Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour'
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On this Marian feast day, we celebrate Our Lady, assumed into glory through the saving power of her Son.
At the heart of today’s liturgy is the joy of that beautiful moment of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth (Gospel). These two women, who had no expectation of pregnancy, both carry babies who will in time bring about the kingdom of God on earth. Mary’s prayer of gratitude for this great blessing prefigures the Beatitudes that her Son, Jesus, will both proclaim and live.
The First Reading is part of the revelation to St John. In his vision, a crowned woman gives birth to a son. This child is taken up to God’s throne, and the salvation of Christ is proclaimed to the nations.
The Psalm is entitled a ‘song of love’, and for the Christian it poetically describes the love of God for his people. It invites us to listen, and to turn our hearts towards God.
In the Second Reading, we return to the theme of the salvation of Christ, also proclaimed in John’s revelation. In Christ all shall be made alive. In both of our opening readings, there is an air of triumphalism about God overcoming evil in the world. By contrast, Mary’s visit to Elizabeth in the Gospel reveals how our salvation is brought about through humility and simplicity of heart. The powerful will be brought low and the weak and humble will be raised up.
Let us pray for a joyful spirit of gratitude for God’s saving love, so that we, too, can proclaim with Mary, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord.’
St. Katherine of Siena Parish, Aberdeen
Here’s a text if you’ve only got a minute …
Listen … pay heed and give ear. Psalm
Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of God and the authority of his Christ have come. First Reading
‘He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.’ Gospel
Further Reflection
Apocalypse (Revelation) 11: 19, 12: 1–6, 10
This last book of the New Testament is very different from its predecessors. It describes visions of heaven and earth not normally seen or heard by human beings, whether in the past, present or future. Its authorship (c.95 AD?) has long been associated with John, writer of the fourth Gospel, although others argue that it predates the destruction of the Second Temple (70 AD). Its language and imagery are striking and often difficult to understand, as if the author is speaking in code.
The Ark of the Covenant is a symbol of God’s presence. It was normally kept in the Holy of Holies reserved for the high priest, but here is open for all to see.
The woman’s identity in this passage is multifaceted and associated with ancient myth. The idea of such a woman was familiar to Greeks, Hebrews and Egyptians. In Greek mythology, Leto, also wearing a veil of stars, gives birth to Apollo in heaven, while the Roman emperor Nero similarly had statues portraying him as Apollo.
The author of Revelation makes these myths his own, drawing on Old Testament references. In Genesis, the Lord tells the woman that she will suffer pains in childbirth; while the prophet Micah (4: 9–10) describes Jerusalem as a woman giving birth. Here the woman finds sanctuary in the desert, just as the Israelites did when fleeing from Egypt (Exodus 15–16).
Only in the fourth century did interpreters begin to see Mary in the present passage. Others regarded the woman as a personification of the Early Church, struggling to make the Messiah accepted as the church was attacked by evil, represented here by the dragon. Protected by God, the woman crowned with the twelve stars, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, becomes a vision of encouragement to the suffering churches.
Gospel Luke 1: 39–56
Mary sets off to meet her kinswoman Elizabeth following her encounter with the angel. Gabriel has announced that she is to conceive and bear a son, while Elizabeth is also expecting a child, despite her great age.
Mary arose and went with haste. Luke gives no reasons for Mary’s journey. Was it because she wanted to congratulate Elizabeth; because she was afraid of the local stigma of being pregnant before marriage; or because she was frightened and seeking comfort from an old friend? We may each have our answers. Luke, however, gives a sense of the immediacy of Mary’s decision.
… into the hill country, to a town in Judah Everything in Luke’s account contributes to making this important encounter low key. No powerful local dignitaries are mentioned, and the location is a nameless town in the countryside. In a reversal of the normal social order of the time, the two pregnant women occupy centre stage.
Elizabeth and Mary The Old Testament has many instances of older or barren women who conceive against all expectations: Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel in Genesis, and Hannah in the first book of Samuel. Mary, however, is a young girl, thought to be a young teenager, probably under 15 years old.
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit In Luke, this expression carries the same meaning as in the Old Testament: the person is empowered by God to perform a special task.
A visit from the mother of my Lord This is the first time Jesus is called ‘Lord’; thus far the term has been connected to God, but from now on ‘The Lord’ will refer to Jesus, as in the cry of Thomas the apostle: ‘My Lord and My God’ (John 20: 28).
Fulfilled promises The encounter between Mary and Elizabeth is the Old Order meeting the New. Elizabeth is to give birth to John, a prophet in the Old Testament tradition, while Mary is to give birth to Jesus, God made man. He is the fulfilment of all the promises made by God in the Old Testament.
Mary’s song: The Magnificat The Old Testament has other similar songs: Moses and Miriam (Exodus 15), and Hannah (1 Samuel 2: 1–10). Luke also quotes the songs of Zechariah and Simeon, known respectively as the ‘Benedictus’ and the ‘Nunc Dimittis’ from their opening words in Latin.
For further prayer and reflection see the 'Our Prayer Life' page.
To aid our reflection on the Sunday readings each week we are reproducing, with permission content from St Bueno's outreach.
if you would like to know more about them or access their guided prayer resources, 'prego', you can contact them via their website
Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom, she who bore the Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless life and praise.
Old Opening Prayer