Dearly Beloved,

For the next fifteen days the Church and her faithful will turn their attention to the life of the Virgin Mary, in anticipation of the commemoration of her dormition and translation to heaven. During this period we will fast and pray together to prepare ourselves.

In our prayers we will ask Mary, the Mother of God, first and foremost, to intercede to her Son, our Lord and Savior, on our behalf to save us. We do so because we believe her Son will listen to her intercession. We will also ask her for comfort, protection and courage for the times of anxiety and trials in our life. We believe her to be an unshakable fortress and wall that can defend us from adversity. We call upon the Mother of God because she is the bridge between heaven and earth.

Every feast of our liturgical calendar that celebrates the life of the Theotokos includes the reading from the Book of Genesis of Jacob’s dream at Bethel, of the ladder (Genesis 28:10-17). In that dream, Jacob "dreamt that there was a ladder set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!."

The Church sees the Virgin Mary as that ladder, the link between heaven and earth. In our churches her icon usually adorns the apse in the sanctuary. Being in that space between her Son and us, reminds us of her intercessory role. Her gesture is one of prayer, her act of supplication to her Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.

In the divine services of August, the Church reminds us of how she intercedes for us and how she is our protector and comforter. In a hymn for the Burial of the Theotokos on the eve of the Dormition, the Church sings, "Though you have passed away from the earth, yet in no way have you removed yourself from earth, All-Holy Theotokos, who delivers the whole world from perils." In the well-known Paraklesis service, we hear again this refrain quoted above.

Asking for her intercessions and comfort this year seems more needed than ever. We live in anxious times. There is a great deal of uncertainty about our world and nation. The headlines from around the world, from the acts of terrorism and violence to the ongoing refugee crisis, are very disturbing. The news from within our nation and the political commentaries about how to address the issues fuels our concern.

In the face of these concerns, Our Church continues to raise its voice, proclaiming the Good News God’s love for all people. At the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church this past June, the Church stated , the apostolic work of proclaiming the Gospel "is the breath of life, that the Church breathes into human society and makes the world into Church."

The Church also provides us the opportunity to bring our concerns to Mary, the Mother of God, in the divine services of this period. In these services we experience the comfort of a Mother, the loving embrace that knows our concerns and reassures us that God has already prevailed and will always prevail, and we can be confident that our prayers become her intercessions to her Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the gathering of the community we find strength and mutual support from one another so that we may continue the struggle of living our Christian faith in a troubled world.

The culmination of this period is the commemoration of the Dormition or Falling Asleep of the Virgin Mary. In this Feast we recapitulate many themes of Pascha, reminding us that Mary has been rescued from the corruption of the tomb. How she faced her death fearlessly and calmly is an icon for us all, when we are confronted with adversity and the reality that we too will pass away one day. Mary’s death is an experience of how the resurrection gives all Christians reason for hope and joy.

To all those who are celebrating their Feast Day this year on August 15th as well as those who celebrate on the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ August 6th, I extend my personal wishes and pray to God to keep you all safe and always under His Grace and Mercy.

With Love in Christ,
+ G E R A S I M O S
Metropolitan of San Francisco