English
THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR BLESSED LADY
The ICON of the mystery we contemplate
THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR BLESSED LADY
In the Ascension, Christ was raised in glory to the right hand of the Father, while Mary herself would be raised to that same glory in the Assumption, enjoying beforehand, by a unique privilege, the destiny reserved for all the just at the resurrection of the dead.” (RVM 23)
The ICON of the mystery we contemplate:
The realistic representation of the mystery of the assumption, as beautiful as it is, always turns out to be somewhat disappointing, even ambiguous. We must go beyond the merely visible and understand that the reality of the mystery will always remain impossible to express in words or with the paintings of even the most gifted painters or most inspired iconographers. The truest language of all is that of images, of poetry and mysticism. When the Litanies of the Blessed Virgin call her ‘Mother of the Saviour’, ‘Throne of Wisdom’, ‘Most Sacred Dwelling Place’, ‘Ark of the Covenant’, they are expressing much more than literal descriptions, and rightly so. All these different titles given to Mary complement each other’s meaning. In particular, they show how one can proclaim her the ‘Ark of the Covenant’, and do so without hyperbole.
Filled with grace and glory,
Living Ark
Borne towards the City of God,
Come to meet Jesus;
He whom you received into your dwelling place
Welcomes you now into the Father’s presence.
The Church, rejoicing, celebrates your passing,
Alleluia, alleluia!
First among the redeemed,
Victorious presence in the midst of strife!
Mother of the Lord, humble yet full of power,
Your prayers are ever heard throughout the ages.
Mary source of our joy,
You enter into the joy of God.”
“[Our Lady was] intimately associated in [Christ’s] warfare against the enemy of our race. It was to issue in complete triumph over sin and death those twin enemies that are so often coupled together by Saint Paul. Of this victory, our Lord’s resurrection is the operative part; but our Lady, too, who shared in the conflict, must share in its conclusion, through the glorifying of that virgin body of hers.” (Pope Pius XII)
