Mamabear leads a Sunday School lecture on Icons in the Orthodox Church. Today, we study the Dormition Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So much church history has been preserved and presented in early Iconography.

Excerpt: "By tradition when the Virgin realized her her death was near she expressed a desire to see the Apostles one last time. Miracously all of the Apostles except Thomas were assembled around her at her death. At her death, Christ received her "soul" which is represented in the icon by the "baby" in his arms. The Virgin was burried in Jerusalem and when Thomas arrived a week later, he asked to see her one last time. When the tomb was opened, it was empty and filled with flowers. The Virgin was assumed into heaven."