Rome, caring for the sacred vessels of the Church and distributing money to the needy. About the year 257, a harsh persecution was raised up against the Christians by Valerian. Pope Sixtus, who was from Athens, was commanded to worship the idols, and refused; before his martyrdom by beheading, he committed to Laurence all the sacred vessels of the Church. When Laurence was arrested and brought before the Prefect, he was questioned concerning the treasures of the Church; he asked for three days' time to prepare them. He then proceeded to gather all the poor and needy, and presented them to the Prefect and said, "Behold the treasures of the Church." The Prefect became enraged at this and gave command that Laurence be racked, then scourged with scorpions (a whip furnished with sharp iron points - compare II Chron. 10:11), then stretched out on a red-hot iron grill. But the courageous athlete of Christ endured without groaning. After he had been burned on one side, he said, "My body is done on one side; turn me over on the other." And when this had taken place, the Martyr said to the tyrants, "My flesh is now well done, you may taste of it." And when he had said this, and had prayed for his slayers in imitation of Christ, he gave up his spirit on August 10, 258.

The Dormition of the Theotokos

and Ever-Virgin Mary

Commemorated 15/28 August The feast of the Dormition is the last great

feast in the Church calendar year. It is preceded by a two-week fast.

The glorious lot of the ever-blessed Virgin in the work of God’s salvation of the world made all Her life wonderful and exemplary. After the Crucifixion of Christ, the Mother of God was taken to live in the house of Her adopted son, the Apostle John. Tradition notes than even after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, the Mother of God remained in Jerusalem, visiting those places where the Saviour of the world preached, suffered and died. She did not want to leave the country that was dear and holy to Her. When king Herod Agrippa began to persecute the Church, both the pagans and the Jews, indignant of the respect that the Mother of God was receiving from the Christians, wanted to kill Her. It was during this time that She traveled with Apostle John to Ephesus. Church tradition has this also as the time of Her visit to Cyprus to Bishop Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead after four days, and to Mount Athos. When the persecution ended, the Mother of God returned to Apostle John’s house at Zion in Jerusalem.

Once, when She went to the Mount of Olives to pray, Archangel Gabriel appeared and spoke of Her approaching departure from this world. Upon returning home, She told Apostle John all that the Archangel had said to Her and started preparing Herself for Her final day on earth. Friends and relatives gathered, and eleven of the apostles were miraculously transported from various parts of the world to Her deathbed. They were all amazed to see each other there. When Apostle John explained that the Mother of God would soon be departing this world, they understood why God had brought them together and became sad. But She comforted them, saying: “Do not cry and darken My happiness with your sadness. I am going to My Son and your God, and you will bury My body and return each to your work.” As the time of Her death neared, the room shone with a divine light, the roof disappeared, and a wondrous sight appeared before all: the Lord Jesus Christ descended from heaven surrounded by many angels. All looked upon this wondrous sight with awe and reverence, and when they approached Her bed, the holy body of the Mother of God shone radiantly, and a fragrance of incense pervaded the room.

Dormition of the Theotokos The apostles carried the body of the Mother of God through the city to Gethsemane, to be buried at Her

request in the tomb of Her family and Joseph. They buried Her body, closed the tomb with a stone and remained there at the site in prayer for three days. On the third day Apostle Thomas arrived and was very saddened that he did not find the Mother of God alive. To make him feel better, the other apostles rolled away the stone to let him pay his respects to the body. But on entering the tomb, they found that the body was not there – only the winding sheet. They returned home to partake of a communal meal at which they always left a place for the Resurrected Lord. After the meal, they raised the bread left for Christ aloft and exclaimed: “Lord, Jesus Christ, help us.” And they heard a choir of angels, and when they looked up they saw the Holy Virgin surrounded by angels. She greeted them, saying: “Rejoice, for I am with you through all the days.” Then the apostles were filled with joy, and instead of using the usual words, they exclaimed: “Most holy Mother of God, help us.” And now they understood and believed that upon the third day after Her dormition, the Mother of God had been resurrected.

Thus, the dormition of the Mother of God is not a sad event, but a joyous one. Her death is but a short sleep, after which follows Her resurrection and ascension to heaven. From the very beginning, the Church saw in the Mother of God the One who would pray for all of mankind. She is the haven of all the mothers in the world. She teaches us how to live in total faithfulness to the will of God. She, who kept in Her heart the divine words, is an example of faithfulness, love and service.

Comforting truths inherent in the Feast of Dormition St. John of Kronstadt

Blessed is God for having granted us this great day, in which from ancient times and with triumphant hymns the universal Church accompanies heavenward into supreme Zion the incorruptible body of the Mother of God together with Her soul, and allows us to take pleasure in the spiritual fragrance of Her indescribable holiness and in all the virtues with which She was endowed by the Holy Spirit and by the Son of God, Who had issued from Her by taking on human nature! With what tenderness, joy, and piety did the apostles and all the other elect enjoy the wondrous vision of the reposing Theotokos’ visage, all shining with heavenly light, and the indescribable heavenly fragrance of Her God-bearing body, and the contemplation of the brightest visage of Her Son and God, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who had come to take His holy Mother’s soul into His hands! O, this was a celestial vision on earth, never seen before! Even the heavenly angels were visibly present here together with their King and Master.

Only three days did the Most-pure body of the Theotokos, buried by the apostles in Gethsemane, remain in the tomb, only three days did it stay there, and afterwards it was resurrected by the Lord and united with Her soul, and She was taken up together with Her body into heaven. For only three days was She fated to repose in the sleep of death, just as the Lord Himself remained in His tomb for three days and afterwards arose to confirm the universal resurrection of mankind. Death, having been vanquished by the resurrected Christ, became for the faithful a dormition, a passage, a step towards immortality and eternal life, provided we die in faith, repentance, and virtue.

Let us venerate the Most-glorious Mother of God, higher than the heavens and purer than sunlight, Who delivered mankind from its curse, i.e. from God’s damnation. But what exactly is God’s curse? It is the consequence of God’s righteous wrath upon criminal, sinful mankind, so ungrateful to its Creator and Benefactor, for which it had been deprived of God’s mercy, eternally rejected from the face of God, condemned to the eternal torment of hell or to eternal death with the fallen angels, the evil spirits. Eve, our foremother, was responsible for this damnation together with Adam through the sin of disobedience – and even to this day its consequences continue to overshadow sinners who do not know God, their Saviour. But the Theotokos, through Her humility, obedience, meekness, God-like purity, acceptance of the Archangel’s tidings, and above all through Her wondrous bearing of the Son of God in Her womb, attracted God’s blessing upon the world by giving birth to the Saviour of the world and obtaining the benevolence of the Heavenly Father towards all the faithful. Another consequence of God’s damnation of mankind was death, but Christ, the Son of God, Who was born of the Theotokos in flesh, Who suffered and died for the sins of mankind, took upon Himself our damnation, vanquished our death by His death, and removed the curse from us by crucifying our sins on the cross and granting us incorruptibility, resurrection, and immortality.

Such are the comforting truths which the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos brings us: it assures us that Christ the Saviour, born from the Most-pure Virgin Mary, removed from us the curse of our sins and granted to all of us resurrection from the dead on the last day of the world. Is this not comforting for every Christian believer?

And having such an expectation of a general resurrection from the dead, let us try throughout our entire life to become worthy of the glorious resurrection into eternal life by means of constant repentance, battle with our passions and the temptations of the flesh and the world, and strive for success in all virtues, in order to eternally enjoy the infinite, incorruptible, surpassing all understanding, all feeling and all expectation – the blessings of the Heavenly Kingdom, together with God, the Mother of God, the holy angels, and all the saints. Amen.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ A Second Pascha (Homily for the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos)

The great and wondrous summer holiday - the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God - from olden times has been regarded by Orthodox Christians in the light of a second Pascha. Pascha itself - the Holy Resurrection of Christ - was a turning point in the history of mankind. With His resurrection the Lord Jesus Christ opened for us the gates of paradise, the gates of that place of bliss which was originally intended for man - the crown of all creation, and which became closed to us because of the sin of pride and disobedience to God on the part of our forebears.

But centuries passed, and God Himself came down to earth, became incarnate in the form of man, and once again opened to us the gates of paradise, having manifested - instead of pride - the greatest humility, instead of disobedience - complete obedience even unto death on the cross, and instead of sin He - the most pure and absolutely sinless - took upon Himself the burden of all the sins of the world.

With these three qualities - humbleness, obedience and purity of nature - the Lord showed us the highest example of what man can be like, of what he should be like, and of what the Creator intended him to be.

However, we may well think, dear brethren, that only God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ, could be such an ideal man, while a mere mortal could never attain such perfection. But to show us the error of such thinking, we have before us the Mother of God, Who is the highest example of the attainment of such perfection, and Who teaches us with Her entire life and Her dormition that man can attain perfection precisely by means of these three qualities - humbleness, obedience to the will of God, and moral purity.

The Holy Virgin was so humble, that she wished to be even the lowest servant of the maid who would become the Mother of God. The Holy Virgin was so humble, that having Herself become the Mother of God, She did not become haughty, but modestly performed Her great service.

The Holy Virgin was so obedient to the will of God, that having heard from the Archangel concerning Her forthcoming service, so extraordinary and unknown to any mortal, She meekly replied: “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord.” The Holy Virgin was so obedient to the will of God, that having heard from the elder Simeon of the future painful torment to which Her heart would be subjected, She humbly accepted Her share in the sufferings on the cross of Her Son and God.

Concerning the extraordinary purity of the Holy Virgin - we are presented with proof of it from Her very birth. How pure She must have been if the high priest led Her, a mere three-year-old child, and a female at that, into the holiest of holies!

In the prayers before communion the Church warns us to beware of partaking of the Holy Mysteries while being in a state of uncleanliness, in order not to burn ourselves, for these particles of Divinity are fiery. How pure must have been the Holy Virgin, if She contained God Himself in Her womb and was not burned! The Gospel tells us that nothing unclean will enter the Heavenly Realm. How pure must have been the Holy Virgin, if She not only entered the Kingdom of Heaven, but having passed through the gates of death like all mortals, She was taken up into heaven together with Her body and placed right next to the Throne of the triunal God Himself!

In the Dormition of the Mother of God, it is these three qualities of hers which are commemorated - humbleness, obedience and purity, - which have elevated Her, a mere mortal, above all earthly creatures and above the entire heavenly host, which have made Her more honorable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim, which have made Her the Queen of heaven and earth. Let us try, dear brethren, to emulate the high example of the Mother of God and, while celebrating Her wondrous holiday, let us remember that even in Her Dormition She never abandons us. Amen.

Father Rostislav Sheniloff