St. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mentioned repeatedly in the Gospels and the Book of Acts, with nearly a dozen specific incidents of her life being recorded: her betrothal to Joseph; the annunciation by the angel Gabriel that she was to be the mother of the Messiah; her visitation to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptizer; the nativity of our Lord; the visits of the shepherds and the Wise Men; the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple; the flight into Egypt, the Passover visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve; the wedding at Cana in Galilee; her presence at the crucifixion, when her Son commended her into the care of His disciple John; and her gathering with the apostles in the Upper Room after the ascension, waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. Thus she is present at most of the important events in her Son's life. She is especially remembered and honored for her unconditional obedience to the will of God ("Let it be to me according to your Word" [Luke 1:38]); for her loyalty to her Son even when she did not understand Him ("Do whatever He tells you" [John 2:1-11]); and above all for the highest honor that heaven bestowed on her of being the mother of our Lord ("Blessed are you among women" [Luke 1:42]). According to tradition, Mary went with the apostle John to Ephesus, where she died.
And traditionally, upon this very day. The Lutheran Confessions say of the Blessed Virgin: "He showed His divine majesty even in His mother's womb, because He was born of a virgin, without violating her virginity. Therefore, she is truly the mother of God and yet has remained a virgin." [FC VIII:24]
The Treasury appoints Psalm 132 as the Psalm for this day: "Arise, O God, and return to Your rest, You and the ark of Your covenant."
The collect for the day: Almighty God, You chose the virgin Mary to be the mother of Your only Son. Grant that we, who are redeemed by His blood, may share with her in the glory of Your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
20 comments:
Wow, you called her Mother of God. I didn't think I would live to see you do that, despite that the term is used frequently in the Lutheran confessions. NEVER does one see Mother of Jesus.
Huh? I ALWAYS refer to Mary as the Mother of God! The term, however, is not frequently used in the Lutheran Symbols. It is used in the spot I indicated (and its parallel in the Epitome). But it is certainly believed, confessed, and taught. The reason, I am told, that the day was named "Of Our Lord" was to mirror the language that the Holy Spirit Himself inspired St. Elizabeth to use. Though note that THIS Kyrios is YHWH!
Fr. Will,
If it is certainly believed, confessed and taught that Mary is indeed Theotokos, then A LOT of Lutheran congregations have yet to get the memo. That's a fact.
Well, I do not dispute the level of catechesis on the matter has been abysmal, but the fact remains that there is not an LCMS Congregation out there that doesn't subscribe to the statement that Mary is the Mother of God - since it is a clear confession of the Formula of Concord.
P.S. Check out The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod's Facebook page for today...
Fr. Will,
How can every congregation subscribe to Mary is Mother of God and yet say that they're not aware of that. Are you saying they subscribe to the confessions without knowing what's in them? That doesn't really follow.
BTW, I found the LCMS facebook page. All it has is is your homily which I found on your website. Should I have been looking for something else?
Chris,
Strange though it may sound, yes, every congregation of the LCMS subscribes to Mary as Mother of God. They subscribe to the doctrinal content of the Symbols, and that is most definitely one of the doctrinal articles (a prime anti-Nestorian confession).
Yes, on the FB I was referring to the homily. Note in it: "The living ark of the living God." That's the same confession as "Theotokos."
Though I know that Lutheran laity and clergy are required to have a quia subscription to the Confessions, that hardly means they know what is in there. My parents are quia subscribers to the confessions but they would sooner become Baptist than confess that Mary is the Mother of God.
Pr. Weedon,
What is so special about her falling asleep that we remember it?
Obviously, the East and Rome believe in her bodily assumption which of course would be worth mentioning since she would be only the second person to experience this pre-last day resurrection in from the New Testament. On this day (Aug 15), that has become the focus of the East and Rome, the dormition and assumption of Mary.
If we do not affirm this idea, why do you mention her falling asleep? Do you just mention as one would the anniversary of the death of anyone, or do you tend to believe the idea of the assumption of Mary. Certainly, the whole theology surrounding it can not be upheld, but I wondered whether the event itself you find compelling.
Chris, I do not know why you are so astounded at myself and Pr. Weedon saying this. Maybe your impressions of the LCMS were not wholly true. You are always welcome back.
On this day (Aug 15), that has become the focus of the East and Rome, the dormition and assumption of Mary.
I have to disagree with this...the assumption is definitely NOT the "focus" of this feast. Frankly it is one aspect of this feast that some find objectionable and it becomes *their* focus.
Pastor Peters of Pastoral Meanderings quoted something yesterday from a Catholic source that I thought was a great summation of the Feast. "...Mary is like the moon, for her light is always a reflected light. Whatever we say about Mary is meant to draw attention, not so much to her, but to Christ. Thus, for example, the claim that Mary is the mother of God is an indirect way of affirming the facticity of the Incarnation. Our feast for today--the Assumption of the Virgin--is similarly Christological in focus. It is meant to highlight the reality of Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead. As the first and greatest disciple of the Lord, the Virgin Mary shares in the effects of this event, participating body and soul in the new life opened up by Jesus." I love this because it reminds me of my favorite icon, the one the Ethiopian athlete held up after she won her Olympic race. Everyone on Facebook talked only about Mary but in fact, the icon was "Directress" where Mary holds her Son and gestures us toward Him.
I would add that Catholics and Orthodox see the Theotokos as the greatest of saints, the one we should emulate, and we dearly love her for that and ask for her intercessions.
Pastor Hoppe, you also ask "What is so special about her falling asleep that we remember it?" Even the Lutheran church keeps a calendar of certain people they remember on the date of their death. Why not Mary, too? First and foremost she is the Mother of God. She gave Christ his humanness and enabled the incarnation. So as you celebrate the date of the death of various saints in the church's history...wouldn't you also include Mary, if nothing else for the role she played in salvation history?
And Chris...we have to be careful in determining the beliefs of a church body on the basis of polling individual members. If you come to my parish and polled some of our members you might think the Orthodox believe in women's ordination, homosexual unions as acceptable, and a host of other unorthodox things!
Thank you, Dixie.
Pr. Hoppe, I was going to write much the same: we remember Mary's dormition because we love her and as the type of the Church (Gerhard: "of which she is a likeness"), we joy in how she teaches us not only how to live, but how to die - "treasuring all these things in her heart."
P.S. You might also find it of interest that on page 1133 of the Magdeburg Cathedral book we find this (1613!): "Die Assumptionis Mariae qui incidit in d. 15 Augusti" and instructions that the Mass for that day be celebrated, though with readings for whatever week after Trinity in which in falls.
Phil,
I would sooner die a martyr's death than reject the truth and come back to the LCMS. My impressions and experience in the LCMS are factual. Confessionalism was never a part of my LCMS experience; the liturgy was thrown out; the calendar never observed, etc. The LCMS may be turning a page now, but I'm still not coming back.
BTW, you obviously fail to grasp the difference between the Orthodox and the Catholic approach to this feast. The Catholics have dogmatized that Mary did NOT die. Huge difference.
I noticed, Phil, you didn't reply back to my defense of your claim that the apolytikion of the feast is atrocious. It's hard to refute the truth isn't it?
Fr. Will,
On another note, where can I procure a magdeburg Cathedral book?
Chris,
I have a photocopy of it that I got from Joseph Herl of Seward. I also have the Psalter that goes with it. I think he purchased the microfiche.
I have a Lutheran publication from the 1870's that lists the Church calendar for the year and has Aug. 15th as "Assumption of the BVM".
Chris,
Funny, we grew up in the same church and the liturgy was used every Sunday we ever attended. You may be right that "confessionalism" was not practiced, whatever that is. But the Word was taught and sacraments administered according to the Confessions.
You deny what the confessions teach anyway, so I am not sure why you care. Brother, it saddens me, but this is true.
As for your defense of the prayer, I will get to that.
Pr. Weedon,
I was truly asking what you thought about the assumption of Mary. But I understand if you do not want to answer that question. I will just judge from your other answers.
Pr. Hoppe,
I misunderstood. Sorry - I'll happily give you my opinion on the Assumption:
Did Mary die? Absolutely. "It is appointed unto man once to die."
Did Christ raise His mother from the grave before the general resurrection? I honestly don't know. And I don't think there's anyone one could know with certainty, given Scripture's silence on the issue. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised, however, if He had done so.
But whether raised in the body or her soul reposing in her Son to await the resurrection, either way, upon her death she was ushered into heaven.
Sort of an odd fact (I think someone mentioned it here): in an age obsessed by relics of the saints, it is striking that the early centuries know of absolutely no relics of the Blessed Virgin Mother!
Fr Weedon,
Thank you for this fine post. Please excuse my stream of conscience writing that will surly follow. The comments here are fascinating. First and foremost I’m Lutheran because I believe Jesus was. I was adult baptized and really didn’t know too much. In retrospect, my initial catechesis was very weak. As I grew in faith and began studying the confessions, I realize how little I had in common with the pastors and my fellow parishioners. The joy of my salvation had dwindled away. I gave up on LCMS churches in the NID and went to a WELS church for several months before our Lord gathered me the hilltop of my current parish for 4 years now. We sinful beggars gather daily around the Eucharist. Everything teaches: vestments, the incense, bells, candles, Latin Chants, icons, stain glass, kneelers, even references to Mary. All this Lutheran heritage needlessly fell to the wayside for many Lutheran parishes. We learned to pause instead of finger pointing at other traditions within the church catholic. There is much room for me to grow in faith and in wisdom from above. I rejoice in that my family and I are able to grow as our learned teachers of Christ grow in the stead of Christ. Every now and then I hear people outside our community refer to the beauty of the Mass in our parish as Catholic Church on steroids. I don’t know, but I would like to think that at the Eucharist, all whom are gathered are feasting at a familiar banquet. Indeed, the teachings of Mary, the Blessed Virgin and the Mother of God, found in our confessions are the correct teachings. Yet I have to agree with Chris, that most parishes, at least in the NID, know little and go flying off the handle, in their ignorance, of their own confessions and anything that resembles Rome. For me, and I guess for most people in the Midwest were churches are numerous, they can’t think of a better hilltop for the advent waiting for Christ in all his majesty. So I think it’s to just pause a moment, and say things is a kind and soft way. And share our thoughts that are guided by the Holy Spirit?
Joy!
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