John of Thessalonica
Scroll for quotes→
John, Archbishop Of Thessalonica, who flourished in the 7th century, is noted as a stout defender of the orthodox faith against the Monothelites. He attended as papal legate the third Constantinopolitan (sixth ecumenical) Council (A.D. 680).
John’s Homily on the Dormition of Our Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary is a homily delivered by John, Archbishop of Thessalonica (r. 610–649), in an effort to encourage the adoption of the feast of the Dormition in the church of his city. John wishes also to present to his readers a story of the Virgin’s departure that is not corrupted by heretical traditions. The text’s agreements with sixth-century Greek and Syriac versions makes it an important witness to the Dormition tradition.
Writings:
return to top ⇑
THE DORMITION OF OUR LADY, THE MOTHER OF GOD AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY:
On Mary’s Perpetual Virginity:
“A fitting hymn of honor, praise and glory is always due, from every creature under heaven, to that remarkable, all-glorious and truly great mistress of all the world, the ever-virgin Mother of our savior and God Jesus Christ. She is truly the God-bearer, and through her all creation has received, by God’s saving plan, the great gift of the presence in the flesh of the only Son and Word of God the Father.” –Homily on the Dormition of Our Lady, Mother of God & Ever-Virgin Mary, chap 1. ON THE DORMITION OF MARY: Early Patristic Homilies. From the “Popular Patristics Series Volume 18”. Brian E Daley S.J. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, NY
On the Assumption of the Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God:
Since, then, it is very necessary for the good of this Christ-loving metropolis, in order that it lack no blessing, that the world’s benefactress and lady, the ever-virgin Mary, Mother of God, receive our sincere praise as we celebrate with spiritual joy the memory of her entry into divine rest, we have ourselves spent no small effort preparing to set before your devout ears-to awaken and to build up your souls-not everything we have found written, in different ways in different books, about that event, but only what truly happened, what is remembered as having taken place, and what is witnessed until today by the existence of actual sites.” –Homily on the Dormition of Our Lady, Mother of God & Ever-Virgin Mary, chap 2. ON THE DORMITION OF MARY: Early Patristic Homilies. From the “Popular Patristics Series Volume 18”. Brian E Daley S.J. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, NY
“The Apostles, however, lifted up the precious body of our most glorious lady, Mary, the Mother of God and evervirgin, and placed it in a new tomb, in the place the Savior had showed them. They remained in that place, awake in unity of spirit, for three days. And after the third day, they opened the sarcophagus to venerate the precious tabernacle of her who deserves all praise, but found only her grave-garments; for she had been taken away by Christ, the God who became flesh from her, to the place of her eternal, living inheritance.” –Homily on the Dormition of Our Lady, Mother of God & Ever-Virgin Mary, chap 14. ON THE DORMITION OF MARY: Early Patristic Homilies. From the “Popular Patristics Series Volume 18”. Brian E Daley S.J. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, NY
“And our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who bestowed glory on his immaculate Mother Mary Theotokos, will also bestow glory on those who glorify her. Those who call upon her, celebrating her memorial every year, he will save from every danger, and he will fill their households with good things, like the house of Onesiphorus (cf. 2 Tim 1:16; 4:19). And they will receive the forgiveness of their sins, both here and in the age to come. For he has shown her to be his cherubic throne on earth, an earthly heaven, the hope and refuge and confidence of our race, so that if we celebrate, with the sacred mysteries, the festival of her holy Dormition, we might find mercy and grace in the present age and in the age to come, by the grace and kindliness of our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom be glory and power, with his unbegotten Father and with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for the ages of ages. Amen.” –Homily on the Dormition of Our Lady, Mother of God & Ever-Virgin Mary, chap 14. ON THE DORMITION OF MARY: Early Patristic Homilies. From the “Popular Patristics Series Volume 18”. Brian E Daley S.J. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, NY
return to top ⇑