Homily One on the Forefeast of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

 

Homily at the Paraklesis of the Theotokos:
On the Heavenly Glory of the Most Holy Mother of God

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered on August 13, 1960)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating today the Leave-taking of the Transfiguration, we descended from Tabor, illuminated by the last rays of the Divine glory of the Transfigured Lord, and today, on the new ecclesiastical day that has begun, entering the forefeast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, we approach Gethsemane, to the tomb in which lay the most pure body of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. But we will find the tomb empty, because it could not contain the Mother of Life. She, like Her Divine Son, is not held by the bonds of death; Her body does not see decay even in the tomb, and after three days She ascends to heaven with glory.

The Dormition of the Mother of God, like Her entire earthly life, bears the stamp of the greatest mystery and wonder, assuring us of the special grace of God resting upon Her, of God's special care for Her. Look at Her birth from the very beginning. From whom did She come? From her aged parents Joachim and Anna, as a result of their fervent prayer and vow. Joachim and Anna, having reached an advanced age when people lose all hope of becoming fathers and mothers, thanks to their strong faith and hope in the Omnipotence of God, receive a pure gift from heaven - the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. She was barely three years old when She was dedicated to God and as a three-year-old Maiden She was brought into the Temple of God, so that there She could, from her earliest years, become related in spirit and heart to all that is holy. While in the Temple of God, She, following the example of other virgins, should have been in its vestibule, but the high priest, by special revelation, leads Her into the Holy of Holies, where only he himself could enter – once a year. It pleased the wisdom of God that the Virgin Mary, the living Holy of Holies, should be there, where Her prototype was.

Having reached adulthood, the Most Holy Virgin, according to Jewish law, had to find herself a husband and marry him. But the Most Pure One, without hesitation, declares that she has firmly decided not to belong to anyone except God alone for the rest of her life. After consultations and prayers, the high priests decide to betroth her to a man who would agree to bear the name of a husband without enjoying his rights. This man is the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. Finally, the Annunciation arrives and the Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin the seedless conception and birth of Christ the Savior from her. The Archangel, the Heavenly Messenger, greets her with the words: "Rejoice, Full of Grace! The Lord is with You" (Luke 1:28). And, it would seem, to whom would joy and honor be more appropriate than to the Mother of God! But it pleased God that She should remain in obscurity until the end of Her earthly life, among simple Christians, imitating Her Beloved Son, Who had nowhere on earth to lay His head. And, in everything submissive to the will of the Lord, the Most Pure Virgin remained in obscurity until Her very death, thereby showing the highest example of ineffable humility and thus becoming even more worthy of that crown of glory which had long belonged to Her by all rights.

Sooner or later, this crown had to descend upon the head of Her who is more honorable than the Cherubim and Seraphim, and it descended at the time of Her Dormition, when the greatest mystery of God was accomplished over Her. The Mother of the Lord of Glory dies as all humans do, although it seemed that, due to all Her unspeakable merits, She was entitled to what was previously granted to the righteous Enoch and Elijah, who were taken to heaven while alive. However, the Virgin Mary was destined for something different. For the consolation and comfort of all of us who must pass through the gates of death, the Most Pure also dies, fulfilling this obligation to nature alongside all earthly beings. But as the Mother of God, She is not held by death; rather, She is gloriously raised to heaven, standing at the right hand of God the King, standing as the Queen of the heavenly and earthly. The Holy Psalmist David, precontemplating Her glory, sang: "The Queen stands at Your right hand, adorned in golden robes" (Ps. 44:10). The Queen stands at Your right hand – the Queen of the earthly, because the entire faithful Christian race venerates Her and glorifies Her: people of every age, rank and gender. Both noble people and ordinary people bow their knees before Her, glorifying Her and asking for help in their sorrows and needs. And She does not reject those who ask, fulfilling their requests, for She is the Source of blessings and a sea of gracious gifts. The Queen of the heavenly – for the Heavenly Ranks of incorporeal spirits venerate Her and honor Her: Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim; the Most Holy Trinity greets her in the Heavens, as the beloved handmaiden of God.

"In gilded robes, the vesture is adorned..." The most glorious Virgin Mary, as the Holy Prophet David seems to say – shines today with an inaccessible light of divine glory. Thus, although all righteous souls are illuminated by the divine light from the unsetting Sun of Righteousness and shine as luminaries, the most glorious Virgin Mary is more beautiful than all the blessed Powers. Being purer than all men and Angels, She receives the fullness of the light of the Divine Sun and reflects this light from Herself, appearing as the second Sun of Righteousness, the Sun of glory. Saint Gregory the Theologian says: "To each of the chosen, a portion of grace is given; to the Virgin – all the fullness of grace." Likewise, She is glorified – that is, She possesses the fullness of divine glory, as the Holy Prophet Ezekiel foresaw: "And I beheld, and behold, the house of the Lord was full of glory" (Ezek. 44:4).

Our minds, dear brothers and sisters, cannot conceive of the bright light with which the Blessed Virgin shines in Paradise; the sun and the moon are dark spots compared to this ineffable beauty, the contemplation of which the blessed souls of the righteous endlessly delight. What a beautiful, luminous spectacle for the eyes of all holy men and even for the Seraphim themselves! 

A certain youth, a devout admirer of the Virgin, wished to see Her glory, and he addressed Her with the prayer: “Mary, the Sweetest Name, which I honor and which I adore after God with all the love and reverence of my soul, for You are its consolation and joy! If I, Your humble servant, have found grace before You, I pray You, show me one favor: among many benefits, grant me to see You such as You are in Paradise. Grant me this favor, Most Pure Mother! I am ready to lose an eye, if only I could see You!” The Most Pure Lady heeded the prayer of Her reverent servant; at night in a dream the All-Bright One appeared to him in all the splendor of that glory with which She shines in heaven.

The youth awoke and had indeed lost an eye, but from the joy he felt at being deemed worthy to behold the Queen of heaven and earth, he did not regret at all that he had lost his sight. Moreover, he again prayed to behold Her once more, consenting to the loss of his other, intact eye. And he was again deemed worthy to behold the Queen of the heavenly and the earthly; but what do you think, brothers and sisters? Perhaps he has become blind in both eyes? The All-Merciful Lady, appearing to him a second time, not only did not deprive him of his other eye, but also returned the one he had lost. The youth awoke with both healthy eyes and, overwhelmed with double joy, gave the Mother of God a thousand thanks with abundant tears of reverent emotion.

O All-Merciful Lady, Queen of heaven and earth, accept now our fervent prayers and cover us with Your love! Accept also the feat of fasting, performed by Orthodox Christians for the sake of Your Holy Name, and show us Your mercy. Turn away from us the wrath of God, righteously moved against us, save us from all the wiles of the enemy and teach us to love Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Strengthen our faith, for You are the firm confirmation of faith, and grant us in the future life to glorify You and cry out: Rejoice, Queen of heaven and earth, rejoice, O Joyful One, rejoice, O fervent Intercessor of the Christian race! Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.