Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, August 15, 2021
/Mary’s Assumption was a gift
As the mother of Our Lord, she always thought of others, even when it was difficult. We are to do likewise.
First Reading: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1–6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”
Gospel: Luke 1:39–56
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Music Meditations
- “Holy Is His Name” (composed by John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
- “Ave Maria” (Franz Biebl; sung by Chanticleer) [YouTube]
- “Ave Maria” (Rachmaninoff; sung by University of Praetoria Camerata) [YouTube]
- “How Can I Keep From Singing?” (sung by Enya) [YouTube]
Opening Prayer
Lord, give me an intimate knowledge of the many gifts I have received at your hands. May I show my gratitude by using those gifts in service to the poor, the lonely, the sick, the bereaved. [Take a moment to think of and pray for one or more specific people.]
Companions for the Journey
Liturgical Note:
History of the Solemnity: Soon after the council of Ephesus (431) proclaimed Mary to be Theotokos, the Bearer of God, a feast of her “dormition” or death began to spread. Within a few centuries, the church in Rome began observing this feast, which came to be known as the Assumption. At the first National Synod of the American church (1791), the nation was placed under the patronage of Mary with the title of the Assumption. The cathedral of the diocese of Baltimore, at that time the See for the whole country, was given the same name. In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption as dogma. At that time, he listed the benefits that should flow from this proclamation: a stronger piety towards Mary, a more universal conviction on the value of human life devoted to God’s will, a repudiation of the materialism that diverts body and soul from their lofty goal, and “Finally, it is our hope that belief in Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective.” The images of the feast reflect its history. In its earliest form, the day focused on the paschal mystery as expressed in the death of Mary. Making her entrance into heaven explicit was the second stage, with language about a triumphal procession, a bridal march and Mary’s bodily assumption later added a third layer of texts for the feast. Liturgy today: Recent history has focused strongly on the bodily assumption of Mary. The readings for the vigil and the day, however, suggest a stronger focus on Mary’s share in the paschal mystery, and on our own share in the same mystery.
(From Lawrence Mick in Sourcebook for Sunday and Seasons: An Almanac of Parish Liturgy, 1995 Year C. (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publication, 1995) page 188.)
From Fr. Jude Siciliano O.P., in “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province, 2021:
It isn’t often that we get a reading from Revelation in our lectionary selections. Perhaps your biblical reading doesn’t include Revelation as well. Here is a chance to do something about that, so I will focus on the first reading and add some notes I found helpful about this feast. When I did prison ministry at San Quentin in California, I was struck by how many of the inmates who read the bible favored the Book of Revelation. What was it that they found so attractive in its exaggerated and stark symbolism--- in a biblical book that most Christians seem to avoid? I came to realize they were drawn to its description of the harsh struggle between good and evil that permeates the entire book. They found it comforting to hope that the larger punishing system in which they lived would someday be overthrown, with all the powers of the world. This was reassuring news both to the early Christians suffering under the Roman persecutions and the men in North Bloc at San Quentin. It is reassuring news for all of us who struggle against the powers of “the dragon” in our world. Another attraction for the inmates, it seemed to me, was that they believed they knew the code; that they could figure out the symbols and metaphors so prevalent in Revelation. Somehow, they felt part of an inner circle with special knowledge---everyone else was outside that circle. They even used this “knowledge” as a way of feeling superior to those in their same situation. But whatever misinterpretation they may have made of Revelation, you could understand their attraction to this book of visions and prophecies. The book speaks to people suffering under extreme external pressures. The early Christians, for whom this book was written, were being forced to venerate the Emperor. Not to do so had, not only religious ramifications, but political as well. Christians were asked to choose one Lord to serve--- a choice had to be made. If they chose in favor of their Christian belief, they paid for it with their lives. Revelation is not an abstract book of fantastic imagery and other-worldly events. It was written to help Christians remain faithful and to offer reassurance that the Lamb (or as in today’s reading, the child) would be triumphant.
Is it any easier for us to believe and for our faith to flourish? A casual perusal of just this day’s newspaper tells us of still more climate- related disasters: floods, fire, hurricanes; a virus that seems to defy efforts to contain it; political animosity and unrest in our country as well as many other countries around the world; countless migrants fleeing violence and extreme poverty. We have to ask the question, “Who is in charge here anyway?” We look around the world and are shocked by the scale of evil we see. Which force will win out? Are we believers on the side that will prevail or is our seeming small human effort going to pale into insignificance before the “red dragon with its 7 heads and horns”? Revelation intends to assure us that goodness will win. Like the early Christians we may be tempted to drop out of our faith commitments in the light, allure and power of the opposing forces. Who is the Sovereign we Christians follow? God is and we want and can be faithful to the biblical God of justice—the One who will set things right. Revelation then, invites us to set our gaze, not on our hardships and calamities but on God. The power of the beast is awesome, its tail sweeps away a third of the stars in the sky. But the child being born is protected by God and will triumph.
While there is no secret code to this book to help us in its interpretation, the language does appeal to our imagination and makes it possible to interpret it in many ways. The struggle is clear and the threat of evil, devouring all that is good, is real and very ominous. A new people, the Christian community, are being born amid great pain and struggle. But despite the threats to its existence, the child is caught by God and is safe. No bible reader could miss the allusions to the Hebrew scriptures. Just as the God of the Jewish people protected them, so God continues to protect the new people of God. God’s Word is not past tense, but actively protecting and recreating the community for which Jesus gave his life.
The community John has in mind is experiencing extreme hostility. They are being encouraged through this book to trust that God knows their plight and will come to their rescue. Evil shall not triumph. It is no wonder then, that on this feast of the Assumption, this reading is linked to Mary’s “Magnificat.” Mary’s rejoices in the saving work of God, “scattering the proud...casting down the mighty from their thrones....” Here biblical faith, expressed in two different forms, voices the same hope in God. John is not writing a prediction of specific future events, as some today claim, but is trying to encourage and console Christians in his day for their very present suffering. He writes to help them and us keep faithful and to assure us that God’s rule and justice will prevail.
The church celebrates the Assumption of Mary today. We see in her a model for our faith. We too give birth to Christ in our world. We are reminded that though Christ suffered, he has been kept safe by God, to whom he has returned and will come to bring us all to that place of protection and life. So, the dragon is not triumphant. The Christian is ready to say in the midst of the battle against evil’s many manifestations, “Now have salvation and power come.” The God of our assurance is offering that assistance to us now in our present struggle.
Weekly Memorization
Taken from the gospel for today’s session…
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
Living the Good News
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?
Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:
Reflection Questions
- How did Mary wait for the coming of Jesus into her life?
How do I? - Do you think Mary traveled to her cousin’s house to give support or seek support, or both?
Have I proactively gone to support someone when (s)he needed it, even though I might not have been asked?
What are the dangers of offering support when I have not been asked to do so?
What are the blessings? - Have I ever been bursting with good news and needed to share that good news with someone?
- Have I ever sought support from someone whose experience was similar to mine?
Did it help? - Do I believe that every time I meet another person I can bring God’s joy to them?
Do I try to do so? - Do I think that “The Magnificat” reflects my relationship to God?
What has God done for me?
Where have I experienced God’s mercy?
Am I collaborating with God to fill the hungry with good things? - What is the role of belief in dealing with my own issues and with the issues of someone I am trying to help?
- Abraham Joshua Heschel reminds us that the question of religion is not what we do with our solitude, but what we do with the presence of God among us. What does my sense of religion move me to do?
- Why do YOU think Mary was assumed into heaven—because she bore Jesus or something else?
Do I believe that I will be in heaven with all my loved ones? - Does my belief in God’s love for me make it possible for me to share my life with others, to enjoy life and to help other do so?
- How is Mary an inspiration for me as I navigate the challenges of life?
- Adapted from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:
The feast of the Assumption recognizes that Mary responded fully to God’s invitation. What holds me back from such a response?
Meditations
A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:
A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:
A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:
Adapted from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:
There is no false humility in Mary’s tremendous prayer. There is the true humility that understands that everything being accomplished in her is being accomplished by God. “For the mighty God has done great things for me”. Mary makes no effort to minimize this greatness. She accepts it, fully, joyfully and expectantly. Her great song of praise is Mary’s expression of hope.
Do I understand that my gifts and talents were not something I earned, but were freely given by God? What does God want me to do with those talents and gifts? Have I taken time to listen to the voice of God and has my response been a firm “yes” or a tentative “I don’t know if I can do that”? I stop to consider what is holding me back from answering God’s call, and I pray for hope and courage as well as the belief (faith/trust) that Jesus will not leave me to face the future by myself.
Poetic Reflection:
No one saw the Assumption; it is not recorded in scripture or history. So, what really happened?
This poem by Edward Seifert, published in “Emmanuel” in 1985, looks imaginatively on this event:
“Assumption”
What does it mean, this assumption?
For her it was simply a matter of following
Her son to where his lights led her,
Follow before the worms got at her
Or that musty underground smell.
She followed him to a portico near the big stars
To look out over a night and a universe also.
They sat there in silence deep as a well
As they once sat in Nazareth counting the stars.
They watched and saw an old star sputtering
And a new star spinning out into the spaces
That lapped her like cool black waters.
Her son said, “This is for ever”
And she, with heart listening,
Sought to believe him.
Closing Prayer
Lord, help me to do your will with joy and with courage… Help me to answer your call with a joyful “yes!!”… Help me always to remember your presence in my life as it was in the life of Mary.
