Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (August 15th)
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 August 2013 20:00:18
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Mary, the mother of Jesus.[/caption]
The Assumption commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven, before her body could begin to decay--a foretaste of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time. This was declared by Pope Pius XII, on November 1, 1950.
I am not Catholic, but I am fascinated by the lives of the saints, and Anglicans do have a commitment and recognition of Our Lady, although Catholics pray through her and the saints as intercessors between them and God, as they do not see themselves has being worthy to communicate with God directly. I do pray to God directly, but I also look to the saints also, and certainly do not see myself as more worthy, necessarily, to speak to God directly. I seem to do a combination of everything. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, calls himself a spiritual magpie. I suppose I'm one too!
The traditional image of the Virgin is one of ultimate motherhood. She is gentle, loving, kind, ready to pull the whole world into her embrace. I look at this image and, with so much hurt and anger happening in our world, feel comforted by it. I hope and pray that through grace, peace and kindness, something positive can and will occur.
Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.