January 1, 2016 — Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

The Catholic Church teaches four dogmas about the Blessed Virgin Mary: that she is Mother of God (Theotokos, in Greek); that she was always a virgin; that she was conceived without the stain of original sin; and that after her earthly life she was assumed body and soul into heaven.  The earliest of these to be formally defined as church teaching is that Mary is Mother of God. It was done at the Council of Ephesus, in 431. Obviously, it doesn't mean that Mary preexists the Holy Trinity, or that God takes his being from her. But it insists that Jesus Christ, God and man, is one person, and that Mary gave birth to all of him; she couldn't just give birth to him as a human, since he had no existence just as a person. It's as much about the unity of Jesus as one person as it is about Mary herself.

Before 1969, January, the octave day of Christmas, was known as the Feast of the Circumcision, because it was on the eighth day after his birth that Jesus was circumcised. The gospel for the day was just the verse telling of the circumcision. But in the liturgical revisions of 1969, it was designated as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Pope Paul VI had also designated it as the World Day of Prayer for Peace. The readings of the Mass reflect the history of the day.


The first reading — Numbers 6:22-27 — may seem out of place at first glance, but the priestly blessing concludes by invoking peace on the people, which is apt for the World Day of Prayer for Peace. The full blessing also seems appropriate for the beginning of the new year in the secular calendar of most of the world. It reminds us that God is the creator and giver of all good gifts. In the responsorial psalm — Ps. 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 — we ask his blessing for ourselves and for the world.


The second reading — Galatians 4:4-7 — while not mentioning Mary's name, speaks of Jesus' being born of her. His birth into our humanity makes it possible for him to bring us into his status: we become adopted children of God. Mary's son had to be God to save us.


Finally, the gospel —Luke 2:16-22 — unites the themes. The shepherds report what they have heard and seen: Mary's son, Jesus, is the Savior, and his birth brings peace to the world from God. On the eighth day after his birth, he is circumcised, under the Law, and given the name assigned to him by the angel at the Annunciation — a name which means, "The Lord saves," which is what he does.



We should have Aaron and the priests as models, as we pray for God's blessings, especially peace, for the world. We should be like the shepherds and praise and glorify God for all that he has revealed to us of his saving activity. We should imitate Mary, reflecting in our hearts on all God has said and done; and may this bring us a happy year 2016.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception wasn't made up by Pope Pius XI in 1854, when he solemnly defined it. As early as the 5th Century, there was recorded discussion of the matter. St. Augustine opposed it because he believed that original sin was transmitted by human biological reproduction, and therefore Mary must have inherited it along with everybody else except Jesus who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. But alongside that theological belief there was also growing in East and West a liturgical celebration of the Conception of Mary. In the 15th Century the Feast was promulgated for the whole Church, without defining it as a dogma. In 1661 Pope Alexander VII stated that "Mary, in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ her son … was preserved intact from the stain of original sin," citing the consensus of the Christian people. So it was no novelty when Pius IX declared that that doctrine is "a doctrine revealed by God" which all the faithful are obliged to believe.


The scriptures assigned to the Mass for the Solemnity, December 8, situate Mary within salvation history.

Our first reading — Genesis 3:9-15, 20 — tells the aftermath of the first sin. Most significant for this feast is what is called the "protoevangelium," the first gospel. The offspring of the woman would strike at the head of the serpent. While this can be read in a generic sense, it makes sense to read it as addressed to the one who tempted Adam and Eve, the devil, and for there to be a specific individual offspring, namely Jesus, who overcomes the devil.

Reflecting on Jesus who overcomes the sin of Adam and restores humanity — the second Adam — leads to the thought of a second Eve, who is the mother of the restored humanity, namely Mary, as Jesus said to John, "Behold your mother."

In verses 1-4 of Psalm 98, we rejoice at God's marvelous work of saving us, his people.

The second reading — Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 — gives us another expression if the idea we see implied in the protoevagelium of Genesis: God planned from all eternity to save us through the work of Jesus Christ. Mary's salvation is through her son, not independent of him. Her role in the unfolding of God's plan is a part of that plan.


The gospel presents the scene of the Annunciation. (Because this passage refers to the conception of Jesus, some people get confused and think this feast is about Jesus' conception by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, but it isn't. It's about the conception of Mary without original sin ever touching her soul.) As in the other readings, Mary's significance comes from her role in the events of her and our salvation. Two phrases point to her immaculate conception. The angel addresses her as "full of grace." If we take this literally, it means that there is no deficiency in her spirit, no element where grace is lacking. But original sin would have been a lack of grace. Then Mary characterizes herself as "the handmaid of the Lord." We see this statement as absolutely true. Others of us may be imperfect servants or handmaids of the Lord, but she was the perfect handmaid of the Lord: her will in unbroken accord with his because it was unstained by original sin.

This passage is not an logical syllogism proving the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, but it corroborates it, and it is one of the passages, along with the one from Genesis and others, which formed the basis for the theological reflection which led to the development of the doctrine within the Church under the continuing guidance of the Holy Spirit.


And is there a lesson for us? Sometimes, we just rejoice in what God has done to save us, and I think that should be our primary focus: praise and thanksgiving. But we also learn that grace can overcome all sin. We can have forgiveness for our past sins; but beyond that, we are under no compulsion to sin. God's grace is sufficient to enable us to avoid sin. We need to accept and cooperate with that grace.

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First, my apology for being late with this. I was away on retreat from last Sunday evening until Friday evening. While I was away, though, I worked on this post, reviewing the scriptures and considering the commentaries. Even if you can't look this over in preparation for attending Mass, I hope it will be worth reading.

Second, a word about the dogma of the Assumption. Pope Pius XII declared in 1950, "By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, 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." Here is the full text of the Apostolic Constitution defining the dogma. As you can see, this was not a novelty, but something that had been generally believed for centuries.

Finally, a word about scripture. It is common to see in various persons, things, and events of the Old Testaments prefigurings of persons, events, or things in the New Testament. These are called "types." They illustrate the New Testament reality. To give one example. the manna of the Old Testament is a type of the Eucharistic bread, the bod of Jesus given for the life of the world. Another type is Isaac, carrying the wood for him to be sacrificed, just as Jesus bore the wood of the cross. While the scriptures do not say in so many words, "Mary was assumed into heaven," Old Testament types, together with various passages in the New Testament provide a basis for those who ponder these things in their hearts to see that Mary did not undergo the corruption of the tomb.


Like other solemnities, the Assumption has two Mass formularies: one for the vigil, and one for the day itself. Because there are connections between them, I'll consider them together.

The first reading of the vigil —1 Chronicles 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2 — gives the essentials of King David's bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. The Ark is seen as a type of Mary, since she carried Jesus in her womb, just as the Ark contained three things: the tablets of the commandments, corresponding to Jesus, the Word of God; some manna, corresponding to Jesus, the Bread of Life; Moses' rod with which he parted the Red Sea and brought water from the rock, corresponding to Jesus, the giver of Baptism. So the bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem prefigures the bringing of Mary to God's eternal dwelling place.

Psalm 132:6-7, 9-10, 13-14, with a response from verse 8, has us reflect on the bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the Lord.

On the day itself, the first reading — Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab — opens with a vision of the Ark of the Covenant in God's temple in heaven. Again, the Ark is seen as a type of Mary.

Another vision follows, that of a glorious, celestial, crowned woman who is about to give birth. The description of her child — in language reminiscent of Psalm 2:8-9 — makes it clear that he is the Messiah. He is snatched up into heaven at his Ascension. If the child is Jesus, then in a literal sense, the woman of the vision must be Mary. But the birth of Jesus and his Ascension do not end the dragon's (Satan's) attack on the woman. She must flee to the desert, where God provides for her. It is generally understood that here the woman comes to represent the Church, under persecution. But, as Jesus promised, the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

In response, Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16 invites us to reflect on Mary as God's queen. The woman of Revelation bears a crown; Mary' is mother of the Son of God. So we see this queen as a type of Mary, now in heaven with God.


The second reading of each Mass is from 1st Corinthians, chapter 15 — 15:54b-57 on the vigil, and 15:20-27 for the day. Christ is the conqueror of sin and death. Christ makes bodily resurrection and immortality available to all his people. Therefore Mary's Assumption differs only in timing from what awaits all other Christians at the end of time.


The gospel of the vigil — Luke 11:27-28, reminds us that being the mother of Jesus would have been of no benefit to Mary if she hadn't heard the word of God and observed it. But she did hear and keep it, from the Annunciation, to the visit of the Magi and the finding of Jesus in the temple: occasions after which she pondered the meaning of them in her heart. And so after the Ascension, the Apostles persevered in prayer with her. We too are blessed if, like Mary, we hear God's word and observe it.

In the Mass of the day, the gospel — Luke 1:39-56 — presents words in praise of Mary similar to those from the previous evening. "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." This also reminds us of Gabriel's greeting to Mary, "Hail, ful of grace." On this occasion, the one who recognizes Mary's blessedness is Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. She has not heard Jesus teach, but John's leap in her womb tells her that Mary's unborn child is the Lord. And she goes on to recognize what Jesus pointed out to the other woman: that Mary's blessedness is tied to believing the word of the Lord.

For her part. Mary recognizes that her blessedness, and its recognition through all generations, is God's work, not her own doing. It is one element in his saving work throughout history.


Today, I came across a link to this post. It is fascinating. There is something called microchimerism. "In human fetomaternal microchimerism (or “fetal cell microchimerism”), every child leaves within his mother a microscopic bit of himself — every pregnancy, brought to delivery or not, leaves a small amount of its own cells within the body of the mother — and those cells remain within her forever." So Mary carried some cells of Jesus in her body. Since Jesus' cells couldn't undergo corruption, Mary's body housing them couldn't. It's not a long piece, and I suggest you read the whole thing.

Happy Feast Day.