Friday, August 15, 2014 - Litany Lane Blog:
Apostle, Psalms 45, Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10,Luke 1:39-56, Pope Francis's Daily Catechesis, Feast of the Assumption, Death and Assumption of Blessed Mother Mary, Catholic Catechism Part Three: Life in Christ Section Two: The Ten Commandment Chapter Two: Seventh Commandment Article 7:6
Justice and Solidarity Among Nations
Justice and Solidarity Among Nations
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge, reason and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. The Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe (fear of the
Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety (reverence) and shun
the seven Deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and
gluttony...Its your choice whether to embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit rising towards eternal light or succumb to the Seven deadly sins and lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to the Darkness, Purgatory or Heaven is our Soul...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...~ Zarya Parx 2013
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Prayers for Today: Friday in Easter
Rosary - Sorrowful Mysteries
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis Daily Catechesis:
Apostolic Voyage to South Korea
August 15, 2014
(2014-08-15 Vatican Radio)
After his arrival in Seoul on Thursday morning, Pope Francis began his Apostolic Voyage to South Korea with private Mass at the Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul.
Following Mass, the Holy Father proceeded to the Presidential Palace, known as the “Blue House,” where he was greeted by President Park Geun-hye. The two leaders met for a brief courtesy visit, which included an exchange of gifts.
Pope Francis then met with civil authorities, including Korean political leaders, a representative of the Diplomatic Corps, and other leaders.
“It is a great joy for me to come to Korea,” the Pope said, “the land of the morning calm, and to experience not only the natural beauty of this country, but above all the beauty of its people and its rich history and culture.”
In his address, Pope Francis spoke of the two occasions that have brought him to South Korea: the Sixth Asian Youth Day, and the Beatification of 124 Korean martyrs. “These two celebrations complement one another,” the Holy Father said. “Korean culture understands well the inherent dignity and wisdom of our elders and honors their place in society. We Catholics honor our elders who were martyred for the faith because they were willing to give their lives for the truth which they had come to believe and by which they sought to live their lives.”
But, the Pope continued, “A wise and great people do not only cherish their ancestral traditions; they also treasure their young, seeking to pass on the legacy of the past and to apply it to the challenges of the present. Whenever young people gather together, as on the present occasion, it is a precious opportunity for all of us to listen to their hopes and concerns.”
With regard to the challenges and opportunities facing the world today, the Pope said “it is especially important for us to reflect on the need to give our young people the gift of peace” – an appeal that resonates strongly in Korea, “a land which has long suffered because of a lack of peace.” The quest for peace, he said, is especially incumbent on political leaders, who must recognize that “peace can be won through quiet listening and dialogue, rather than by mutual recriminations, fruitless criticisms, and displays of force.” Political leaders, he said, direct their efforts to the goal of building a better, more peaceful, just, and prosperous world for our children.”
Pope Francis stressed the importance of letting “the voice of every member of society be heard” as Korea struggles to deal with the important issues of the day. And once again, he called for a “special concern” to be shown “for the poor, the vulnerable, and those who have no voice.”
The Holy Father concluded his address by quoting Pope St John Paul II, the last Pope to visit Korea, who was convinced that “the future of Korea will depend on the presence among its people of many wise, virtuous and deeply spiritual men and women.” Making those words his own, Pope Francis assured Korea’s leaders “of the continued desire of Korea’s Catholic community to participate fully in the life of the nation.”
Reference: Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2014 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 08/15/2014
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Liturgical Celebrations to be presided over by Pope: 2015
Vatican City, spring 2014 (VIS)
The following is the English text of the intentions –
both universal and for evangelization – that, as is customary, the Pope
entrusted to the Apostleship of Prayer for 2015.
January
Universal: That those from diverse religious traditions
and all people of good will work together for peace.
Evangelization: That in this year
dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy
of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal.
February
Universal: That prisoners, especially the young, may be
able to rebuild lives of dignity.
Evangelization: That married people who are separated may
find welcome and support in the Christian community.
March
Universal: That those involved in
scientific research may serve the well-being of the whole human person.
Evangelization: That the unique
contribution of women to the life of the Church may be recognized always.
April
Universal: That people may learn to respect creation and
care for it as a gift of God.
Evangelization: That persecuted
Christians may feel the consoling presence of the Risen Lord and the solidarity
of all the Church.
May
Universal: That, rejecting the culture of indifference,
we may care for our neighbours who suffer, especially the sick and the poor.
Evangelization: That Mary’s
intercession may help Christians in secularized cultures be ready to proclaim
Jesus.
June
Universal: That immigrants and refugees may find welcome
and respect in the countries to which they come.
Evangelization: That the personal
encounter with Jesus may arouse in many young people the desire to offer their
own lives in priesthood or consecrated life.
July
Universal: That political responsibility may be lived at
all levels as a high form of charity.
Evangelization: That, amid social
inequalities, Latin American Christians may bear witness to love for the poor
and contribute to a more fraternal society.
August
Universal: That volunteers may
give themselves generously to the service of the needy.
Evangelization: That setting aside
our very selves we may learn to be neighbours to those who find themselves on
the margins of human life and society.
September
Universal: That
opportunities for education and employment may increase for all young people.
Evangelization: That catechists may
give witness by living in a way consistent with the faith they proclaim.
October
Universal: That human trafficking, the modern form of
slavery, may be eradicated.
Evangelization: That with a
missionary spirit the Christian communities of Asia may announce the Gospel to
those who are still awaiting it.
November
Universal: That we may be open to
personal encounter and dialogue with all, even those whose convictions differ
from our own.
Evangelization: That pastors of the
Church, with profound love for their flocks, may accompany them and enliven
their hope.
December
Universal: That all may experience the mercy of God, who
never tires of forgiving.
Evangelization: That families,
especially those who suffer, may find in the birth of Jesus a sign of certain
hope.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2014 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 07/23/2014.
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November 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children; Anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you to love; to
continually pray for the gift of love; to love the Heavenly Father above
everything. When you love Him you will love yourself and your neighbor.
This cannot be separated. The Heavenly Father is in each person. He
loves each person and calls each person by his name. Therefore, my
children, through prayer hearken to the will of the Heavenly Father.
Converse with Him. Have a personal relationship with the Father which
will deepen even more your relationship as a community of my children –
of my apostles. As a mother I desire that, through the love for the
Heavenly Father, you may be raised above earthly vanities and may help
others to gradually come to know and come closer to the Heavenly Father.
My children, pray, pray, pray for the gift of love because 'love' is my
Son. Pray for your shepherds that they may always have love for you as
my Son had and showed by giving His life for your salvation. Thank you."
October 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: “Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will – and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
October 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, I love you with a motherly love and with a motherly patience I wait for your love and unity. I pray that you may be a community of God’s children, of my children. I pray that as a community you may joyfully come back to life in the faith and in the love of my Son. My children, I am gathering you as my apostles and am teaching you how to bring others to come to know the love of my Son; how to bring to them the Good News, which is my Son. Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the meeting with the Heavenly Father. My children, it is those who walk towards the Heavenly Father with love and faith who will be saved. Do not be afraid, I am with you. Put your trust in your shepherds as my Son trusted when he chose them, and pray that they may have the strength and the love to lead you. Thank you." - See more at: http://litanylane.blogspot.com/2013/11/tuesday-november-12-2013-litany-lane.html#sthash.1QAVruYo.bk3E9rXR.dpuf
October 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: “Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will – and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
October 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, I love you with a motherly love and with a motherly patience I wait for your love and unity. I pray that you may be a community of God’s children, of my children. I pray that as a community you may joyfully come back to life in the faith and in the love of my Son. My children, I am gathering you as my apostles and am teaching you how to bring others to come to know the love of my Son; how to bring to them the Good News, which is my Son. Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the meeting with the Heavenly Father. My children, it is those who walk towards the Heavenly Father with love and faith who will be saved. Do not be afraid, I am with you. Put your trust in your shepherds as my Son trusted when he chose them, and pray that they may have the strength and the love to lead you. Thank you." - See more at: http://litanylane.blogspot.com/2013/11/tuesday-november-12-2013-litany-lane.html#sthash.1QAVruYo.bk3E9rXR.dpuf
Today's Word: apostle a·pos·tle [uh-pos-uh l]
Origin: before 950; Middle English, variant of apostel, apostol, Old English apostol (compare Old Frisian apostol, Old High German apostol (o), German Apostel) < Late Latin apostolus < Greek apóstolos literally, one who is sent out; akin to apostéllein to send off; see apo-. Compare, with loss of initial unstressed a-, Middle English postle, postel, Old English postol (> Old Norse postuli) Old High German postul
1. any of the early followers of Jesus who carried the Christian message into the world.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) any of the original 12 disciples called by Jesus to preach the gospel: Simon Peter, the brothers James and John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas Iscariot.
3.
the first or the best-known Christian missionary in any region or country.
4.
Eastern Church. one of the 70 disciples of Jesus.
5.
the title of the highest ecclesiastical official in certain Protestant sects.
6.
(among the Jews of the Christian epoch) a title borne by persons sent on foreign missions.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 45:10, 11, 12, 16
10 Listen, my daughter, attend to my words and hear; forget your own nation and your ancestral home,11 then the king will fall in love with your beauty; he is your lord, bow down before him.
12 The daughter of Tyre will court your favour with gifts, and the richest of peoples
16 Instead of your ancestors you will have sons; you will make them rulers over the whole world.
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Today's Epistle - Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10
19 Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened, and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake and violent hail.
1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth.
3 Then a second sign appeared in the sky: there was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet.
4 Its tail swept a third of the stars from the sky and hurled them to the ground, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was at the point of giving birth, so that it could eat the child as soon as it was born.
5 The woman was delivered of a boy, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne,
6 while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had prepared a place for her to be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days.
10 Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, 'Salvation and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the accuser, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down.
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Today's Gospel Reading - Luke 1:39-56
The visit of Mary to Elizabeth, Lk 1, 39-56
1. LECTIO
a) Opening Prayer:
Holy Spirit, Spirit of Wisdom, of
Science, of Intelligence, of Counsel, fill us, we pray, with the
knowledge of the Word of God, fill us with every kind of spiritual
wisdom and intelligence, so as to be able to understand it at depth. May
we, under your guidance be able to understand the Gospel of this Marian
solemnity. Holy Spirit, we need you, you, the only one who continually
moulds in us the figure and the form of Jesus. And we turn to you, Mary,
Mother of Jesus and of the Church, you who have lived the inebriating
and totalising Presence of the Holy Spirit, you who have experienced the
power of his force in you, who has seen it operating in your Son Jesus
from the time when he was in the maternal womb, open our heart and our
mind, so that they may be docile to listen to the Word of God.
b) Reading of the Gospel:
Mary set out at that time and went as
quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah. She went
into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now it happened that as
soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and
said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit
of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of
my Lord? Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my
womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise
made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'
And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name,
and his faithful love extends age after age to those who fear him.
He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly.
He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love
-according to the promise he made to our ancestors -- of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.
Mary stayed with her some three months and then went home.
And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name,
and his faithful love extends age after age to those who fear him.
He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly.
He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love
-according to the promise he made to our ancestors -- of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.
Mary stayed with her some three months and then went home.
c) Moments of prayerful silence:
Silence is a quality of the one who
knows how to listen to God. Try to create in yourself an atmosphere of
peace and of silent adoration. If you are capable to be in silence
before God, you will be able to listen to his breath which is Life.
2. MEDITATIO
a) Key to the Reading:
Blessed are you among women
In the first part of today’s Gospel,
the words of Elizabeth resound: “Blessed are you among women”, preceded
by a spatial movement. Mary leaves Nazareth, situated in the North of
Palestine, to go to the South, approximately fifty kilometres, to a
place which tradition has identified as the present day Ain Karem, not
too far from Jerusalem. The physical movement shows the interior
sensibility of Mary, who is not closed on herself, to contemplate, in a
private and intimate way, the mystery of the Divine Maternity which is
being accomplished in her, but she is projected to the path of charity.
She moves in order to go and help her elderly cousin. Mary’s going to
Elizabeth has the added connotation ‘in haste’ which Saint Ambrose
interprets as follows: “Mary set out in haste to the hill country, not
because she did not believe the prophecy or because she was uncertain of
the announcement or doubted of the proof, but because she was pleased
with the promise and desirous to devotedly fulfil a service, with the
impulse that she received from her intimate joy… The grace of the Holy
Spirit does not entail slowness”. The reader, though, knows that the
true reason of the trip is not indicated, but can get it through
information deduced from the context. The angel had communicated to Mary
the pregnancy of Elizabeth, already in the sixth month (cfr. v. 37).
Besides the fact that she remained there three months (cfr. v. 56), just
the time so that the child could be born, allows us to understand that
Mary intended to help her cousin. Mary runs, and goes where there is an
urgent need, the need for help, showing, in this way, a clear
sensibility and concrete availability.
Together with Mary, Jesus, in his
mother’s womb, moves with her. From here it is easy to deduce the
Christological value of the episode of the visit of Mary to her cousin:
above all, the attention is for Jesus. At first sight, it could seem to
be a scene concentrated on the two women, in reality, what is important
for the Evangelist is the prodigious fact present in their conceiving.
Mary moving tends, in last instance, to have the encounter between the
two women.
As soon as Mary enters into the house
and greets Elizabeth, the small John leaped in her womb. According to
some this leaping is not comparable to the changing place of the foetus,
which is experienced by every pregnant woman. Luke uses a particular
Greek verb which precisely means “jumping”. Wishing to interpret the
verb a bit literally, it could be indicated with “dancing”, thus
excluding a physical phenomenon only. Someone has thought that this
‘dance’ could be considered as a form of ‘homage’ which John renders to
Jesus, inaugurating, though not yet born, that attitude of respect and
of subjection which will characterize his life: “After me is coming
someone who is more powerful than me, and I am not fit to kneel down and
undo the strap of his sandals” (Mk 1, 7). One day, John himself will
give witness: “it is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the
bridegroom’s friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with
joy at the bridegroom’s voice. This is the joy that I feel and it is
complete. He must grow greater, I must grow less” (Jn 3, 29-30). Thus
Saint Ambrose comments: “Elizabeth was the first one to hear the voice,
but John is first to perceive the grace”. We find a confirmation of this
interpretation in the words themselves of Elizabeth which, repeating
the same Greek verb in v. 44. which was already employed in v. 41, says:
“The child in my womb leapt for joy”. Luke, with these particular
details, has wished to evoke the prodigies which took place in the
intimacy of Nazareth. It is only now, thanks to the dialogue with an
interlocutor, the mystery of the divine maternity leaves aside its
secrecy and its individual dimension, to become a notable fact, and
object of appreciation and of praise.
The words of Elizabeth, “Blessed are
you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why should I be
honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?” (vv. 42-43). With a
Semitic expression which is equivalent to a superlative (“among women”),
the Evangelist wishes to attract the attention of the reader on the
function of Mary: to be the “Mother of the Lord”. And, then, a blessing
is reserved for her (“Blessed are you”) and a blessed Beatitude. In what
does this one consist? It expresses Mary’s adherence to the Divine
Will. Mary is not only the receiver of a mysterious design which makes
her blessed, but also a person who knows how to accept and adhere to
God’s will. Mary is a creature who believes, because she trusts in a
plain, simple word and which she has vested with her “yes” of love. And
Elizabeth acknowledges this service of love, identifying her as “blessed
as mother and blessed as believer”.
In the meantime, John perceives the
presence of his Lord and exults, expressing with that interior movement
the joy which springs from that contact of salvation. Mary will be the
interpreter of that event in the hymn of the Magnificat.
b) A song of love:
In this song Mary considers herself
part of the anawim, of the “poor of God”, of those who “fear God”
placing in Him all their trust and hope and who, on the human level, do
not enjoy any right or prestige. The spirituality of the anawim can be
synthesized with the words of Psalm 37, 79: “In silence he is before God
and hopes in him”, because “those who hope in the Lord will possess the
earth”.
In Psalm 86, 6 the one who prays, turning to God says: Give your servant your force”: Here the term ‘servant’ expresses his being subjected, as well as the sentiment of belonging to God, of feeling secure with him.
The poor, in the strictly Biblical sense, are those who place their trust unconditionally in God; this is why they are to be considered, qualitatively, the best part, of the People of Israel.
The proud, instead, are those who place all their trust in themselves.
Now, according to the Magnificat, the poor have a thousand reasons to rejoice, because God glorifies the anawim (Psalm 149, 4) and humbles the proud. An image taken from the New Testament, which expresses very well the attitude of the poor of the Old Testament, is that of the Publican who with humility beats his breast, while the Pharisee being complacent of his merits is being consumed by his pride (Lk 19, 9-14). Definitively, Mary celebrates all that God has done in her and all that he works in every creature. Joy and gratitude characterize this hymn to salvation which recognizes the greatness of God, but which also makes great the one who sings it.
In Psalm 86, 6 the one who prays, turning to God says: Give your servant your force”: Here the term ‘servant’ expresses his being subjected, as well as the sentiment of belonging to God, of feeling secure with him.
The poor, in the strictly Biblical sense, are those who place their trust unconditionally in God; this is why they are to be considered, qualitatively, the best part, of the People of Israel.
The proud, instead, are those who place all their trust in themselves.
Now, according to the Magnificat, the poor have a thousand reasons to rejoice, because God glorifies the anawim (Psalm 149, 4) and humbles the proud. An image taken from the New Testament, which expresses very well the attitude of the poor of the Old Testament, is that of the Publican who with humility beats his breast, while the Pharisee being complacent of his merits is being consumed by his pride (Lk 19, 9-14). Definitively, Mary celebrates all that God has done in her and all that he works in every creature. Joy and gratitude characterize this hymn to salvation which recognizes the greatness of God, but which also makes great the one who sings it.
c) Some question for meditation:
- Is my prayer, above all, the expression of a sentiment or celebration and acknowledgement of God’s action?
- Mary is presented as the believer in the Word of the Lord. How much time do I dedicate to listening to the Word of God?
- Is your prayer nourished from the Bible, as was that of Mary? Or rather am I dedicated to devotions which produce a continuous tasteless and dull prayer? Are you convinced that to return to Biblical prayer is the assurance to find a solid nourishment, chosen by Mary herself ?
- Are you in the logics of the Magnificat which exalts the joy of giving, of losing in order to find, of accepting, the happiness of gratuity, of donation?
- Mary is presented as the believer in the Word of the Lord. How much time do I dedicate to listening to the Word of God?
- Is your prayer nourished from the Bible, as was that of Mary? Or rather am I dedicated to devotions which produce a continuous tasteless and dull prayer? Are you convinced that to return to Biblical prayer is the assurance to find a solid nourishment, chosen by Mary herself ?
- Are you in the logics of the Magnificat which exalts the joy of giving, of losing in order to find, of accepting, the happiness of gratuity, of donation?
3. ORATIO
a) Psalm 44 (45)
The Psalm in this second part,
glorifies the Queen. In today’s Liturgy these verses are applied to Mary
and celebrate her greatness and beauty.
In your retinue are daughters of kings,
the consort at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
the consort at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
Listen, my daughter,
attend to my words and hear;
forget your own nation
and your ancestral home,
then the king will fall in love with your beauty;
he is your lord, bow down before him.
attend to my words and hear;
forget your own nation
and your ancestral home,
then the king will fall in love with your beauty;
he is your lord, bow down before him.
Her companions are brought to her,
they enter the king's palace with joy and rejoicing.
they enter the king's palace with joy and rejoicing.
b) Final Prayer:
The prayer which follows is a brief
meditation on the maternal role of Mary in the life of the believer:
“Mary, woman who knows how to rejoice, who knows how to exult, who
allows herself to be invaded by the full consolation of the Holy Spirit,
teach us to pray so that we may also discover the source of joy. In
Elizabeth’s house, your cousin, feeling accepted and understood in your
most intimate secret, you burst out in a hymn of exultation of the
heart, speaking of God, of you about your relationship with him, and of
the unprecedented adventure already begun of being the Mother of Christ
and of all of us, holy people of God. Teach us to give our prayer a
rhythm of hope and tremors of joy, sometimes worn out by bitter whining
and soaked with melancholy almost as obliged. The Gospel speaks to us
about you, Mary, and of Elizabeth: both of you kept in your heart
something, which you did not dare or you did not wish to manifest to
anyone. But each one of you, felt understood by the other, on that
prophetic day of the Visitation and you pronounced words of prayer and
of feast. Your encounter becomes Liturgy of thanksgiving and of praise
to your ineffable God. You, woman of a profound joy, you sang the
Magnificat, in rapture and amazed at all that the Lord was operating in
his humble servant. Magnificat is the cry, the explosion of joy, which
explodes within each one of us, when one feels accepted and understood”.
4. CONTEMPLATIO
The Virgin Mary, the temple of the
Holy Spirit, accepted with faith the Word and surrendered herself
completely to the power of Love. Because of this she became the Icon of
interiority, that is all recollected under the look of God and abandoned
to the power of the Most High. Mary keeps silence about herself,
because everything in her can speak about the wonders of the Lord in her
life.
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: The Feast of the Assumption
Feast Day: August 15
Died: 55 AD
Patron Saint of : universal, heavenly mother of all
 In his August 15, 2004, homily given at Lourdes, Pope John Paul II quoted John 14:3 as one of the scriptural bases for understanding the dogma of the Assumption of Mary. In this verse, Jesus tells his disciples at the Last Supper, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also." According to Catholic theology, Mary is the pledge of the fulfillment of Christ's promise. The feast of the Assumption on August 15 is a public holiday in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany (Saarland and Bavaria only), Greece, Lebanon, Lithuania, Italy, Malta, Mauritius, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Slovenia, and Spain . In Eastern Orthodox churches following the Julian Calendar, the feast day of Assumption of Mary falls on August 28. History of the beliefAlthough the Assumption (Latin: assūmptiō, "taken up") was only relatively recently defined as infallible dogma by the Catholic Church, and in spite of a statement by Saint Epiphanius of Salamis in AD 377 that no one knew whether Mary had died or not, apocryphal accounts of the assumption of Mary into heaven have circulated since at least the 4th century. The Catholic Church itself interprets chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation as referring to it. The earliest known narrative is the so-called Liber Requiei Mariae (The Book of Mary's Repose), which survives intact only in an Ethiopic translation. Probably composed by the 4th century, this Christian apocryphal narrative may be as early as the 3rd century. Also quite early are the very different traditions of the "Six Books" Dormition narratives. The earliest versions of this apocryphon are preserved by several Syriac manuscripts of the 5th and 6th centuries, although the text itself probably belongs to the 4th century.An Armenian letter attributed to Dionysus the Areopagite also mentions the event, although this is a much later work, written sometime after the 6th century. John of Damascus, from this period, is the first church authority to advocate the doctrine under his own name. His contemporaries, Gregory of Tours and Modestus of Jerusalem, helped promote the concept to the wider church. In some versions of the story the event is said to have taken place in Ephesus, in the House of the Virgin Mary, although this is a much more recent and localized tradition. The earliest traditions all locate the end of Mary's life in Jerusalem (see "Mary's Tomb"). By the 7th century a variation emerged, according to which one of the apostles, often identified as St Thomas, was not present at the death of Mary, but his late arrival precipitates a reopening of Mary's tomb, which is found to be empty except for her grave clothes. In a later tradition, Mary drops her girdle down to the apostle from heaven as testament to the event. This incident is depicted in many later paintings of the Assumption. Teaching of the Assumption of Mary became widespread across the Christian world, having been celebrated as early as the 5th century and having been established in the East by Emperor Maurice around AD 600. It was celebrated in the West under Pope Sergius I in the 8th century and Pope Leo IV then confirmed the feast as official. Theological debate about the Assumption continued, following the Reformation, climaxing in 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined it as dogma for the Catholic Church. Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott stated, "The idea of the bodily assumption of Mary is first expressed in certain transitus-narratives of the fifth and sixth centuries.... The first Church author to speak of the bodily assumption of Mary, in association with an apocryphal transitus B.M.V., is St. Gregory of Tours." The Catholic writer Eamon Duffy states that "there is, clearly, no historical evidence whatever for it." However, the Catholic Church has never asserted nor denied that its teaching is based on the apocryphal accounts. The Church documents are silent on this matter and instead rely upon other sources and arguments as the basis for the doctrine. Catholic teaching |
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| In this dogmatic statement,
the phrase "having completed the course of her earthly life," leaves
open the question of whether the Virgin Mary died before her assumption
or whether she was assumed before death; both possibilities are allowed.
Mary's assumption is said to have been a divine gift to her as the
'Mother of God'. Ludwig Ott's view is that, as Mary completed her life
as a shining example to the human race, the perspective of the gift of
assumption is offered to the whole human race. In Ludwig Ott's Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma he states that "the fact of her death is almost generally accepted by the Fathers and Theologians, and is expressly affirmed in the Liturgy of the Church", to which he adduces a number of helpful citations, and concludes that "for Mary, death, in consequence of her freedom from original sin and from personal sin, was not a consequence of punishment of sin. However, it seems fitting that Mary's body, which was by nature mortal, should be, in conformity with that of her Divine Son, subject to the general law of death". The point of her bodily death has not been infallibly defined, and many believe that she did not die at all, but was assumed directly into Heaven. The dogmatic definition within the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus which, according to Roman Catholic dogma, infallibly proclaims the doctrine of the Assumption leaves open the question whether, in connection with her departure, Mary underwent bodily death; that is, it does not dogmatically define the point one way or the other, as shown by the words "having completed the course of her earthly life". On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly declared:
Assumption and Dormition (Eastern Christianity) comparedThe Catholic Feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15, and the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos (the falling asleep of the Mother of God) on the same date, preceded by a 14-day fast period. Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that Mary died a natural death, that her soul was received by Christ upon death, and that her body was resurrected on the third day after her death and that she was taken up into heaven bodily in anticipation of the general resurrection. Her tomb was found empty on the third day. "...Orthodox tradition is clear and unwavering in regard to the central point [of the Dormition]: the Holy Virgin underwent, as did her Son, a physical death, but her body – like His – was afterwards raised from the dead and she was taken up into heaven, in her body as well as in her soul. She has passed beyond death and judgement, and lives wholly in the Age to Come. The Resurrection of the Body ... has in her case been anticipated and is already an accomplished fact. That does not mean, however, that she is dissociated from the rest of humanity and placed in a wholly different category: for we all hope to share one day in that same glory of the Resurrection of the Body which she enjoys even now."Many Catholics also believe that Mary first died before being assumed, but they add that she was miraculously resurrected before being assumed, while others believe she was assumed bodily into Heaven without first passing through death. As mentioned earlier, this aspect of the Assumption is not authoritatively defined in Catholic theology, and either understanding may be legitimately held by Catholics. Eastern Catholics observe the Feast as the Dormition. Many theologians note by way of comparison that in the Catholic Church, the Assumption is dogmatically defined, while in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the Dormition is less dogmatically than liturgically and mystically defined. Such differences spring from a larger pattern in the two traditions, wherein Catholic teachings are often dogmatically and authoritatively defined – in part because of the more centralized structure of the Catholic Church– while in Eastern Orthodoxy, many doctrines are less authoritative. Mary's Heavenly BirthdayThe Assumption is important to many Catholic and Orthodox Christians as the Virgin Mary's heavenly birthday (the day that Mary was received into Heaven). Her acceptance into the glory of Heaven is seen by them as the symbol of the promise made by Jesus to all enduring Christians that they too will be received into paradise. The Assumption of Mary is symbolised in the Fleur-de-lys Madonna.The present Italian name of the holiday, "Ferragosto", may derive from the Latin name, Feriae Augusti ("Holidays of the Emperor Augustus"), since the month of August took its name from the emperor. The Solemnity of the Assumption on August 15 was celebrated in the eastern Church from the 6th Century. The Catholic Church adopted this date as a Holy Day of Obligation to commemorate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the real physical elevation of her sinless soul and incorrupt body into Heaven. The Solemnity of the Assumption on August 15 is a public holiday in many countries, including Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chile, Cyprus, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Colombia, Cyprus, East Timor, France, Gabon, Greece, Republic of Guinea, Haiti, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tahiti, Togo, and Vanuatu. It is also a holiday in some predominantly Catholic states of Germany, including Bavaria and Saarland. In Guatemala it is observed in Guatemala City and in the town of Santa Maria Nebaj, both of which claim her as their patron saint. Also, this day is combined with Mother's Day in Costa Rica. In many places, religious parades and popular festivals are held to celebrate this day. Prominent Catholic and Orthodox countries in which Assumption day is an important festival but is not recognized by the state as a public holiday include Argentina, Brazil, Czech Republic, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines and Russia. In Canada, Assumption Day is the Fête Nationale of the Acadians, of whom she is the patron saint. Businesses close on that day in heavily francophone parts of New Brunswick, Canada. The Virgin Assumed in Heaven is also patroness of the Maltese Islands and her feast, celebrated on 15 August, apart from being a public holiday in Malta is also celebrated with great solemnity in all the local churches especially in the seven localities known as the Seba' Santa Marijiet. In Anglicanism and Lutheranism, the feast is kept, but without official use of the word "Assumption". Scriptural SourcesAs mentioned, recent papal scholarship has cited John 14:3 as evidence of the Assumption in principle if not formally. Near the end of a review of the doctrine's history – a review which serves as the bulk of Munificentissimus Deus – Pope Pius XII tells us: "All these proofs and considerations of the holy Fathers and the theologians are based upon the Sacred Writings as their ultimate foundation." Precedent to this, he cites many passages that have been offered in support of this teaching:29. ...the holy writers...employed statements and various images and analogies of Sacred Scripture to Illustrate and to confirm the doctrine of the Assumption, which was piously believed... On the feast day of the Assumption, while explaining the prophet's words: "I will glorify the place of my feet," [Isaiah 60:13] he [i.e. St. Anthony of Padua] stated it as certain that the divine Redeemer had bedecked with supreme glory his most beloved Mother from whom he had received human flesh. He asserts that "you have here a clear statement that the Blessed Virgin has been assumed in her body, where was the place of the Lord's feet..." 30. ...St. Albert the Great... in a sermon which he delivered on the sacred day of the Blessed Virgin Mary's annunciation, explained the words "Hail, full of grace" [Luke 1:28]-words used by the angel who addressed her-the Universal Doctor, comparing the Blessed Virgin with Eve, stated clearly and incisively that she was exempted from the fourfold curse that had been laid upon Eve [cf. Genesis 3:16]... 32. Along with many others, the Seraphic Doctor held the same views. He considered it as entirely certain that...God...would never have permitted her body to have been resolved into dust and ashes. Explaining these words of Sacred Scripture: "Who is this that comes up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved?" [Song of Songs 8:5] and applying them in a kind of accommodated sense to the Blessed Virgin, he reasons thus: "From this we can see that she is there bodily...her blessedness would not have been complete unless she were there as a person. The soul is not a person, but the soul, joined to the body, is a person. It is manifest that she is there in soul and in body. Otherwise she would not possess her complete beatitude. The Pope also cites, significantly in paragraph 39, 1st Corinthians 15, where we read (vv. 21–26): For by a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the dead. And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But every one in his own order: the firstfruits Christ, then they that are of Christ, who have believed in his coming. Afterwards the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father, when he shall have brought to nought all principality, and power, and virtue. For he must reign, until he hath put all his enemies under his feet. And the enemy death shall be destroyed last: For he hath put all things under his feet. In this passage Paul alludes to Genesis 3:15 (in addition to the primary reference of Psalms 8:6), where it is prophesied that the seed of the woman will crush Satan with his feet. Since, then, Jesus arose to Heaven to fulfill this prophecy, it follows that the woman would have a similar end, since she shared this enmity with Satan. The pope comments thus in paragraph 39: ...although subject to [Jesus, who is] the new Adam, [Mary, the new Eve] is most intimately associated with him in that struggle against the infernal foe which, as foretold in the protoevangelium [i.e. Genesis 3:15], would finally result in that most complete victory over the sin and death which are always mentioned together in the writings of the Apostle of the Gentiles. Consequently, just as the glorious resurrection of Jesus was an essential part and the final sign of this victory, so that struggle which was common to the Blessed Virgin and her divine Son should be brought to a close by the glorification of her virginal body, for the same Apostle says: "When this mortal thing hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory." The pope also mentions (in paragraph 26) Psalms 132, a liturgical psalm commemorating the return of the Ark of God to Jerusalem and lamenting its subsequent loss. The second half of the psalm says that the loss will be recompensed in the New Covenant, and so it is hopefully prayed, "Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified" (v. 8). Since the Church sees this New Covenant ark in Mary, it understands that she was taken into Heaven in the same manner as the Lord – that is, body and soul. In the same paragraph, the pope mentions also Psalms 45:9–17 for support of a heavenly Queen present bodily with the heavenly King Jesus, and Song of Songs 3:6, 4:8, and 6:9, which speaks of David's lover "that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankincense, and of all the powders of the perfumer". Regarding the Marian interpretations of those passages from Psalms 132 to Song of Songs 6:9 and those in between, the pope did, however, consider them "rather free in their use of events and expressions taken from Sacred Scripture" (paragraph 26). Finally, he mentions in the next paragraph "that woman clothed with the sun [Revelation 12:1–2] whom John the Apostle contemplated on the Island of Patmos" as support for the doctrine. The text seems to parallel this woman with the woman of the Genesis 3 prophecy (and hence Mary): for in verse 9 the passage recalls "that old serpent" of Genesis 3, and reflects the prophecy that God would place "enmities between thee [i.e. Satan] and the woman, and thy seed and her seed" when it says that Satan "was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed" (Rev. 12:17). All these passages – viz., John 14:3, Isaiah 60:13, Luke 1:28, Song of Songs 8:5, 1st Corinthians 15:21–26, Psalms 132:8, Psalms 45:9–17, Song of Songs 3:6, 4:8, 6:9, Genesis 3:15, and Revelation 12:1–2 – are drawn upon as Scriptural support of the Assumption both in that original document, and today by Catholic apologists |
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References:
- Duggan, Paul E. (1989). The Assumption Dogma: Some Reactions and Ecumenical Implications in the Thought of English-speaking Theologians. Emerson Press, Cleveland, Ohio
- Shoemaker, Stephen J. (2002, 2006). Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-19-925075-8 (Hardcover 2004, Reprint), ISBN 0-19-921074-8 (Paperback 2006)
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Today's Snippet I: BURIAL AND ASSUMPTION OF MARY
Book 8, Chapter 7
The Mystical City of God, The Divine History and Life of The Virgin Mother of God
BURIAL AND ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN.
In order that the Apostles, the disciples, and many others of
the faithful might not be too deeply oppressed by sorrow, and in order that some
of them may not die of grief caused by the passing away of the blessed Mary, it
was necessary that the divine power, by an especial providence, furnish them
with consolation and dilate their heart for new influences in their incomparable
affliction. For the feeling, that their loss was irretrievable in the present
life, could not be repressed; the privation of such a Treasure could never find
recompense; and as the most sweet, loving and amiable interactions and
conversation of their great Queen had ravished the heart of each one, the
ceasing of her protection and company left them as it were without the breath of
life. But the Lord, who well knew how to estimate the just cause of their
sorrow, secretly upheld them by his encouragements and so they set about the
fitting burial of the sacred body and whatever the occasion demanded.
Accordingly the holy Apostles, on whom this duty specially
devolved, held a conference concerning the burial of the most sacred body of
their Queen and Lady. They selected for that purpose a new sepulchre, which had
been prepared mysteriously by the providence of her divine Son. As they
remembered, that, according to the custom of the Jews at burial, the deified
body of the Master had been anointed with precious ointments and spices and
wrapped in the sacred burial cloths; they thought not of doing otherwise with
the virginal body of His most holy Mother. Accordingly they called the two
maidens, who had assisted the Queen during her life and who had been designated
as the heiresses of her tunics, and instructed them to anoint the body of the
Mother of God with highest reverence and modesty and wrap it in the
winding-sheets before it should be placed in the casket. With great reverence
and fear the two maidens entered the room, where the body of the blessed Lady
lay upon its couch; but the refulgence issuing from it barred and blinded them
in such a manner that they could neither see nor touch the body, nor even
ascertain in what particular place it rested.
In fear and reverence still greater than on their entrance,
the maidens left the room; and in great excitement and wonder they told the
Apostles what had happened. They, not without divine inspiration, came to the
conclusion, that this sacred Ark of the covenant was not to be touched or
handled in the common way. Then saint Peter and saint John entered the oratory
and perceived the effulgence, and at the same time they heard the celestial
music of the angels who were singing: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord
is with thee." Others responded: "A Virgin before childbirth, in
childbirth and after childbirth." From that time on many of the faithful
expressed their devotion toward the most blessed Mary in these words of praise;
and from them they were handed down to be repeated by us with the approbation of
the holy Church. The two holy Apostles, saint Peter and saint John, were for a
time lost in admiration at what they saw and heard of their Queen; and in order
to decide what to do, they sank on their knees, beseeching the Lord to make it
known. Then they heard a voice saying: "Let not the sacred body be either
uncovered or touched."
Having thus been informed of the will of God they brought a
bier, and, the effulgence having diminished somewhat, they approached the couch
and with their own hands reverently took hold of the tunic at the two ends.
Thus, without changing its posture, they raised the sacred and virginal Treasure
and place it on the bier in the same position as it had occupied on the couch.
They could easily do this, because they felt no more weight than that of the
tunic. On this bier the former effulgence of the body moderated still more, and
all of them, by disposition of the Lord and for the consolation of all those
present, could now perceive and study the beauty of that virginal countenance
and of her hands. As for the rest, the omnipotence of God protected this His
heavenly dwelling, so that neither in life nor in death anyone should behold any
other part except what is common in ordinary conversation, her most inspiring
countenance, by which She had been known, and her hands, by which She had
labored.
So great was the care and solicitude for His most blessed
Mother, that in this particular He used not so much precaution in regard to his
own body, as that of the most pure Virgin. In her Immaculate Conception He made
Her like to Himself; likewise at her birth, in as far as it did not take place
in the common and natural manner of other men. He preserved Her also from impure
temptations and thoughts. But, as He was man and the Redeemer of the world
through his Passion and Death, He permitted with his own body, what He would not
allow with Hers, as that of a woman, and therefore He kept her virginal body
entirely concealed; in fact the most pure Lady during her life had herself asked
that no one should be permitted to look upon it in death; which petition He
fulfilled. Then the Apostles consulted further about her burial. Their decision
becoming known among the multitudes of the faithful in Jerusalem, they brought
many candles to be lighted at the bier, and it happened that all the lights
burned through that day and the two following days without any of the candles
being consumed or wasted in any shape or manner.
In order that this and many other miracles wrought by the
power of God on this occasion might become better known to the world, the Lord
himself inspired all the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be present at the burial of
his most blessed Mother, so that there was scarcely any person in Jerusalem,
even of the Jews or the gentiles, who were not attracted by the novelty of this
spectacle. The Apostles took upon their shoulders the sacred body and the
tabernacle of God and, as priests of the evangelical law, bore the Propitiatory
of the divine oracles and blessings in orderly procession from the Cenacle in
the city to the valley of Josaphat. This was the visible accompaniment of the
dwellers of Jerusalem.
In the midst of this celestial and earthly accompaniment,
visible and invisible, the Apostles bore along the sacred body, and on the way
happened great miracles, which would take much time to relate. In particular all
the sick, of which there were many of the different kinds, were entirely cured.
Many of the possessed were freed from the demons; for the evil spirits did not
dare to wait until the sacred body came near the persons thus afflicted. Greater
still were the miracles of conversions wrought among many Jews and gentiles, for
on this occasion were opened up the treasures of divine mercy, so that many
souls came to the knowledge of Christ our Savior and loudly confessed Him as the
true God and Redeemer, demanding Baptism. Many days thereafter the Apostles and
disciples labored hard in catechizing and baptising those, who on that day had
been converted to the holy faith. The Apostles in carrying the sacred body felt
wonderful effects of divine light and consolation, which the disciples shared
according to their measure. All the multitudes of the people were seized with
astonishment at the fragrance diffused about, the sweet music and the other
prodigies. They proclaimed God great and powerful in this Creature and in
testimony of their acknowledgment, they struck their breasts in sorrow and
compunction.
When the procession came to the holy sepulchre in the valley
of Josaphat, the same two Apostles, saint Peter and saint John, who had laid the
celestial Treasure from the couch onto the bier, with joyful reverence placed it
in the sepulchre and covered it with a linen cloth, the hands of the angels
performing more of these last rites than the hands of the Apostles. They closed
up the sepulchre with a large stone, according to custom at other burials. The
celestial courtiers returned to heaven, while the thousand angels of the Queen
continued their watch, guarding the sacred body and keeping up the music as at
her burial. The concourse of the people lessened and the holy Apostles and
disciples, dissolved in tender tears, returned to the Cenacle. During a whole
year the exquisite fragrance exhaled by the body of Queen was noticeable
throughout the Cenacle, and in her oratory, for many years. This sanctuary
remain a place of refuge for all those that were burdened with labor and
difficulties; all found miraculous assistance, as well in sickness as in
hardships and necessities of other kind. After these miracles had continued for
some years in Jerusalem, the sins of Jerusalem and of its inhabitants drew upon
this city, among other punishments, that of being deprived of this inestimable
blessing.
Having again gathered in the Cenacle, the Apostles came to
the conclusion that some of them and of the disciples should watch at the
sepulchre of their Queen as long as they should hear the celestial music, for
all of them were wondering when the end of that miracle should be. Accordingly
some of them attended to the affairs of the Church in catechizing and baptizing
the new converts; and others immediately returned to the sepulchre, while all of
them paid frequent visits to it during the next three days. Saint Peter and
saint John, however, were more zealous in their attendance, coming only a few
times to the Cenacle and immediately returning to where was laid the treasure of
their heart.
If on this account the glory even of the least of the saints
is eneffable, what shall we say of the glory of the most blessed Mary, since
among the saints She is the most holy and She by Herself is more like to her Son
than all the saints together, and since her grace and glory exceed those of all
the rest, as those of an empress or sovereign over her vassals? This truth can
and should be believed; but in mortal life it cannot be understood, or the least
part of it be explained; for the inadequacy and deficiency of our words and
expressions rather tend to obscure than to set forth its greatness. Let us in
this life apply our labor, not in seeking to comprehend it, but in seeking to
merit its manifestation in glory, where we shall experience more or less of this
happiness according to our works.
Our Redeemer Jesus entered heaven conducting the purest soul
of his Mother at his right hand. She alone of all the mortals deserved exemption
from particular judgment; hence for Her there was none; no account was asked or
demanded of Her for what She had received; for such was the promise that had
been given to Her, when She was exempted from the common guilt and chosen as the
Queen privileged above the laws of the children of Adam. For the same reason,
instead of being judged with the rest, She shall be seated at the right hand of
the Judge to judge with Him all the creatures. If in the first instant of her
Conception She was the brightest Aurora, effulgent with the rays of the sun of
the Divinity beyond all the brightness of the most exalted seraphim, and if
afterwards She was still further illumined by the contact of the hypostatic
Word, who derived his humanity from her purest substance, it necessarily follows
that She should be His Companion for all eternity, possessing such a likeness to
Him, that none greater can be possible between a Godman and a creature. In this
light the Redeemer himself presented Her before the throne of the Divinity; and
speaking to the eternal Father in the presence of all the blessed, who were
ravished at this wonder, the most sacred humanity uttered these words:
"Eternal Father, my most beloved Mother, thy beloved Daughter and the
cherished Spouse of the Holy Ghost, now comes to take possession of the crown
and glory, which We have prepared as a reward for her merit. She is the one who
was born as the rose among thorns, untouched, pure and beautiful, worthy of
being embraced by Us and being placed upon a throne to which none of our
creatures can ever attain, and to which those conceived in sin cannot aspire.
This is our chosen and our only One, distinguished above all else, to whom We
communicated our grace and our perfections beyond the measure accorded to other
creatures; in whom We have deposited the treasure of our incomprehensible
Divinity and its gifts; who most faithfully preserved and made fruitful the
talents, which We gave Her; who never swerved from our will, and who found grace
and pleasure in our eyes. My Father, most equitous is the tribunal of our
justice and mercy, and in it the services of our friends are repaid in the most
superabundant manner. It is right that to my Mother be given the reward of a
Mother; and if during her whole life and in all her works She was as like to Me
as is possible for a creature to be, let Her also be as like to Me in glory and
on the throne of our Majesty; so that where holiness is in essence, there it may
also be found in its highest participation.''
This decree of the incarnate Word was approved by the Father
and the Holy Ghost. The most holy soul of Mary was immediately raised to the
right hand of her Son and true God, and placed on the royal throne of the most
holy Trinity, which neither men, nor angels nor the seraphim themselves attain,
and will not attain for all eternity. This is the most exalted and supereminent
privilege of our Queen and Lady, that She is seated on the throne with the three
divine Persons and holds her place as Empress, while all the rest are set as
servants and ministers to the highest King. To the eminence and majesty of that
position, inaccessible to all other creatures, correspond her gifts of glory,
comprehension, vision and fruition; because She enjoys, above all and more than
all, that infinite Object, which the other blessed enjoy in an endless variety
of degrees. She knows, penetrates and understands much deeper the eternal Being
and its infinite attributes; She lovingly delights in its mysteries and most
hidden secrets, more than all the rest of the blessed.
Just as little can be explained the extra joy, which the
blessed experienced on that day in singing the new songs of praise to the
Omnipotent and in celebrating the glory of his Daughter, Mother and Spouse; for
in Her He had exalted all the works of his right hand. Although to the Lord
himself could come no new or essential glory because He possessed and possesses
it immutably infinite through all eternity; yet the exterior manifestations of
His pleasure and satisfaction at the fulfillment of his eternal decrees were
greater on that day.
On the third day after the most pure soul of Mary had taken
possession of this glory never to leave it, the Lord manifested to the saints
His divine will, that She should return to the world, resuscitate her sacred
body and unite Herself with it, so that She might in body and soul be again
raised to the right hand of her divine Son without waiting for the general
resurrection of the dead. The appropriateness of this favor, its accordance with
the others received by the most blessed Queen and with her supereminent dignity,
the saints could not but see; since even to mortals it is so credible, that even
if the Church had not certified it, we would judge those impious and foolish,
who would dare deny it. But the blessed saw it with greater clearness, together
with the determined time and hour as manifested to them in God himself. When the
time for this wonder had arrived, Christ our Savior himself descended from
heaven bringing with Him at His right hand the soul of his most blessed Mother
and accompanied by many legions of the Angels, the Patriarchs and ancient
Prophets. They came to the sepulchre in the valley of Josaphat, and all being
gathered in sight of the virginal temple, the Lord spoke the following words to
the saints.
"My Mother was conceived without stain of sin, in order
that from Her virginal substance I might stainlessly clothe Myself in the
humanity in which I came to the world and redeemed it from sin. My flesh is her
flesh; She co-operated with Me in the works of the Redemption; hence I must
raise Her, just as I rose from the dead, and this shall be at the same time and
hour. For I wish to make Her like Me in all things." All the ancient saints
of the human race then gave thanks for this new favor in songs of praise and
glory to the Lord. Those that especially distinguished themselves in their
thanksgiving were our first parents Adam and Eve, saint Anne, saint Joachim and
saint Joseph, as being the more close partakers in this miracle of his
Omnipotence. Then the purest soul of the Queen, at the command of the Lord,
entered the virginal body, reanimated it and raised it up, giving it a new life
of immortality and glory and communicating to it the four gifts of clearness,
impassibility, agility and subtlety, corresponding to those of the soul and
overflowing from it into the body.
Endowed with these gifts the most blessed Mary issued from
the tomb in body and soul, without raising the stone cover and without
disturbing the position of the tunic and the mantle that had enveloped her
sacred body. Since it is impossible to describe her beauty and refulgent glory,
I will not make the attempt. It is sufficient to say, that just as the heavenly
Mother had given to her divine Son in her womb the form of man, pure, unstained
and sinless, for the Redemption of the world, so in return the Lord, in this
resurrection and new regeneration, gave to Her a glory and beauty similar to his
own. In this mysterious and divine interchange each One did what was possible:
most holy Mary engendered Christ, assimilating Him as much as possible to
Herself, and Christ resuscitated Her, communicating to Her of his glory as far
as She was capable as a creature.
Then from the sepulchre was started a most solemn procession,
moving with celestial music through the regions of the air and toward the
empyrean heaven. This happened in the hour immediately after midnight, which
also the Lord had risen from the grave; and therefore not all of the Apostles
were witness of this prodigy, but only some of them, who were present and
watching at the sepulchre. The saints and angels entered in the order in which
they had started; and in the last place came Christ our Savior and at his right
hand the Queen, clothed in the gold of variety (as David says Ps. 44, 10), and
so beautiful that She was the admiration of the heavenly court. All of them
turned toward Her to look upon Her and bless Her with new jubilee and songs of
praise. Thus were heard those mysterious eulogies recorded by Solomon: Come,
daughters of Sion, to your Queen, who is praised by the morning stars and
celebrated by the sons of the Most High. Who is She that comes from the desert,
like a column of all aromatic perfumes? Who is She, that rises like the aurora,
more beautiful than the moon, elect as the sun, terrible as many serried armies?
Who is She that comes up from the desert resting upon her Beloved and spreading
forth abundant delights? (Cant. 3,6-9; 8,5). Who is She in whom the Deity itself
finds so much pleasure and delight above all other creatures and whom He exalts
above them all in the heavens! O novelty worthy of the infinite Wisdom! O
prodigy of his Omnipotence, which so magnifies and exalts Her!
Amid this glory the most blessed Mary arrived body and soul
at the throne of the most blessed Trinity. And the three divine Persons received
Her on it with an embrace eternally undissoluble. The eternal Father said Her:
"Ascend higher, my Daughter and my Dove." The incarnate Word spoke:
"My Mother, of whom I received human being and full return of my work in
thy perfect imitation, receive now from my hand the reward thou hast
merited." The Holy Ghost said: "My most beloved Spouse, enter into the
eternal joy, which corresponds to the most faithful love; do Thou now enjoy thy
love without solicitude; for past is the winter of suffering for Thou hast
arrived at our eternal embraces." There the most blessed Mary was absorbed
in the contemplation of the three divine Persons and as it were overwhelmed in
the boundless ocean and abyss of the Divinity, while the saints were filled with
wonder and new accidental delight. Since, at the occasion of this work of the
Omnipotent happened other wonders, I shall speak of them as far as possible in
the following chapter.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN. (The
Virgin Mary speaks to Sister Mary of Agreda, Spain.)
My daughter, lamentable and inexcusable is the ignorance of
men in so knowingly forgetting the eternal glory, which God has prepared for
those who dispose themselves to merit it. I wish that thou bitterly bewail and
deplore this pernicious forgetfulness; for there is no doubt, that whoever
wilfully forgets the eternal glory and happiness is in evident danger of losing
it. No one is free from this guilt, not only because men do not apply much labor
or effort in seeking and retaining the remembrance of this happiness; but they
labor with all their powers in things that make them forget the end for which
they were created. Undoubtedly this forgetfulness arises from their entangling
themselves in the pride of life, the covetousness of the eyes, and the desires
of the flesh (John 2, 16); for employing therein all the forces and faculties of
their soul during the whole time of their life, they have no leisure, care or
attention for the thoughts of eternal felicity. Let men acknowledge and confess,
whether this recollection costs them more labor than to follow their blind
passions, seeking after honors, possessions or the transitory pleasures, all of
which have an end with this life, and which, after much striving and labor, many
men do not, and can never attain.
This is a sorrow beyond all sorrows, and a misfortune without
equal and without remedy. Afflict thyself, lament and grieve without consolation
over this ruin of so many souls bought by the blood of my divine Son. I assure
thee, my dearest, that, if men would not make themselves so unworthy of it, my
charity would urge me, in the celestial glory where thou knowest me to be, to
send forth a voice through the whole world exclaiming: "Mortal and deceived
men, what are you doing? For what purpose are you living? Do you realize what it
is to see God face to face, and to participate in his eternal glory and share
his company? Of what are you thinking? Who has thus disturbed and fascinated
your judgment? What will you seek, if once you have lost this true blessing and
happiness, since there is no other? The labor is short, the reward is infinite
glory, and the punishment is eternal."
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Catholic Catechism
Part Three: Life in Christ
Section Two: The Ten Commandments
Chapter Two: Seventh Commandment
Article 7:5 Justice and Solidarity Among Nations
CHAPTER TWO
YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Love one another as I have loved you."1 Jn 13:34
2196
In response to the question about the first of the commandments, Jesus says:
"The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind, and with all your strength.' the second is this, 'You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than
these."2 Mk 12:29-31; cf.
⇒ Deut 6:4-5; ⇒ Lev
19:18; ⇒ Mt 22:34-40;
⇒ Lk 10:25-28
The apostle St. Paul reminds us of this: "He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."3 Rom 13:8-10
The apostle St. Paul reminds us of this: "He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."3 Rom 13:8-10
Article 7
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
You shall
not steal.185 EX 20:15;
⇒ Deut 5:19; ⇒ Mt
19:18.
2401
The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one's neighbor
and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods. It commands justice and
charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men's labor. For the
sake of the common good, it requires respect for the universal destination of
goods and respect for the right to private property. Christian life strives to
order this world's goods to God and to fraternal charity.
V. Justice and Solidarity
Among Nations
2437
On the international level, inequality of resources and economic capability is
such that it creates a real "gap" between nations.223 On the
one side there are those nations possessing and developing the means of growth
and, on the other, those accumulating debts.
2438
Various causes of a religious, political, economic, and financial nature today
give "the social question a worldwide dimension."224 There
must be solidarity among nations which are already politically interdependent.
It is even more essential when it is a question of dismantling the
"perverse mechanisms" that impede the development of the less
advanced countries.225 In place of abusive if not usurious financial
systems, iniquitous commercial relations among nations, and the arms race,
there must be substituted a common effort to mobilize resources toward
objectives of moral, cultural, and economic development, "redefining the
priorities and hierarchies of values."226
2439
Rich nations have a grave moral responsibility toward those which are unable to
ensure the means of their development by themselves or have been prevented from
doing so by tragic historical events. It is a duty in solidarity and charity;
it is also an obligation in justice if the prosperity of the rich nations has
come from resources that have not been paid for fairly.
2440
Direct aid is an appropriate response to immediate, extraordinary needs caused
by natural catastrophes, epidemics, and the like. But it does not suffice to
repair the grave damage resulting from destitution or to provide a lasting
solution to a country's needs. It is also necessary to reform international
economic and financial institutions so that they will better promote equitable
relationships with less advanced countries.227 The efforts of poor
countries working for growth and liberation must be supported.228 This
doctrine must be applied especially in the area of agricultural labor.
Peasants, especially in the Third World, form the overwhelming majority of the
poor.
2441
An increased sense of God and increased self-awareness are fundamental to any
full development of human society. This development multiplies material goods
and puts them at the service of the person and his freedom. It reduces dire
poverty and economic exploitation. It makes for growth in respect for cultural
identities and openness to the transcendent.229
2442
It is not the role of the Pastors of the Church to intervene directly in the
political structuring and organization of social life. This task is part of the
vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with their fellow
citizens. Social action can assume various concrete forms. It should always
have the common good in view and be in conformity with the message of the
Gospel and the teaching of the Church. It is the role of the laity "to
animate temporal realities with Christian commitment, by which they show that
they are witnesses and agents of peace and justice."230
223 Cf. SRS 14.
224 SRS 9.
225 Cf. SRS 17; 45.
226 CA 28; Cf. 35.
227 Cf. SRS 16.
228 Cf. CA 26.
229 Cf. SRS 32; CA 51.
230 SRS 47 # 6; cf. 42.
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