NEBAB #29: The Death of Saint Mary
NEBAB #29
The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine
THE DEATH OF SAINT MARY
The Spiritual Education Unit
Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America
In this issue:
Asteriyo Maryam: The Commemoration of the Death/Dormition of St Mary
1. The Dormition of the Virgin Mary
2. Who is 'Soliyana'?
3. Faith and works
4. “Ask Abba/Kes”
5. A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam
6. Children’s corner
7.ይበል ግዕዝ
8. Orthodox Q&A
The Dormition (falling asleep) of the Virgin Maryam
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” Psalm 116:15
The annual feast of the dormition of the Virgin Mary coincides with the season commemorating the different manifestations of Christ’s glory and divinity, including His Incarnation and His baptism as well as the miracle of Cana of Galilee. The Feast is celebrated in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church on Tirr 21st. The feast day is also referred to as Asteriyo Mariam. Asteriyo (አስተርእዮ), a Ge’ez term meaning "appearance" or "manifestation,". This is because they were many miracles and appearances associated with the death of Saint Mary. Saint Mary, before the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, requested to Him to inform her of her departure. He replied saying, “My pure mother, Queen of saints, Temple of the living God and most blessed among women, how will I abandon you? You bore me in your womb, nourished Me, endured the flight into Egypt for My sake and suffered with Me. As you have looked after Me, so will I look after you forever. My angel who guards you will continue to guard you until your departure. When Angel Gabriel comes to you with an olive branch know that your hour of departure has drawn near and I Myself will come with angels to take your soul. As for your body, it will be ascended to heaven”
As told by Saint John, in the Ethiopian Synaxarium, all that Christ had promised and Our Lady Virgin Maryam had requested came to pass. After Jesus' Ascension, St. Mary frequently visited His tomb to pray and praise Him. Concerned by her devotion, Jewish authorities set guards at the tomb, but they were unable to see her due to divine intervention. In A.D. 40, St. Mary prayed at the tomb, asking God to take her soul. The Archangel Gabriel appeared, informing her that her prayers were heard and that her time on earth was nearing its end. St. Mary returned to Bethlehem, gathered the women who served her, and expressed her fears about the guards. The women vowed to stay with her and on the eve of the Sabbath,
St. Mary fell ill. She prayed for the presence of John and the other disciples, including those who had passed away. Her prayer was answered. John was miraculously transported to her, greeting her and praising Christ. He reminded her of Jesus’ words during His crucifixion, entrusting her to John’s care.
St. Mary became assured that her departure from the world would be marked by signs and wonders glorifying Christ. One of them included the miraculous gathering of the apostles and disciples at the request of St. Mary, as her time on earth drew to a close.
St. Mary, aware of her impending departure, prayed for her soul to be taken with great glory and asked John to assist in prayer.
St. Mary prayed fervently, and a voice from heaven confirmed that the apostles would be gathered to her. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the apostles, some alive and others risen from their graves, were miraculously transported on clouds from various locations around the world to Bethlehem. Each apostle shared their experience of being summoned, emphasizing the divine nature of the event.
When the apostles arrived, they honored St. Mary and assured her that her departure would be in glory, as promised by Christ. St. Mary expressed gratitude to God for His mercy and the fulfillment of His promises, praising His power and proclaiming that future generations would call her blessed.
Mary’s unique role as the Mother of God sets her apart from all other women, who are honored for bearing prophets, saints, and martyrs. Her exalted status places her above all creation, though still beneath the Creator. This is echoed in Luke 1:42, where Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaims Mary as blessed among women and praises the fruit of her womb. Mary is also rich in symbolic significance. She is likened to Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28:12, representing the connection between earth and heaven through her role in bringing Christ into the world. Additionally, the Golden Censer of Aaron serves as a metaphor for her womb, with the fire symbolizing Christ, as described in Hebrews 12:29. Furthermore, just as Noah’s Ark preserved humanity, Mary is seen as the vessel through which God’s plan of salvation was realised.
We must pray for the Virgin Mary’s intercession and help, asking for her to plead for us and be our safety during our lives.
St. Mary lived on earth for 64 years. She spent 3 years and 7 months in her parents' home before being dedicated to the temple, where she served God for 12 years. At the age of 15, she left the temple and lived in Joseph’s house for 33 years and 3 months, until the Ascension of the Lord. Following this, she lived with St. John the Evangelist for 15 years, as instructed by Christ on the cross: " Woman, behold thy son," and [that] He looked at him and said unto His disciple, " Behold thy mother."
May the Prayers and Intercessions of St. Mary be with us All, Amen
Who is ‘Soliyana’?
The mother of us all, the blessed among women, the Theotokos, the Holy Virgin Mary, goes by many names and titles among her children, the Christian people. These titles have come about as a result remembering and praising her forever and in every generation.
Instead of your fathers shall be your children whom you may make princes in all the earth. I will make your name to be remember in all generations, therefore the people shall praise you forever and ever (Ps 45:16)
St Ephrem the Syrian called her ‘Our Lady’, St Cyril of Alexandria called her ‘Theotokos’ (God-bearer), and in the Ethiopian tradition, we have come to call her by a special name- Soliyana. At this time of year you can often hear this name in the hymns around her falling asleep, so why have we called her Soliyana?
Through the study of the origin and use of proper names, the grammarians of our beloved country Ethiopia have found that the Ge’ez ሶልያና (Soliyana) is derived from the Greek Σελήνη (Selini/Celene) (which gives us the modern name Selena and its many variants), and both are accurately translated as ‘the moon’.
Why the moon? This mystery was revealed to St John when he wrote in Revelation 12 of a woman clothed with the sun, having the moon under her feet, with a crown of 12 stars on her head. As our Lord is compared with the sun, eliminating darkness and giving light to the world, our lady the Holy Virgin is compared with the moon- not having any light of her own, but shining brightly by reflecting to us the light of the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2)
Now it is time for you to rest, Soliyana: Your Son has come down from on high
Faith and Works:
Like bunches of grapes
In our church we sing the hymn- inde weyn, inde zelila, semish yetafete tamirish yamare dingil Maryam- saying that the miracles of our Lady are abundant and full of richness like grapes, and like bunches of grapes. How can reading and hearing the miracles of the Virgin make our Christian lives better?
Comfort- One of the practical reasons the book of her miracles was given to us is that we should never feel as though our struggles are unique. The Miracles of Mary is full of Christians from various countries and centuries going about their ordinary lives just like us- going to church, doing their work, travelling, etc. and being helped by the love of the Virgin. As you read her miracles, find someone like you who she helped, and take comfort that she wants to help you too.
Ask Abba/Kes
"As members of the Body of Christ, we have a specific goal towards one another. What is that goal? And how, as believers, do we attain it?"
The answer to your question is best stated in Christ’s own word: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you….This I command you, to love one another” John 15:12-14,17. I don’t believe I could add anything of significance to these words of the Master, in order to answer you any more fully. Read and re-read them. Meditate on them. Pray about them. Practice them. It was the Lord, as well, who said: “ A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:34-35
BIBLE QUIZ!
In which Psalm is the Virgin Mary called a ‘tabernacle for the sun’?
A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam
A miracle that the Mother of the Divine revealed in the monastery of Abba Shenute, the abbot of the monks, Pillar of Upper Egypt. There was a monk named Absadi among Shenute’s followers who tended the plants of the vegetable garden of the brothers. He charitably gave the produce of the vegetable garden to any of the brothers who came to him. But [the other] brothers reported him to the elder [Shenute], saying that, “As for Absadi, he never leaves any produce in the vegetable garden, because he gives [all of it] to the brothers who come to him.” Abba Shenute replied to them, “It is not a sin for Absadi to give charity. In fact, God’s blessing is with him.”
On that night, the elder [Shenute] slept for a little while and saw a very beautiful woman whose entire body shone with the light of the Lord. Behold, she held the hand of [a man whom the elder did not recognize, but who was] Absadi. She said to Absadi, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t cease giving charity from the produce of the vegetable garden, because it doesn’t belong to you. Rather, it belongs to God. The heart of my son and Lord is delighted with you due to your giving charity from the fresh plants of the vegetable garden to the brothers and to all who need it.” As for Saint Abba Shenute, when he heard what the woman said to [the man, who was] Absadi, he realized that she was our lady, the Pure Virgin, the Mother of Our Lord, the Mother of the Mighty First [or, Preexisting] Word, he about whom it is said has no beginning, Creator of all creation with his mighty ability.
She returned to the holy elder again [in another dream] and said to him, “Dear Shenute, beloved of my son, that was Absadi, the one whom the brothers reported to you. I will bring him to the church, and you will find him there.” When they sounded the call to prayer of the church, Abba Shenute entered before everyone else, and he saw [a man, whom he didn’t know was] Absadi standing alone while praying. And his ten fingers were like ten burning candles. Abba Shenute said, “Who are you, [looking] like this?” He replied, “My dear father, I am Absadi, your son.” The elder said, “Who brought you here, my dear son?” Absadi replied, “The one who came to you inside your house [during your dream], the one who spoke to you before the sounding of the call of prayer—it is that one who brought me here.” The elder said, “Behold, I know that God is with you, in all that you do, and I will come to you today in the vegetable garden so that I may visit you. Yet, my dear son, don’t cease doing your charity, according to your habit, in the name of Mary.” The elder went to him at the third hour of the day [that is, 9:00 am], and he saw Absadi working in the vegetable garden of the brothers. Again he saw the Holy Virgin, Mary, the Pure Mother of the Savior of the entire world. She lifted Absadi’s hands, placed them in the water [trough] of the vegetable garden, and [using his hands] she sprinkled [the water] over all the plants. She said, “Sprout, become big, and tower upwards. Don’t be late!” Then she bid Absadi farewell and left him in great splendor.
May her prayer and petition be with our King Zara Yaqob forever and ever, amen!
O Holy Virgin Maryam, pray for us!
LIJOCH! The Children's Corner
Memory verse: St .Luke 1 : 48 & 49
“Behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things;”
Colour me and name the angel with the sword
ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)
Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language
ጊዜ ዕረፍታ ለሶልያና ወረደ ወልድ እምዲበ ልዕልና
gize irefta lesoliyana werede weld imdibe l’ilina
gize- time, also moment, season or period
irefta- your rest, feminine. ዕረፍተ irefte is the masculine version
lesoliyana- le- to + soliyana- a name for the Virgin Mary
werede- descended. Werede means to go down or to come down
weld- (God the) Son. from ወለደ welede to give birth
imdibe- down from. im- from + dibe- above, over, on
l’ilina- height, exaltation. From ለዐለ le’ale- to be high, superior or elevated. Also gives us the word ልዑል li’ul- upper, exalted, highest (as in menkir girma haile li’ul selela)-, and ላዕለ la’ile- upon (as in menfes qidus werede la’ile hawariyat)
ORTHODOX Q&A
How can God love perfectly and unconditionally and yet judge?
Love basically means to be concerned about another’s true welfare, and acting on that concern without selfish or self serving motives. Love is to seek another’s welfare for his/her own sake. If that, in fact, is our motivation, love can judge, scold, punish and bring discomfort to the once loved for the purpose of achieving the well-being of the loved one. Parents do it; teacher do it; physicians do it; yes, and God does it. God’s judgement, consequently, is not a denial of His love for us, but a witness to it. He would not love us if He abandoned us when we do evil. His judgement is an attempt to call us back to our true well-being.
Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com
References
Short message on behalf the Spiritual Education Unit:
His Grace Abune Thaddaeus, Head Administrator Archimandrite Abba Gebreyesus, and all clergy and faithful- thank you for the opportunity to share this labour of love with you. Thanks also to the team of the Spiritual Education Unit for their hard work.
-Liqe Teghuan Tekle Mariam Greene
Annual Feast of the Dormition of The Virgin Mary:
Soliyana: eu.eotcmk.org/site/ዕረፍተ-ሶልያና/
Ask Kes:
The Orthodox Church: 455 Questions and Answers by Stanley S Harakas
Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam: pemm.princeton.edu/en-us/stories/96
Orthodox QnA:
The Orthodox Church: 455 Questions and Answers by Stanley S Harakas
CONTACT US:
Archdiocese headquarters: Medhane Alem (Saviour of the World), Old Golden Grove Rd. Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago.
Tel. 868-642-4230.
e-mail: eotc.arch.carla@gmail.com
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