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The Dormition of the All-holy Theotokos

Ἐν τῇ κοιμήσει τὸν κόσμον οὐ κατέλιπες Θεοτόκε

In thy dormition thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos

Then stretching out her hands, as we may believe, she blessed all those present, and then she heard the words, ‘Come, my beloved Mother, to thy rest. Arise and come, most dear amongst women, the winter is past and gone, the harvest time is at hand. Thou art fair, my beloved, and there is no stain in thee. Thy fragrance is sweeter than all ointments’. With these words in her ear, that holy one gave up her spirit into the hands of her Son. What happens? Nature, I conjecture, is stirred to its depths, strange sounds and voices are heard, and the swelling hymns of angels who precede, accompany, and follow her. Some constitute the guard of honour to that undefiled and immaculate soul on its way to heaven until the queen reaches the divine throne. Others surrounding the sacred and divine body proclaim God’s Mother in angelic harmony.

From the Second Homily on the Dormition of the Virgin Mary by Saint John Damascene

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