Daily Retreat 08/15/06
2006 Aug 15 Tue: ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY S. Holy Day of Obligation.
Vigil: 1 Chr 15: 3-4. 15-16; 16: 1-2/ Ps 131(132): 6-7. 9-10. 13-14/ 1 Cor 15: 54b-57/ Lk 11: 27-28
Day: Rv 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab/ Ps 44(45): 10. 11. 12. 16/ 1 Cor 15: 20-27/ Lk 1: 39-56
From today’s readings: “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.... The queen takes her place at Your right hand in gold.... For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order.... And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant....”
The Assumption
When you open up the hood of a car, you’re faced with a formidable but carefully engineered and coordinated jumble of parts which everyone finds a bit overwhelming, except, perhaps, an expert mechanic, although even he probably is occasionally stumped by an unfamiliar make or model year. While even the uninitiated can point out a few obvious components - that’s the engine block, this here is the battery, that’s the steering column, etc. - most of us would have to admit that we might have a vague idea, at best, of what purpose is served by many of those elaborate contraptions under the hood.
But, just because we don’t know what something does, doesn’t mean we should start pulling out and discarding all of those parts which surpass our own expertise. For, there might be a tangle of wires that appear to go nowhere, but then turns out to be essential for the starting mechanism - if we take it out, a short-circuit prevents the ignition from turning over. Or, some hose that seems superfluous, but in reality is integral to the cooling system - if it’s removed, the engine quickly overheats. But even if we were to remove something purely ancillary, such as the horn or windshield wiper motor, the car itself might still run, albeit with some real handicap, since everything under the hood is there for a reason.
When you open up the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you’re faced with a formidable but divinely inspired and coherent body of dogmas and doctrines which everyone finds a bit overwhelming, except, perhaps, a well-studied, monkish priest, although even he (believe me!) probably is occasionally bedazzled by less familiar points of theology or Church history. While even the unbaptized can point out a few credal components of the Christian faith - Jesus Christ, the Son of the Virgin Mary, is true God and true man; He was crucified, but rose from the dead and now reigns in Heaven, etc. - still, most Christians would have to admit to having only a vague idea, at best, of the meaning and history of many of the elaborate tenets of the Faith.
But, just because we don’t completely understand a teaching of the Church, doesn’t mean we should start ignoring and denying all of those parts which surpass our own expertise. For, there are those extraordinary assertions, for instance, about the Immaculate Conception, and about the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into Heaven, declarations which appear to be biblically unfounded, but then turn out to be inescapable consequences of a number of solid scriptural convictions, for “what the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.”
How so? Well, for starters, the Book of Genesis, echoed by St. Paul, teaches that death is the wages of sin, whether it be the Original sin of Adam and Eve or the personal sins of the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve. But Jesus, who knew no sin, was nonetheless still truly human, having been incarnated of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the human nature which Mary possessed and passed on to her divine Son fittingly was free itself of sin, and that’s the kernel of the dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. But since preserved from the stain of sin, she was also blessed with a singular, more immediate participation in the fruits of her Son’s Resurrection, so that Mary, “when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord ....”
But suppose that just seems too complicated, and I decide I’m going to dispense with that unwieldy conglomeration of the dogma of Mary’s corporeal assumption. Oh, I’m sure she’s in Heaven with Jesus, but why can’t her bodily remains still be just buried somewhere on Earth, like everyone else’s?
Well, first of all, there’s the giant historical objection that the early Church, which so devoutly venerated the graves of St. Peter and other saints who had known Jesus personally, has no record of the death and burial place of Mary. And yet, from the beginning, Mary’s exalted role in God’s plan of salvation was explicitly recognized by the Church - why then would there be no acknowledgment of her tomb?
But, just like stripping a car of complicated parts leads to big problems, so does dismissing dogmas! Because, fundamentally, if Mary’s bodily Assumption is denied, then there is a concomitant denial that all faithful Christians are to share fully in Christ’s Resurrection. For Jesus conquered sin and death in His body and soul. And God created us body AND soul; He redeemed us body AND soul; and His eternal plan is to take us up, body AND soul, to be with Him forever in Heaven!
But as St. Paul teaches in his first letter to the Corinthians:
“For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end.... the last enemy to be destroyed is death....” So first, those who belong to Christ are brought to life - by this Paul means eternal life in Heaven. But then, afterwards, comes the end, and “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Now, Christ’s resurrection already vanquished and conquered death, but the definitive, utter destruction of death still awaits the general resurrection of the body at the end of time, for until then, death is obviously still among us.
But death, remember, entered the world through the envy of the Devil - death is the wages of sin! However, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, knew no sin, either in His human or divine nature. Since His human nature was uncorrupted by sin from the beginning, the maternal origin of His human nature fittingly also was free from the stain of sin. So, death has no claim on the body of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, spared as she was of the corruption of sin.
If Mary were not bodily in Heaven, that would mean that death still has a temporary claim on her. But if death has a claim on Mary, that would mean that Christ’s Resurrection, while perhaps cheating death, is insufficient to destroy death for those to whom He has promised a share in His Resurrection.
In short, if you disregard the bodily Assumption of Mary, you short-circuit the full effects of Christ’s Resurrection and sever the integral biblical connection between sin and death. Everything under the hood of a car is there for a reason, as any bona fide grease monkey could explain. Everything under the cover of the Church's Catechism is taught by the Church for a reason, as any bona fide priest “monkie” will likewise do his best to explain!
Vigil: 1 Chr 15: 3-4. 15-16; 16: 1-2/ Ps 131(132): 6-7. 9-10. 13-14/ 1 Cor 15: 54b-57/ Lk 11: 27-28
Day: Rv 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab/ Ps 44(45): 10. 11. 12. 16/ 1 Cor 15: 20-27/ Lk 1: 39-56
From today’s readings: “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.... The queen takes her place at Your right hand in gold.... For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order.... And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant....”
The Assumption
When you open up the hood of a car, you’re faced with a formidable but carefully engineered and coordinated jumble of parts which everyone finds a bit overwhelming, except, perhaps, an expert mechanic, although even he probably is occasionally stumped by an unfamiliar make or model year. While even the uninitiated can point out a few obvious components - that’s the engine block, this here is the battery, that’s the steering column, etc. - most of us would have to admit that we might have a vague idea, at best, of what purpose is served by many of those elaborate contraptions under the hood.
But, just because we don’t know what something does, doesn’t mean we should start pulling out and discarding all of those parts which surpass our own expertise. For, there might be a tangle of wires that appear to go nowhere, but then turns out to be essential for the starting mechanism - if we take it out, a short-circuit prevents the ignition from turning over. Or, some hose that seems superfluous, but in reality is integral to the cooling system - if it’s removed, the engine quickly overheats. But even if we were to remove something purely ancillary, such as the horn or windshield wiper motor, the car itself might still run, albeit with some real handicap, since everything under the hood is there for a reason.
When you open up the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you’re faced with a formidable but divinely inspired and coherent body of dogmas and doctrines which everyone finds a bit overwhelming, except, perhaps, a well-studied, monkish priest, although even he (believe me!) probably is occasionally bedazzled by less familiar points of theology or Church history. While even the unbaptized can point out a few credal components of the Christian faith - Jesus Christ, the Son of the Virgin Mary, is true God and true man; He was crucified, but rose from the dead and now reigns in Heaven, etc. - still, most Christians would have to admit to having only a vague idea, at best, of the meaning and history of many of the elaborate tenets of the Faith.
But, just because we don’t completely understand a teaching of the Church, doesn’t mean we should start ignoring and denying all of those parts which surpass our own expertise. For, there are those extraordinary assertions, for instance, about the Immaculate Conception, and about the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into Heaven, declarations which appear to be biblically unfounded, but then turn out to be inescapable consequences of a number of solid scriptural convictions, for “what the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.”
How so? Well, for starters, the Book of Genesis, echoed by St. Paul, teaches that death is the wages of sin, whether it be the Original sin of Adam and Eve or the personal sins of the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve. But Jesus, who knew no sin, was nonetheless still truly human, having been incarnated of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the human nature which Mary possessed and passed on to her divine Son fittingly was free itself of sin, and that’s the kernel of the dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. But since preserved from the stain of sin, she was also blessed with a singular, more immediate participation in the fruits of her Son’s Resurrection, so that Mary, “when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord ....”
But suppose that just seems too complicated, and I decide I’m going to dispense with that unwieldy conglomeration of the dogma of Mary’s corporeal assumption. Oh, I’m sure she’s in Heaven with Jesus, but why can’t her bodily remains still be just buried somewhere on Earth, like everyone else’s?
Well, first of all, there’s the giant historical objection that the early Church, which so devoutly venerated the graves of St. Peter and other saints who had known Jesus personally, has no record of the death and burial place of Mary. And yet, from the beginning, Mary’s exalted role in God’s plan of salvation was explicitly recognized by the Church - why then would there be no acknowledgment of her tomb?
But, just like stripping a car of complicated parts leads to big problems, so does dismissing dogmas! Because, fundamentally, if Mary’s bodily Assumption is denied, then there is a concomitant denial that all faithful Christians are to share fully in Christ’s Resurrection. For Jesus conquered sin and death in His body and soul. And God created us body AND soul; He redeemed us body AND soul; and His eternal plan is to take us up, body AND soul, to be with Him forever in Heaven!
But as St. Paul teaches in his first letter to the Corinthians:
“For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end.... the last enemy to be destroyed is death....” So first, those who belong to Christ are brought to life - by this Paul means eternal life in Heaven. But then, afterwards, comes the end, and “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Now, Christ’s resurrection already vanquished and conquered death, but the definitive, utter destruction of death still awaits the general resurrection of the body at the end of time, for until then, death is obviously still among us.
But death, remember, entered the world through the envy of the Devil - death is the wages of sin! However, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, knew no sin, either in His human or divine nature. Since His human nature was uncorrupted by sin from the beginning, the maternal origin of His human nature fittingly also was free from the stain of sin. So, death has no claim on the body of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, spared as she was of the corruption of sin.
If Mary were not bodily in Heaven, that would mean that death still has a temporary claim on her. But if death has a claim on Mary, that would mean that Christ’s Resurrection, while perhaps cheating death, is insufficient to destroy death for those to whom He has promised a share in His Resurrection.
In short, if you disregard the bodily Assumption of Mary, you short-circuit the full effects of Christ’s Resurrection and sever the integral biblical connection between sin and death. Everything under the hood of a car is there for a reason, as any bona fide grease monkey could explain. Everything under the cover of the Church's Catechism is taught by the Church for a reason, as any bona fide priest “monkie” will likewise do his best to explain!
posted by FrPitstick | 8/12/2006
<< Home