Mission with Mystical Meaning

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to spiritual invitation from God to deepen our experience of the reality of our existence as spiritual beings in human bodies.

The Way to Truth

The Reading from the Book of Revelation presents the vision of the New Jerusalem.

 

* [21:9–22:5] Symbolic descriptions of the new Jerusalem, the church. Most of the images are borrowed from Ez 40–48.

* [21:9] The bride, the wife of the Lamb: the church (Rev 21:2), the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:10); cf. 2 Cor 11:2.

* [21:14] Courses of stones,apostles: literally, “twelve foundations”; cf. Eph 2:19–20. (Revelation, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 145 declares God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship, a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents Jesus' revelation of His Divine Nature to Nathanael.

* [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).

* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).

* [1:49] Son of God: this title is used in the Old Testament, among other ways, as a title of adoption for the Davidic king (2 Sm 7:14; Ps 2:7; 89:27), and thus here, with King of Israel, in a messianic sense. For the evangelist, Son of God also points to Jesus’ divinity (cf. Jn 20:28).

* [1:50] Possibly a statement: “You [singular] believe because I saw you under the fig tree.”

* [1:51] The double “Amen” is characteristic of John. You is plural in Greek. The allusion is to Jacob’s ladder (Gn 28:12). (John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Cindy Murphy McMahon comments that John’s gospel says much about friendship, skepticism, trust, and the importance of being open to changing our minds when confronted with new information. Jesus must have chuckled to himself over Nathanael’s need for answers.

Jesus replies that he saw him “under the fig tree,” before Philip had even approached him. We don’t know exactly what that means, but it was obviously something Nathanael realized Jesus couldn’t have known with normal human perception. Wherever the fig tree was, whether physically or metaphorically, it held special meaning for Nathanael. He knew Jesus must possess supernatural power to have been aware of that.

Nathanael immediately changes his mind about who Jesus is. The skeptic becomes a convert. How refreshing. May we be as eager to drop preconceived ideas when confronted with the truth, and especially when we experience God’s love in an unexpected way as we go about our days.

Lord, we pray for the wisdom to recognize the opportunities you present us each day, and we ask you to help us loosen our grip on whatever may separate us – ego, comforts, material possessions – from you. (Murphy McMahon, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes The Lord of Angels, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"Do you see how he [Jesus] leads him [Nathanael] up little by little from the earth and causes him no longer to imagine him as merely a man? For one to whom angels minister and on whom angels ascend and descend, how could he be a man? This is why he said, 'You shall see greater things than these.' And to prove this, he introduces the ministry of angels. What he means is something like this: Does this, O Nathanael, seem to you a great matter, and have you for this confessed me to be King of Israel? What then will you say when you see 'angels ascending and descending on me'? He persuades him by these words to receive him as Lord also of the angels. For on him as on the king's own son, the royal ministers ascended and descended, once at the season of the crucifixion, again at the time of the resurrection and the ascension, and before this also, when they 'came and ministered to him' (Matthew 4:11). They also ascended and descended when they proclaimed the good news of his birth and cried, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace' (Luke 2:14), when they came to Mary and also when they came to Joseph... Our Lord made the present a proof of the future. After the powers he had already shown, Nathanael would readily believe that much more would follow." (excerpt from the Homilies On the Gospel of John 21.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Revelation presents the Church as the bride of the Lamb. Jerusalem descends from the skies as a symbol of the true utopia that descends from God and the twelve apostles of the Lamb are the foundation of the Church. Bartholomew, likely Nathanael in John’s Gospel, is seen under the fig tree where scholars traditionally studied the Law. The name “true child of Israel” is based on Jacob who had been a deceiver except when Jacob wrestled with God and received a new name, Israel, and Nathanael is declared a true child of Israel struggling to understand Scripture. Nathanael realizes Jesus could not have seen his wrestling with the text as Jesus cites Jacob symbolism to Nathanael. Friar Jude notes Nathanael will be Israel as an example we will need to wrestle with God.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:45-51 asks, like Nathanael, we, too, may see only the earthly reality but miss the heavenly one. We might wonder, “What good can come from X situation?” or “What good can come from a Y relationship?” But as he did for Nathanael, Jesus can open our minds and give us a heavenly perspective on whatever might be puzzling to us. He can help us see everything in the light of his love and his purpose for our lives.

Let Jesus open your mind today. Close your eyes and picture yourself resting under the shade of a leafy tree, like Nathanael. Imagine Jesus walking toward you. He sits down next to you, looks at you intently, and says, “Before the creation of the world, I saw you and I loved you. Now, what’s on your mind?” Go ahead and share your heart with him. Then wait and see how he responds. Even if you don’t hear anything in that moment, trust that over time, Jesus will open your eyes to see your life in a heavenly light.

God has “greater things” in store for you (John 1:50)—and he wants you to set your sights on them, even now!

“Jesus, open my mind and my heart to heaven!” (Meditation on John 1:45-51, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr describes the characteristics and purposes of the true self in greater depth. The true self is the Divine Indwelling, the Holy Spirit within us.

I would say that the true self is precisely the divine part of us that is great enough, deep enough, gracious enough to fully accept the human part of us. If we are merely human, we will tend to reject our embarrassingly limited humanity. Think on that!

Paradoxically, immense humility, not arrogance, characterizes someone who lives from their true self. They simultaneously know they are a child of God, but they also know that they didn’t earn it and are not worthy of it. They know it’s entirely a gift (see Ephesians 2:8–9 and throughout the Pauline writings). All they can do is thank Somebody Else, occasionally weep with joy, and kneel without any hesitation. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are inspired by the Spirit to be able to recognize the Presence of the Divine in all the people we encounter in our daily journey, and we seek the patience to respond with love.

References

John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?45 

Meditation on John 1:45-51. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/24/1653355/ 

Murphy McMahon, C. (2026, August 24). Daily Reflection August 24, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-24-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145? 

Revelation, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/21?9 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Recognizing Our True Self. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/recognizing-our-true-self/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Come and See. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Blessed Are You

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, invite us to reflect on the battle against evil that is celebrated in the life and Assumption of Mary.

Basilica of Saint Mary

The Reading from Revelation presents The Woman and the Dragon.

* [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.

* [12:2] Because of Eve’s sin, the woman gives birth in distress and pain (Gn 3:16; cf. Is 66:7–14).

* [12:3] Huge red dragon: the Devil or Satan (cf. Rev 12:9; 20:2), symbol of the forces of evil, a mythical monster known also as Leviathan (Ps 74:13–14) or Rahab (Jb 26:12–13; Ps 89:11). Seven diadems: these are symbolic of the fullness of the dragon’s sovereignty over the kingdoms of this world; cf. Christ with many diadems (Rev 19:12).

* [12:5] Rule,iron rod: fulfilled in Rev 19:15; cf. Ps 2:9. Was caught up to God: reference to Christ’s ascension.

* [12:6] God protects the persecuted church in the desert, the traditional Old Testament place of refuge for the afflicted, according to the typology of the Exodus; see note on Rev 11:2.

* [12:10] The accuser: the meaning of the Hebrew word “Satan,” found in Rev 12:9; Jb 1–2; Zec 3:1; 1 Chr 21:1; he continues to accuse Christ’s disciples. (Revelation, CHAPTER 12 |USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 45 is a song for the Davidic king’s marriage to a foreign princess.

* [Psalm 45] A song for the Davidic king’s marriage to a foreign princess from Tyre in Phoenicia. The court poet sings (Ps 45:2, 18) of God’s choice of the king (Ps 45:3, 8), of his role in establishing divine rule (Ps 45:4–8), and of his splendor as he waits for his bride (Ps 45:9–10). The woman is to forget her own house when she becomes wife to the king (Ps 45:11–13). Her majestic beauty today is a sign of the future prosperity of the royal house (Ps 45:14–17). The Psalm was retained in the collection when there was no reigning king, and came to be applied to the king who was to come, the messiah. (Psalms, PSALM 45 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the First Letter of Paul to Corinthians asserts Christ as the Firstfruits.

* [15:20–28] After a triumphant assertion of the reality of Christ’s resurrection (1 Cor 15:20a), Paul explains its positive implications and consequences. As a soteriological event of both human (1 Cor 15:20–23) and cosmic (1 Cor 15:24–28) dimensions, Jesus’ resurrection logically and necessarily involves ours as well.

* [15:20] The firstfruits: the portion of the harvest offered in thanksgiving to God implies the consecration of the entire harvest to come. Christ’s resurrection is not an end in itself; its finality lies in the whole harvest, ourselves.

* [15:21–22] Our human existence, both natural and supernatural, is corporate, involves solidarity. In Adam…in Christ: the Hebrew word ’ādām in Genesis is both a common noun for mankind and a proper noun for the first man. Paul here presents Adam as at least a literary type of Christ; the parallelism and contrast between them will be developed further in 1 Cor 15:45–49 and in Rom 5:12–21.

* [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.

* [15:26] The last enemy…is death: a parenthesis that specifies the final fulfillment of the two Old Testament texts just referred to, Ps 110:1 and Ps 8:7. Death is not just one cosmic power among many, but the ultimate effect of sin in the universe (cf. 1 Cor 15:56; Rom 5:12). Christ defeats death where it prevails, in our bodies. The destruction of the last enemy is concretely the “coming to life” (1 Cor 15:22) of “those who belong to Christ” (1 Cor 15:23). (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents Mary Visits Elizabeth celebrated in The Canticle of Mary.

* [1:43] Even before his birth, Jesus is identified in Luke as the Lord.

* [1:45] Blessed are you who believed: Luke portrays Mary as a believer whose faith stands in contrast to the disbelief of Zechariah (Lk 1:20). Mary’s role as believer in the infancy narrative should be seen in connection with the explicit mention of her presence among “those who believed” after the resurrection at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:14).

* [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. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Andy Alexander, SJ, comments that we reflect upon the meaning of the resurrection for us - as we do every time we celebrate a funeral - we are brought into the mystery of what happens to us after we die, after there is no more life in the body, when we pass into eternity and time is irrelevant. How does Christ’s victory over sin and death touch and transform our mortal bodies? “The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.” [Catechism 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.

Hail, Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with you. 

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus! 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, 

now and at the hour of our death. (Alexander, n.d.)

Why is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Fete nationale de l”Acadie?

Google AI responds:

The Solemnity of the Assumption on August 15 became the Fête nationale de l’Acadie (National Acadian Day) during the first Acadian National Convention in Memramcook, New Brunswick, in 1881. Delegates chose it to honor the Virgin Mary as the patron saint of the Acadian people and to assert a distinct cultural identity separate from other French Canadians. In the 1881 debate leaders met to unite and organize the Acadian people.Some wanted June 24 (Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day), the holiday for French Canadians. Father Marcel-François Richard argued for August 15 instead. He stated that Acadians needed their own unique day and patron. Reasons for Choosing August 15 Patron Saint: Acadians held a deep religious devotion to Mary as Notre-Dame de l'Assomption. Cultural Distinction: It separated Acadian national identity from Quebec's Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. Practical Timing: June 24 conflicted with the spring planting season. Historical Resilience: It honored survival after the Great Upheaval (Grand Dérangement). (Google AI)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ the fruit of the faithful,” by Ambrose of Milan (339-397 A.D)

"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) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the passage in Revelation that describes the miraculous vision of the author who sees a woman crowned and under her feet the crushing of the Serpent. This is the image from the Immaculate Conception showing Mary ready to give birth, the image that would signify the Church and Mary as the Mother and Model of the church. Satan and the stars under her feet representing the angels in rebellion The Child is born and taken to the Throne of God and protects the Woman who is the Church! In Corinthians, Paul proclaims the Resurrection and Christ as the first born of Mary who ascends into heaven body and soul. The Assumption raises the question: did Mary die? There are tombs for her in some cities. The Assumption may indicate her falling asleep and being assumed into heaven. The child of Elizabeth, John the Baptist gives witness to the Presence of Jesus in the womb. Elizabeth greets Mary with the preface to the Magnificat. Dualism in the Canticle is a typical technique in Hebrew poetry. Luke is telling us what Mary said using pre-existing prayers. Friar Jude underlines that the “anawim” are the ones ready to accept the greatness of God and their need for God.

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Heaven is our destiny as well. As the Catechism tells us, Mary’s assumption is “an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (966). Our resurrected bodies will retain our five senses: we will be able to perceive beauty, hear beautiful music, and feel the embrace of a loved one. At the same time, we won’t have to contend with disordered passions like hatred or resentment, and we will never again fall sick or die.

Today, let this truth fill you with hope. Let it help you to cling even more closely to the Lord, especially when life here on earth seems hard. Keep your eyes fixed on the great plans God has for you. Eternal life will be more amazing than you can ever imagine. Just ask your mother Mary!

“Mary, Mother of God, pray that I would place all my hope in your Son, Jesus, and the life he has won for me!” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Jon Sweeney who invites us to pray like Francis of Assisi.

He’s taken a friend with him, Brother Leo, but asked Leo to only check in on him once per day…. Leo hears Francis’ voice and his prayer. “Who are you, God?! And who am I?” Francis keeps repeating this doubting prayer “and nothing else,” the text tells us. It is a yearning, as were all those times when he was looking and reaching up, but it was also a repeated ritual. Somehow, the meaning of a religious life is found in the repetition of certain simple, eternal questions….

 

It may be that such eternal, elementary, reaching prayers are not so much a human expression of need and desire, as they are a desire for God that comes from that human place inside us where God resides. Because then, “Who are you, God? And who am I?” would be like a connective tissue of spirit to Spirit, or even more, of one unified spirit speaking as if in a single voice. In this way, one of the early Hasidic rabbis, Pinchas of Koretz (eighteenth-century Ukraine), taught that sometimes “The prayers you pray are the very presence of God.” (Rohr, n.d.)

We celebrate the Spirit and the response of Mother Mary “let it be done to me according to Your Will” as the aspiration of all the siblings of Jesus seeking the fullness of life.

References

Alexander, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflection August 15, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-15-2026 

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?39 

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:20-27. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/15/1645931/ 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/15? 

Psalms, PSALM 45 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/45?10 

Revelation, CHAPTER 12 |USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/12 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Mysticism of Francis and Clare: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/mysticism-of-francis-and-clare-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). My Spirit Rejoices in God My Savior. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2026&date=aug15a