Sunday, August 17, 2025

Tone 1

 10th Sunday after Pentecost

Afterfeast of the Dormition

Martyr Myron, Presbyter of Cyzicus

The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary

Commemorated on August 15

(OCA) The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ’s mother. It proclaims that Mary has been “assumed” by God into the heavenly kingdom of Christ in the fullness of her spiritual and bodily existence.

As with the nativity of the Virgin and the feast of her entrance to the temple, there are no biblical or historical sources for this feast. The Tradition of the Church is that Mary died as all people die, not “voluntarily” as her Son, but by the necessity of her mortal human nature which is indivisibly bound up with the corruption of this world.

The Orthodox Church teaches that Mary is without personal sins. In the Gospel of the feast, however, in the liturgical services and in the Dormition icon, the Church proclaims as well that Mary truly needed to be saved by Christ as all human persons are saved from the trials, sufferings and death of this world; and that having truly died, she was raised up by her Son as the Mother of Life and participates already in the eternal life of paradise which is prepared and promised to all who “hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk11.27–28).

In giving birth, you preserved your virginity. In falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos. You were translated to life, O Mother of Life, and by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death (Troparion).

Neither the tomb, nor death, could hold the Theotokos, who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions. For being the Mother of Life, she was translated to life, by the One who dwelt in her virginal womb (Kontakion).

The services of the feast repeat the main theme, that the Mother of Life has “passed over into the heavenly joy, into the divine gladness and unending delight” of the Kingdom of her Son (Vesperal hymn). The Old Testament readings, as well as the gospel readings for the Vigil and the Divine Liturgy, are exactly the same as those for the feast of the Virgin’s nativity and her entrance into the Temple. Thus, at the Vigil we again hear Mary say: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk 1.47). At the Divine Liturgy we hear the letter to the Philippians where Saint Paul speaks of the self-emptying of Christ who condescends to human servitude and ignoble death in order to be “highly exalted by God his Father” (Phil 2.5–11). And once again we hear in the Gospel that Mary’s blessedness belongs to all who “hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11.27–28).

Thus, the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is the celebration of the fact that all men are “highly exalted” in the blessedness of the victorious Christ, and that this high exaltation has already been accomplished in Mary the Theotokos. The feast of the Dormition is the sign, the guarantee, and the celebration that Mary’s fate is, the destiny of all those of “low estate” whose souls magnify the Lord, whose spirits rejoice in God the Saviour, whose lives are totally dedicated to hearing and keeping the Word of God which is given to men in Mary’s child, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world.

Finally it must be stressed that, in all of the feasts of the Virgin Mother of God in the Church, the Orthodox Christians celebrate facts of their own lives in Christ and the Holy Spirit. What happens to Mary happens to all who imitate her holy life of humility, obedience, and love. With her all people will be “blessed” to be “more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim” if they follow her example. All will have Christ born in them by the Holy Spirit. All will become temples of the living God. All will share in the eternal life of His Kingdom who live the life that Mary lived.

In this sense everything that is praised and glorified in Mary is a sign of what is offered to all persons in the life of the Church. It is for this reason that Mary, with the divine child Jesus within her, is called in the Orthodox Tradition the Image of the Church. For the assembly of the saved is those in whom Christ dwells.

It is the custom in some churches to bless flowers on the feast of the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos.

Fr. Thomas Hopko

Glory to Jesus Christ!

This Friday, August 15, is the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Vespers will be on Thursday, August 14, at 3 PM. Divine Liturgy, on Friday, August 15, at 7:00 AM. We will bless flowers after Liturgy.

Looking a bit further ahead, we will have a brief parish assembly after Liturgy on Sunday, August 24.

In Christ,

Fr Gregory

This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

Wednesday, August 13

• 11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions

Thursday, August 14

• 12:00 PM-4:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions
• 3:00 PM: Vespers

Friday, August 15 (Feast of the Dormition)

• 7:00 AM: Divine Liturgy
• 11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions [canceled]

Saturday, August 16

• 3:00 PM: Catechumen Class
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers
• 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, August 17

• 9:15 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, August 20

• 11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions

Thursday, August 21

• 1:00 PM-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions

Friday, August 22

• 11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions 

Saturday, August 23

• 3:00 PM: Catechumen Class
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers
• 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, August 24

• 9:15 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy
• Parish Assembly

Hymns After the Small Entrance

Tone 8 Troparion (Resurrection)

Thou didst descend from on high, O Merciful One! Thou didst accept the three day burial to free us from our sufferings!//O Lord, our Life and Resurrection, glory to Thee!

Tone 7 Troparion (Feast)

Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, revealing Thy glory to Thy Disciples as far as they could bear it. Let Thine everlasting Light also shine upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Theotokos!//O Giver of Light, glory to Thee!

Tone 4 Troparion (Sts. Cyril & Methodius)

Divinely-wise Cyril and Methodius, / equals-to-the-apostles and teachers of the Slavs, / entreat the Master of all / to strengthen all nations in Orthodoxy and unity of mind, / to grant peace to the world and to save our souls.

Tone 4 Troparion (St. Lawrence)

Victorious martyr of Christ our God, by the sign of the Cross thou didst give sight to the blind; thou didst distribute the riches of the Church to the poor; thou wast tried by fire, and no evil was found in thee. As thou didst endure burning, may thy prayers extinguish the flames of our many sins,//blessed Archdeacon Lawrence!

Tone 8 Kontakion (Resurrection)

By rising from the tomb, Thou didst raise the dead and resurrect Adam. Eve exults in Thy Resurrection,//and the world celebrates Thy rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!

Tone 3 Kontakion (Sts. Cyril & Methodius)

Let us honor the sacred pair, who translated divine scripture / pouring forth a fountain of divine knowledge from which we still draw today. / Now as you stand before the throne of the Most-high / we call you blessed, Cyril and Methodius, / as you fervently pray for our souls.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

Tone 2 Kontakion (St. Lawrence)

Thy heart burned with divine fire, as the flames of the passions died within thee. God-bearing Martyr Lawrence, the pillar of those who struggle, thou didst cry out in the midst of thy contest:// “Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ!”

now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 7 Kontakion (Feast)

On the mountain Thou wast transfigured, O Christ God, and Thy Disciples beheld Thy glory as far as they could see it; so that when they would behold Thee crucified, they would understand that Thy suffering was voluntary, and would proclaim to the world//that Thou art truly the Radiance of the Father.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 3:9-17

Brethren, we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God wil

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-34

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.

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(Instead of “It is truly meet…,” we sing:)

Tone 4

Magnify, O my soul, the Lord Who was transfigured on Mount Tabor!

Thy childbearing was without corruption;

God came forth from thy body clothed in flesh,

and appeared on earth and dwelt among men.//

Therefore we all magnify thee, O Theotokos.

Communion Hymn

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest!

O Lord, we will walk in the light of Thy countenance, and will exult in Thy Name forever.

By the age of 25, about 60% of those baptized as infants will no longer consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. A parish on a university campus is an important witness not only to the surrounding community but also to high school age and younger parishioner. Establishing a parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison helps remind young people that graduating high school doesn't mean "graduating" from the Church. Please consider joining those who have committed their time, treasure and talent in establishing an Orthodox community on the Isthmus.

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