SacredSpace102fm : 13th August 2017 - Mary; Our Mother - a reflection in advance of the feast of the Assumption

12 Aug 2017

13th August 2017 - Mary; Our Mother - a reflection in advance of the feast of the Assumption

On this weeks programme, Geraldine Creaton joins John and Shane in advance of the celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin to reflect on the role of Mary in the story of salvation. We have a rather abbreviated reflection on this weeks Sunday gospel as well as our regular discussion on the saints of the week and other liturgical odds and ends.

You can listen to the podcast of this weeks full programme HERE.

15th August - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Dormition of the Birth-giver of God

Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.
If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother

- St Maximilian Kolbe

Source

On this weeks programme Geraldine Creaton from the Emmanuel Community returns to join John and Shane to reflect on the role of Mary - the simple Jewish woman who became the linchpin to the story of salvation.

You can listen to the discussion and reflection excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.

August 15th is the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated by the Orthodox churches as the Dormition (or Falling asleep) of the Virgin Mary.

The dogma was officially declared by Pope Pius XII in 1950 in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus. The apostolic constitution traces out the ancient understanding of the dogma going back through the centuries and emphasises that its official declaration by Pope Pius XII was seen as only the official confirmation of a belief long held in the Tradition of the church rather than as something new.

Rather than something imposed by Pius XII, consultation was made with the bishops and on May 1, 1946, a letter "Deiparae Virginis Mariae," was issued which asked "Do you, venerable brethren, in your outstanding wisdom and prudence, judge that the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin can be proposed and defined as a dogma of faith? Do you, with your clergy and people, desire it?" with a response very much in the affirmative.

So, Pius XII declared that:

"Hence the revered Mother of God, from all eternity joined in a hidden way with Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination,(47) immaculate in her conception, a most perfect virgin in her divine motherhood, the noble associate of the divine Redeemer who has won a complete triumph over sin and its consequences, finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the tomb and that, like her own Son, having overcome death, she might be taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages.......after we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, for the glory of Almighty God who has lavished his special affection upon the Virgin Mary, for the honor of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages and the Victor over sin and death, for the increase of the glory of that same august Mother, and for the joy and exultation of the entire Church; 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......

Dormition of the Theotokas
According to Orthodox tradition, the apostles were miraculously gathered from the various countries in which they were preaching the gospel to be at the bedside of the BVM as she passed from earth to heaven

Shout, O David, and declare: * What is this present feast? * And he says: Today has Christ * unto the mansions above * translated her from whom He was born without seed * and whom I have extolled * in the Book of the Psalms * as daughter, child of God, * and as a virgin as well. * And for this reason do mothers and daughters * and brides of Christ now rejoice and say: * Rejoice, O Lady who were translated * unto the royal courts on high. (Source)

Gospel - Matthew 14:22-33

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boatand precede him to the other side,while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night,he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to him in reply,"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,"Truly, you are the Son of God."