Проповедь на всечестное Успение Всепречистой Владычицы нашей Богородицы и Приснодевы Марии

Today, because of my love for you, I intend and am obliged to bring the word of salvation to your God-loving ears. Of course, words cannot express what surpasses human logic. However, we must, according to our strength, render hymns and praises to Our Lady. Today we celebrate the event of the Holy Dormition, or Repose of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin surpassed men, angels, and archangels to an incommensurable degree. With Her participation, the most mysterious economy of God is carried out, which heals the curse of Eve and Adam and cancels their condemnation. God descended and, having overshadowed the Mother of God, moved into Her so that there was no obstacle between Her and Him. She becomes the Mother of the Son of God, through whose birth - Perfect God and Perfect Man - fallen man is saved. That is why the death of the Mother of God is life-giving, and the memory of Her Dormition is the most joyful holiday and worldwide celebration. The apostles, gathered from the ends of the earth, march with praise before Her body that received God, a body that became the saving medicine of our race and the subject of praise of all creation. The Lord of Hosts Himself and the Son of the Most Pure Virgin is invisibly present at this burial, giving funeral honor to His Mother. The Virgin betrayed Her spirit into His hands, which will soon be transferred along with her body into eternally living and heavenly space. And now only She alone stands between God and the entire human race. Dwelling in Heaven, where She is transferred today, She stood at the right hand of Her Son, clothed in golden woven robes and adorned with all sorts of virtues. While there, She bestows upon those who honor Her abundant blessings and grace, never ceasing for a moment to give us these gifts that are precious to us. What word can describe Your divine beauty, O Virgin Mary? Your virtues cannot be captured in thought and described in words. All of them are superior to both mind and word. However, it is possible to chant You. The entire creation sings praises to the Ever-Virgin, and not only in times past, but also in this century and forever and ever. And from this we can understand that You will never cease to benefit all creation forever and ever. Before the Most Holy Theotokos, God was invisible on earth. Nowadays, any revelations of Divine sacraments and the giving of Divine gifts have become possible for all people. The Most Holy Virgin received the Son of God into Herself and made Him capable of being contained within any person, giving each person a blessing in accordance with the measure of his purity. She is the beginning and the source and the root of ineffable blessings. She is the pinnacle and perfection of saints. All-Holy Virgin, Your memory sanctifies those who remember You. You became a dispenser of treasures and a repository of blessings, and not in order to keep all this for yourself, but in order to fill everything with grace. So, give Your people all Your gifts. Resolve the sorrows that beset us. You see how much trouble and suffering has befallen us: both our own and others, both external and internal. Turn them all by Your power for good. Unite us living in this country with unanimity. Give Your help and healing that can help us in our passions. Bless our souls and bodies. Protect us from those who attack us. Arrange everything, O All-Holy One, in such a way that we, who are saved and receive strength from Your grace, glorify the Eternal Word, Who was incarnate from You for our sake, with the Beginning Father and the Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages...