The Gospel of Jesus and Mary
There is an old story about a workman on a scaffolding high above the nave of a cathedral who looked down and saw a woman praying before a statue of Mary. As a joke, the workman whispered, "Woman, this is Jesus." The woman ignored him. The workman whispered again, more loudly: "Woman, this is Jesus." Again, the woman ignored him. Finally, he said aloud, "Woman, don't you hear me? This is Jesus." At this point the woman looked up at the crucifix and said, "Be still now, Jesus, I'm talking to your mother." Why do Catholics treasure Marian devotions and doctrines that their non-Catholic brothers and sisters do not? It is because, I think, the Catholic Church is trying to tell the full story, to proclaim the full gospel.
But isn't the gospel all about Christ and what he did and taught? Yes and no. The gospel is about Christ in the same way that the story of the Fall is about Adam. "For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:22). That is why we call Christ the new Adam. But as soon as we say that, we become aware of a missing link. The story of the Fall is not only the story of Adam but the story of Adam and Eve. If Jesus is the new Adam, who then is the new Eve? Mary is the new Eve. Just as the full story of our Fall cannot be told without Eve, so also the full story of our Redemption cannot be told without Mary. There are many revealing parallels between the old Adam and Eve on the one hand and the new Adam and Eve, Jesus and Mary, on the other. Here are some of them.
In the old order, the woman
(Eve) came from the body of the man (Adam), but in the new order the man
(Jesus) comes from the body of the woman (Mary).
In the old order, the woman
(Eve) first disobeyed God and led the man (Adam) to do the same, in the new
order the woman (Mary) first said "Yes" to God (Luke 1:38) and raised
her son Jesus to do likewise.
Adam and Eve had a good
time together disobeying God, Jesus and Mary suffered together doing God's
will. The sword of sorrow pierced their hearts equally (John 19:34; Luke
2:35b).
In the old order Adam and
Eve shared immediately in the resulting consequences and punishments of the
Fall. In the new order, similarly, both Jesus and Mary share immediately in the
resulting consequences and blessings of the Redemption, the fullness of life
with God; Jesus through the Ascension and Mary through the Assumption.
The doctrine of the
Assumption teaches that at the end of her earthly existence, the Blessed Virgin
Mary was taken up (assumed), body and soul, into heaven. That means, therefore,
that there are two human bodies we know to be in heaven with God at this time:
the human body of Jesus and that of Mary. In this doctrine we see the
collaboration of man and woman in the work of our salvation all the way from
the Fall to the Redemption to sharing in the fruit of Redemption in heaven.
Without the Assumption to balance the Ascension, the man Jesus alone without
the woman Mary would be enjoying the fullness of salvation with God and we
would be telling only a part of the story. The Assumption is the ultimate proof
of the equality of man and woman before God. It also shows the sacredness and
eternal destiny of the human body, including the woman’s body which is
desecrated by pornography and the sex trade. The Assumption enables us to tell
the full story, the full gospel that salvation is for all Men, male and female,
and for the whole Man, body and soul.
Marian doctrine and
devotion, properly understood and practised, does not lead believers away from,
but rather more deeply into, the mystery of Christ. The woman in prayer who
thinks that Jesus should keep still because she is talking with his mother has
lost sight of the perfect harmony of wills and hearts between Mary and Jesus
which we see most clearly in the Wedding Feast at Cana where Mary commands us:
"Do whatever he (Jesus) tells you" (John 2:5).
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Mary looked over at John writing at his table
and smiled. He had always looked so young and the years had not aged him very
much. She could understand why Jesus had such a special place in his heart for
John, with his gentle ways and his easy love for people.
She gathered her cloak
around her against the cold and closed her eyes as she thought about the many
years of her life. So much of it was beyond understanding and yet she believed
it and accepted it. She had been given a courage, faith and humility that could
only be a gift from God. How else could she have overcome her fears and said
"Yes" when Gabriel asked her to be the mother of the Savior? Her son,
Jesus, had been a wonder in her life. She had not always understood all of what
he did but she knew he had a special role on earth. Their hearts had been bound
together in faith and an unbreakable love. She had watched him leave home,
teach, heal and challenge the authorities. Her heart had been pierced with such
sorrow when he was arrested and tortured and finally put to death. Her faith in
the Father had carried her through those days, and the incredible joy-filled
days that came after.
"Imma?" John,
said using the most intimate form of "mother." He laid a gentle hand
on her shoulder. "You are so quiet these days." She smiled at him
with affection. "Dearest John, my life has been long and I have so much to
be grateful for. These years together have been so full."
It was true. In the weeks
after he had risen, Jesus had spoken to them of a new order, a new way of life.
She had resisted the urge to cling to him and not let him go again. She had to
trust. "I will be with you always," he had said. In her heart, she
knew it was true and once again opened her life fully to God's will. She
watched with joy as he was taken up into the clouds. In the years that had
followed, his message and life had given hope and meaning to a growing number
of followers. She had spoken to so many of the disciples and followers in those
times.
Jesus was in her life, too,
in a vivid and very real way. She felt his presence with her as she grew tired.
She spoke to him from her heart constantly, just as she did when he was on
earth. She felt a strong connection that was as unexplainable as it was real.
She closed her eyes again in thought.
"Imma," came the
familiar, loving voice. "Blessed are you among women." She knew it
was different. She was not in John's house but with Jesus, standing in a place
that filled her with a different kind of joy. "My son," she said
softly as they embraced. She felt his cheek firmly against hers.
She did not know how or
why. There were no questions and no answers for this. He had promised her she
would be with him and the Father. She touched her body in wonder and knew she
had been drawn to a different place by power not her own. It was her same body
and yet different, more vibrant.
"You said 'Yes' to the
Father's request, Imma," Jesus said to her. "Your life was prepared
in a special way and you followed it with such faith. You made my work
possible."
She knew that somehow she
was experiencing the resurrection in a way others would have to wait for. As
she had so many times before, she paused and opened her heart in prayer.
"The Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his Name."
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ASSUMPTION OF
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
By Fr. Tony
Kadavil
Reasons why we believe in the dogma of Assumption:
Pope Pius XII in the papal document, Munificentimus Deus gives four
reasons why we believe in the dogma of assumption of Mary. 1) The uninterrupted
tradition about Mary’s death and assumption starting from the first century. 2)
The belief expressed in all the ancient liturgies of the Church. 3) The
negative evidence of the absence and veneration of a tomb of Mary while most of
the apostles have their tombs. 4) The possibility of bodily assumption
warranted in the Old Testament in the cases of Enoch (Gen. 5:24), perhaps Moses
(Deut. 34:5), and especially Elijah (II Kg. 2:1).5) The theological reasons: a)
The degeneration of the body after death is the consequence of “original sin,”
and Mary, as “immaculately conceived,” is exempted from the post-mortem decay
of the body. b) As receiver of the fullness of grace and holiness, as
mother of Jesus and as co-redeemer, Mary’s place is with her son Jesus, the
redeemer, in the abode of holiness, heaven.
Life messages: 1) As Mary’s Assumption was a reward for a
holy life, this feast invites us to keep our bodies pure and holy. Paul
gives three additional reasons: a) our bodies are the temples of the Holy
Spirit, b) our body parts are the members of Christ’s body, and c) our bodies are
to be glorified on the day of the Last Judgment.
2) We are given an assurance of hope in our
resurrection and a source of inspiration during moments of despair and
temptations.
3) We receive a message of total liberation from all
our bondages: impure, unjust and uncharitable thoughts, desires, words and
actions, addiction to evil habits, drugs, alcohol and gambling, pornography and
sexual aberrations.
Aug 15th Feast of Assumption of Blessed Virgin
Mary (Revelation 11: 19, 12: 1-6, 10; I Cor 15: 20-27; Luke 1: 39-56)
Anecdote: # 1: Like is attracted to like. Such
attraction continues to take place every day, even though we may not always be
aware of it. People who have similar likes, interests, and goals are drawn to
one another. This is the reason why there are fraternities and sororities, why
there are country club people, Rotarians, Masons, Knights of Columbus, Knights
of Peter Claver, and Daughters of the American Revolution. They all have things
in common which draw them together. That is why we also have the Ku Klux Klan,
street gangs and the Mafia. Like is attracted to like. Ever notice how children
follow along after their mothers? From one room to another, they tag along. And
the more they are near their mothers, the more they become like them. They
begin thinking, acting, and being like their mothers. We all have in common a
very special mother we are honoring today. We have been drawn here together to
honor Mary, the mother of Jesus, and our mother too, as we recall her
Assumption into heaven. If like is attracted to like, does that mean we try to
emulate her virtues and imitate her by learning more about her, by honoring her
and by celebrating her feasts? (Fr. Jack Dorsel)
# 2: Carl Jung on the Assumption: It was in 1950, that the
famed Lutheran Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, and an influential thinker, the
founder of analytical psychology, remarked that the papal announcement of the
Assumption of Mary, in 1950, was "the most important religious event since
the Reformation." (Storr, p. 324). The Assumption means that, along with
the glorified masculine body of Jesus in heaven, there is also a glorified
feminine body of his mother, Mary. According to Jung, "bodily
reception of the Virgin into heaven" (Ibid.) meant that "the heavenly
bride was united with the bridegroom," (Ibid., p. 322) which union
"signifies the hieros gamos" [the sacred marriage]. (Ibid.)
Acknowledging that the Assumption "is vouched for neither in scripture nor
in the tradition of the first five centuries of the Christian Church,"
Jung observes that: "the Papal declaration made a reality of what
had long been condoned. This irrevocable step beyond the confines of
historical Christianity is the strongest proof of the autonomy of archetypal
images." (Storr, p. 297). Jung remarks that “the Protestant standpoint . .
. is obviously out of touch with the tremendous archetypal happenings in the
psyche of the individual and the masses, and with the symbols which are
intended to compensate the truly apocalyptic world situation today."
(Ibid., pp. 322-323) Jung added: “Protestantism has obviously not given
sufficient attention to the signs of the times which point to the equality of
women. But this equality requires to be metaphysically anchored in the
figure of a 'divine' woman. . . . The feminine, like the masculine,
demands an equally personal representation.” (Ibid., p. 325) Quotes from
: Jung, C. G. Modern Man in Search of a Soul. Translated by W. S.
Dell and C. F. Baynes. (Princeton, New Jersey: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Publishers, San Diego. 1933); and: Storr, Anthony (Ed.). The Essential
Jung. (Princeton University Press, 1983).
# 3: Taj Mahal: The Taj Mahal has been described as a “love
song in marble.” Completed in 1645, the magnificent marble mausoleum was built
by Shah Jahan, India’s Mogul emperor, in memory of his favorite wife, Princess
Arjemand. Shah Jahan loved her deeply, calling her his ‘Taj Mahal’, meaning
‘The Pearl of the Palace.” But Princess Arjemand died giving birth to their
fourteenth child and the emperor was inconsolable. So he summoned a great
architect from Persia to build the Taj Mahal, telling him that it must be ‘the
one perfect thing in the world.’ Seventeen years were needed to build this
enchanting edifice of gleaming white marble embroidered with flashing jewels.
It is an enduring monument to love that still inspires tourists, artists and
writers from all over the world. This beautiful love story gives us some idea
of how much God must have loved Mary, the mother of Jesus. Today’s feast of her
assumption into heaven is proof of this. By raising her from the dead and
taking her into heaven – body and soul – God demonstrated his undying love for
Mary. Like Shah Jahan, God could not bear the death of his beloved. However,
God could do what no Indian emperor could do – raise his beloved from the dead
and restore her to life even more beautiful than before. Moreover, God didn’t
have to build a Taj Mahal to memorialize Mary. Her glorified body is itself a
magnificent temple of the Holy Spirit.
(Albert Cylwicki in “His Word Resounds”).
Introduction: The Feast of the Assumption is one of
the most important feasts of our Lady. Catholics believe in the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. We believe that when her earthly
life was finished, Mary was taken up, body and soul, into heavenly glory, where
the Lord exalted her as Queen of Heaven. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #
966). The Assumption is the feast of Mary’s total liberation from death
and decay, the consequences of original sin. It is also the remembrance
of the day when the Church gave official recognition to the centuries-old
belief of Christians about the Assumption of their heavenly mother. In
the Orthodox Church, the koimesis, or dormitio ("falling asleep") of
the Virgin began to be commemorated on August 15 in the 6th century. The
observance gradually spread to the West, where it became known as the feast of
the Assumption. By the 13th century, the belief had been accepted by most
Catholic theologians, and it was a popular subject with Renaissance and Baroque
painters. It was on November 1, 1950, that, through the Apostolic
Constitution Munificentimus Deus, Pope Pius XII officially declared the
Assumption as a dogma of Catholic faith. On this important feast day, we try
to answer two questions: 1) What is meant by "Assumption?"
2) Why do we believe in Mary’s Assumption into heaven despite the fact
that there is no reference to it in the Bible? “Assumption” means that
after her death, Mary was taken into heaven, both body and soul, as a reward
for her sacrificial cooperation in the divine plan of salvation. “On this
feast day, let us thank the Lord for the gift of the Mother, and let us pray to
Mary to help us find the right path every day” (Pope Benedict XVI).
Exegesis: Scripture on Mary’s death and Assumption.
Although there is no direct reference to Mary’s death and
Assumption in the New Testament, two cases of assumption are mentioned in
the Old Testament, namely, those of Enoch (Genesis 5: 24) and Elijah (2
Kings 2:1). These references support the possibility of Mary’s
assumption. The possibility of bodily assumption is also indirectly
suggested by Matthew 27: 52-53 and I Cor. 15: 23-24. In his official
declaration of the dogma, the Pope also cites the scriptural verses Ps 131:8,
Cant 3:6, Rev 12, Is 61:13 and Cant 8:5.
Tradition on Mary’s Assumption: The fact of Mary’s
death is generally accepted by the Church Fathers and theologians and is
expressly affirmed in the liturgy of the Church. Origen (died AD 253),
St. Jerome (died AD 419) and St. Augustine (died AD 430), among others, argue
that Mary’s death was not a punishment for sin, but only the result
of her being a descendant of Adam and Eve. When Pope Pius XII made the
proclamation on November 1, 1950, he put into words a belief held by the
faithful for over 1500 years. ‘Way back in AD 325, the Council of Nicaea spoke
of the Assumption of Mary. Writing in AD 457, the Bishop of Jerusalem said that
when Mary’s tomb was opened, it was "found empty. The apostles judged her
body had been taken into heaven.”
Pope Pius XII based his declaration of the Assumption on
both tradition and theology. The uninterrupted tradition in the Eastern
Churches starting from the first century, the apocryphal first century book,
Transitus Mariae, and the writings of the early Fathers of the Church, such as
St. Gregory and St John Damascene, supported and promoted the popular belief in
the Assumption of Mary. There is a tomb at the foot of the Mt. of Olives
where ancient tradition says that Mary was laid. But there is nothing
inside. There are no relics, as with the other saints. This is acceptable
negative evidence of Mary’s Assumption. Besides, credible apparitions of
Mary, though not recorded in the New Testament, have been recorded from the 3rd
century till today.
In his decree on the dogma of the Assumption, Pope Pius XII
gives four theological reasons to support this traditional belief.
#1: The degeneration or decay of the body after death
is the result of original sin. However, since, through a special
intervention of God, Mary was born without original sin, it is not proper that
God would permit her body to degenerate in the tomb.
#2: Since Mary was given the fullness of grace, heaven
is the proper place for this sinless mother of Jesus.
#3: Mary was our co-redeemer, or fellow-redeemer, with
Christ in a unique sense. Hence, her rightful place is with Christ our
redeemer in heavenly glory. (The term co-redeemer or co-redemptrix means
"cooperator with the Redeemer.” This is what St. Paul meant when he said
"We are God's co-workers" I Cor. 3:9.). Hence, it is “fitting” that
she should be given the full effects of the Redemption, which is the
glorification of the soul and the body.
#4: In the Old Testament, we read that the prophet Elijah
was taken into heaven in a fiery chariot. Thus, it appears natural and
possible that the mother of Jesus would also be taken into heaven.
Scripture readings of the day: The first and third
readings are about women and God’s creative, redemptive and salvific action
through them. The Book of Revelation, written in symbolic language
familiar to the early Christians, was meant to encourage them and bolster their
faith during times of persecution. In the first reading, the author of
Revelation probably did not have Mary of Nazareth in mind when he described the
“woman” in this narrative. He uses the “woman” as a symbol for the nation
and people, Israel. She is pictured as giving birth, as Israel brought
forth the Messiah through its pains. The woman is also symbolic of the Church,
and the woman’s offspring represents the way the Church brings Christ into the
world. The dragon represents the world's resistance to Christ and the
truths that the Church proclaims. As Mary is the mother of Christ and of
the Church, the passage has indirect reference to Mary. (Navarre Bible
Commentary: The description of the woman indicates her heavenly glory, and the
twelve stars of her victorious crown symbolize the people of God—the twelve patriarchs
(cf. Gen 37:9) and the twelve apostles. And so, independently of the
chronological aspects of the text, the Church sees in this heavenly woman the
Blessed Virgin, "taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, when her
earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, that
she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords (cf. Rev
19:16) and conqueror of sin and death” (Lumen Gentium 59).
The second reading, taken from I Corinthians, is Paul’s
defense of the resurrection of the dead, an apt selection on the feast of our
heavenly Mother’s Assumption into heaven. In the Magnificat, or song of
Mary, given in today’s gospel, Mary acknowledges that “the Almighty has done
great things” for her. Besides honoring her as Jesus’ mother, God has blessed
her with the gift of bodily Assumption. God, who has "lifted
up" his "lowly servant" Mary, lifts up all the lowly, not only
because they are faithful, but also because God is faithful to the promise of
divine mercy. Thus, the feast of the Assumption celebrates the mercy of
God or the victory of God’s mercy as expressed in Mary’s Magnificat.
Life messages: #1: Mary’s Assumption gives us the
assurance and hope of our own resurrection and assumption into heaven on the
day of our Last Judgment. It is a sign to us that someday, through God’s grace
and our good life, we, too, will join the Blessed Mother in giving glory to
God. It points the way for all followers of Christ who imitate Mary’s fidelity
and obedience to God’s will.
#2: Since Mary’s Assumption was a reward for her saintly
life, this feast reminds us that we, too, must be pure and holy in body and
soul, since our bodies will be glorified on the day of our resurrection.
St. Paul tells us that our bodies are the temples of God because the Holy
Spirit dwells within us. He also reminds us that our bodies are members
(parts) of the Body of Christ.
#3: This feast also gives us the message of total
liberation. Jesus tells us in John 8: 34 that every one who sins is a
slave of sin, and St. Paul reminds us (Gal. 5: 1), that, since Christ has set
us free, we should be slaves of sin no more. Thus, the Assumption
encourages us to work with God to be liberated from the bondage of evil: from
impure, unjust and uncharitable thoughts and habits, and from the bonds of
jealousy, envy and hatred.
#4: Finally, it is always an inspiring thought in our
moments of temptation and despair to remember that we have a powerful heavenly
Mother, constantly interceding for us before her son, Jesus, in heaven. The
feast of Mary’s Assumption challenges us to imitate her self-sacrificing love,
her indestructible faith and her perfect obedience.
Therefore, on this feast day of our heavenly Mother, let us
offer ourselves on the altar and pray for her special care and loving
protection in helping us lead a purer and holier life.
