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Der Samuels Sermon August 13th, 2023

Today, like the Armenian church the universal church also celebrates the feast of the assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary the mother of God. According to tradition, before His ascension, Jesus promised His mother, the Virgin Mary that on the day of her passing away, He will descend and take her soul to heaven.


There aren’t many stories about the Mother of God in the New Testament, but what we know about the Virgin Mary is enough for us to know about her character, her devotion, and humbleness.


Through this feast, I want to specify some of the points that we must learn from the Virgin Mary. She was a human like us, but because of her faith, she was chosen to carry the embodied Word of God for nine months and gave birth to Him who brought salvation to humanity. And the first point that I want to highlight is her obedience.


As we know from the first chapters of the story of the Annunciation and the birth of our Lord when the angel came and announced to her about our Lord, she didn’t deny God’s request despite her relationship with Joseph. Instead, she said, “I’m the servant of God”. In our life we receive so many requests from God, to change our life, to change our thoughts, but yet we don’t want to obey him. Virgin Mary’s story is a good example for us, that no matter what when God requests from us something, He knows why He is asking from us.


The second point that I want to highlight is her motherly care. From the early life of our Lord Jesus Christ to the last day of his earthly life, we see the presence of the Virgin Mary. And I don’t want to speak to the mothers only but for both fathers and mothers. As parents, we are called by God to be the guardian of our children. We are their role models. From their childhood, they look to us as their role models, as we were in the past and maybe until now. Virgin Mary could have said, my son is the Son of God, so I don’t have to look after him. But as we see she was with him; she took care of him. She wanted to be a real mother to him. By her example we, as parents must behave carefully and educate them in the path of God. Because children are like trees. When we put the love toward God, church, and community in their heart from the beginning make sure that in the future they will follow that path. We must make sure that they have God in their heart, and that they have humanity. If we succeed in planting these two in their hearts and we don’t have to worry about our future or their future.


And finally, the lesson from the Assumption. The assumption of the Virgin Mary by her soul is proof that God will keep His promises no matter what. And it’s a reminder of our own spiritual journey. Just as She was assumed into heaven, we too are called to journey towards God’s presence. We are invited to grow his holiness, deepen our relationship with God, and strive for a life of virtue. Her example shows us that this journey is possible through faith, humility, and unwavering trust in God’s plan. The assumption of the body of the Holy Mother of God, is proof that the Virgin Mary was actually the mother of God, and God doesn’t allow the body of His mother to perish, because that body was purified by the Holy Spirit and sanctified by caring the Only Begotten Son of God, that body became the chalice in which the Body and the Blood of the creator were formed, that Body also became the vineyard from which bloomed the vine of the ultimate Love, forbearance, and sacrifice.

In celebrating the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, we are reminded of the beauty of faith and the incredible destiny that awaits those who follow Christ. Mary’s life and her Assumption are a source of inspiration, a beacon of hope, and a call to deepen our own relationship with God. Let us strive to imitate her virtues, seek her intercession, and entrust our lives to her loving care. May we, like St. Mary, be lifted up by God’s grace and find our eternal home in God’s kingdom. Amen

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