The image of the Mother of God has long been revered by Orthodox people after the icons of the Lord Jesus Christ. More than 700 variations of icons are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but, as the legend about Her life says, there are as many images of the Mother of God as there are stars in the sky.
Among the famous faces of Her, the icon of the Assumption occupies a special place Mother of God, the veneration of which takes place annually on August 28.
Description of the icon
In the middle of the icon is a deathbed on which a body lies Holy Mother of God. It is covered with a purple cloth, which is no coincidence. Scarlet has always been considered a symbol of the power of emperors, therefore, on the icon, this color indicates the royal dignity of the Queen of Heaven. The purple sandals worn on Her feet also have their justification - only famous Byzantine emperors could wear such shoes.
The meaning of the scarlet color on the icon of the Assumption means that the power of the Mother of God is incomparably higher than that of the most powerful royal persons.
The bed of the Mother of God is surrounded by the apostles, among them John and Peter. Peter holds a censer in his hands and fumigates the Most Pure Body with incense. John mourns the Mother of God, bending over Her body.
Often the icon depicts Saint John of Damascus. It was he who sang the Queen of Heaven in his godly works.
About other icons revered in Orthodoxy:
A candle burns in front of the bed, but on other compositions, instead of it, there is an image of a pair of severed wrists, and near the bed stands a sinner with severed hands. He is Athonia, the one who in disbelief tried to overturn the bed, but was miraculously stopped by the sword of an angel.
By the way, the angel himself with a raised sword is often depicted standing near Athos.
Next to the bed stands the Savior Himself. He is surrounded by a huge halo, proclaiming His Divine Glory. In His arms lies a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. He is the soul of the Most Pure Virgin, whom Jesus will soon ascend to the Heavenly abodes. The angels surrounding the Creator rejoice as they meet the Queen of Heaven.
The Assumption event takes place in a room with many columns, arches and other architectural elements.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
History of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Tradition says that from the moment of the crucifixion of Her Son, Mary often came to Calvary and offered prayers to Heaven at the tomb of Jesus.
It happened that one day, while praying to the Mother of God, the Archangel Gabriel appeared and informed Her of his imminent death. The news for the grieving Mother was joyful and meant a quick meeting with her beloved Son. That's why last days earthly life Holy Virgin lived in incessant prayer to the Lord, calling on all Orthodox Christians to follow her example.
Important. At the moment of the departure of the soul of the Most Pure Virgin, Jesus Christ Himself appeared at the Mother’s deathbed. He was surrounded by a host heavenly angels and archangels.
The body of the Blessed Virgin was buried in the family tomb, next to her parents and husband. The burial ceremony itself was very solemn and was fenced off from outside world. And infidels who tried to prevent the burial of the body were severely punished.
Mary's tomb was tightly closed with a huge stone. Three days after the funeral, the Apostle Thomas visited Jerusalem. He was eager to say goodbye to the Mother of God and attend Her burial, but he was late. He begged the Christians in tears to open the grave so that last time contemplate the Most Pure One.
But when people moved the stone away and entered the tomb, a miracle was revealed to them - there was no body in it, and in its place lay only Mary’s funeral robe. After all, the Lord Himself took the mother’s soul in his hands and together they ascended to Heaven.
On the same day, the apostles gathered at a common table to celebrate the resurrection and ascension of the Blessed Virgin. And then the Most Pure One Herself appeared to them and proclaimed: “I am with you!” To this day, the Mother of God is invisibly next to every believer, protecting him and fulfilling heartfelt requests.
On this day, festive services are held in churches, the clergy puts on blue vestments. The Feast of the Assumption is celebrated with special solemnity in Gethsemane, at the burial site of the Most Pure Virgin.
About other Mother of God holidays:
The sacred shroud of the Mother of God, surrounded by lighted candles, is kept in the monastery courtyard. Before it, from the beginning of the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ, the service of prayers, akathists, liturgies and evening services begins.
At 2 o'clock in the morning before the day of the Assumption, the rector of the Gethsemane monastery performs Divine Liturgy, and at the end of it, a prayer service is read before the shroud. After this, she is solemnly transferred procession to Gethsemane.
This event is annually attended by members of the Russian clergy in Jerusalem. The procession is always accompanied by a huge number of pilgrims from all over the world. The procession of the cross arrives in Gethsemane at sunrise, and the shroud is laid in the stone cave where the Most Pure Body of the Mother of God previously lay.
On the morning of the day of the Assumption, the rite of burial of the Mother of God is performed. Bishops, monks, clergy and many Orthodox people travel through the narrow streets of the holy city to Gethsemane.
The funeral procession sings a prayer canon to the Mother of God. At the celebration of the holiday, the shroud returns in the same religious procession back to Jerusalem to its Gethsemane courtyard.
Great meaning of the image
Important. The Icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God symbolizes the truth that death is not the end of a person’s life, but a transition to the heavenly world.The death of the Mother of God is not death ordinary person. The soul and body of the Most Pure Virgin went to Heaven to the Savior, and not to the damp earth.
On the lower part of the image, it is indicated to humanity that the path to Salvation lies through sorrow, after which Eternity awaits each righteous person, where the Blessed Virgin Mary was the first of the people to ascend. Therefore, it is recommended to read the icon of the Assumption from bottom to top in order to correctly interpret what awaits a righteous Christian after physical death.
Holy help from Heaven
Praying before the image helps believers overcome the fear of death, because it describes a vivid example of what awaits each of us if we faithfully observe the rules of church life.
- The Mother of God prays before Her Son for every person, helping to recover from even the most severe illnesses;
- She guides lost souls on the true path, so that after death every person can find themselves in the Kingdom of Heaven;
- Mary helps to get rid of misfortunes, grants peace of mind, helps in business, protects along the way.
In addition to praying in church, you can order a prayer service in front of the icon, having previously written notes with the names of those people for whom you need to pray.
The notes themselves should be submitted to the church shop before the start of the prayer service. Names should be written in Orthodox spelling and in the genitive case; they should answer the question “who?”, for example: about the health of Mary, Demetrius, Julia, Sergius.
Important. The Church prays only for those baptized in Orthodox faith people, i.e. for those over whom the Sacrament of Baptism was performed.
Our Lady is all-forgiving and is Heavenly helper everyone alive!
Prayer before the image of the Dormition must be done with understanding and sincere faith in the fulfillment of what is asked. The request must come from the very depths of the heart, just as a child calls for help from its mother. In this case, the Mother of God will not hesitate to provide help to Her lost child who is in trouble.
Watch the video about the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Just like many holy people, the Virgin Mary knew in advance about her own death. Three days before this, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her, the same one who once brought the good news, and told the Mother of God about the upcoming Dormition and Ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary tells exactly about this event and does not describe it comprehensively, offering viewers the opportunity to see not only the obvious world, but also hidden details.
So, in the center, the icon of the Assumption always has the Most Pure Virgin, who is located on the bed. Face with eyes closed, expression calm and serene. Also, most often the body itself is depicted as a little ephemeral, as if slightly transparent, and this artistic device hints at the Resurrection of the Virgin Mary, which happened on the third day after her Dormition.
At the head of the table are the apostles whom the Mother of God wanted to see and who, by the will of the Holy Spirit, ended up there. John the Theologian is always present, because it was to him that Christ said from the cross: “Behold your mother,” pointing to the Most Pure Virgin. He also said to his mother: “Behold your son.”
These phrases have both practical and symbolic meaning. On a practical level, the Savior commanded them to take care of each other, and indeed the Mother of God subsequently went to Ephesus, where she lived in the house of the parents of John the Theologian. At the symbolic level, in this way Christ accepted into his own family not only John, but also every person in his person, that is, he gave everyone the opportunity for salvation and the acquisition of holiness.
In addition, Dionysius the Areopagite and Ignatius the God-Bearer, who are saints, are depicted at the bedside. They left written evidence of this event, so almost every icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary depicts these people with scrolls.
Christ is located at the top and in the center, usually in a blue sphere, which symbolizes the Heavenly Kingdom. There are cherubs in the sphere, and a fiery seraphim on top. In his hand, Christ holds a small baby with a halo and this symbol indicates the soul of the Mother of God.
The Savior appeared in order to transfer the soul of the Virgin Mary to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The symbolic representation of this act in turn in an interesting way echoes the composition of the icon of the Mother of God with the Child.
Many of those who look at the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary are interested in the meaning of the two figures that are often depicted under the bed of the Blessed Virgin. It depicts an angel with a sword and a man raising his hands in a pose similar to prayer. In fact, this symbol is more than interesting; it combines a description of the events of the earthly and heavenly worlds.
One of the Jewish priests, who participated in the burial ceremony, wanted to turn over the bed of the Mother of God, but an angel appeared with a sword, who cut off his hands. After this, the priest fell into horror and was ashamed of himself and the angel healed him. Then the priest joined the funeral procession and believed.
However, this plot is not always fixed; for example, the icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary by Theophanes the Greek is written in the so-called compressed version. The composition includes only the main figures, the main emphasis is on Christ and the Mother of God.
That's how it is short description icons of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and interpretation of the main symbols and figures in the image. Now you should understand how to use this icon for prayer and contemplation.
What do they pray for in front of the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
According to Orthodox tradition, The Most Pure Virgin managed to reach the highest limit of holiness on earth. In apocryphal evidence there are many references to miracles associated with her, but, most importantly, to the enormous faith that she possessed. Now the Queen of Heaven prays for everyone in Heaven and helps people on earth, interceding for everyone from sinners to ascetics.
That is why one should pray in front of the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on various occasions; the believer will immediately understand how such a prayer helps, and others, in turn, will be able to strengthen their faith and receive spiritual help.
Prayer to the icon “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Troparion, tone 1
At Christmas you preserved your virginity, / in the Dormition you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God, / you reposed to the belly, / Mother of the Being of the Belly, / and through your prayers you delivered our souls from death.
Kontakion, tone 2
In prayers, the never-sleeping Mother of God / and in intercessions, the immutable hope / the grave and mortification cannot be restrained: / as if the Mother of the Life / was placed in the life / in the womb of the ever-virgin one.
Greatness
We magnify Thee, / Immaculate Mother of Christ our God, / and glorify the all-glorious / Thy Dormition.
There are a huge number of icons on which the Mother of God is represented, and each image has its own history and meaning. The icon “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” is especially revered, which contains the important meaning that death is not a dead end and not the end of life for a person.
Icon “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – description
The image represents the transition (dormition) of the Mother of God from the world of the living to heaven. This episode is clearly described in the Bible, where it is said that she for a long time turned to the Lord with prayers, asking to take her to heaven. One day he came to her and told her that she would soon find peace. At the hour of her dormition, a divine light appeared surrounding her deathbed. The icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose significance for believers is enormous, is present in almost all churches.
Who is depicted in the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
The image is unique in that it contains almost all the moments indicated in the story of the Assumption. The iconography of the “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” includes the following details:
- In the center is a bed on which the body of the Mother of God is located. In most images, it is covered with crimson-colored material, which indicates the royal dignity of the Queen of Heaven. The purple sandals also testify to the majesty of the Mother of God.
- The icon of the Dormition depicts the apostles seated around a bier. The number of upcoming figures depends on the size of the image, but the obligatory participants are Peter (he has a censer with which he fumigates the bed) and John (mourns the Virgin Mary). People who have a connection with the Mother of God can also be depicted together with the apostles.
- A candle is often depicted in front of the bed. On some icons you can see severed wrists on the edge of the bed, and next to the bed you can see the man himself with mangled hands. This is Aphonius, who attempted to overturn the bed, but was stopped by an angel with a sword.
- Behind the bed stands the Savior, who is surrounded by a huge halo, symbolizing divine glory. In his hands he holds a swaddled baby, who personifies the soul of the Mother of God.
- On some icons of the “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” you can see another detail - a free field in the upper part of the image, which is covered with clouds, and on them are figures of people and angels. Icon painters represented the apostles in this way, who were unable to arrive in Jerusalem for forgiveness.
Ancient icons of the Assumption
The depiction of the death of the Virgin Mary was very ancient, its composition was developed around the 9th century. At this time the church was experiencing important times, since the most significant theological positions were being fixed. During the same period, the Feast of the Assumption with its traditions and rules was formed and introduced. Initially, the icon of the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary” was laconic and small-figured, but over time the image was revealed more clearly.
How does the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary help?
You can pray before the image of the Mother of God every day to gain confidence in your abilities. In addition, prayer texts eradicate the fear of physical death. The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God gathers before itself millions of believers who ask for forgiveness of their sins in order to enter the Kingdom of the Lord. Regular prayer requests help not only heal the soul, but also the body, relieving various diseases. The icon "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" can be used.
Icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary - meaning for the home
It is believed that Orthodox images are the most powerful protection that helps protect the house and all residents from different problems. The icon of the “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” will surround everything with positive energy and will repel negativity in any of its manifestations. The Feast of the Dormition falls on August 28 (15), and on this day it is recommended to pray before the image in church or at home, atonement for your sins and asking for strengthening of faith. There is a main prayer to the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Does not, unlike most Twelfth holidays, have a basis in Holy Scripture. All events associated with the death, resurrection and subsequent ascension of the Mother of God are based on apocryphal legends, which, however, do not contradict Orthodox dogma. And, as often happens, from all the available information the Church itself selects what is most consistent with its Tradition and cuts off everything unnecessary. The same is true with iconography.
The composition of the icon of the Assumption is divided by a mental horizontal line into two semantic parts. At the bottom there is the body of the deceased Mother of God on her deathbed, surrounded by the mourning apostles. At the top, Christ is present with the soul of His Most Pure Mother in his arms, surrounded by triumphant angels. Below is earthly sorrow, above is the joy of the next century. This is exactly how – from bottom to top – we will try to examine and “read” the icon of the Assumption.
I did not set myself the task of considering all variants of the iconography of the Assumption. At the moment, I would like to outline the basis of this iconography, which dates back to times close to the 7th Ecumenical Council, times when new iconographies were formed and ancient ones were corrected, according to the high spirit of the fathers who theologically defended the veneration of icons and forever formulated its dogma. This spirit, this tradition tried not to allow anything superfluous, random or dubious into the icon.
So, in the icon we see the body of the Mother of God reclining on a bed. The bed is draped in purple. It is worth remembering that in the Byzantine tradition, purple is an exceptional symbol of imperial dignity. Just like the foot of the bed - the so-called “rota”, a luxuriously decorated purple stand edged with gold, precious stones and pearls, also one of the attributes of imperial power.
On some icons of the Assumption, the discarded purple shoes of the Mother of God also stand on this stand - they are also imperial regalia. This is exactly how Byzantine artists symbolically depicted the august dignity of the Queen of Heaven, and this is typical exclusively for Eastern Church. In the West, they did not really understand the intricacies of the Byzantine court ceremonial and depicted the Mother of God with more specific royal symbols - a crown, a scepter, etc.
The body of the Virgin Mary is depicted in familiar clothes. The head is surrounded by a halo, and this is no coincidence. After all, according to the teachings of the Church, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and after the general resurrection they will again be reunited with souls for eternal life.
The mourning apostles are gathered around the bier. The Apostle Peter, with a censer in his hand, burns incense on the body of the Most Pure One. in grief he falls to the very bed - after all, it was to him that the Lord on the cross bequeathed the care of His Mother: “Jesus, seeing the Mother and the disciple standing here, whom he loved, says to His Mother: Woman! Behold, Your son. Then he says to the disciple: Behold, your Mother! And from that time on this disciple took Her to himself” (John 19:26-27).
The postures and gestures of the apostles speak of quiet grief, devoid of violent manifestations. Right there in the crowd we see two people in holy omophorions - these are Dionysius the Areopagite and Jacob, the brother of the Lord, who were present in the house of the Mother of God according to legend. Sometimes the icon also contains church writers - creators who most fully revealed the meaning of the Feast of the Assumption. That is, without being physically present at the event itself, they seemed to contemplate it with their mind’s eye, which gave them the opportunity to describe it so deeply and vividly.
Above all this rises the majestic figure of Christ. To emphasize this majesty, Byzantine iconographers often depict the Savior larger than other characters. In his hands he holds the soul of His Most Pure Mother, who is depicted in the form of a swaddled baby. This is a transparent symbol of birth in eternal life. This is victory over death. After all, the very name of the holiday (dormition) – in Greek “κοίμησις” – means “sleepy state”. The death of a Christian is just a dream, just a temporary state.
But just from a human perspective, this is a very touching image: the Almighty holds in his arms the One who once held Him in her arms in earthly life.
Actually, the essence of the iconography of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is limited to this. However, some minor details could always be added, emphasizing one or another aspect of the celebration and relying on various legends or .
Icon. About 1200. Novgorod
For example, according to one legend, all the apostles from all over the world were immediately transferred to Jerusalem on the eve of Mary’s repose. And some icons represent this journey, in which the apostles are depicted in the clouds. Or some household details are added, such as candles by the bed. Or, symbolic images, for example, a stamna (jug), which is an allusion to hymnography glorifying the Mother of God: it is based on the Old Testament prototypes of the Mother of God, which is the vessel (stamna) of Moses.
Moses himself and other prophets may be present, who in one way or another spoke about the Mother of God in prototypes. There may also be the weeping women of Jerusalem or the apocryphal character Auphonius, a Jew who tried to take Mary's body from the apostles in order to burn it. Usually the moment is depicted when Auphonia boldly stretches out her hands to the bed of the Mother of God, which are cut off by an angel.
There may also be additional details at the top of the icon - for example, Christ may be surrounded by a symbolic sphere, emphasizing His glory. The scene of the ascension of the Mother of God by angels and the opened heavenly gates can be shown, which illustrates the “Word on the Dormition” by Andrei Kritsky: “The door of the heavenly gates has risen to receive heavenly kingdom... The Most Heavenly Door of God.” There may be a lot of details, but the basis is always simple and concise and, in accordance with the letter and spirit of the fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council, visually reveals the event being described - the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
And this laconicism and simplicity often baffles art historians who have devoted themselves to the study of Orthodox iconography. In a fit of passion, these tireless researchers and seekers of hidden meanings and deep layers begin to look for some additional content in the icon, which is obviously hidden from the laymen.
With the zeal of an archaeologist, art historians begin to collect some small details and put them together into a picture that, it would seem, cannot be seen at first glance. And sometimes they go so far in their research that the “new meaning” they reveal begins to overshadow the true meaning. And somehow I want to quietly take the enthusiastic diggers by the sleeve and whisper: “Wait, gentlemen, where are you going? Have you lost the main meaning while searching for the “deep?”
So, for example, in lately one has to read that the icon of the Assumption has a liturgical meaning. Of course, the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, is the center of Christian consciousness. And this, undoubtedly, is reflected in the iconography. But, nevertheless, this does not mean that any icon must necessarily talk about the Liturgy.
Here, from one famous art critic, you can read the following: “In the Middle Byzantine iconography of this scene, the bed with the body of the Mother of God was clearly likened to a throne, and the arrangement of the apostles in two groups, headed by Peter and Paul, on the sides of the bed, was their presence at the Eucharist and communion under two types. Christ, standing with the swaddled soul of Mary behind the bed, was the image of a bishop at a meal.
The image of the Apostle Peter censing before the bed apparently corresponded to the censing of the Holy Gifts in the liturgy, and the image of John falling to Mary’s bed corresponded to the priest kissing the throne.”
In support of this statement, expressed quite categorically, by the way, the author cites numerous quotes from liturgical texts, forgetting the context of the patristic words dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Or he uses the following argument: “The liturgical nature of the scene of the Dormition of the Mother of God was sometimes directly indicated by the image of pairs of hymnographers - Cosmas of Mayum and John of Damascus, presented, for example, on the western wall of the upper church-tomb in Bachkovo to the right and left of this composition under the arches, and subsequently in the paintings of the 14th century."
But both John of Damascus and Cosmas of Mayum are hymnographers, authors of church texts, including those related to the celebration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the first wrote three words of praise dedicated to this holiday, and the second is the author of the canon of the holiday. Those. their presence next to the image of the Assumption is justified precisely by their connection with this celebration, but cannot in any way “directly indicate” a “liturgical” character.
But suppose we accepted the point of view of a respected art critic, carried away by the author’s erudition and struck by the beauty of Byzantine poetry. Let the deathbed of the Mother of God be the Throne, let Christ be the serving bishop, and the apostles be those who serve with him and prepare to receive communion “under two types,” i.e. separately Blood and Body. But let us ask a simple question: whose flesh and blood should the apostles consume at this “liturgy”, if on the “throne” lie not the Holy Gifts, but the body of the Mother of God?
Here it would definitely be worth stopping and thinking about whether we are digging too “deep”, and whether we are digging in the right direction? Now, of course, is not the time when the slightest misunderstanding or unusual interpretation could cause fierce debate and accusations of heresy. But still, with another attempt to explain Orthodox icon, it would probably be worth showing more responsibility. After all, this is not an essay on the topic “what the author wanted to say.”
Meanwhile, the desire to complete, further fantasize, “broaden” and “deepen” the meaning of the icon is, apparently, ineradicable. And how much effort, talent, erudition is spent on this desire. Books are published, dissertations are written - and everything goes by. The true, pure, undistorted meaning of the icon is shifted to the sidelines or replaced by some kind of esotericism. And speaking of esotericism. It is probably not accidental to look for, in addition to art historians, secret meanings Christian art is very popular among all sorts of occultists and adherents of dubious spiritual practices.
And yet, I would so much like the icon of the Assumption to remain the icon of the Assumption, which we now celebrate.
IN Orthodox world There are many icons of the Mother of God that have exceptional properties in healing and helping all those who turn. The icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is no exception, and is especially revered among Christians.
The Dormition, or the transition of the Mother of God from the world of the living to our Lord and her son, is described in the Bible. According to legend, the Virgin Mary tirelessly prayed to the Lord for the end of her earthly life. During one of her prayers, the Archangel Gabriel visited her and told her that her earthly life was over and in three days she would find peace.
History of the icon
The tireless prayers of the Mother of God exalted her. Her holiness and sincere concern for everyone living on earth helped her ascend to God's Kingdom and remain the patroness of people, the consoler of their sorrows and support in difficult moments of life. At the hour of her dormition, the house was illuminated by divine light, looking over the deathbed of the Mother of God. In this light, Jesus himself appeared behind the Mother of God, surrounded by singing angels.
The end of the earthly life of the Mother of God is called the Dormition because her death was not ordinary. The soul of the Virgin Mary ascended like Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven, and her spirit still looks at the human race with humility and a desire to help.
Where is the image of the Virgin Mary located?
The image can be found in almost every Orthodox church. The icon “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” is located in churches of the same name in the cities: Vladimir, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Smolensk, Ryazan, Murom, Astrakhan, Moscow. Significance and miraculous properties icons cannot be underestimated, so every year on August 28, believers offer prayers to the Mother of God with various requests.
Description of the icon
The icon depicts the Dormition (death) of the Mother of God. She is positioned on her deathbed and surrounded by mourning apostles. At the top of the icon we see Jesus holding the soul of his Mother in his arms, surrounded by jubilant angels. They herald the transition of the Mother of God from earthly life to immortal life.
How does a miraculous image help?
They instill confidence in believers and eradicate fear of the end of earthly life. Every Orthodox Christian turns to the image with prayers so that at the end of the path he can gain eternal life and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Offering prayers helps to heal the soul and body from all kinds of ailments and illnesses, strengthen oneself in the true Orthodox faith, gain firm support under one’s feet and not succumb to all kinds of temptations.
Prayer before the icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“Most Holy Theotokos, save and preserve the servant of God (name). Protect from temptations on the path of life, protect, Mother, from self-interest and strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ, generous and all-forgiving. Cover me with your cover from haters and ill-wishers, and forgive them their malice. Give me the strength to fight temptations and do not allow the machinations of the devil to turn me away from the Orthodox faith. Show your mercy to me and my family, save and protect us. Amen".
Days of celebration
August 28 (15). IN Orthodox Church This holiday is considered one of the main twelve, and is preceded by a two-week strict Dormition Fast. During fasting, every Orthodox Christian atones for his sins and strengthens his faith, freeing his soul and thoughts from negativity. On this day, everyone can visit the church or pray at home at the iconostasis, glorifying the transition of the Mother of God from earthly life to the Kingdom of Heaven.