| Dormition of the Mother of God | |
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| Observed by | Eastern Christianity |
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| Frequency | annual |
| First time | Unknown |
TheDormition of the Mother of God is aGreat Feast of theEastern Orthodox,Oriental Orthodox, andEastern Catholic Churches (except theEast Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) ofMary theTheotokos ("Mother of God", literally translated asGod-bearer), and her being taken up into heaven. The Feast of the Dormition is observed on August 15, which for the churches using theJulian calendar corresponds to August 28 on the Gregorian calendar. TheArmenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Dormition not on a fixed date, but on the Sunday nearest 15 August. InWestern Churches the corresponding feast is known as theAssumption of Mary, with the exception of theScottish Episcopal Church, which has traditionally celebrated the Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15.
TheNew Testament does not record the Dormition of Mary as the death of Mary.Hippolytus of Thebes, a Bryzantine 7th century CE and 8th century CE author and chronicler, writes in his chronology of the New Testament that Mary lived for 11 years after Jesus was crucified and killed in 33 CE, dying in 44 CE.[1]
The use of the termdormition expresses the belief that the Virgin died without suffering, in a state of spiritual peace. This belief does not rest on any scriptural basis, but is affirmed by Orthodoxsacred tradition. Someapocryphal writings testify to this opinion, though neither the Orthodox Church nor other Christians accord them scriptural authority. The Orthodox understanding of the Dormition is compatible withRoman Catholic teaching, and was the dominant belief within the Western Church until late in the Middle Ages, when the slightly different belief in the bodilyAssumption of Mary into heaven began to gain ground. PopePius XII declared the latter adogma of the Catholic Churchin 1950.[2]
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The Feast of the Dormition is preceded by a two-weekfast, referred to as the Dormition Fast. From August 1 to August 14 (inclusive)Orthodox and Eastern Catholics fast fromred meat,poultry,meat products,dairy products (eggs and milk products), fish, oil, and wine. In churches that follow the old orJulian Calendar, the fast is from August 14 to August 28. In theCoptic Orthodox Church,Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and theEritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, whose calendar is generally consistent with the Julian Calendar, the dates of the fast are from August 7 to August 22.
The Dormition Fast is a stricter fast than either theNativity Fast (Advent) or theApostles' Fast, with only wine and oil (but no fish) allowed on weekends. As with the other Fasts of the Church year, there is aGreat Feast that falls during the Fast; in this case, theTransfiguration (August 6), on which fish, wine and oil are allowed.[3]
In some places, the services on weekdays during the Dormition Fast are similar to the services duringGreat Lent (with some variations).
Many churches and monasteries in the Russian tradition perform the lenten services on at least the first day of the Dormition Fast. In the Greek tradition, during the Fast either the GreatParaklesis (SupplicatoryCanon) or the Small Paraklesis is celebrated every evening except Saturday evening and the Eves of the Transfiguration and the Dormition.[4][citation needed]
The first day of the Dormition Fast is afeast day called theProcession of the Cross (August 1), on which day it is customary to have anoutdoor procession and perform theLesser Blessing of Water. In Eastern Orthodoxy it is also the day of the Holy Seven Maccabees, Martyrs Abimus, Antonius, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusebonus, Alimus, and Marcellus, their mother Solomonia, and their teacher Eleazar. Therefore, the day is sometimes referred to as "Makovei". Finally it is also considered the First of the three "Feasts of the Saviour" in August, the Feast to the All-Merciful Saviour and the Most Holy Mother of God.[5]
In Orthodoxy and Catholicism, in the language of the scripture, death is often called asleeping orfalling asleep (Greek κοίμησις; whence κοιμητήριον >coemetērium > cemetery, a place of sleeping; Latin:dormire, to sleep). A prominent example of this is the name of this feast; another is the Dormition ofSaint Anna, Mother of the Virgin Mary.
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The first Christian century may be silent, but anonymous traditions concerning the Dormition began circulating as early as the third century and perhaps 'even earlier' such as theBook of Mary's Repose.[6] According to some, before the 4th-5th century the Dormition was not celebrated among the Christians as a holy day.[7]
Recent scholarship has shown thatThe Dormition/Assumption of Mary (attributed toJohn the Theologian or 'Pseudo-John'), another anonymous narrative, may even precede theBook of Mary's Repose.[8] This Greek document, edited by Tischendorf and published inThe Ante-Nicene Fathers, is dated by Tischendorf as no later than the 4th century.[9] The Greek sources for the early period are only late copies and the first transmissions and earliest witnesses can be only found and accessed through the fragmentary translations into Christian Palestinian Aramaic and Syriac.[10][11][12][13][14][15] Shoemaker identifies liturgical elements in "Pseudo-John",[16] and theSix Books Apocryphon (dated to the early fourth century[17]), which implies that the Dormition was a holy day in some circles by the 4th century. Additionally, the earliest known appearance of the Dormition in art is found on a sarcophagus in the crypt of a church inZaragoza in Spain dated c. 330.[18]
The written historical and archaeological record aside, a fairly representative example of mainstream Orthodox teaching is that Church Tradition preserved a more ubiquitous oral tradition. According to Sophia Fotopoulou, "We have no historical data to indicate how long the Mother of God remained on earth after theascension of Christ into heaven, nor when, where, or how she died, for the Gospels say nothing of this. The foundation for the feast of the Dormition is to be found in asacred tradition of the Church dating from apostolic times, apocryphal writings, the constant faith of the People of God, and the unanimous opinion of theholy Fathers andDoctors of the Church of the first thousand years of Christianity."[19]
While the Dormition tradition has early attestation in anonymous sources, in the first five centuries it lacked an explicit adherent among theChurch Fathers.Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310/20–403), a Jew by birth, born inPhoenicia, converted to Christianity in adulthood and lived as a monk for over 20 years inPalestine from 335–340 to 362, writes in "Panarion" in "Contra antidicomarianitas" about the death of the Virgin Mary the following:
If any think [I] am mistaken, moreover, let them search through the scriptures any neither find Mary's death, nor whether or not she died, nor whether or not she was buried—even though John surely travelled throughout Asia. And yet, nowhere does he say that he took the holy Virgin with him. Scripture simply kept silence because of the overwhelming wonder, not to throw men's minds into consternation. For I dare not say—though I have my suspicions, I keep silent. Perhaps, just as her death is not to be found, so I may have found some traces of the holy and blessed Virgin. ...The holy virgin may have died and been buried—her falling asleep was with honour, her death in purity, her crown in virginity. Or she may have been put to death—as the scripture says, 'And a sword shall pierce through her soul'—her fame is among the martyrs and her holy body, by which light rose on the world, [rests] amid blessings. Or she may have remained alive, for God is not incapable of doing whatever he wills. No one knows her end. But we must not honour the saints to excess; we must honour their Master. It is time for the error of those who have gone astray to cease.[20]
In the next chapter, Epiphanius compares Mary with three different people, who died in three different ways: Elijah, who was assumed into Heaven; John, who died a normal death; and Thecla, who was a martyr. This further shows that he was open to various options for her end, and did not know which of the options she actually experienced.
And if I should say anything more in her praise, [she is] like Elijah, who was virgin from his mother’s womb, he always remained so perpetually, and was assumed and has not seen death. She is like John who leaned on the Lord’s breast, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” She is like St. Thecla; and Mary is still more honored than she, because of the providence vouchsafed her.[21]
Ambrose, however, who was a contemporary of Epiphanius, dismissed the view that Mary was martyred when exegeting Saint Simeon's prophecy in (Luke 2.35), seemingly critiquing those who took the prophecy literally, and reducing the number of options to either natural death or assumption:
Neither the letter of Scripture nor history teaches that Mary passed from this life by suffering execution, for it is not the soul but the body [some speculate] which is pierced through and through by the material sword.[22]
More Dormition traditions began surfacing in manuscripts during the late 5th century. Stephen Shoemaker characterised them as the "Palm of the Tree of Life" narratives, the "Bethlehem" narratives, and the "Coptic" narratives—aside from a handful of atypical narratives.[23][page needed]
The events of the Dormition of the Virgin and her burial are dealt with in several knownapocrypha such as the "Liber de transitu Virginis Mariae" byPseudo-Melito of Sardis (5th century),[24] a passing reference inPseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, and narratives by Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem, and Pseudo-Evodius.[25] Around this time, the first Dormition narratives among mainstream authors appear, namelyJacob of Serug andTheodosius of Alexandria.[26] These late—5th and 6th century Dormition narratives come from differing communions, so not all of their content was accepted, but only the basic idea that the Virgin Mary blissfully rested and her soul was received in heaven by her Son Jesus Christ at Dormition.
According to Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos in his "History of the Church," EmperorMaurice (582–602) issued an edict which set the date for the celebration of the Dormition on August 15.[27] After this time more "mainstream" Dormition narratives began appearing, their content still in part based upon the earlier, mostly anonymous, narratives.Modestus, Patriarch of Jerusalem (630–632) said at this celebration, while preaching, that he regrets the lack of specific information about the death of the Virgin Mary.[28] According to Truglia, "John ofThessalonica," another 7th century author, "wrote a narrative admittedly based upon details found in earlier homilies."[29] Theoteknos, bishop ofLivias sometime between 550 and 650, also wrote a Dormition narrative similar in its content.
In Rome the feast called Dormitio Beatae Virginis was established byPope Sergius I (687–701), borrowed from Constantinople.[30]
According to later tradition, Mary, having spent her life afterPentecost supporting and serving the nascent Church, was living in the house of the Apostle John, in Jerusalem, when the Archangel Gabriel revealed to her that her death would occur three days later.[31] Theapostles, scattered throughout the world, are said to have been miraculously transported to be at her side when she died. The sole exception wasThomas, who was preaching inIndia. He is said to have arrived in a cloud above her tomb exactly three days after her death, and to have seen her body leaving to heaven. He asked her "Where are you going, O Holy One?", at which she took off hergirdle and gave it to him saying "Receive this my friend", after which she disappeared.[32]
Thomas was taken to his fellow apostles, whom he asked to see her grave, so that he could bid her goodbye. Mary had been buried inGethsemane, according to her request. When they arrived at the grave, her body was gone, leaving a sweet fragrance. An apparition is said to have confirmed thatChrist had taken her body to heaven after three days to be reunited with her soul.Eastern Orthodox theology teaches that theTheotokos has already undergone the bodilyresurrection, which all will experience at thesecond coming, and stands in heaven in thatglorified state which the other righteous ones will only enjoy after theLast Judgment.[33]
The Dormition tradition is associated with various places, most notably withJerusalem, which containsMary's Tomb and theBasilica of the Dormition, andEphesus, which contains theHouse of the Virgin Mary, and also withConstantinople where theCincture of the Theotokos was enshrined from the 5th through 14th centuries.
Eastern Christians celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15 (August 28,N.S. for those following theJulian Calendar), the same calendar day as theRoman Catholic Feast of theAssumption of Mary. "Dormition" and "Assumption" are the different names respectively in use by the Eastern and Western traditions relating to the end of Mary's life and to her departure from the earth, although the beliefs are not necessarily identical. Both views agree that she was taken up into heaven bodily.[34][35]
The Orthodox Church specifically holds one of the two Roman Catholic alternative beliefs, teaching that Mary died a natural death, like any human being; that her soul was received by Christ upon death; and that her body wasresurrected on the third day after her repose, at which time she was taken up, both in body and soul, intoheaven when the apostles, miraculously transported from the ends of the earth, found her tomb to be empty.[36] The specific belief of the Orthodox is expressed in theirliturgical texts used at the feast of the Dormition.[35]
TheEastern Catholic observance of the feast corresponds to that of their Orthodox counterparts, whether Eastern Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox.
The Catholic doctrine of the Assumption covers Mary's bodily movement to heaven, but thedogmatic definition avoids saying whether she was dead or alive at that point. The question had long been in dispute in Catholic theology; althoughCatholic art normally portrays her as alive at the point of assumption, but typically rising from asarcophagus, many Catholics believe she had died in the normal way.Pope Pius XII alludes to the fact of her death at least five times, but left open the question of whether or not Mary actually underwent death in connection with her departure, in hisApostolic constitution,Munificentissimus Deus (1950), which dogmatically definedex cathedra (i.e., infallibly) theAssumption.[34]
On 25 June 1997 during aGeneral AudiencePope John Paul II stated that Mary experienced natural death prior to her assumption into Heaven, stating:
It is true that in Revelation death is presented as a punishment for sin. However, the fact that the Church proclaims Mary free from original sin by a unique divine privilege does not lead to the conclusion that she also received physical immortality. The Mother is not superior to the Son who underwent death, giving it a new meaning and changing it into a means of salvation. Involved in Christ's redemptive work and associated in his saving sacrifice, Mary was able to share in his suffering and death for the sake of humanity's Redemption. What Severus of Antioch says about Christ also applies to her: “Without a preliminary death, how could the Resurrection have taken place?” (Antijulianistica, Beirut 1931, 194f.). To share in Christ's Resurrection, Mary had first to share in his death. The New Testament provides no information on the circumstances of Mary's death. This silence leads one to suppose that it happened naturally, with no detail particularly worthy of mention. If this were not the case, how could the information about it have remained hidden from her contemporaries and not have been passed down to us in some way? As to the cause of Mary's death, the opinions that wish to exclude her from death by natural causes seem groundless. It is more important to look for the Blessed Virgin's spiritual attitude at the moment of her departure from this world. In this regard, St Francis de Sales maintains that Mary's death was due to a transport of love. He speaks of a dying “in love, from love and through love”, going so far as to say that the Mother of God died of love for her Son Jesus (Treatise on the Love of God, bk. 7, ch. XIII–XIV). Whatever from the physical point of view was the organic, biological cause of the end of her bodily life, it can be said that for Mary the passage from this life to the next was the full development of grace in glory, so that no death can ever be so fittingly described as a “dormition” as hers."[37]
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The Feast of the Dormition has a one-dayForefeast and 8[38] days ofAfterfeast. The feast is framed and accentuated by three feasts in honour ofJesus Christ, known as the "Three Feasts of the Saviour in August". These are: theProcession of the Cross (August 1), theTransfiguration (August 6), and theIcon of Christ "Not Made by Hand" (August 16). It is customary in some places to bless fragrant herbage on the Feast of the Dormition.
In some places,[where?] the Rite of the "Burial of the Theotokos" is celebrated at the Dormition, during theAll-Night Vigil. The order of the service is based on the service of the Burial of Christ onGreat and Holy Saturday. AnEpitaphios of the Theotokos, a richly embroidered cloth icon portraying her lying in state is used, together with specially composed hymns of lamentation which are sung withPsalm 118. SpecialEvlogitaria for the Dormition are chanted, echoing the Evlogitaria of the Resurrection chanted atmatins on Sundays throughout the year as well as onLazarus Saturday and Great and Holy Saturday. This Epitaphios is placed on a bier and carried in procession as is the Epitaphios of Christ on during Great and Holy Saturday.[citation needed]
This practice began inJerusalem, and from there it was carried toRussia, where it was followed in various Dormition Cathedrals, in particular that ofMoscow. The practice slowly spread among the Russian Orthodox, though it is not by any means a standard service in all parishes, or even most cathedrals or monasteries. In Jerusalem, the service is chanted during the Vigil of the Dormition. In some Russian churches and monasteries, it is served on the third day after Dormition.[citation needed]
TheMalankara Orthodox Syrian Church, which is an Oriental Orthodox Church, celebrates the Feast of Dormition on August 15 with great importance, as that day is thenational independence day of India.
TheMaronite Church has a tradition that their Third Anaphora of the Apostle Peter orSharrar (the Maronite redaction of theHoly Qurbana of Addai and Mari) was originally composed for and used at the funeral of the Theotokos. This tradition probably developed because in its final form the anaphora has twelve paragraphs, i.e., one for each concelebrating apostle present at the funeral mass of the Theotokos.
InByzantine art and that of later Orthodox schools the standard depiction shows the body of theTheotokos lying dead on a bed orbier. Behind this stands, or floats, Christ holding a small body wrapped in awinding cloth, representing the soul of the Theotokos. He often has amandorla around him. The apostles surround the bier, and the sky may have figures of angels, saints and prophets. Christ is shown higher than the apostles, increasingly so in later centuries, so that he seems to be floating in the air above rather than standing on the ground like the apostles. But his feet are always hidden behind the bier, leaving this ambiguous.
There are similarities between the traditional depictions of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Byzantine icons and the account of the death of the EgyptianDesert Father,Sisoes the Great.[39] In both Christ is seen coming to receive the soul of the dying saint surrounded by anaureola or cloud of blinding light and accompanied by the angels and prophets. In Byzantine icons the other Christs shown surrounded by such a cloud of light are those also seen in icons of theTransfiguration, theResurrection and theLast Judgment. In some icons of the Dormition the Theotokos is depicted at the top of the icon in a similar aureola before the opening gates of heaven. This suggests that contemporary accounts of the deaths of the Desert Fathers accompanied by a sudden burst of light came to influence the development of theiconography of the Dormition.
The Dormition is known as theDeath of the Virgin in Catholic art, where it is a reasonably common subject, mostly drawing on Byzantine models, until the end of theMiddle Ages. But often the moment just after death is shown, without Christ, but with the apostles crowded around the bed. TheDeath of the Virgin byCaravaggio, of 1606, is probably the last famous Western painting of the subject. After this depictions of the Assumption become usual, with the Virgin shown alive, rising to Heaven.
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