The Assumption of the Theotokos glorifies the immense love of the Mother of God

published on 8/15/24 6:10 AM

They call the Holy Virgin Mother of true Life, who saves human souls from death with her prayers. She is the most loved and the most glorified after God, to whom everyone turns.

The Orthodox Church honors her on August 15, the day of her Assumption, when the Son of God born of her takes her soul to the Heavenly Kingdom. Although she passed from a quiet sleep to eternal life, the Mother of God remained tireless in her prayers for the salvation of humanity. Already on the same day, many miracles and signs happened - the sick were healed, the blind were given their sight only with her shroud. And as the Savior Himself rose with glory on the third day, so He also resurrected His Mother. In memory of this great event, the apostles established the Christian feast the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

For Bulgarians, this day is filled with great joy and hope, it is loved and honored by Muslims in Bulgaria as well:

"The Holy Mother of God is a beloved protector of every single Christian, of all humanity", noted in a special interview for Radio Bulgaria His Eminence Bishop Pachomius of Branitsa, first vicar of the Metropolitan of Sofia. "Anyone who turns to her with prayer and faith, feels her protection, her help, her love. In this way, people also have their attitude and respect to the Holy Mother of God, because she contained the Son of God in her womb. Even the non-believers believe in the Holy Mother of God and, resorting to her with love, she responds to show them the truth. She hears prayers, but not to satisfy any of our material needs, but to open our eyes to the knowledge of the True God."

In addition to being a protector of mothers and the family, in difficult moments the Holy Mother of God hears the prayers of the crying and the wronged. The living connection with her is the miraculous icons with her image, in front of which we often implore her intercession:

"We really have a lot of examples", recalls Bishop Pachomius. "The miraculous icons, especially from the Stauropygal monasteries - Bachkovo, Troyan and Rila - we have seen their miracles at various events. We remember when our nurses were imprisoned for many years in Libya, we collected the three icons, and when we prayed, the Holy Mother of God showed mercy, and the sisters, after the many sufferings and difficulties they experienced, returned to our homeland. This was a real miracle for us, and we were extremely grateful. To this day, this event is a great memory for All of us.

Every icon of the Holy Mother of God, of the saints, is miraculous. It depends on our faith and trust in the Lord, the Holy Mother of God, and they respond. Of course, there are glorified icons that through the prayers of the believers, of people in trial, have become more glorified. That is why the laity resort to them with greater love and with greater faith. And these icons still have this blessed power to this day."

In Bulgaria, the feast of the Assumption is also known as "Golyma Bogoroditsa" (Great Mother of God), as if to express the deep adoration and love for the Mother of God. The two weeks before the celebration are dedicated to fasting and prayers, through which believers try to raise souls to God:

"This is a blessed time that one should really set aside, to refrain from various foods, but above all to direct one's thoughts to God, to the Holy Mother of God. To make sense of the spiritual life to which everyone is called. It is good that during this period there are services, there is also a certain prayer canon, which is celebrated every night in the churches in the monasteries, so that we can really shake off the cares of our everyday life and lift our minds up to God.

The spiritual meaning of the feast of the Mother of God is in her immeasurable love for people. As the Mother of God, who gave life to Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, she is the link between God and the human race:

"This whole sacrament is a great event for the Holy Mother of God herself, because she accepted it with obedience and humility, and with her own will", explains Bishop Pachomius. "In this way, she also becomes the fastest intercessor for humanity. It depends on us how much indeed we keep in our mind our thought of God and of the Holy Mother of God, not only during this short fast or only on the feast, so that we may always implore their help."

Photos: Darina Grigorova, BGNES, archive

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