Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

                                   

                                    

Crowning of Mary
Assumption Church
Fairfield, CT*

In 1950 when the world was still recovering from the ravages of the Second World War, Pope Pius XII promulgated the doctrine which we celebrate today, the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. Now Catholics didn't start believing in the Assumption only in 1950. Think of how many churches were constructed before 1950 dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. Belief in Mary's Assumption can be found in the writings of the early Church Fathers and for centuries artists have delighted in rendering the scene of Mary being taken up into Heaven.

Of course, Catholics have always loved images of Mary. In today's first reading we have the famous image from the Book of Revelation of "the woman clothed with the sun" who was about to give birth to a son, "destined to rule all the nations." In today's gospel we have St. Luke's famous account of the Visitation. Almost immediately after the Annunciation Mary embarks on a journey to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who is herself expecting. Artists have loved to portray this tender scene of the meeting of the two women. The young Mary, barely pregnant, greets her elder cousin whose pregnancy is well advanced.

St. Luke is the only evangelist to describe this meeting but, of course, he wasn't present. How did he get his information? It's possible that he was merely relating an earlier oral tradition and giving us an account of what the early Church believed Mary would have said on this occasion. Perhaps he talked with the Blessed Mother herself after the death and resurrection of her Son. In that event, this passage would represent her profound recollection of the Visitation in the light of everything that came after.

Nevertheless, what image does St. Luke give us of Mary? We certainly can't take from his account that Mary was a bewildered, frightened teenager. The very name, Mary or Miriam, means "the exalted one." Scholars tell us that the expression "leaped for joy" is only used in the Bible when one is in the presence of the Almighty, such as the time King David danced in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Elizabeth's greeting,

            Blessed are you among women,

            and blessed is the fruit of your womb...

which we repeat every day in the "Hail Mary," proclaims that from Mary will come the Savior of the world.

The beautiful prayer of Mary which we call the Magnificat is a collection of verses from many sources in the Hebrew scriptures, especially the Psalms, those beautiful hymns of praise. We all know the beginning,

            My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

            my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

            for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

            From this day all generations will call me blessed:

This is the song of a great Queen who has accepted a great mission.

In artistic renderings of the Immaculate Conception Mary is portrayed as the woman clothed with the Sun, with the Moon at her feet, and stars in her crown. Her dress is white but she is covered with a blue mantle. Ordinarily, she is pictured with a red dress covered with the blue mantle. Now "red" is the symbol of earth or humanity but "blue" is the symbol of divinity. The artists follow the teaching of the Church. Mary is human but she has been cloaked with immortality. In the vigil Mass for today's feast, the words of St. Paul apply not only to Mary but to any who put on the mantle of her Son.

            When that which is mortal clothes itself with immortality,

            then the word that is written shall come about:

            'Death is swallowed up in victory.

            Where, O death, is your victory?

            Where, O death, is your sting?'

 Reading 1. Revelation 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a, 10ab

Reading II. 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27

Gospel. Luke 1: 39-56 (Visitation)

        

         

           

           

      

           

           

           

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Transfiguration of the Lord

                                    

Transfiguration,
Assumption Church
Fairfield CT*

The gospel account of the Transfiguration is always used on the second Sunday in Lent, but the actual feast, the Transfiguration of the Lord, is celebrated on August 6. The morning prayer taken from Psalm 76 sets out the theme of the day. 

God is made known in Judah, In Israel his name is great.         

The morning prayers also include the account from Exodus of God’s appearance to Moses on Mt. Sinai, as well as the famous Canticle of Zechariah from Luke’s gospel.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
He has come to his peole and set them free
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
Born of the house of his servant David

            

In the Mass itself the first reading is from the Book of the Prophet Daniel and Daniel’s vision has always been seen to prefigure Jesus. Daniel saw:

One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory and kingship...

This reading reminds us of St. Mark’s account today of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Jesus is far along in His mission when the event occurs. He has given the Sermon on the Mount, healed the sick, driven out devils, and raised the daughter of Jairus Earlier Jesus had fed the multitude with five loaves and two fishes. After this incredible miracle, He asks the disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" Peter answers, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Our Lord commends Peter and says, "thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church. But then He reveals the mission of the Christ:

            From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem

            and suffer many things...and be put to death, and on the third day rise again.

Characteristically, Peter cannot accept this shocking news and our Lord rebukes him--"get behind me Satan"

Immediately after this prophecy of our Lord's suffering and death, we go to the scene of the Transfiguration where we get a  glimpse of the Resurrection. "Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John. and led them up a high mountain by themselves," just as He would later do in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the mountain,

            he was transfigured before them,

            and his clothes became dazzling white,

            such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.

Then two great figures from the history of Israel appear to Jesus and converse with Him. In his account St. Luke tells us that Jesus was speaking with them of the "exodus" that He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The word "exodus" is full of meaning. Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the promised land--Jesus was about to do the same for us. Older translations say that Jesus was speaking of "his death, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem." But what does death and rising from the dead have to do with this glorious event?

Mark tells us that as they were coming down from the mountain Jesus told the there Apostles not to tell the vision to anyone until “the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” They were obviously confused but Mark tells us that “they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.” Of course, Mark wasn’t present at the Transfiguration but he must have gotten his information from his mentor, Peter. 

Today's second reading is from Peter’s second letter where he specifically recalls the event of the Transfiguration, and relates it to all that followed.

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, “this is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.             .

Nevertheless they could not stay on the mountain. Jesus came down to continue his mission, his own exodus, and so too did Peter. It is our mission as well. Right before the Transfiguration, after Jesus had spoken of his crucifixion, He told the disciples and us that we must also bear our cross.

If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake will save it. for what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but ruin or lose himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory...

The morning prayer for today's feast includes this little hymn.

'Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Your glory fils the night;
Your face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.
'Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Your beauty to behold,
where Moses and Elijah stand,
Your messengers of old.
'Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Yet we may not remain;
But since you bid us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain. 

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*Image by Melissa DeStefano

 Reading 1. Daniel: 7: 9-10, 13-14

Reading II. 2 Peter 1:16-19

Gospel. Mark 9:2-10 (Transfiguration)

           

           

           

           

           

Father's Day

                                

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Holy Family
Assumption Church
Fairfield CT*

                                     

         

Today the Church returns to what is known as Ordinary time, that period of the liturgical year that is not associated with the great feasts of Christmas and Easter. The priest dons a green colored vestment that will be worn for practically every Sunday until the start of the Season of Advent. Ordinary comes from a Latin word and doesn’t exactly mean what we mean by ordinary but still, most of the readings in Ordinary time will remind us of the ordinary, seemingly insignificant details of everyday life.

Today’s first reading from the book of the prophet Exekiel speaks of a tender shoot that the Lord plucks off a great cedar tree and plants it among his people. It will itself grow into a mighty tree, offering sustenance and shelter to those who seek refuge in its branches. Of course, this botanical imagery is just meant to be a metaphor for how God calls upon all of us to grow and bear great fruit in our lives.

Jesus uses the same imagery in today’s gospel when he says, “this is how it is with the Kingdom of God.”

            It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,

            Is the smallest of all the seeds of the earth.

            But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants…

Like Ezekiel Jesus is calling on little, ordinary people like ourselves to put forth large branches and bear much fruit.

Just last week we buried one such a person in my home parish. His name was Theodore, which coincidentally means God’s gift, but everyne called him Ted. He was a small, unassuming, and quiet spoken man who rarely talked about himself but he was one of the most giving men I have ever known.

At the funeral I saw an old black and white marriage photo. Ted, who served in World War II, was in uniform next to his young Italian war bride who had sown her beautiful white wedding gown out of Ted’s parachute. I never met his wife because she died shortly before I met Ted, but I know that he loved her until the day he died. They had four or five children and all were there at the funeral with a number of grandchildren. One of the grandchildren gave a brief eulogy in which he described all the things his grandfather had taught him.

           

Ted was an avid gardener and wine maker but by profession he was a master electrician who worked at his trade right until his final illness struck. My wife and I originally met him in an Italian language class but he subsequently became a friend as well as our electrician. I will never forget the night our electricity went out during a violent ice storm. Ted came to the house, climbed a ladder, and repaired a broken power line in the midst of the storm. The only problem we ever had with Ted was that he was always reluctant to accept payment from friends. There was a large crowd in the Church at his funeral and I’m sure that most had also been the recipients of Ted’s generosity.Ted will never be canonized but he was one of the multitude of ordinary men who loved their families, their church, and their country.

In today’s second reading St. Paul speaks of courage. He says that even though our real home is not here, we must live our lives as best we can here on earth. We must be courageous. Isn’t it fitting that today’s readings about little, ordinary people should occur on Father’s Day. I know that we all have our different vocations in life, and I do not wish to slight anyone, but it takes real courage to be a father. It takes real courage to make a commitment to give up your own wants in order to live for your wife and children.

In today’s world when even the idea of Fatherhood is maligned, it is very important that we do all we can to support those who have accepted the challenge. Here is a little prater for fathers.

Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for all the fathers on earth who,

            like St. Joseph, accept the responsibility to care for and love their children.

            May you strengthen them with the kindness, patience and wisdom they need

            to encourage and guide their children.

            May they be supported by a steadfast wife, a caring family and good friends.

            Most of all, may they know that you and you alone are the source of all that is

            good and truly valuable in this world.


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* Image by Melissa DeStefano

Reading 1.  Exekiel 17: 22-24

Reading II. 2 Corinthians5: 6-10

Gospel. Mark 4: 26-34 (a mustard seed).

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

                                    

Stained glass window
Assumption Church
Fairfield, CT*

            

After the completion of the Easter season, we are presented with three great feast days, all designed to follow up and reinforce the great message of Easter. Two weeks ago we celebrated the feast of Pentecost commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. Last week we celebrated the feast of the Holy Trinity which brought to mind the ways in which God works in our world. Today we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, formally called the feast of Corpus Christi, which celebrates our intimate relationship  with Jesus, Himself.

Today’s first reading takes us back to the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after their escape from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. To many of us today this particular passage might sound offensive. Why was it necessary to kill those poor animals for sacrifice? Why was if necessary to sprinkle the blood of animals all over the altar and on the assembled congregation?

Even though we love our animals today, the animals of the Jews were of much greater value and importance to them. The Jews of the Exodus were a tribe of wanderers whose very lives depended on their flocks. To sacriice some young bulls as they did in today’s reading was to give up a great deal. In effect, to sacrifice these animals was as close to sacrificing themselves as they could get. To give up something of such great value was to acknowledge that the covenant or agreement with God was of even greater importance.

It was only with the Last Supper that St. Mark describes in today’s Gospel, that the followers of Jesus, all of them Jews, first began to realize that they would no longer have to slaughter their animals and sprinkle their blood. Here are St. Mark’s words:

            While they were eating,

            He took bread, said the blessing,

            Broke it, gave it to them, and said,

            “Take it, this is my body.”

            Then he took a cup, gave thanks and gave it to them,

            And they all drank from it.

            He said to them,

            “This is my blood of the covenant,

            which will be shed for many.”

Certainly, we know that the earliest Christians took these words literally. They realized that “the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes” were no longer necessary. The sacrifice of Christ on the Cross opened up the door for all of us. In today’s second reading from the letter to the Hebrews we heard the following words:   

How much more will the blood of Christ,

Who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God,

Cleanse our consciences from the dead works

To worship the living God. 

In this famous letter we are told that Jesus is the “mediator of a new covenant.” What does that mean? A mediator is someone who stands in the middle between two parties trying to bring them together. How does Jesus act as a mediator? On one occasion his disciples asked Him to “show us the way.” He replied “I am the way.”

They didn’t understand and its hard for us to understand although he gave them and us a pretty good road map in his words and in his life. How many times did he have to tell us that He didn’t want our sacrifices, that His sacrifice which we celebrate every Sunday on the altar is sufficient. How many times did he heal people, feed them, comfort them and tell us to do likewise? The only sacrifice pleasing to the Father was that we love our neighbor as ourselves, and that whatever we do for the least of the brethren, we do for Him.

Since the beginnings of Christianity theologians have tried to come to a better understanding of what our Lord meant. In the Middle Ages they came up with an explanation that is as good as any that has been offered since. Guided by the rediscovery of the works of ancient Greek scientists and philosophers, theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas developed the concept of "transubstantiation."

Like most scientific words "transubstantiation" is a long word made up of different parts in order to give greater clarity and precision. But if we break the word down into its parts, we will get a better idea of what it means. First, let's deal with the prefix, "tran." It means going from one thing to another, like in transport or transmit. The suffix, "ation", at the end of the word means a process or action, like in transportation. So if we get rid of the prefix and suffix, we're left with the root or core of the word, "substance." Now  "sub" means under and "stance" comes from the Latin verb, "stare" which means, "to stand."

When we deal with substance we're dealing with that which stands under a thing, it's real core, what it is. So "transubstantiation" means that the bread and wine although they still look, and feel, and taste like bread and wine, have become something else. It's something like when we advance through the different stages of life, from infancy to old age. Although our bodies change, aren't we always the same person?

However, transubstantiation is an attempt to explain a mystery. It is not the mystery itself. Like the early Christians we believe that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist because our Lord said so at the first Eucharist. What we do today at each Mass is what the first Christians did from the very beginning. As St. Paul once said

            The cup of blessing that we bless,

            Is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?

            The bread that we break,

            Is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Reading 1. Exodus 24: 3-8

Reading II. Hebrews 9: 11-15

Gospel. Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26 (this is my body).

*Image by Melissa DeStefano