The arc of Life near the Ark

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are ripe with symbolism that invites us to consider the arc of our life bathed in reflection from the Ark of the Covenant.

Arc of Life

The description of  the Woman and the Dragon in the Book of Revelation contains symbols of Israel, Satan and the Church.

* [12:1–6] The woman adorned with the sun, the moon, and the stars (images taken from Gn 37:9–10) symbolizes God’s people in the Old and the New Testament. The Israel of old gave birth to the Messiah (Rev 12:5) and then became the new Israel, the church, which suffers persecution by the dragon (Rev 12:6, 13–17); cf. Is 50:1; 66:7; Jer 50:12. This corresponds to a widespread myth throughout the ancient world that a goddess pregnant with a savior was pursued by a horrible monster; by miraculous intervention, she bore a son who then killed the monster.

The concept of Christ as the Firstfruits in a resurrection in the First Letter to the Corinthians is difficult for that Greek community.

* [15:24–28] Paul’s perspective expands to cosmic dimensions, as he describes the climax of history, the end. His viewpoint is still christological, as in 1 Cor 15:20–23. 1 Cor 15:24, 28 describe Christ’s final relations to his enemies and his Father in language that is both royal and military; 1 Cor 15:25–28 inserts a proof from scripture (Ps 110:1; 8:6) into this description. But the viewpoint is also theological, for God is the ultimate agent and end, and likewise soteriological, for we are the beneficiaries of all the action.

The Gospel of Luke presents The Canticle of Mary as the summation of the great symbols in the event when Mary Visits Elizabeth.

* [1:46–55] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary’s pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v. 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: joy and exultation in the Lord; the lowly being singled out for God’s favor; the reversal of human fortunes; the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The loose connection between the hymn and the context is further seen in the fact that a few Old Latin manuscripts identify the speaker of the hymn as Elizabeth, even though the overwhelming textual evidence makes Mary the speaker.

Andy Alexander, S.J. chooses to consider one of the very real human scenes that is wonderful to imagine in the life of the early community, when Mary died.

I imagine that it was easy for believers down through the centuries to be certain that Mary, of all people on this earth, the one "full of grace," would be the first to be carried home to the loving embrace of God. "The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians." [Catechsim of the Catholic Church, #966]Dear Lord, help us to live our lives with true hope in your gift of eternal life.  Take away our fears, comfort us in the trials and crosses of our daily life. Help us to imagine the joy of a great reunion at the Banquet of Heaven.  And, please, let our anticipation of that joy free us from the worries and anxieties we face today. Let Mary assist us and guide us on our path to that life in you.

Don Schwager offers a meditation on the death of Mary and a quote from Ambrose of Milan (339-397 A.D) on Christ and the fruit of the faithful.

Mary is a model of faith and hope for us. And she is among "the first-fruits" of "all those who belong to Jesus" and who share in his triumph (1 Corinthians 15:20-24). There is a venerable tradition dating back to the early church which marks Mary's "falling asleep" (called the Feast of Dormition in many Eastern churches) and her heavenly birthday when she was received into heaven. Her reception into heaven is seen as a sign to all believing Christians of the promise Jesus made that we too would be received into paradise. At the last supper Jesus told his disciples that he would prepare a place for them in his Father's house. "And when I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:1-3).



And from Ambrose of Milan...
"You see that Mary did not doubt but believed and therefore obtained the fruit of faith. 'Blessed … are you who have believed.' But you also are blessed who have heard and believed. For a soul that has believed has both conceived and bears the Word of God and declares his works. Let the soul of Mary be in each of you, so that it magnifies the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each of you, so that it rejoices in God (Luke 1:46-47). She is the one mother of Christ according to the flesh, yet Christ is the Fruit of all according to faith. Every soul receives the Word of God, provided that, undefiled and unstained by vices, it guards its purity with inviolate modesty. (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.26)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:39-56 reflects on humble Mary who was decisive, active, and bold, but this didn’t mean she was proud! She simply chose to do what God called her to do.

God is calling you to help build his kingdom, and he is asking you to do it in humility. A humble person doesn’t shrink in fear but takes action with faith and trust in God. As we celebrate Mary’s assumption today, let’s see her entrance into heaven as the crowning jewel of her humility. Yes, God truly has “lifted up the lowly” (Luke 1:52). She who stepped forward in faith is now exalted as queen of heaven and earth!
“Jesus, you raised up your Mother to sit with you in heaven because of her humble yet decisive yes. Help me to live that same humility.

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the image of Mary in revelation is familiar to Catholics. The connection of the Visitation of Mary to the Ark of the Covenant is represented in the setting of this episode in the geography of Israel. Friar Jude comments that Mary, a poor virgin from a “no-nothing” town, proclaims the Magnificat, one of three hymns used by the Evangelist, that is the canticle of the anawim who are ready to accept Jesus Presence.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers the stages of life as described in Jesus’ four kinds of soil and receptivity, John of the Cross’ “dark nights”, and Teresa of Ávila’s “interior mansions. There is a clear direction and staging to maturity and therefore to human life.

Hinduism teaches that there are four major stages of life: (1) the student, (2) the householder, (3) the forest dweller or hermit (the “retiree” from business as usual), and (4) the beggar or wanderer (the wise or fully enlightened person who is not overly attached to anything and is detached from everything and thus ready for death). I once saw these four stages represented in four stained glass windows in a Catholic church in Bangalore, showing how central this cultural paradigm is to the wider Indian culture, not just practicing Hindus.

The example of Mary warns us that If we do not allow our own ripening, resistance and denial set in. Yet when we, as she, surrender to our own natural journey, we find authentic hope, hope that is not identified with outcomes or goals.

References


(n.d.). Revelation, chapter 12 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from http://usccb.org/bible/revelation/12
(n.d.). 1 Cor 15:26. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians15.htm
(n.d.). Luke, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/luke/1:39
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved August 15, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/