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August 10, 2010
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary [August 15, 2010]
My friends, today we have a summer break in the usual Sunday readings from Luke the Evangelist who is describing Jesus’ “on the road” instructions for the disciples. We celebrate the Assumption (the homecoming) of the Blessed Virgin.
Every Catholic and most Christians will insist that, next to Jesus, Mary is deservedly the most important and, indeed, the best-known person in the Christian scriptures.
Historically, we know very little of Mary’s life other than what has been handed on to us from the gospel tradition, particularly from Luke the Evangelist. From that source, for instance, we know that she was a young Palestinian girl, spouse of Joseph of Nazareth; we know that she brought forth into our world, Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God. Like any mother, we know that she and Joseph were particularly cautious regarding their Son’s safety. Remember the temple scene when Jesus as only twelve years old? Or the scene later in his life when rowdy crowds threatened him?
But think of this too, put yourself back into Mary’ historical setting: In those times, the mother of the family was responsible for the family’s religious upbringing. Could that be why Jesus was such a fierce defender of justice and rights of the poor? Could he have learned that from his mother? If the mother of the family provided water for the family’s daily use, could we imagine the strength of Mary’s neck and shoulders from carrying heavy water jugs from the common cistern?
In those times, even as today, the wife and mother provided bread for the family. Can you imagine, therefore the power of Mary’s arms and shoulders, muscular from lifting and dropping the heavy millstone to grind wheat or barley for bread at the evening meal?
Much of that work, of course, was done on the front porch of the house, which meant that Mary spent considerable time under the hot sun. No tanning salons necessary for her.
So, why am I relating all these historical assumptions of Mary’s life? I do so because I believe one’s devotion to Mary has a better foundation in imagining how life was for Mary than from admiring a beautiful painting by Botticelli or some other Italian Renaissance painter. Artistically beautiful as they are, they do not tell us very much about the “real” Mary, the spouse, the mother, the guardian, the homemaker.
A recent Catholic writer describes Mary as a “mench,” a Yiddish word that describes a person with the admirable characteristics of fortitude and firmness of purpose, someone who is honest, upright, responsible and decent. Not even pious writers or artists can do as well to tell us who Mary was and is.
Is it any wonder then that the Church should choose the first reading for this feast from the book of revelation with its beautiful symbolism, which reads:
“A great sign appeared in the heavens, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” What an image of the woman whom we call mother of the redeemer, mother of Jesus, son of God.
People who work in ecumenical relationships between Catholics and Protestants today say that many Protestant groups are now rediscovering Mary, glad to have a feminine figure in the bible worthy of honor and admiration.
I can readily understand why we earthlings have honored Mary in art, music, song and story. It is as though we just cannot say enough about her except by calling forth her virtues through of the best human gifts we can muster
Is it any wonder then that we call Mary Mother of the Church, indeed mother of all Christians?
“Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Son you gave us to find our way to God.”
The scriptures: Revelation 11:19; 12: 1-6, 10; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27; Luke 1: 39-56
Posted by Cindy Lentine on August 10, 2010 03:28 PM.
