Aug. 15: Dormition and Ascension of St. Mary
This Marian Feast invites us to encounter Christ,
to embrace His life in the Spirit, such that
we become wholly Christ-like:
to become "divinized in Christ"
through all the gifts of the Spirit
given to the Church
in Pentecost.
May the joy of the Feast and its promise in Christ be upon you,
Fr. Michael Durka +
Theotokos
written by Heather Durka
Other Links to the Feast:
Melito of Sardis: The Passing of Blessed Mary
Joseph of Arimathea: The Passing of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Cyril of Jerusalem: Homily on the Dormition
Evodius of Rome: Homily on the Dormition
Theodosius of Alexandria: Homily on the Dormition
John of Damascus: Homilies on the Dormition of the Virgin
EXCERPT: The mid-seventh century...Egypt saw a blossoming of... iconographic programs, often covering more ancient works. This was no more true than in the monasteries of the Wadi Natrun. The Wadi and its importance to Coptic Christians dates back to the 4th century AD with the arrival of St. Macarius the Great ~
Read more:
Unique to Egypt and her Monastery Mosaics and Icons
In the monasteries of the Wadi Natrun...an Annunciation mosaic icon was discovered in the Church of the Holy Virgin which had been covered over by a scene depicting ascension in about 1225. The annunciation image could have been created as early as about 710 AD, when Syrians purchased the monastery. This remarkable work is not only inspiring because of its grand style, but also its rich iconography. It depicts the Holy Virgin, seated on a throne, listening to the archangel's message. She is surrounded by four prophets, consisting of Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, holding scrolls with Coptic inscriptions. In the background is the town of Nazareth. This theme is unique to Egypt.
The Icon of the Dormition of St. Ephrem
shows the Mystery of St. Mary's Dormition as a prototype
of all the members of the Body of Christ...
As the Lord said to the beloved disciple, "Behold your mother"
-- so too to Ephrem and all the baptized faithful.
FYI:
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