The Lord Who, on Mount Sinai, gave the Fifth Commandment, Honor thy father and mother, showed by His own example how one should respect one's parents. Hanging on the Cross in agony, He remembered His Mother, and indicating the Apostle John He said to her: Woman, behold thy son.

After that, He said to John: Behold thy mother. And so , providing for His Mother, He breathed His last. John had a home on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, in which the Theotokos then lived. She dwelt there to the end of her days on earth

By her prayers, kind guidance, meekness and patience, she greatly assisted her Son's apostles. She spent most of her remaining time on earth in Jerusalem, often visiting those places that reminded her of the great event and of the great works of her Son.

She especially visited Golgotha, Bethlehem and, the Mount of Olives. Of her few distant journeys, her visit to St Ignatius the God Bearer in Antioch is recorded; as is her visit to Lazarus (whom our Lord resurrected on the fourth day), the Bishop of Cyprus.

She also visited Mount Athos, which she blessed; and she stayed in Ephesus with St John the Evangelist during the time of the great persecutions of Christians in Jerusalem.

In her old age, she often prayed to her Lord and God on the Mount of Olives, the site of His Ascension, that He take her from this world as soon as possible. On one of these occasions, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and revealed to her that she would repose in three days.

The angel gave her a palm branch, which was to be carried in her funeral procession. She returned home with great joy, hoping in her heart to her Son's apostles just once more in this life.

The Lord fulfilled her wish, and the apostles, borne by the angels in the coulds, gathered together at the house on Mount Zion. With great rejoicing she saw them, encouraged them, counseled them, and comforted them.

Then she peacefully gave up her soul to God without pain or physical illness. The apostles took up her coffin, from which a heavenly fragrance arose -and, in the company of many Christians, bore it to the Garden of Gethsemane, to the sepulcher of her parents, Sts Joachim and Anna