'Mary assumed into Heaven points out to us the final destination of our earthly pilgrimage.' Sunday Reflections, The Assumption

 

Assumption of the Virgin

Egid Quirin Asam [Web Gallery of Art]

This magnificent sculpture is over the High Altar in the Pilgrimage Church, Rohr, Bavaria, Germany.

The Solemnity of the Assumption

This takes the place of the Mass for the 20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B 

Vigil Mass

This Mass is used on the evening of 14 August, either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Solemnity. It fulfils our Sunday obligation.

 

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)

This page gives the readings for both the Vigil Mass and the Sunday Mass.

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Luke 11:27-28 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)

As Jesus said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Mass celebrated on Sunday

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)

This page gives the readings for both the Vigil Mass and the Sunday Mass.

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Luke 1:39-56 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

And Mary said

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
     and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring for ever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Léachtaí i nGaeilge

The Visitation

El Greco [Web Gallery of Art]

The Assumption is a feast that celebrates what we profess in the Nicene Creed, I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. In the Apostles' Creed we pray, I believe in . . . the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. We rejoice in the fact that what we hope for at the end of time, the resurrection of our bodies in glory, has already happened to Mary.

It is very striking that the gospels for the Vigil Mass - Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed! – and for the Mass on the 15th are about the beginning of life, not the end of life. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  (Luke 1:41-44, ESVUK).  

Some years ago in the Philippines after celebrating Mass on the feast of the Visitation, when this same gospel is read, I gave a blessing to a girl in her late teens, unmarried and pregnant. She found it very difficult to accept the baby as her own. After I had blessed her and her baby she told me that she could feel the child moving in her womb and that she felt at peace with the situation.

The Second Readings in both Masses speak to us of the meaning of death for Christians: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, Vigil Mass) and But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:20-21, Sunday Mass).

These readings and the Solemnity of the Assumption itself speak to us of the dignity of human life at its beginning and at its end. It speaks to a world that almost everywhere sees it as a ‘human right’ to destroy an unwanted human being in the womb. It speaks to a world that in more and more places sees it as a ‘human right’ to choose to end the lives of old people or persons, even children, with serious illnesses.

From the Angelus address of Pope Benedict in Castel Gandolfo, 15 August 2008:

Mary assumed into Heaven points out to us the final destination of our earthly pilgrimage. She reminds us that our whole being - spirit, soul and body - is destined for fullness of life; that those who live and die in love of God and of their neighbour will be transfigured in the image of the glorious Body of the Risen Christ; that the Lord will cast down the proud and exalt the humble (cf. Lk 1: 51-52). With the mystery of her Assumption Our Lady proclaims this eternally. May you be praised for ever, O Virgin Mary! Pray the Lord for us.

The Coronation of the Virgin

El Greco [Web Gallery of Art]

Beata viscera

Music by William Byrd, sung by Apollo5

Antiphona ad communionem  Communion Antiphon (Cf Luke 11:27)

Mass on the 15th

Beata viscera Maria Virginis quae portaverunt aeterni Patris Filium. (Alleluia).

Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary which bore the Son of the eternal Father. (Alleluia).

Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) 

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 8-8-2021 if necessary).

Lesson: Judith 13:22-25; 15:10.  Gospel: Luke 1:41-50.

The Virgin and Angels Singing the Magnificat

Jan Snellinck [Web Gallery of Art]

 Authentic Beauty

Authentic beauty, however, unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond.

La Salve Rociera

Sung by El Coro Rociero de Vilvoorde, Belgium

I came across this by accident. It is a Spanish hymn in honour of the Blessed Mother. The lyrics, in Spanish and English, are here.

This was sung at the funeral of Queen Fabiola of Belgium on 12 December 2014. I take it that the choir consists of Spaniards living in Vilvoorde, Belgium, which has the oldest Carmelite monastery in the world and which I have visited. Some of the nuns there are from the Philippines. The hymn captures for me the joy I have often experienced at funerals, along with grief, because of the hope that our faith as Christians in the Resurrection gives us. The Assumption reinforces that hope. The hymn also expresses something of the warmth of the faith that Spain bequeathed to its former colonies and that I experienced in the Philippines, especially a tender love for our Blessed Mother. 

The hymn, especially as sung here, is another example of something that is part of the local identity of a people, in this case Spaniards, and, because of that, is something that all who have a strong sense of their own personal and communal identity can identify with.

Queen Fabiola was Spanish. She and her husband King Baudouin, who died in 1993, were devout Catholics with a great devotion to Our Lady. They became officially engaged on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. While Baudouin was alive they were known as the King and Queen of the Belgians. Those titles passed on to Baudouin's brother Albert, who succeeded him, and to Albert's wife Paola. Fabiola then acquired the title Queen of Belgium.

The Virgin of El Rocío - La Virgen del Rocío

Almonte, Huelva, Spain

[Wikipedia; photo by Martius]

'The babe in my womb leaped for joy.' The Assumption

Assumption of the Virgin, Egid Quirin Asam (sculpted 1717-1725)

The Assumption is a fest that celebrates what we profess in the Nicene Creed, I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and in the Apostles' Creed, I believe in . . . the resurrection of the body. We rejoice in the fact that what we hope for at the end of time, the resurrection of our bodies in glory, has already happened to Mary.

I was really struck at Mass this morning at the fact that the gospel was about the beginning of life, not the end of life, Luke 1:39-56. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy"(Luke 1:41-44, RSV CE).  

Some years ago after celebrating Mass on the feast of the Visitation, when this same gospel is read, I gave a blessing to a girl in her teens, not married and pregnant. She found it very difficult to accept the baby as her own. After I had blessed her and her baby she told me that she could feel the child moving in her womb and that she felt at peace with the situation.

Yesterday two married friends  posted the photo above of their first but not yet born child on Facebook. Remember Sean and Hara and their 23-week-old baby still 'in hiding' in your prayers.

Today's feast is a celebration of our dignity as bodily beings created by God, human beings whose lives are sacred from the moment of conception.

Irish soprano Regina Nathan sings Hail, Queen of Heaven by Fr John Lingard at the Faith of Our Fathers concert in Dublin in 1997.

'Woman, you have great faith.' Sunday Reflections, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 14 August 2011

The Prophet Isaiah, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, painted 1726-29 (see first reading)

Readings (New American Bible, used in the Philippines and the USA)

Gospel Matthew 15:21-28 (Jerusalem Bible, used in Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland).

Jesus left Genenesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’. But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs’. She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table’. Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

Soiscéal Matha 15:21-28 (Gaeilge, Irish)

San am sin chuaigh Íosa i leataobh go dtí ceantar na Tuíre agus Shíodóine. Agus bhí bean Chanánach a tháinig amach as na críocha sin agus thosaigh sí ag glaoch os ard: “Déan trócaire orm, a Thiarna, a mhic Dháiví,” ar sise, “tá iníon agam agus í á crá go géar ag deamhan.” Ach ní dúirt Íosa focal ar bith á freagairt. Tháinig a dheisceabail chuige agus bhí siad ag impí air: “Scaoil uait í,” ar siad, “tá sí ag glaoch inár ndiaidh.” D’fhreagair agus dúirt: “Níor cuireadh mé ach amháin go dtí caoirigh caillte theaghlach Iosrael.” Ach tháinig an bhean agus d’fhan ar a dhá glúin ina láthair: “A Thiarna,” ar sise, “fóir orm.” D’fhreagair agus dúirt: “Níl sé oiriúnach arán na leanaí a thógáil agus é a chaitheamh chun na gcoileán.” Dúirt sise: “Cinnte, a Thiarna, agus itheann na coileáin féin na grabhróga a thiteann ó bhord a máistrí.” Ansin dúirt Íosa léi á freagairt: “Ó, is mór é do chreideamh, a bhean! Bíodh agat mar is áil leat.” Agus bhí a hiníon leigheasta ón nóiméad sin.

Vegetable Seller, Joachim Beuckelaer 

My late mother loved to bargain, when buying clothes and when buying fruit and vegetables. She usually bought the latter at the store of a woman named Chrissie Caffrey, whose sister Maggie had a similar store across the road. There were usually a few cats around but the vegetables and fruit on sale were fresh. Sometimes as a child, listening to my mother, I would think that she was insulting Chrissie the way she spoke to her. But they both would end up happy, my mother having got a bargain and Chrissie having got a sale.

What my mother and Chrissie did a couple of times a week was a form of banter with a serious purpose. My mother wasn't insulting Chrissie, she was simply looking for a good price. Chrissie didn't take any offence at my mother's words, gave as good as she got - and sold her produce.

One commentary I read on this gospel suggests that Jesus and the Canaanite woman were engaged in something similar to Chrissie and my mother, a form of banter, but with a serious purpose. The words of Jesus comparing the Canaanites, non-Jews, to dogs were insulting at their face value. But the woman didn't take offence, She wanted her daughter healed and that's all that mattered to her. She probably hadn't been among those who heard Jesus' Sermon on the Mount when he said, among many other things, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you (Mt 7:7). But clearly she had heard something about Jesus, of his love for the poor, for the sick, for the tormented. Because she persisted, giving as good as she got, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table’, she heard the astounding words of Jesus, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’

It wasn't the first time Jesus responded to a non-Jew and remarked on that person's faith. Before we receive Holy Communion we pray the words of the Roman centurion who had come to Jesus with a similar plea to that of the Canaanite woman, not on behalf of his daughter but of his servant, 'Lord, I am not worthy . . .'

Everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened (Mt 7:8).

The Solemnity of the Assumption

The Solemnity of the Assumption begins with Evening Prayer on Sunday. That means that a Sunday evening Mass should be the Mass for the Vigil of the Assumpion , not that of the Sunday or the Mass During the Day of the Assumption.

At the end of Night Prayer a Marian Anthem is always sung or recited. Ave Regina Caelorum is considered especially appropriate for the Assumption.



A 'feastless' feast of the Assumption in Canada

The Assumption of the Virgin, El Greco, 1577

I think it was in 1997, during a visit to Canada, I stayed a night with friends who lived in a parish of the Assumption. I wanted to celebrate Mass on the feast of the Assumption and presumed there would be something special at the church. I was shocked to discover that there wasn't even a Mass scheduled on this great feast, which in the universal calendar of the Church is a holyday of obligation, though not here in the Philippines or in Canada. We went to see the priest who, I learned, had spent some years in the Philippines, though he belonged to his own Canadian diocese. He agreed to celebrate Mass with me on the 15th.

But what a shame: only two priests behind closed doors celebrating Mass in the Church of the Assumption on the Solemnity of the Assumption, a symbol of how highly secularised Canada has become.

The Assumption is still a holyday of obligation in Ireland where it is known in Irish Gaelic as Lá Fhéile Mhuire Mhóir, the Great Feast of Mary. I rarely went to Mass in our parish church in Dublin on that day because we were usually away on vacation. The first two weeks of August were the traditional holidays for construction workers. My father, a carpenter, spent all his working life on building sites, most of them as a general foreman. He was a first-class carpenter and an even better foreman, one who led by quiet example. I have memories of packed churches in holiday resorts on 15 August back in the 1950s when the Catholic faith was still strong in Ireland.