The Tomb of Mary

The ancient tradition of the Church handed down by the second century document entitled the Transitus Mariae written by a disciple of John the Apostle, relates that Mary lived next to the Church of the Last Supper, the Upper Room on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem so that she might be close to Jesus in the Eucharist. The Church of the Dormition is now over what was her home. The Angel Gabriel made known that her time on earth was short. She prayed for the Apostles to return, for all but James the Less had been sent on mission throughout the world. Mary visited all the Holy Sites in Jerusalem one last time. All the living Apostles returned. Except for Thomas, he was late.

The icon above the tomb tells us a story. We see the body of the Mother of God on her funeral bier surrounded by the Apostles. Above her is Jesus enveloped in uncreated light with what appears to be a tiny child in his arms wrapped in swaddling clothes. The Holy Mother of God repeats the prayer, “My soul magnifies the Lord…” as the Savior opens the gates of heaven and takes her blessed soul into His arms. Her soul appears like a tiny child wrapped in swaddling clothes, Immaculate. The disciples treat her body with great reverence and process it through the streets of Jerusalem from Mt Zion towards Gethsemane where they place it in the tomb and give her a last kiss and seal the tomb with a stone, as was the custom. There they stay in prayer.

After three days, the Apostle Thomas arrives and begs the Apostles to reopen the tomb so that he can give the last kiss to the Mary. When they do, the tomb is empty. To console him, She appears to Thomas and gives him her cloak, her mantle.