The Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God
Friday, August 15, 2025 | A Great Feast of the Theotokos in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church
The Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God—celebrated annually on August 15—is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical year in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC). Known in the Christian East as the Dormition (from the Latin dormire, “to sleep”), this feast commemorates the “falling asleep” of the Theotokos, the Ever-Virgin Mary, and her glorious assumption into heaven.
The feast affirms not only Mary’s special place in salvation history but also offers hope to all believers: that death is not the end but the gateway to eternal life in Christ.
Though the New Testament does not explicitly describe the Dormition, the feast draws from Sacred Tradition, which holds that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, fell asleep in peace and was taken body and soul into heaven. This is understood not as a resurrection before the Last Day, but as a foretaste of the resurrection promised to all faithful in Christ.
The Epistle reading (Philippians 2:5–11) focuses on Christ’s humility and exaltation, laying the foundation for understanding the Dormition:
“He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death…
Therefore God also highly exalted Him…”
(Philippians 2:8–9)
In honoring Mary, we celebrate God’s exalting of the humble, and we see in her a mirror of her Son’s Paschal Mystery—dying and rising to eternal life.
The Gospel reading (Luke 10:38–42; 11:27–28) highlights Mary’s true greatness not simply in her physical motherhood, but in her obedience to the Word of God:
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
(Luke 11:28)
This emphasizes why Mary is honored above all: she received the Word, bore Him in her heart before she bore Him in the womb, and remained faithful until the end.
“In giving birth you retained your virginity,
in falling asleep you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God.
You passed into life, for you are the Mother of Life,
and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.”
This hymn encapsulates the core theology of the Dormition: Mary, the Mother of Life, is not bound by death but continues to intercede for the world. She “passes into life,” giving hope to all who die in Christ.
“The tomb and death could not hold the Mother of God…
for, as the Mother of Life, she was transferred to life
by Him Who had dwelt in her ever-virgin womb.”
The Kontakion proclaims that Mary’s bodily death did not end in corruption, but in glory, because the Lord of Life Himself dwelt within her. This serves as a promise to all who believe.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.”
(Luke 1:46–48)
These verses recall the Magnificat, Mary’s hymn of praise, revealing her humility and the blessings poured upon her by God.
“Rise up, O Lord, to the place of Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness.”
(Psalm 131:8)
The Church sees Mary as the Ark—the dwelling place of God—now raised to her eternal rest.
“Seeing the pure one’s falling asleep, angels marvelled in wonder
how the Virgin could ascend from earth to heaven.”
This poetic line, chanted during the Divine Liturgy, invites the faithful to marvel with the angels at this wondrous mystery. The accompanying Irmos (Tone 4) declares:
“O pure Virgin, in you are conquered the bounds of nature…
Virgin after childbearing and alive after death…”
In Mary, the natural laws of biology and mortality are surpassed by divine grace. She remains virgin in childbirth and now lives eternally, a sign of hope for all creation.
In the UGCC and many Eastern traditions, the blessing of flowers and herbs is a cherished custom on this feast. The faithful bring bouquets of aromatic plants—symbols of beauty, healing, and life—to be blessed at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
This practice has ancient roots. Tradition holds that when the Apostles came to Mary’s tomb, they found it empty, filled only with heavenly fragrance and flowers. The blessing serves as a reminder of Mary’s incorrupt body and of our call to spiritual renewal.
The vestments are festal, usually blue or white, symbolizing purity and joy. The Tone 1 and Tone 2 chants used throughout the service emphasize both peaceful rest and victorious ascent.
The Dormition of the Mother of God is not merely a memorial of her death, but a celebration of her glorification. Mary shows us the path every Christian is called to walk:
Humility in service, like the handmaid of the Lord.
Obedience to God’s Word, as she lived in Luke 1:38.
Perseverance through suffering, as she stood at the Cross.
Eternal union with Christ, our hope and destiny.
In this feast, we do not mourn Mary’s death, but rejoice in her life, both earthly and heavenly.
“I will take the chalice of salvation,
and I will call upon the name of the Lord.”
(Communion Hymn – Psalm 115:13)
In communion, the faithful share in the life Mary now possesses fully. We are reminded that her Dormition is not just a mystery of the past but a sign of our future in Christ.
As we celebrate the Dormition, we cry out with the Church:
“Most Holy Mother of God, save us!”
For she is our intercessor, our protector, and our example of perfect discipleship. Her Dormition is not an ending, but a radiant beginning of heavenly glory, calling us to listen to the Word of God, obey it, and follow Christ to eternal life.
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
