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The Assumption of Mary

August 15th is the Feast of hte Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this day, Christians celebrate the end of the earthly life of the Mother of Our Lord, and her assumption, soul and body, into heaven. Note the ambiguity in the first clause-- Orthodox Christians believe that Mary died a natural death, that her soul was received into heaven and her body resurrected. Catholics, while they are required to believe in the assumption of Mary's body as well as her soul, are more open as to whether she died or not. Pope Piux XII defined the dogma in the following words:

We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by God that the immaculate Mother of God, Mary ever virgin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven.

East or West, August 15th is a major Marian feast, and we should talk about what it means from the perspective that we're using here.

Divinization

Mary is the highest of the saints and the queen of the angels, surpassing all other creatures in power and majesty. As she is the first of the saints-- not chronologically, but in dignity-- she is thus meant to be the model for all saints and, therefore, the model for all Christians. By imitating her, we seek to become like her and so to share in the glory that is hers. On this we agree entirely with our more orthodox and Orthodox siblings.

But how are we to understand the dogma of the Assumption?

As a historical event, it is not without its parallels. Great saints and mystics from many traditions, when they leave this world, either leave no corpse behind, or else leave behind a body which remains incorrupt. It has always seemed to me that these two possibilities represent two different forms of ascension, and it's interesting to note that, in the Christian tradition, the vast majority of saints are incorrupt. Mary is the first great exception-- or the second, if you count Jesus Himself. But what this might mean is beyond the scope of this brief essay. For now, it is enough to point out that the doctrine of the Assumption-- belief in which goes back far into antiquity-- is not at all unprecedented, and should be seen as evidence that the historical Mary was a spiritual Master of a very high level of attainment.

As a mythical event it is even more interesting. Mary's story begins with the words "Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it done unto me according to Thy Word." It continues with the words, "My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior; because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaiden, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." And the words: "A sword shall pierce your soul." And then, "Behold thy mother; woman, behold thy son. (And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.)" It continues with her dying-- or perhaps not-- and with her tomb found empty, even as was the tomb of her son. And after that, this:

A great portent appeared in Heaven: a woman clothed with the Sun, with the Moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
...
Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the Moon, bright as the Sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?

And so we see the pattern as follows:

A human woman is offered the chance to empty herself of ego and submit entirely to the Will of God. Doing so, she receives God in his entirety. God not only acts through her, but through her God's power is revealed and even magnified, as under a glass. She experiences trial, pain and sorrow in this life, in the service of God. At the end she is with Jesus at the crucifixion, coming as close as any other being possibly could to fully experiencing the crucifixion itself. She is then appointed the mother of all Christians to follow, symbolized by John, who are themselves charged with bringing her to dwell in their own home. And at the end every part of her, even her body, is divinized and comes to dwell eternally in Heaven.

In her story as a myth, the divine plan of salvation is revealed. God is always calling out to his creatures-- all of them-- as he did to Mary, extending the invitation. All creatures can, in proportion to their own nature, receive God, submit to the Divine Will, and magnify the Lord. All creatures can then return to divinity, coming to dwell eternally in God. And, moreover, this same divine power is extended to all creation, including the material world-- as Mary is assumed bodily into Heaven, so all of creation will return to its Source. This is the entire story of the soul's descent into Matter; initiation through trial, suffering, death, and resurrection; and reascent into Spirit, revealed in one divine human being.

Prayer and Practice

I have personally found meditating on the Assumption very moving and powerful. It is covered by the Fourth and Fifth Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. If you've never prayed the entire Rosary in a single sitting-- referring, of course, to the 15 traditional Mysteries of the Rosary, and not to the recent innovations-- this is a very good day to do it. Prayed together in order, the three sets of Mysteries become an Initiation into the highest mysteries of the Christian life.

Saint Michael's Lent

It was a custom at one time to observe a fast from the Feast of the Assumption until Michaelmas-- that is, the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. This was known as "Saint Michael's Lent." I plan on following it this year. If you'd like to join me, you might find the earlier articles on fasting during Advent and fasting from technology helpful.

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