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Feast of Assumption of St. Mary to be celebrated tomorrow
August 16, 2014 11:40
Tomorrow, on August 17, the Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast
of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In the calendar
of the Armenian Church, this feast is the fourth of five major feasts
that are commemorated, and is the oldest one dedicated to St. Mary.
On the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Ceremony of the
Blessing of the Grapes is conducted, and the harvest for the entire
year is blessed on that day.
In the Holy Bible, there is little information concerning the details
of St. Mary's life. As a result, the story of her Assumption has been
preserved and passed on to us through the Holy and Sacred Tradition of
the Apostolic Church.
Following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Holy Virgin remains in
Jerusalem, and lives under the care of St. John the Evangelist. For
nearly 12 years, St. Mary lives by praying, fasting, and often
visiting the empty tomb of her beloved Son. During one such visit to
the tomb, the Archangel Gabriel appears and gives her the news of her
imminent assumption to heaven.
St. Mary relays the news to her relatives and all Christians, asking
them to bury her in the valley of Gethsemane. St. Mary also asks the
Apostle John to celebrate a Divine Liturgy, so she may receive Holy
Communion one final time. After receiving Holy Communion, St. Mary
returns to her room. As the Apostles prepare to mourn her death, St.
John asks the Mother of God to leave an image of her face on a board
of wood. St. Mary takes the board, crosses herself and brings it close
to her face. Moistening the board with her tears, she asks God that by
means of the board, people would be cured from disease. As the
Apostles surround St. Mary, an indescribable light appears. The Son of
God and the angels of heaven appear in the room. Seeing Christ, St.
Mary dies.
St. Bartholomew the Apostle was absent and did not participate in the
burial service of St. Mary. Upon his return to Jerusalem, he wishes to
see St. Mary for the last time. Per his request, the Apostles open the
tomb, yet they do not find the remains of St. Mary. According to His
promise, Jesus Christ had delivered His mother to His heavenly
kingdom. The Apostles give the board of St. Mary to St. Bartholomew
for consolation.
According to Moses of Khoren, St. Bartholomew brings the board to
Armenia. It is kept in the Province of Andzav, in a location called
Darbnots. Years later, a church is built there in honor of St. Mary,
and a convent is opened.
The Armenian Church has a deep and abiding respect towards St. Mary.
Special emphasis is placed on her being a mother, her honesty, her
unique spirit of humility, her virtuous behavior and her unselfish
dedication. For Armenian women, the Holy Virgin is the embodiment of
virtue, pious motherhood, and the protector of family sacredness.
Artsakhpress.am
- See more at: http://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/4102/feast-of-assumption-of-st-mary-to-be-celebrated-tomorrow.html#sthash.WQPBRERF.dpuf
August 16, 2014 11:40
Tomorrow, on August 17, the Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast
of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In the calendar
of the Armenian Church, this feast is the fourth of five major feasts
that are commemorated, and is the oldest one dedicated to St. Mary.
On the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Ceremony of the
Blessing of the Grapes is conducted, and the harvest for the entire
year is blessed on that day.
In the Holy Bible, there is little information concerning the details
of St. Mary's life. As a result, the story of her Assumption has been
preserved and passed on to us through the Holy and Sacred Tradition of
the Apostolic Church.
Following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Holy Virgin remains in
Jerusalem, and lives under the care of St. John the Evangelist. For
nearly 12 years, St. Mary lives by praying, fasting, and often
visiting the empty tomb of her beloved Son. During one such visit to
the tomb, the Archangel Gabriel appears and gives her the news of her
imminent assumption to heaven.
St. Mary relays the news to her relatives and all Christians, asking
them to bury her in the valley of Gethsemane. St. Mary also asks the
Apostle John to celebrate a Divine Liturgy, so she may receive Holy
Communion one final time. After receiving Holy Communion, St. Mary
returns to her room. As the Apostles prepare to mourn her death, St.
John asks the Mother of God to leave an image of her face on a board
of wood. St. Mary takes the board, crosses herself and brings it close
to her face. Moistening the board with her tears, she asks God that by
means of the board, people would be cured from disease. As the
Apostles surround St. Mary, an indescribable light appears. The Son of
God and the angels of heaven appear in the room. Seeing Christ, St.
Mary dies.
St. Bartholomew the Apostle was absent and did not participate in the
burial service of St. Mary. Upon his return to Jerusalem, he wishes to
see St. Mary for the last time. Per his request, the Apostles open the
tomb, yet they do not find the remains of St. Mary. According to His
promise, Jesus Christ had delivered His mother to His heavenly
kingdom. The Apostles give the board of St. Mary to St. Bartholomew
for consolation.
According to Moses of Khoren, St. Bartholomew brings the board to
Armenia. It is kept in the Province of Andzav, in a location called
Darbnots. Years later, a church is built there in honor of St. Mary,
and a convent is opened.
The Armenian Church has a deep and abiding respect towards St. Mary.
Special emphasis is placed on her being a mother, her honesty, her
unique spirit of humility, her virtuous behavior and her unselfish
dedication. For Armenian women, the Holy Virgin is the embodiment of
virtue, pious motherhood, and the protector of family sacredness.
Artsakhpress.am
- See more at: http://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/4102/feast-of-assumption-of-st-mary-to-be-celebrated-tomorrow.html#sthash.WQPBRERF.dpuf