{Our Faith @ Home}: Feast of Holy Dormition

Every year I mean to post on the 

Feast of Dormition on the Feast Day itself

but have not been able to.

So I thought I would do it now,

as we on the 'old calendar' are still in this festal time.

I explained to one of the children at church

that Christ holds the soul of His Mother

after she has died.

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I really find that by thoughtful explanations

children will fear death much less

and understand the reality of the cloud of witnesses,

the Saints of the Lord and the hope we have...

There are very early writings about the 

Mother of God's death, how all the apostles save St. Thomas

were gathered at her side and sang hymns of praise.

We bless flowers and herbs on this feast day.

I made this icon years ago in Ottawa

out of a calendar;

frame it and had it blessed!

I wish to do even more one day for 

our Lady's Dormition;

it is such a beautiful feast

and deserves royal and beautiful treatment... 

Mr. Husband got blue flowers for the feast.

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There are many things we can do for this feast....

~have flowers blessed

~have the icon of Holy Dormition at one's home

~pray the Kontakion and Troparion 

at home for the 9 days of this feast

~make a festal meal 

~read more on the feast; this book is a slow but absorbing read.

~decorate your festal icon of the Holy Dormition with flowers

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I would love to hear of more traditions for this feast!

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Troparion of the Dormition:

In giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity,  

and in thy falling asleep thou hast not forsaken the world,

 O Theotokos.  Thou hast been translated to life, 

as thou art the Mother of Life.  

And by thy supplications thou dost deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion for the Dormition: 

The tomb and mortality could not hold the Theotokos, 

who is untiring in her supplications and 

our certain hope in her intercessions.  

For, as the Mother of Life, she hath passed over to the Life 

Who dwelt within her ever-virgin womb.