With the above words, Pope Venerable Pius XII solemnly defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary as an article of the Faith, in the year 1950. His act showcased again the truth that the Church is truly organic, and like a tree grows and develops with the passage of time. The truth that Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven has been believed since the beginning of the Church, but it was not ready, by judgment of the Magisterium, for solemn definition until the previous century.
This fact holds great significance within the Faith, for while it is true that the Church can teach nothing not found within the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition from the beginning, this is not to say that everything within the Church's doctrine was fully developed on the day of Pentecost. The Church, as the Body of Christ, must remain a living thing. We would say any human body which no longer developed, functioned, or changed is dead. The same is true for the Church. Just as a baby contains within its cells, DNA, and mind the potential for all it will accomplish throughout life, the Church from the beginning contained all the truths She would solemnly proclaim and define throughout Her earthly sojourn.
We may say that the Liturgy is a root of this tree, for, as Pius XII says in Munificentissimus Deus when defining this dogma:
"This belief [the Assumption] of the sacred pastors and of Christ's faithful is universally manifested still more splendidly by the fact that, since ancient times, there have been both in the East and in the West solemn liturgical offices commemorating this privilege. The holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church have never failed to draw enlightenment from this fact since, as everyone knows, the sacred liturgy, 'because it is the profession, subject to the supreme teaching authority within the Church, of heavenly truths, can supply proofs and testimonies of no small value for deciding a particular point of Christian doctrine (16).'"
The Sacred Liturgy is one of the schools wherein the doctrines of the Church are developed and find their nourishment. Over almost two millennia the Church commemorated the Assumption of Mary with solemn liturgical services. Over time, the solemnity was added to until it became one of the four highest feasts of our Lady, along with her Nativity, her Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation. I might take the liberty to add to this list the feast of her Motherhood on January 1, although it was called the Circumcision of the Lord until recently. It was, however, always celebrated primarily as a Marian feast.
Pius XII notes above that it has been in union with the Sacred Liturgy that the Fathers and Doctors of the Church drew their thoughts and expositions in defense of the doctrine of the Assumption. While the Liturgy is not a source of truth in itself, that is relegated to the Scriptures, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium, it draws its form from these three sources as well. For this reason then, it might be called the source of our nourishment in Faith.
The Solemnity of Mary's Assumption offers us one of the greatest sources of nourishment in devotion to her, and consequently union with Christ, for she always leads us to Him. The Assumption is the natural end of her Immaculate Conception, for having never been subjected to sin herself, it is fitting that she not undergo the decay of body which is a result of sin. What she has been privileged to share in before the Resurrection of the Dead, we will also share in at the end of time. As the Preface for today's Mass states, "Today the Virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven as the beginning and image of your Church's coming to perfection and a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people...." The first source of nourishment we may derive from the feast, then, is hope for our eternal inheritance and glory.
We cannot fail to take note, though, of what this exaltation of Mary by her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, means. By granting her glory as Queen of Heaven and Earth, He has given us a preeminent example to follow. In the words of Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution:
"We may hope that those who meditate upon the glorious example Mary offers us may be more and more convinced of the value of a human life entirely devoted to carrying out the heavenly Father's will and to bringing good to others. Thus, while the illusory teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these teachings threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives of men by exciting discord among them, in this magnificent way all may see clearly to what a lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined (42)."
I wish to now recommend a sure means whereby we may not fail to live out our imitation of Mary's complete devotion and service of God, and that is through Consecration to her. There are numerous formulas for this, however, the two most famous are the one by St. Louis de Montfort and the one by St. Maximilian Kolbe. Consecration to our Lady is a means of giving ourselves to her so that she may guide take us under her maternal mantle, and then, when the course of our earthly life is run, present us to Jesus Christ. By allowing her to guide us, in union with the Divine Will of God, of Whom is a sure representative, we need not fear from falling away from the Faith or of failing to reach the glory of which she already shares.
Another method, which follows off this, is entrustment of ourselves to her through use of the Brown Scapular and/or the Miraculous Medal. The Brown Scapular, used by laity, is a small imitation of the Scapular used by Carmelites, though through it one may share in all the privileges afforded to a Carmelite. The Miraculous Medal is a means of reminding ourselves of our consecration to Mary, and it is a reminder of her great love for us. Both of these religious articles should always be an external manifestation of the disposition of our heart, namely that we have placed ourselves under the protection of our Blessed Mother so as to appear before Jesus under her maternal mantle.
The last thing I want to discuss, which we may draw from the Sacred Liturgy, is a deepening in the Faith. The Mystery of the Assumption of our Lady celebrates her glorification by our Lord. Is it not fitting that she, who was so perfectly united with our Lord on earth, should not also be united with Him in Heaven. There was not a moment of her existence where she was separated from unity with the Divine Love of God, therefore, it is most fitting that her earthly pilgrimage should conclude with her being united with Him in Heaven body and soul.
The Assumption has long been the fourth Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary, long before the official definition of the dogma by the Church. It inspired numerous homilies through the centuries. The liturgical pieces of in its honor are overflowing with doctrinal beauty. Let us not pass by the mystery. Let us meditate upon it with devotion, and grow to an ever deeper love for our Blessed Mother. May we, this day, bring flowers to her; may we place ourselves under her mantle. Most importantly, let us, like her, keep all these things in our heart (Luke 2:51), so that we may never be distant from our Lord, either in this life or in the life to come. Rather, we will then be able to sing with the Angels and Saints, led by the Queen of Heaven and earth in exalting Him, Who has done such great things for her (Luke 1:49).
The Assumption has long been the fourth Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary, long before the official definition of the dogma by the Church. It inspired numerous homilies through the centuries. The liturgical pieces of in its honor are overflowing with doctrinal beauty. Let us not pass by the mystery. Let us meditate upon it with devotion, and grow to an ever deeper love for our Blessed Mother. May we, this day, bring flowers to her; may we place ourselves under her mantle. Most importantly, let us, like her, keep all these things in our heart (Luke 2:51), so that we may never be distant from our Lord, either in this life or in the life to come. Rather, we will then be able to sing with the Angels and Saints, led by the Queen of Heaven and earth in exalting Him, Who has done such great things for her (Luke 1:49).
No comments:
Post a Comment