Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
 |
| Titian: Assumption Frari, Venice |
In 1950 when the world was
still recovering from the ravages of the Second World War, Pope Pius XII
promulgated the doctrine which we celebrate today, the Assumption of Mary into
Heaven. Now Catholics didn't start believing in the Assumption only in 1950.
Think of how many churches were constructed before 1950 dedicated to Our Lady
of the Assumption. Belief in Mary's Assumption can be found in the writings of
the early Church Fathers and for centuries artists have delighted in rendering
the scene of Mary being taken up into Heaven.
Of course, Catholics have
always loved images of Mary. In today's first reading we have the famous image
from the Book of Revelation of "the woman clothed with the sun" who
was about to give birth to a son, "destined to rule all the nations."
In today's gospel we have St. Luke's famous account of the Visitation. Almost
immediately after the Annunciation Mary embarks on a journey to visit her
cousin, Elizabeth, who is herself expecting. Artists have loved to portray this
tender scene of the meeting of the two women. The young Mary, barely pregnant,
greets her elder cousin whose pregnancy is well advanced.
St. Luke is the only
evangelist to describe this meeting but, of course, he wasn't present. How did
he get his information? It's possible that he was merely relating an earlier
oral tradition and giving us an account of what the early Church believed Mary
would have said on this occasion. Perhaps he talked with the Blessed Mother
herself after the death and resurrection of her Son. In that event, this
passage would represent her profound recollection of the Visitation in the
light of everything that came after.
Nevertheless, what image does
St. Luke give us of Mary? We certainly can't take from his account that Mary
was a bewildered, frightened teenager. The very name, Mary or Miriam, means
"the exalted one." Scholars tell us that the expression "leaped
for joy" is only used in the Bible when one is in the presence of the
Almighty, such as the time King David danced in front of the Ark of the
Covenant. Elizabeth's greeting,
Blessed
are you among women,
and
blessed is the fruit of your womb...
which we repeat every day in
the "Hail Mary," proclaims that from Mary will come the Savior of the
world.
The beautiful prayer of Mary
which we call the Magnificat is a collection of verses from many sources in the
Hebrew scriptures, especially the Psalms, those beautiful hymns of praise. We
all know the beginning,
My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my
spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for
he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From
this day all generations will call me blessed:
This is the song of a great
Queen who has accepted a great mission.
In artistic renderings of the
Immaculate Conception Mary is portrayed as the woman clothed with the Sun, with
the Moon at her feet, and stars in her crown. Her dress is white but she is
covered with a blue mantle. Ordinarily, she is pictured with a red dress covered
with the blue mantle. Now "red" is the symbol of earth or humanity
but "blue" is the symbol of divinity. The artists follow the teaching
of the Church. Mary is human but she has been cloaked with immortality. In the
vigil Mass for today's feast, the words of St. Paul apply not only to Mary but
to any who put on the mantle of her Son.
When
that which is mortal clothes itself with immortality,
then
the word that is written shall come about:
'Death
is swallowed up in victory.
Where,
O death, is your victory?
Where,
O death, is your sting?'
###
Reading 1. Revelation 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a, 10ab
Reading II. 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27
Gospel. Luke 1: 39-56 (Visitation).
