THE DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD – GREAT VESPERS

O what a wonder! The Source of Life is placed in a tomb; the grave becomes a ladder to heaven. Rejoice, Gethsemane, holy chamber of the Mother of God! As for us, O faithful, let us cry out with Gabriel, the prince of angels: Rejoice, O woman full of grace, the Lord is with you, the Lord, Who because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world.

O Lady, marvelous are your mysteries. You have become the throne of the Most High, and today you are taken from earth to heaven. Your glory shines forth with the radiance of divine grace and surpasses every other splendor. Rise up to the heavens, all you virgins, together with the Mother of our King, and cry out: Rejoice, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you, the Lord, Who because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world.

Behold, all the heavenly hosts, the Dominations, Thrones, and Principalities, Virtues, Powers, Cherubim, and Seraphim, sing a hymn of glory to your Dormition. The entire human race rejoices at your glory; and kings, together with the Angels and Archangels, sing out to you: Rejoice, O Woman full of grace, the Lord is with you, the Lord, Who because of you, bestows great mercy upon the world.

The heavens rejoice in your glorious Dormition, and the angelic hosts are filled with joy; all the universe is exalting as they sing hymns of farewell to you, O Mother of the Master of the universe, O all-holy Virgin who did not know wedlock. You have delivered mankind from the condemnation of old.

At the divine command, the chosen apostles hastened from the ends of the universe to bury you; and, seeing you carried from earth to heaven, they praised you with the words of Gabriel: Rejoice, O bearer of the entire Divinity! Rejoice, O Virgin, for you alone brought heaven and earth together in giving birth to your Son.

You have given birth to Life, and now by your holy Dormition you have crossed the borders into eternal life. The Angels, Principalities, and the Virtues, the prophets, the apostles, and all creation form a procession, and your Son receives your pure soul into His immaculate hands, O Virgin Mother and Bride of God.

The holy apostles were taken up from every corner of the world and carried upon clouds by the command of God. They gathered around you pure body, O Source of Life, and kissed it with reverence. As for the most sublime powers of heaven, they came with their own leader to escort and to pay their last respects to the most honorable body that had contained Life itself. Filled with awe, they marched together with the apostles in silent majesty, professing to the princes of heaven in a hushed voice: Lift up your gates and receive, with becoming majesty, the Mother of the Light that never fades, because, through her, salvation was made possible for mankind. She is the One upon whom no one may gaze, and to whom no one is able to render sufficient glory; for the special honor that made her sublime is beyond understanding. Therefore, O Most Pure Mother of God, forever alive with your Son, the Source of Life, do not cease to intercede with Him that He may guard and save Your people from every trouble; for you are our intercessor. To you we sing a hymn of glory with loud and joyful voice, now and forever.