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The Death and Assumption of the Virgin - 3 |
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All seems fine - but there is a
problem. Those annoying Jews again! They are now determined to burn the body of the
Virgin, so that no precious relics remain. As with Jephonias,
it didn't work out well: 'Let us make haste, and kindle a fire, and burn her body. Else, if we let this be buried in our borders, there will appear from it signs and wonders, and many will be assembled to it and believe on Him: and they will be numbered unto the Romans, and they will have dominion over our cities, and will humble our nation. Now when they had hastily said these things, they kindled a fire and torches, and went out behind them, to burn the holy body of the blessed Virgin. But the apostles, when they saw that which was come to pass, a fear of man took hold of them; and they put down the bier, and fled. And the lawless Jews, when they approached the bier, a mist and a darkness came upon them; they became blind, and there was no one to lead them by the hand. The fire also which they prepared, to burn the body of the holy Virgin in it, smote many of them: even as the Holy Ghost said by the mouth of David the prophet in the eighty-first Psalm, They knew not, neither did they understand; they go in darkness. There come upon them coals of fire on the earth. Then they cried out, saying, woe to us, O our Master Christ; for we have sinned against heaven, and before Thee. Forgive us, for we are children of Abraham. If Thou givest us the light of our eyes, we will know the glory of Thy godhead, and we will believe on Thee and on Thy virgin mother; for she is our sister.' Theodosius of Alexandria, Homily on the Dormition.
There are other versions of this story. Archbishop Cyril of Jerusalem in
his Discourse tells us that when the Jews found the bier after the
apostles had fled, it was empty - the Assumption had just happened.
Melito doesn't go along with this. In his version, Mary is safely buried
and Christ consults the apostles on what should happen next: What, therefore, do
you wish that I should do to her? Then Peter and the other apostles said:
Lord, Thou didst choose beforehand this Thine handmaid to become a
spotless chamber for Thyself, and us Thy servants to minister unto Thee.
Before the ages Thou didst foreknow all things along with the Father, with
whom to Thee and the Holy Spirit there is one Godhead, equal and infinite
power. If, therefore, it were possible to be done in the presence of the
power of Thy grace, it had seemed to us Thy servants to be right that,
just as Thou, having vanquished death, reignest in glory, so, raising up
again the body of Thy mother, Thou shouldst take her with Thee in joy into
heaven. The Assumption And so the Assumption takes place, one of the most popular Marian images, especially in counter-reformation art.. Here is a selection. |
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The earliest existing image. |
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