Kitchen Catechism: Featured Articles
by Lois Donahue
As we come to the last two Glorious Mysteries, I ask you to please remember two things.
First – I could not find anything in the Bible which specifically speaks of either the Assumption or the Coronation and just this first verse from Rev. l2 which could possibly be associated – “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Therefore we pretty much must rely on the Sacred Tradition of our Church for what we know about these Mysteries.
Second – when I write to you about meditating on the ‘mysteries’ of the rosary I am definitely not telling you what you should think about each one, I am merely sharing with you some of the thoughts which have come to me at different times because of circumstances in my own life – because of who I am and where I am and what is happening around me. So here I go -----
Since both the ‘Assumption’ and the ’Crowning’ turn our thoughts to Mary, let me tell you who she is to me. I have no doubt that she is the mother of Jesus, of God, and that she is unquestionably a very very special, only-one-of-a-kind woman, a woman of faith and of prayer. I think of her as humble, caring and gentle – neither “pushy” or “aggressive” but not hesitant to make a statement by her presence if that is sufficient or with words when necessary. I think of her as a family woman, devoted to her husband and her son. Certainly as a ‘mother’ but now, no doubt, because of my age, I am not often inclined to think of her as ‘my’ mother. To me, Mary has become more of a dear and intimate friend. Speaking from that perspective, here are a few thoughts. THE ASSUMPTION Rev. l2:l
Despite the fact that the Assumption is not explicitly found in the Bible, early Christians sincerely believed that something extraordinary happened to Mary when she left her worldly life. Even in ancient times Catholics believed the truth of Mary’s bodily Assumption. That belief spread in both the western and eastern parts of the Roman Empire by the end of the fifth century. As time passed the belief was framed more explicitly and in the Middle Ages even St. Bernard, St. Albert the Great, St. Bonaventure and St. Anthony of Padua professed belief in the Assumption. The expanded acceptance within the Church itself of this belief regarding Mary’s Assumption became more and more obvious. In time the Assumption became a doctrine of our Church – doctrine meaning that “the Church authority teaches that it is to be believed” and also part of the Church’s liturgy, that is it became a part of the “the public worship of God as officially organized by the Church” even had its own Feast Day.
In the seventh century that Feast, which was almost universally celebrated in the East under the name “Dormition” (meaning falling asleep) was passed over to the West and spread from Italy to France, Great Britain, Ireland and Spain. In the eighth century, August l5th became the established date for the Feast. Gradually the name was changed from the Dormition to the Assumption and Pope Pius XII declared it to be “among the more solemn celebrations of the entire liturgical cycle. On November l, l950 that same pope in the presence of 37 cardinals, hundreds of archbishops and bishops and thousands of Catholics from all over the world, said this -- “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
It has been emphasized that these words spoken by the Pope did not in any way change what believers held to be true over the years. It simply added “clarity, precision and a greater certainty”. I can just imagine some of the thousands of people of faith hearing those words, smiling and saying to Mary “I knew it all the time”. So goes history and certainly what I’ve learned from the history of the Assumption offers me things about which to meditate. Then again there are times when my meditating has nothing to do with history -- when I simply think to myself, what son, with the power to do so, would not bring his mother to be with Him in Heaven – where she would never again worry, be lonely or feel pain – where she would know a mother’s joy of being with her child – where she would once again see friends or relatives who left the earth before she did – where she would have the ability and be given the opportunity to intercede for those who asked for her help. I think of the fact that her son had the power and, in the way He chose, He did just that – took His mother to Heaven.
So much for the Assumption except to take a moment to respond to a question often asked regarding the end of Mary’s life here on earth. The Church does not specify if or if not she actually died.
Now to the next mystery and a bit more of my questionable thinking.
THE CORONATION
Here again is one of my own personal meditation thoughts. Thinking of Mary, whose son, as God, certainly reigns as the King of Heaven, it only makes sense to me that He would chose her to be crowned His Queen. However, when I meditate on the Coronation my thoughts are much more ‘earthly’, more related to my unassuming, unpretentious friend, Mary, the kind of ‘behind the scene’ person – ever present and supportive. I just don’t think she would want a fuss made over her. I think of her accepting her ‘Queenship’ and the crown much as she accepted her role as Mother of God’s son, saying simply – “May it be done to me according to your word”. I smile, and, in a way, wink at her as I imagine her shaking her head against any kind of “pomp and circumstance” and perhaps even saying “no” to her son in the same tone of voice she may well have used back in Nazareth when raising a truly human little boy.
I know my thinking here is far from what is thought of as ‘spiritual’ but personally and humanly it makes me feel so close to Mary – makes her so real and so present in my life.
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Now that we have completed a rather “off the beaten path” journey through these twenty mysteries of the Rosary let me close with this final thought –
As we pray this most popular devotion to Mary, as the beads slip through our fingers, as we recite the familiar prayers and as we let our thoughts zero in on a wide and sometimes mysterious range of events, maybe, since the Rosary is a Mary devotion, it might be helpful to view all that happens through the eyes and heart of the real woman she was – a woman who lived in so many ways as we live – loving Jesus in her own personal way, as we do – making every effort to live according to God’s will, as we struggle to do – and a woman who has left this world in accordance with God’s plan which we, too, will do.
Perhaps, above all, we should remind ourselves that she is a woman who now, with her Son, awaits us in Heaven and wants us to know that all the time she is waiting she will always be listening and understanding so well our tears and our smiles and everything in between – wanting us to know that no matter why we are praying the Rosary, whether we are ‘asking’ or ‘thanking’ or just ‘keeping in touch’ she will always be our message-bearer to her son --- always willing, able and anxious to do anything and everything she can to be of help to us because she truly, truly cares.
From her point of view, I think there is no doubt that, as someone once said, she hopes that each time we say her Rosary we will be reminded of the realness, humanness and accessibility of our living and loving God.
Bye-bye ‘til next time.