Sunday, August 15, 2004
(Tone 2) The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
3rd Vespers of Dormition: Proverbs 9:1-11 Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel: St. Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
Proverbs 9:1-11, especially vss. 4, 5: "Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to
me: and to them that want understanding she says, Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which
I have mingled for you." The intimate union between child and mother meets the Faithful in
each of the Great Feasts concerned with the person of the most holy Theotokos: the
Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ, His Presentation in the Temple and her Dormition, as well
as the Feasts of her Nativity and her Presentation. In the present Feast of her falling-asleep, all
Christ-loving servants of God are urged to "praise the all-holy, undefiled Virgin, from whom did
issue Incarnate, in an ineffable manner, the Word of the Father, crying and saying, Blessed art
thou among women, and blessed is thy womb which did contain Christ."
The third Vesperal reading for Dormition draws attention to the necessary and active part Mary
took in her own spiritual life as Theotokos, most of which is in writings beyond canonical
Scripture. The verses of the passage form a unique portion of Scriptures, one of the few places
where Wisdom is personified. Since the words for Wisdom are feminine in gender both in the
original Hebrew (hokma) as well as in Greek (sophia) in the Old Testament, Wisdom's
personification introduces us to a feminine personage; but Orthodoxy has always understood that
Wisdom in fact is the pre-incarnate Logos or Word of God. Hence, in Constantinople, the Great
Church of the City, prior to the victory of the Turks in 1453 AD, always was called the Hagia
Sophia, the Church of the Holy Wisdom, a basilica dedicated to the Lord Jesus Himself.
Reading with this identity of Wisdom in mind, we will not be misled by "she" and "her" and
mistakenly identify Wisdom with the Virgin, but correctly understand that God the Word is being
foreshadowed. The seven pillars of Wisdom's house (vs. 1), for instance, direct our attention to
the Divine aspect of Holy Wisdom in the same manner in which the "seven lampstands" of the
Revelation of St. John draw attention to the One with "seven stars in His right hand" Who is "the
First and the Last, the Living One" (Rev. 1:12-18).
What then can we say of the Theotokos? Certainly she had great human wisdom, for when the
opportunity was presented to her by the Archangel Gabriel, she "turned aside" to receive Wisdom
Himself (Prov. 9:4). She did this not as a foolish one, in distraction, but from a spiritual
sensitivity that strives to avoid the pitfall of foolishness - of godlessness. As a devout handmaid
of God's People, she was superbly prepared to heed a heavenly messenger and turn aside to the
Archangel's words. Her heart and soul opposed the common temptation to plunge ahead in
pursuit of the desires and thoughts to which this life constantly summons us all.
Leaving aside the folly of worldly success (vs. 6), she devoted herself solely to eating the Bread
of God's Wisdom and drinking deeply from the cup of wine which He mingled for her. Her
personal answer to the question which Her Son posed to the Disciples: "Are you able to drink the
cup that I Am about to drink?" (Matt. 20:22), was an unequivocal, "Yes." Therefore, she walked
the path of motherly sorrow with her Son allowing "a sword [to] pierce through [her] own soul"
(Lk. 2:35), taking her place at the foot of His Cross (Jn. 19:25).
Having drunk deeply of Wisdom's cup, the Theotokos has become an eternal rebuke both to evil
and to ungodly men (Prov. 9:8), the wise loving her and finding through her instruction and fear
of the Lord (vss. 9 and 10). Let us all find lifesaving opportunity in her intercession and receive
her counsel: "Whatever He says to you, do it" (Jn. 2:5).
Let us believers shout to her with Gabriel the chief of angels, saying, Hail, O full of grace. The
Lord is with thee, granting the world, through thee, wisdom and the Great Mercy.