Today, on the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, a holy liturgy was celebrated in the Church of St. Nicholas in the Old Town, with the participation of a large number of faithful people.

Father Nemanja Krivokapić spoke on the topic of the feast.

“Today the Orthodox Church celebrates a great and joyful holiday, the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos. How can we say that it is a joyful holiday, when we remember the day when the Most Holy Theotokos bodily rested, fell asleep? This is because on this day She left this earthly, transient, temporary life and replaced it with a new, better one, in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we look closely and think about all the saints that our Church celebrates, this refers to the day of their rest, presentation before the Lord, in the way in which they presented themselves before Him and became saints, in the way in which someone pleased God, how they presented themselves before God, is the beginning of their true, true life in communion with God. Likewise, on this day, we remember the moment when the Most Holy Theotokos, She Who gave birth to God Himself, ended her earthly life. life and began the true one, in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ, Her Son Whom She bore. That is why this holiday is not called the death of the Mother of God, but the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos”, said Fr. Nemanja.

It is, he continues, about a wonderful expression which, according to the words of the great theologian Schmemann, contains a set, or rather a collection of several words - peace, tranquility, bliss, joy due to the encounter with God.

“That is why this holiday is called the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the description of this event, we see that the Blessed Virgin Mary, just before her death, after being told when she would die, wished to see all the apostles once more. They, in a strange way, carried by clouds, were brought to say goodbye to him and then, when she gave up her soul, they buried her there, in the place where she wanted, in the Garden of Gethsemane,” said Father Nemanja.

He also reminds us that when another apostle, who was not there, wanted to say goodbye to the Virgin Mary and kiss her holy body, he was not there.

“The Lord Jesus Christ took up Her body to heaven. That is why this feast is called the Assumption, on the one hand because of Her falling asleep, but also because of the ascension into heaven of Her holy and most venerable body. That is why this is a joyful feast, because we celebrate the victory of life over death, the victory over the earthly laws of nature. This victory over the laws of nature is spoken of in the troparion of this feast. In giving birth, She preserved her virginity, and in death, her life.

In the troparion that we sing on this day, we say: “In the birth (of the Lord Jesus Christ, when she gave birth to Him,) you preserved your virginity”, Simply, it is incredible. It is impossible for someone to give birth and remain a virgin, and it is precisely by God’s action, by the miracle of birth, that She remained a virgin and as it is further said: “And in death you remained alive, in the representation you did not die, you did not leave this world, but you stood before Life itself – before the Lord, for You are the Mother of life”.

So, She Who gave birth to life itself”, said Fr. Nemanja.

“That is why the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos is a joyful holiday of the great victory of life over death. It is not a separation, but precisely the meeting of the Mother with the Son. It is not sorrow, but joy, not defeat, but victory. In Orthodox iconography and hymnography, that is, in church hymns, but also in theology, theology, we glorify the Most Holy Theotokos also because of the great work that She did - direct participation in the economy of salvation, and the second reason is because She is our greatest advocate before God. We pray to Her, as it is said in the troparion, to pray to God to save our souls. The Most Holy Theotokos is the One who constantly prays to God to forgive us our sins, who is tireless in prayers and intercedes for us before God,” said Father Nemanja.

It is up to us, he continued, to try to live as best we can, to please our God, first of all with our lives, prayers, fasting, confession, communion, but also with hope in Him and His mercy and the saints who pray for us, first of all the Most Holy Theotokos, our greatest intercessor before God.

“There is that famous iconographic representation “Deisis”, which represents Christ sitting on the throne, a serious figure because He is the judge, because He judges, and next to Him stand Saint John and the Most Holy Theotokos and ask Him, not to be just, but merciful and to judge according to His mercy and love. So, these are our prayerful petitions before God, the saints, and above all the Most Holy Theotokos, Whom we celebrate today and in whose presence we have fasted these two weeks in order to prepare ourselves for communion in Her honor. In honor of the One Who has truly deserved the respect we show Her, as well as the prayer and love that we have in some way shown by fasting this Lent, because with that love we have responded to the immense love that She constantly shows us. May the Lord God, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, also make us worthy of the Kingdom of God, amen,” said Fr. Nemanja.