he tomb in the Garden of Gethsemane is east of Jerusalem, across the Kedron Valley. Finally, the Holy Apostles with all the multitude of Christians reach the Garden. When they laid down the bier with the Most Precious body, again the Christians began to weep. All bewailed their orphanhood at the loss of such a treasure. In giving the last kiss and veneration, the Christians prostrated themselves before the body of the Theotokos. Kissing it, they shed copious tears, so that only toward evening could the most honorable body he placed in the new tomb. Her Sacred Relics were interred with the greatest honor while chanting and weeping took place. When the Holy Apostles stepped before her bier to bid her farewell, each according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they uttered psalms of triumph and thanksgiving and chanted prayers.

The Holy Transfiguration (Metamorphosis tou Soteros) which actually took place in February, forty days before the Passion. If we celebrated this feast at that time, it would be necessary to celebrate it during the Great Fast, when according to tradition such a feast should be celebrated for eight days. The feast was moved by the Church Holy Fathers to the month of August for the following reasons: since the Transfiguration took place forty days before the Passion and the Cross, by choosing the 6th of August it would be forty days before the Feast of the Elevation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, celebrated by the Church on the 14th of September.

While the Mother of God was making arrangements for her death, all of a sudden a noise was heard similar to a clap of thunder. A cloud then encircled the home of Saint John the Theologian. By the command of God, Angels had seized the holy Apostles that were scattered to the ends of the world and brought them on clouds to Jerusalem. All, save the holy Apostle Thomas, were then transported to Mount Sion, before the door of the house where the Theotokos dwelt.

At the foot of the Mount of Olives, there is the Garden of Gethsemane. At that time, there was a small plot belonging to the house of Zebedee, the father of Saint John the Theologian. The Theotokos would visit the very place where our Lord kneeled down and fell upon His face, praying to God the Father. She would prostrate herself on this spot and, watering the earth with her tears, she offered up fervent prayers. However, toward the end of her earthly sojourn, she received consolation from the Lord's Angel when he revealed her imminent departure to heaven.

After the Ascension of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God was one consolation for His holy Disciples, their joy in sorrow and their firm teacher in the Faith. All the words and wondrous events which She had laid up in her heart, from the beginning, she then disclosed to them.