Eulogies on the Dormition of Our Holy Lady Theotokos

St. Theodore the Studite is the author of an extensive book of praise (πανηγυρική βίβλος). Only 12 sermons from this collection have survived to this day, including “A Homage to the Dormition of Our Holy Lady Theotokos” (6 chapters). St. Theodore describes the Mother of God as the earthly sky, the spiritual moon, the golden ark, emphasizing Her purity, holiness and closeness to God. He emphasizes that the Dormition of the Mother of God is a victory over death, which reigned through Eve, and calls on everyone to rejoice at this event. The author retells the circumstances of the Dormition of the Mother of God, based on Holy Tradition: the meeting of the apostles at Her bed, the resurrection of Her body and the ascension to heaven. He expresses amazement at the greatness of this event, noting that no mind can comprehend its mystery. In conclusion, the preacher says a prayer to the Mother of God for the salvation of the world and for the granting of earthly and heavenly blessings to people. 1. Passing with difficulty through the weak organ of our voice, the word for praise of this sacred day needs the voice of a trumpet, the sound of a horn that sounds loudly and shakes the ends of the earth. But the Queen and Mistress of everything, as alien to ambition, will perhaps accept our present word, short and meager, as the lengthy and brilliant speeches of the best revolutions, bowing to the mercy of the prayers of our primate; because She, loving the good, looks at one intention of the soul. So, come to me, all under heaven, all the bishops and priests, monks and laity, kings and princes, men and wives, young men and virgins, tribes and languages of every kind and tribe, come under heaven, clothed in the clothes of virtues, as if adorned with clothes embroidered with gold, and brightly celebrate the feast of the Mother of the Lord, Mary, burial and resettlement Her. For She departs from earthly things and approaches the eternal mountains, being truly Mount Zion, where God is pleased to dwell in her, as the lyre of the Psalmist says (Psalm 67:16-17). Now the earthly sky, clothed with the garment of incorruptibility, is transferred to a better, eternal dwelling. Now the spiritual and God-illuminated moon, marching towards the Sun of truth, is deprived of real, temporary life, and at the same time, rising, is enlightened by the glory of immortality. Now the gold-plated and God-made ark is moving from the earthly tabernacle to heavenly Jerusalem, to endless rest, about which the God-father David, singing as if on a harp, says to us: virgins will be brought to the King (Psalm 44:15), that is, souls will be brought after Her to You. 2. So, now the Mother of God, having closed her sensual eyes, brings us great and brilliant, never setting, spiritual lights - vigilance and intercession for the world before the face of God. Now, when Her God-moving lips, which uttered an articulate voice, are silent, She opens Her ever-speaking lips, pleading for the whole race (ours). Now having lowered Her bodily hands, with which She carried God, She, having become immortal, raises her hands to the Lord for the entire universe. Now, having hidden Her natural appearance, similar to the sun, She shines, however, on Her painted icon, which She offers to earth-born for a beneficial kiss and befitting worship, although the heretics do not want this. So, having soared grief, the pure dove does not cease to protect for longer. Having departed in body, She is with us in spirit; Having been elevated to heaven, She drives away demons, being an intercessor to God. In ancient times, death reigned through the foremother Eve, but now, having touched her blessed Daughter, she was killed, having been defeated by the same thing from which she received strength. Therefore let the women rejoice, having inherited glory instead of dishonor. Let Eve rejoice, for she has brought forth the blessed fruit, Mary. Let all creation leap, watered by the mysterious waters of incorruption from the virgin spring, quenching their deadly thirst. This is what we celebrate today. Such is what is sung that it gave us the root of Jesse, which brought the flower - Christ, the sacred rod of Aaron that flourished, a spiritual paradise where the tree of life is, a spiritual meadow of virgin aromas, a flowering and God-cultivated branch of a mature and life-bearing vine; the high and exalted cherubic throne of the King of all, the house full of the glory of the Lord, the holy veil of Christ, the brightest country of the East, asleep in peace and truth, I say “asleep” and not “dead” because it was transferred, but did not cease to patronize the human race. In what words shall we express Your sacrament? We waver in our minds, we cannot speak with a weak tongue, we do not know how to write, for it (the sacrament) is glorious, lofty and surpasses every mind: it has nothing similar to itself or similar to itself, so that we can easily explain it from our deeds. But from that which is higher than us, having borrowed what is due to You, let us bring to You alone what is higher than man, for You changed nature with Your ineffable birth: has anyone ever heard of a Virgin conceiving without seed? Oh, miracle! The mother who gives birth is at the same time the incorruptible Virgin, because, of course, what was born was God. You justly have this one thing, different from the others, in your life-giving dormition: the incorruptibility of both – soul and body. 3. But let Zion tell us the wonders of this day. The limit of life was fulfilled, the hour of resolution was approaching. The Most Holy Mother of God foresaw, as befits, the time of Her transfiguration. For who, lovers of Christ, would not attribute this to the Mother of God and the Chief of the Prophets, more than to any prophet who is in a slave state? What did She say after she found out and felt this? - “The hour of My exodus has come, the time has come for My migration to You. May there be people with Me, Lord, who would perform My burial; Let the servants be present who would bury Me, and I will give My spirit into Your hands, and into the hands of the disciples My inviolable and God-pleasing body, from which You, the immortal, have arisen. Let the preachers and ministers of Your Gospel, scattered to the ends of the earth, appear for My consolation. For if You, in Your goodness, deigned to transfer the righteous Enoch, who is still living, (Gen. 5:24) and carried away Elijah the Tishbite on a chariot of fire from this known to an unknown country (2 Kings. 2:11), both awaiting the time of Your glorious and terrible coming; if, in addition, You caused Habakkuk to be miraculously transported in an instant from Jerusalem to Babylon at the need of Daniel, and brought back (Dan. 14:36-39): then what is impossible for You when You desire? As soon as the all-praised Virgin said this, the twelve apostles appeared, each from their place, like clouds on the wings of the Spirit, carried towards the cloud of light, until they stood there (on the ground) with a firm foot. And what did the God-named, many-named and bearing a great name say to them? Looking around from Her bed and seeing the expected disciples, She said: “Let My soul rejoice in the Lord, and let it be to Me glory and greatness in all the languages ​​of the earth that He has gathered to Me the foundations of the Church, the princes of the universe, the glorious servants of My burial. Oh, great miracle! O work of sanctification of the Mother! Oh, the gift of filial love! The sky, containing the luminaries of the world, is a dwelling for Me. The church of God is a shelter, bringing me secret people and priests. The congregation of the Jews will no longer rage against Me; the priestly council will no longer arm its bold hand to kill Me. Previously, these bloodthirsty people tried to destroy the Mother and the Child, but did not achieve their goal: for the highest providence prevented them. I am moving to safe dwellings, to a peace alien to anxiety and sorrow, where the evil one does not spread the nets of his malice, where I will enjoy the sweets of the Lord; and I, who was His bright church, will see the church of the Lord.” 4. But what did the blessed apostles answer to the Virgin in their own or prophetic words? They said: “Rejoice, ladder stretching from earth to heaven, along which the Lord descended to us and ascended to heaven, as the patriarch Jacob saw (Gen. 28:12). Rejoice, wonderful bush, from which the angel of the Lord appeared in a fiery flame - the bush which was not burned by blazing fire, as was the case with Moses the seer of God (Ex. 3:2). Rejoice, God-pleasing fleece, from which flowed heavenly dew, a cup full of water, according to the wondrous Gideon (Judges 6:37). Rejoice, city of the great King, which the kings magnify in wonder, as the hymn writer David depicts (Psalm 47:3). Rejoice, mental Bethlehem, house of Euphrath, from which the King of glory came forth to be a prince in Israel; He came from the beginning from the days of the age, as the divine Micah says (Micah 5:2). Rejoice, shaded virgin mountain, from which the Holy One of Israel appeared, as the God-speaking Habakkuk cries (Hab. 3:3). Rejoice, golden and luminous lamp, from which the unapproachable light of the Divine poured out to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, according to the inspired Zechariah (Zechariah 4:2). Rejoice, general cleansing of mortals, through which from the east of the sun to the west the name of the Lord is glorified among the nations and in every place incense is offered to His name, according to the most holy Malachi (Mal. 1:11). Rejoice, light cloud on which God sat, according to the sacred voice of Isaiah (Is. 9:1). Rejoice, holy book of the commandments of the Lord, the newly written law of grace, by which we know what is pleasing to God, as the much-lamented Jeremiah said (Bar. 4:1). Rejoice, the closed door through which the Lord God of Israel entered and went out, according to Ezekiel the seer of God (Ezekiel 44:2). Rejoice, uncultivated highest Mountain, from which the cornerstone is cut off, as Daniel, the greatest among theologians, says (Dan. 2:3-4).” 5. And what kind of mind will it accommodate? What word can compare with what they sang and said there, how the theologians blessed Her?.. But when they holyly accomplished what was due and holy, the Lord Himself appeared with the glory of His Power and all the heavenly host. And the disembodied ones performed the service invisibly, and the apostles performed the service bodily, appearing as singers of divine greatness. It was a mixed assembly and the crowd consisted of heavenly and earthly (let no one marvel at our word, which proclaims deeds worthy of God), angels, archangels, dominions, thrones, principalities, powers, powers, cherubim, seraphim, apostles, martyrs, righteous people, some of whom walked ahead, others met, some led, others followed - yet unanimously cried out with joy: “Sing Lord! Praise the Lord! Blessed is the Lord on the righteous mountain of His saints! And may the sky be raised high!..” So, lovers of Christ, has anyone heard such a song since the ages? Has anyone seen such a funeral procession? Did anyone ever know such a relocation as the Mother of my Lord was honored with? And this is quite fair: for who is higher than She who is higher than all? My spirit is terrified when it reflects on the greatness of your outcome, O Virgin! My mind is amazed, thinking about your wondrous dormition; my tongue is tied when I tell about the mystery of your resurrection. And truly, who will perform all your praises worth hearing, and who will proclaim all your wonders? What lofty mind will express, what eloquent language will convey your virtues and deeds, present and depict your sacraments, glory, holidays, praise? And every tongue becomes weary of praising the true sacrament, weakens, fails to reach its goal, and is put to shame. For you surpass, incomparably exceed, in greatness every highest part of the sky, in the radiance of holiness - the light of the sun, in merit - the dignity of the angels, and the immaterial being of all rational and intelligible powers. 6. Oh, your bright and glorious triumph! so I will say, rejoicing. Oh, your repose, wondrous and full of significance! Oh, your burial, giving imperishable life, Mother of light!.. But, passing through the clouds, ascending into heaven and entering the Holy of Holies in the voice of joy and confession, deign, O Mother of God, to bless the ends of the universe, savingly tempering with your prayers the dissolution of the air, giving rains in good time, controlling the winds, making the earth fertile, the church calm, establishing Orthodoxy, protecting kingdom, driving away barbarian peoples, patronizing the entire Christian race, finally forgiving my boldness. For this was your word: you, Mother of God, prophesied about the future: behold, from now on all generations will bless me (Luke 1:48). So, since your divinely inspired word cannot fail to be fulfilled, then accept this word of your unworthy servant, which I spoke according to my strength, and reward me with the joy of your salvation. With the power of your prayers, strengthen me and together with my illustrious father, with the flock under me, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Him be glory, honor and dominion with the almighty Father and the life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: