The Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost. The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos (1 Cor. 16:13–24; Mt. 21:33–42)

“Mary has chosen the good portion” (Lk. 10:42). The Dormition of the Mother of God shows the blessed end of this choice. The Savior Himself, at her dormition, received her soul into His own hands. The same has been granted to many saints; and in various forms and degrees, the same end awaits all who choose the good portion. At the moment of choosing, this end is glimpsed only by hope, and in some degree even pre-felt; but afterward, labors, struggles, and self-compulsions follow one after another and cast shadows on the chosen path. The blessed end of the good portion remains as a guiding star. It is like a lamp shining in the distance for a traveler overtaken by darkness. Hope is the rouser of energy and the sustainer of patience and perseverance in what has been begun, while hope itself is sustained by faith. By faith one chooses; by hope one is steadfast in the choice; and by patience one reaches the blessed end.