Hope & the Assumption of Mary

Last updated on: August 16, 2013 at 2:57 am by Matthew Tan

Hope & the Assumption of Mary 2013-08-16T02:57:00+10:00 Matthew Tan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Second Reading in the Roman Catholic Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary (taken from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 15) reads:

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. 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, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father.

The inclusion of this reading is not accidental. It is actually the key to understanding the significance of the Assumption of the Theotokos. For whilst Catholics and Protestants alike may in the main regard this event as something that is peculiar only to the Virgin, it is also, as the First Reading from Revelations 11 says, “a great sign” for all.

A way to understand why this is the case is to look at the Joint Statement by the Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission, Mary: Grace & Hope in Christ. Paragraph 29 of the document makes clear that Mary is no ordinary biblical figure, for while living within history, She is also at the same time an eschatological figure. Thus, the life of Mary gives us a window into what awaits “those who belong to Christ”, as the Second Reading of the Mass says.

The Feast of Mary’s Assumption then is highly important for the life of the Christian, for in Her Assumption, the Christian sees what is ultimately hoped for and what is professed in the Nicene Creed – the Resurrection of the Dead. Going further, as the First Letter to the Corinthians says, the sharing in the first fruits by those who belong to Christ is also a sign of the real end of history, when the hopes of all become fulfilled. Seen in this light, this Feast is also important for Christian discipleship, fo rit should give us pause to consider whether we find ourselves longing for the things of this earth as if they gives fulfilment to our deepest desires.

There is thus much to learn and much to gain from a deep and constant reflection on this important day of the Liturgical Calendar.

Previous Post

August 9, 2013

Faith in Space

Next Post

August 23, 2013 Distributism & the Internet: The Case of B4RN

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category architecture art Augustine Belloc Benedict XVI bible blogs books bourgeois Christianity Campion College Chesterton Christianisation Church and Culture Church Fathers citizen conference conservative consumer culture cybernetics Desert Fathers discipleship distributism drinking ecclesiology economics education environment Evagrius of Pontus formation Foucault George Weigel Girard Graham Ward http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post interfaith Jacques Ellul John Chrysostom Julia Kristeva Latin liturgy mall marriage monasticism Music Narrative news philosophy polis politics pop culture postmodern city postsecular prayer prostestant quote Quotes Radical Orthodoxy resources Rome Rule of St. Benedict saint Saints secular sociology theological anthropology theology transcendance Uncategorized videos William Cavanaugh

Select a Month December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 October 2009 February 2008 December 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the Roman centurion first baptized into the Christian faith?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Festus Gallio Felix Cornelius