HOW THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY DIED ACCORDING TO SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE

Source - Immaculate Conception Page

“The Blessed Virgin Mary did not die of any illness, because she did not have to receive the punishment of illness because she had no original sin. She did not die of old age, because she did not have to grow old, since the punishment for the sin of the first parents did not come to her: growing old and ending up due to weakness. She died of love. The desire to go to heaven where her Son was was so great that this love made her die.

Some fourteen years after the death of Jesus, when he had already spent all his time teaching the religion of the Savior to young and old, when he had comforted so many sad people and helped so many sick and dying, he let the Apostles know that now the date of leaving this world for eternity was approaching.

The Apostles loved her as the kindest of all mothers, and they hastened to travel to receive from her maternal lips her last counsel, and from her sacrosanct hands her last blessing.

They arrived, and with copious tears, and on their knees, they kissed those holy hands that had so many times blessed them. For each one of them the exalted Lady had words of comfort and hope. And then, like someone who falls asleep in the most placid of dreams, it was She holy closing her eyes; and his soul, a thousand times blessed, departed for eternity.

The news spread throughout the city, and there was not a Christian who did not come to mourn with his body, as for the death of his own mother. His burial looked more like an Easter procession than a funeral. Everyone sang the Hallelujah with the strongest hope that they now had a most powerful Protector in heaven, to intercede for each one of Jesus' disciples.

Very soft but strong aromas were felt in the air, and each one seemed to hear very soft harmonies of music. But, Thomas the Apostle, he had not been able to arrive on time. When he arrived they had already returned from burying the Blessed Mother.

Peter, - said Thomas - You cannot deny me the great favour of being able to go to the tomb of my most loving mother and give one last kiss to those holy hands that blessed me so many times. And Peter accepted.

They all went to the Holy Sepulcher, and when they were close they began to feel again very soft aromas in the environment and harmonious music in the air.

They opened the tomb and instead of seeing the body of the Virgin they only found… a great quantity of very beautiful flowers. Jesus Christ had come, He had raised His Blessed Mother and taken her to heaven.

This is what we call The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

And who of us, if he had the powers of the Son of God, would not have done the same with his own Mother? "