Mary
in Christian Tradition
The
Scriptures: 1st Century
"God sent his
only Son, born of a woman . . . " (Gal. 4:4) Except for this reference,
no mention is made of Mary in the earliest Christian writings -- the
letters of St. Paul. Only the four Gospels, written between 65 and 100
A.D. give any details of her life. They are the prime sources for later
Christian devotion to Mary. (Right: Mater Dolorosa, Joos van Cleeve)
Mark's Gospel
says simply that Jesus is "the Son of Mary," yet relates nothing about
the events of his birth and family life. For Mark, being a disciple
who believes in Jesus is more important than any ties of flesh and blood.
He recalls Mary as a believer, a disciple of her Son, who does the will
of God. (Mk. 3:31-35)
Luke's beautiful
narration of the events surrounding the birth of Christ portrays Mary
as "the handmaid of the Lord." Drawing, probably, on early Jewish-Christian
devotion to the mother of Jesus, his Gospel presents her as one of the
faithful remnant of Israel, "the Anawim," "the people of the land" who,
despite the hardships they experienced from one conqueror to another,
remained faithful to their God. Complete trust in God, no matter what
comes, is their strength. Luke's Gospel pictures Mary as a believer
who is a model for every ordinary Christian. Life can be transformed
when someone says to God, as she did: "Be it done to me according to
your word."
"My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant,
from now on will all ages call me blessed." (Lk. 1:16-18)
Matthew's Gospel,
intent on tracing Jesus' descent from David through Joseph, presents
Mary less conspicuously than Luke. This Gospel, however, strongly insists
on Mary's unique virginal conception: " . . . before they lived together
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit." (Mt. 1:18) Later,
this belief in her virginal conception would bring Mary an honored title:
the Mother of God.
John's Gospel,
the last of the four, speaks twice of Mary. At Cana in Galilee she intercedes
with her son for a newly married couple and he changes the water in
wine. (Jn 2:1-12) On Calvary she stands beneath the cross at Jesus'
death. (Jn 19:25-27) At Cana and on Calvary Jesus calls his mother "Woman,"
which early Christian tradition saw as an allusion likening her to the
first woman, Eve. In God's plan, Mary, by her faith, reversed the failure
of Eve and so became the new "mother of all the living." Through the
centuries the stories of Cana and Calvary have led Christians to seek
Mary's intercession with her Son and to rely on her as a mother with
compassion for those in need.
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Mary
in the Apocryphal Writings
Stories of
Her Early Life: 2nd Century
Popular
Christian stories about Christ, Mary and the apostles originating in
Syria, Palestine and Egypt from the mid-2nd century, greatly influenced
the way ordinary Christians imagined Mary's life. These stories, attempting
to supply details omitted in the Gospels, went beyond and sometimes
contrary to the indications of the Scriptures. They have inspired art,
liturgy and Christian devotion to Mary over the centuries.
"The
Gospel of James," one of these stories written about 150 A.D., portrays
the childhood of Mary in this way:
"When
Mary was one year old, Joachim made a great feast and invited the
priests and scribes, and the whole people of Israel assembled.
"And
Joachim brought the child to the priests, and they blessed her saying,
'O God of our fathers, bless this child and give her a name renowned
for ever among all generations.'
"And
all the people said: 'So be it, so be it. Amen . . . '
"And
the child became three years old, and Joachim said: 'Call the virgin
daughters of the Hebrews and let them accompany the child to the temple
of the Lord with lamps burning in their hands.'
"And
they went up to the temple of the Lord.
"And
the priests received her and kissed her and blessed her, saying: 'The
Lord has magnified your name among all generations; in you the Lord
will show redemption to the children of Israel.'
"And
he sat her on the third step of the altar. And the Lord gave her grace
and she danced with her feet and all the house of the Lord loved her.
"And
her parents returned home marveling and praising the Lord because
their child did not turn back.
"And
Mary was in the temple of the Lord to be nurtured like a dove; and
she received food from the hand of an angel."
The
story proceeds to give details of Mary's marriage to Joseph, who is
portrayed as an old widower with his own children. It relates new wonders
and signs that accompanied the birth of Jesus in a cave. The account,
by presenting Mary as a sheltered virgin absorbed in the service of
God in the temple, sought to defend the Christian doctrine of the virgin
birth. Unfortunately, it pictures her removed from the ordinary, uneventful
village life that Scripture suggests was hers.
By
the 5th century, a church honoring Mary's birthplace and home, suggested
by this apocryphal story, was built close by the Temple site in Jerusalem.
The Church of St. Ann, the mother of Mary, stands on that place today.
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Mary's
Death and Assumption into Heaven
Stories
from the 5th century (or perhaps earlier) recount Mary's later life,
her death and assumption into heaven -- events unreported by the four
Gospels.
The
legends describe Jesus appearing to Mary in the house on Mount Sion
in Jerusalem where she lived after Pentecost. Her Son tells her she
is soon to die. From all parts of the world the apostles gather to bid
her farewell:
"Stretching
out his hands, the Lord received her holy soul. And when her soul
departed, the place was filled with a sweet smell and bright light.
"And
a voice from heaven proclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women.'
"Peter
and John, Paul and Thomas, ran to embrace her feet and receive her
holiness; and the twelve apostles laid her holy body on a bier and
bore it forth. (Ps. John: The Dormition of Mary, 4th century)
"Instructed
by Jesus, Peter and the other apostles took her body to be buried
in a new tomb near Gethsemane in the Kidron Valley, where miracles
of healing accompanied her burial.
"Three
days later, angels took her body to heaven."
By
the year 600, a feast called the Dormition of Mary, honoring her death
and assumption into heaven, was celebrated in Jerusalem and in the churches
of the East. Some centuries later it would pass into the Western churches
known as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
One
of the first churches in Christendom dedicated to Mary was built over
her tomb near Gethsemane around 400 A.D. Today, a church still marks
this site in Jerusalem.
In
the 7th century, Theothekno, bishop of Palestine, preached a homily
on the feast of Mary's Assumption, August 15:
"Rejoice
with the Mother of God,
with angels and saints,
and celebrate this great feast:
the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
"On
earth she was a fruitful virgin,
in heaven she intercedes for all;
through this blessed woman,
the Spirit's gifts still flow upon us,
and her words teach gentle wisdom.
"At
her assent the earth blossomed;
she sought good things for the poor.
Now in heaven her care is undiminished,
near her Son she seeks the good of us all."
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Early
Palestinian Shrines Honoring Mary
Early
devotion to Mary developed as certain ancient sites in Palestine associated
with Jesus and his mother:
- At
Bethlehem, the grotto of Christ's birth was held sacred.
- At the Mount
of Olives outside Jersalem, grottoes recalling his agony in the
garden and ascension were frequented by early Jewish Christians.
Mary's grave, too, was honored in this area.
- At Jerusalem,
the sites where Jesus died and was buried were remembered.
- On Mount Sion
in Jerusalem, the early church met for worship on the site where
the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the disciples at Pentecost.
- At Nazareth,
where the sites of Jesus' early life were remembered.
Jerusalem
and much of Palestine were laid waste by Roman armies in 70 A.D. and
again after the Jewish revolts of 132-135 A.D. Most of the native population
was deported, but a remnant of Palestinian Christians kep alive the
memories and traditions of these holy places where Mary was honored
along with her son.
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The
Christian "Holy Land" of the 4th Century
In
313 A.D., the Emperor Constantine not only legalized Christianity after
centuries of persecution, but contributed resources for its development.
He built great churches on the sites associated with Christ's birth,
death, resurrection and ascension, making Palestine a vital spiritual
center of the Christian world.
From
335 A.D. onward, Christian pilgrims from all over the empire -- bishops,
priests, lay people -- flocked to the Holy Land. They celebrated fervently
the liturgy of the Jerusalem church which turned the ancient sacred
sites and other shrines into a visual gospel. Pilgrims wanted to see
the manger, the wood of the cross, anything that survived from Jesus'
time. Relics (sometimes authentic, sometimes not) were offered for their
devotion. Returning home with their memories, with relics and souvenirs,
they celebrated the feasts and sacred places they experienced in the
Holy Land in their own liturgies, churches and shrines.
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Mary,
the Mother of God: 431 A.D.
Controversy
also stimulated devotion to Mary in the early church. In 431, the Council
of Ephesus repudiated Nestorius, the patriarch of Constantinople, for
refusing to honor Mary with the title "Mother of God." The title
safeguards Christian belief in the mystery of the Incarnation: Jesus
is God and man. The church did not seek to make Mary a goddess,
otherwise she could not have given birth to Christ as someone truly
human. She could be called Mother of God, however, because Jesus who
was born from her was truly Son of God from all eternity.
Popular
feeling for Mary ran high in the Christian world after the council,
and churches dedicated to her arose in almost every important city.
In the city of Constantinople alone, 250 churches and shrines in her
honor were built before the 8th century. Pictures, Icons of Mary holding
her divine child multiplied, especially in churches of the East, where
they became objects of special devotion.
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Europe
as a Holy Land: 11th - 15th Centuries
The
Muslim conquest of Palestine in the 7th century brought the holy places
under non-Christian rule that became increasingly hostile towards Christian
pilgrims. When the Turks threatened the ancient Christian shrines with
destruction, the Christian nations of Europe sought to reconquer the
Holy Land in the Crusades of the 11th century.
During
these disturbed times, the shrines and relics of Palestine were re-duplicated
or transferred to the countries of Europe. In Spain, France, England,
Italy, Germany and the Lowlands, great medieval shrines honoring Mary,
like those in the Holy Land, arose in places like Chartres, Montserrat,
Walsingham, and Loretto. This "European Holy Land" became the setting
for the early medieval Christian's devotion to the Mother of God.
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Medieval
Devotion to Mary
The
Christian people of the Middle Ages, suffering constantly fron disease,
famine and war which they were helpless to do anything about, turned
anxiously to Mary for assistance. Simple faith led them to trust her
to intercede for them with her Son as she did for the ordinary people
at the marriage feast of Cana.
Since
she was a compassionate mother who had experienced the sufferings of
Calvary, they petitioned her for cures from sickness, for protection
and help. Her kindness and power were proclaimed everywhere -- in the
sermons they heard, in art and song and prayer.
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Meditating
on the Life of Mary
Popular
classics like "The Meditations on the Life of Christ," a book dating
from the 13th century, nourished medieval devotion to Mary. Widely circulated,
it taught Christians to see the lives of Jesus and Mary through a kind
of "pilgrimage of the imagination." By meditating on the stories of
the Gospel, embellished with additional details and legends, one could
experience Christ and his saints and learn from them how one should
live.
Stories
from the "Meditations," appealing and tender as the following short
excerpt from the Nativity of Jesus shows, greatly influenced the way
medieval Christians saw Mary and inspired also the works of so many
medieval artists.
". .
. the emperor wrote a proclamation that the whole world should be
registered, and everyone go to his own city. So obeying the command,
Joseph started on his way with our Lady, taking with him an ox and
an ass, since she was pregnant and the road five miles long from Bethlehem
to Jerusalem. They arrived like poor owners of animals.
"Now
they could not find an inn when they arrived at Bethlehem, because
they were poor and many others were there to register, too.
"Pity
our Lady, and see this delicate girl, only 15 years old, as she walks
so carefully, tired by the journey and jostled by the crowds. They
were sent away by everyone, the childlike mother and the old man,
Joseph, her husband.
"When
they saw an empty cave that people used when it rained, they entered
it for shelter. And Joseph, who was an expert carpenter, probably
closed it in some way. . . When Jesus was born, Mary wrapped him in
the veil from her head and laid him in a manger. The ox and the ass
knelt with their mouths above the manger and breathed on the infant
as if they knew the child was poorly clothed and needed to be warmed
in that cold season.
The mother knelt also to adore him and to thank God, saying, 'I thank
you, Father, thay you gave me your Son and I adore you, eternal God,
and you, Son of the living God, my Son.' Joseph also adored him.
"Then
Joseph took the ass's saddle and pulled out the stuffing of straw
and placed it near the manger so that our Lady might rest on it.
"She
sat down and stayed there, her face turned constantly toward the manger,
her eyes fixed lovingly on her dear Son."
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The
Protestant Reformation
The
Protestant reformers of the 16th century attacked the low standards
that began to mar European devotion to Mary in late medieval times.
They condemned superstitious practices exaggerating Mary's power and
position, some of which seemed to place her above Christ himself. Luther
or Calvin never rejected veneration of Mary totally. They saw her as
a model whose humble faith Christians could imitate. Yet the reformers
discouraged Marian pilgrimages and shrines, suppressed her feasts, and
forbade prayers for her intercession.
The
Catholic Church, while acknowledging abuses in devotion to Mary, upheld
the privileges and practices which long-standing Christian tradition
accorded her as the Mother of Jesus.
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Catholic
Devotion to Mary from the Reformation to Today
Within
the Catholic world of Europe and America, devotion to Mary flourished
from the 17th century until the time of the Second Vatican Council in
the 20th century. Devotion to Mary during this time strongly influenced
every aspect of Roman Catholic culture and piety. Among Eastern and
Orthodox Christians also, devotion to Mary continued to be strong.
In
the Western church, numerous religious communities and societies, such
as the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Marists, the Sisters of Notre
Dame, the Legion of Mary, were founded under her patronage. They sought
to imitate Mary's motherly concern to bring the message of her Son to
all peoples through their mission work in schools, hospitals and missions
throughout the world.
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The
Second Vatican Council
The
Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium),
summed up the church's belief about Mary and devotion to her:
"We
turn our eyes to Mary who shines forth on the whole community of believers
as a model of virtues. Faithfully meditating on her and contemplating
her in light of the Word made man, the church enters more intimately
into the great mystery of the Incarnation.
"For
Mary unites in herself the great teachings of faith, and so she calls
believers to her Son and his sacrifice and to the love of the Father.
"Seeking
the glory of Christ, the church becomes more like her and progresses
in faith, hope and love, seeking and doing the will of God in all
things . . .
"Just as the Mother of Jesus, glorified in body and soul in heaven,
in the image and beginning of the church as it is to be perfected
in the world to come, so, too, does she shine forth on earth, until
the day the Lord comes, as a sign of sure hope and solace to the People
of God during its sojourn on earth." (Lumen
Gentium 65, 68)
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Feasts
of Mary
The
Calendar of the Catholic Church, with its feasts, scriptural readings
and prayers, is a good guide to Christian belief about Mary and her
role in our life. The universal calendar, revised in 1970, celebrates
feasts of Mary almost every month.
There
are major feasts of Mary and feasts of lesser rank. Many of the feasts
originate early on in the churches of the east, which still celebrate
them today. Besides these feasts, devoted particularly to Mary, other
feasts of our Lord, like the feast of Christmas, the Annunciation, the
Visitation, and the Presentation give Mary a special place.
The
major feasts of Mary point to the most important reasons for honoring
Mary, and they explain our relationship to her. They contain the substance
of the Church's belief about her.
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The
Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. (January 1)
This feast, closely
connected to the feast of Christmas, is the most important and oldest
of the major feasts of Mary. It is based on the source of her privileges:
her motherhood. Jesus Christ, God's Son " born of a woman," (Galatians
4,4) came to deliver us from sin and make us children of God. He is
also Mary's Son, and she, his mother, helps bring his blessings to the
world. She is
"truly
the Mother of God and of the Redeemer...not merely passively engaged
by God, but freely cooperating in the work of our salvation through
faith and obedience."
(Lumen Gentium,53,56)
Mary was not simply
a passive instrument in God's hands; rather she discovered and accepted
new dimensions to her motherhood as her life unfolded. Scripture indicates
signs of her new unfolding motherhood.
At the marriage
feast in Cana in Galilee, where Jesus worked his first miracle, Mary
is "the Mother of Jesus" who manifests
"
a new kind of motherhood according to the spirit and not just according
to the flesh, that is to say Mary's solicitude for human beings, her
coming to them in the wide variety of their wants and needs. At Cana
in Galilee there is shown only one concrete aspect of human need,
apparently a small one and of little importance ("They have no wine").
But it has a symbolic value, this coming to the aid of human beings
means, at the same time, bringing those needs within the radius of
Christ's messianic mission and salvific power."
(Pope John Paul 11, Redemptoris Mater 21)
Mary's care for
humanity and its needs would not limited to her earthly life; it lasts
"without interruption until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect.
(Lumen Gentium, 62)
Whether in her
own lifetime or from her place in heaven, Mary's solicitude for human
beings looks, above all, to making known the messianic power of her
Son. At Cana in Galilee she told the servers at table, "Do
what he tells you." (John 2,5) In all her care for
others, she points out Jesus to them.
Throughout her
life, then, Mary was a follower of her Son. At the foot of the cross,
her motherhood reached a new maturity when Mary experienced her Son's
redeeming love for the world. Her spirit was touched and refined by
the mystery of his death and resurrection.
From his cross,
Jesus, seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there,
said to Mary, "Woman, behold your son."(John 19,25-27)
"The
words uttered by Jesus signify that the motherhood of her who bore
Christ finds a 'new' continuation in the Church and through the Church,
symbolized and represented by John. " (Redemptoris Mater,
24)
Before Pentecost,
awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus, the disciples
"continued with one mind in prayer with the women and Mary, the mother
of Jesus, and with his brethren."(Acts 1,14) "Thus Mary who is present
in the mystery of Christ as Mother becomes- by the will of the Son and
the power of the Holy Spirit- present in the mystery of the Church.
In the Church too she continues to be a maternal presence, as is shown
by the words spoken from the cross:'Woman, behold your son.' 'Behold,
your mother.' "
Readings for
the feast
The principal
reading for the feast, from St. Luke's gospel, describes the shepherds
coming to Bethlehem where they
"found
Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger."
(Luke 2,16-21)
Mother and son
are found together. She presents her Son to them. In fact, she will
always point to him. As a pilgrim of faith, she "treasured
all these things and reflected on them in her heart"; at the
same time, she invites other pilgrims to treasure and reflect on the
mystery of Jesus Christ.
Along with the
Byzantine and Syrian churches, which celebrate the feast of the Mother
of God (Theotokos) on December 26, the Roman church celebrates this
primary feast close to the feast of the Birth of Jesus Christ. For
"only
in the mystery of Christ is her mystery made clear."
(Redemptoris Mater)
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The
Immaculate Conception of Mary (December 8)
Like the Solemnity
of Mary, the Mother of God, the feast of the Immaculate Conception,
celebrated during Advent, is related to the mystery of Jesus. To fulfill
her unique role in the mission of Jesus, Mary was conceived free from
original sin through the foreseen merits of her Son.
"To
become the Mother of the Savior, Mary, 'was enriched by God with gifts
appropriate to such a role' The angel Gabriel at the moment of the
annunciation salutes her as 'full of grace.' In fact, in order for
Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement
of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's
grace."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 490)
Though Mary's
Immaculate Conception is her unique privilege, it is a sign that, even
before his birth, Christ's saving work affects generations that preceded
him. The grace of Christ present when she was conceived is an affirmation
that Christ's grace is present in past generations, as well as generations
to come.
Readings for
the feast
The readings for
the feast, then, take us back to the Book of Genesis, which recalls
the fall of humanity, as well as the promise of future salvation. (
Genesis 3,9-20) In the Epistle to the Ephesians there is a reminder
that " God chose us in (Christ) before the world began." (Ephesians1,3-6)
Finally, in the gospel reading, the angel proclaims to Mary that she
is "full of grace," gift of a Son not yet
born. (Luke 1,26-38)
"In
the event of the Immaculate Conception the Church sees projected and
anticipated in her most noble member, the saving grace of Easter."
(Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 1)
"Through
the centuries, the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full
of grace' through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 490)
The feast of the
Conception of Mary appeared in the Roman calendar in 1476. After the
dogmatic definition of 1854, it became the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
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The
Assumption of Mary (August 15)
As the Feast of
the Immaculate Conception proclaims the grace of Christ in Mary before
he was born, so the Feast of the Assumption points to the fulfillment
of that grace, when Mary was taken, body and soul, into heaven to share
in the glory of her Son's Resurrection. The Church proclaimed this dogma
in 1950:
"'The
Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin,
when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body
and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over
all things, so that she might be the more fulled conformed to her
Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.' The Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection
and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians."
Like the mystery
of her Immaculate Conception, the Assumption of Mary is significant
for all humanity, since she anticipates our resurrection with Christ
in glory. She was taken up to heaven as "the beginning and the pattern
of the Church in its perfection, and a sign of hope and comfort for
your people on their pilgrim way." (Preface of the Assumption)
Readings for
the feast
The readings for
the feast dwell on the promise of heaven's glory. The Book of Revelations
presents the sign of "the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon
under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelations
11, 19) The reading from I Corinthians promises that all will be
raised, who are members of Christ. (1 Corinthians 15, 20-26)
The gospel reading is Mary's Magnificat, her song of praise that "God
has raised up the lowly to high places." (Luke 1, 39-56)
This feast has
its roots in the early Jerusalem church and in the churches of the East.
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Feasts
of the Lord in which Mary has a special place
The Presentation
of the Lord in the Temple (February 2)
The Feast of the
Presentation, an ancient feast also with roots in the early Jerusalem
church, celebrates the day when Mary and Joseph brought their infant
Child to the Temple of Jerusalem to present him to God according to
Jewish custom. Though a feast of Jesus Christ, who is revealed as Messiah
to the aged Simeon and Anna, faithful Israelites waiting for the Messiah,
it is also is a feast of Mary. Simeon becomes the messenger of a "Second
Annunciation" as he tells Mary
"of
the actual historical situation in which her Son is to accomplish
his mission, namely in misunderstanding and sorrow."
(Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 16)
In the reading
from St.Luke, Simeon says to Mary:
"This
child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel,
a sign that will be opposed- and you yourself shall be pierced with
a sword- so that the thoughts of many hearts will be laid bare."
(Luke 2,22-40)
"While
this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith in the accomplishment
of the divine promises of salvation, on the other hand it also reveals
to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering,
at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will
be mysterious and sorrowful." (Pope
John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 16)
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The Annunciation
of the Lord (March 25)
The feast , recalling
the angel Gabriel's visit to Nazareth to announce to Mary God's invitation
that she should be the mother of a Divine Son, is primarily a feast
of Jesus Christ. It celebrates God become incarnate, the Word made flesh,
as a loving gift to humanity and all creation. Yet Mary had an important
role in the mystery of the Incarnation.
Though troubled
by the angel's extraordinary words, Mary accepts the invitation in faith.
"Behold
the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."
(Luke
1, 38)
Like faithful Abraham,
who "believed against hope," Mary accepted the mysterious plan of her
Creator and consented to its consequences by the dim light of faith.
She is a model for believers who make "a pilgrimage of faith."
The primary reading
for this feast is the story of the Annunciation from St.Luke's Gospel
(Luke 1,26-38). The feast is celebrated nine months before the
feast of Jesus' birth.
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The Visitation
(May 31)
The feast of the
Visitation celebrates Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth who was with
child. At their meeting, John the Baptist, the child in Elizabeth's
womb leapt for joy, and Elizabeth cried out in a loud voice, "Blessed
are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Luke 1,41)
Jesus Christ, in Mary's womb, is recognized as God's blessing.
Mary, too, is
praised for her faith.
"Blessed
is she who trusted that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled."
(Luke 1)
A feast of the
Incarnation, the Visitation is also a feast of Mary whose responds with
her song of praise:
"My
being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit finds joy
in God my savior." (Luke 1,)
The feast of the
Visitation celebrated between the feast of the Annunciation and the
feast of the birth of John the Baptist. (June 24)
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Other
Feasts of Mary
The major feasts
of Mary and feasts of our Lord in which she has a special place present
the essential teaching of the Church about her.
Mary is also honored
in other feasts, some ancient and others of more recent origin.The feasts
of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Presentation in the
Temple arose from stories and celebrations of the early Jerusalem church.
Other feasts of Mary, like the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrate
more recent appearances and devotions.
One should remember
that the Catholic Church's approval of apparitions, like Lourdes, or
of private revelations, like devotion to the Miraculous Medal, is not
an infallible confirmation of their historical truth. Rather it is an
assertion by the Church, after investigation, that this special place
or way of venerating Mary can bring spiritual nourishment to those who
are drawn to it. These signs encourage people to prayer, penance and
the celebration of sacraments.
"Even
when a 'private revelation' has spread to the entire world, as in
the case of Our Lady of Lourdes, and has been recognized in the liturgical
calendar, the Church does not make mandatory the acceptance either
of the original story or of particular forms of piety springing from
it. " (Behold
Your Mother, NCCB 100)
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The Birth of
the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8)
Three important
births are celebrated in the Roman calendar: the birth of Jesus, of
Mary, and of John the Baptist. (June 24) Mary's birth has been celebrated
from ancient times, though her birthplace or time of birth are not mentioned
in scripture. As far back as the 5th century a church was built on the
traditional site of her birth in Jerusalem on the site of the pool of
Bethsaida, (John 5,1-9) near the Temple and a feast in honor of Mary's
birth was celebrated. (see p ) By the 8th century the feast was celebrated
in the Church of Rome.
The family record
of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Matthew is the principal reading
for this feast. (Matthew 1,1-23)The list of generations finds its completion
in Mary. "It was of her that Jesus who is called the Messiah was born."
Like a shining star, her birth prepares for the dawn of the Savior.
She is the culmination of a long line of people who prepared for the
Word to become flesh.
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The Presentation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary (November 21)
The present memorial
of Mary's presentation in the Temple as a child originated in Jerusalem
at the church built there in her honor. It celebrates Mary's dedication
to God. (see p ) The feast became popular in the western church in religious
communities, where members renewed their vows on this day, remembering
the one who called herself "the maidservant of the Lord."
Dedication
of St. Mary Major (August 5)
This optional
memorial celebrates the dedication of the great church of St. Mary Major,
built in Rome after the Council of Ephesus in 431. Still one of the
main churches of the Eternal City, the church was built to honor Mary
as the Mother of God and reflected the growing devotion to her among
Christians everywhere. (see p) One of the great Icons of Mary is revered
in this ancient Roman Church.
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Our Lady of
Mount Carmel (July 16)
The feast, an
optional celebration, was originally celebrated by the Carmelite order
in Europe in the Middle Ages.(see p ) It was first listed in the Roman
calendar in 1726
Our Lady of
the Rosary (October 7)
Originally this
feast was celebrated in thanksgiving for Mary's intercession, after
the defeat on October 7,1571 of Turkish naval forces that threatened
Europe. Today the feast is a special remembrance of the spiritual power
of the Rosary. (see p)
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Our Lady of
Sorrows (September 15)
Christians of
the Middle Ages and later centuries developed a lively devotion to Mary
in her sorrows, which were foretold by the old man, Simeon, when she
brought the Child Jesus into the Temple. (Luke 9.23) As the first disciple
of her Son, she entered into his paschal mystery; her motherhood matured
and took new form as she accepted her part of his cross.
In fact, Mary
is a model for Christians who wish to follow the words of Jesus, "Take
up your cross each day and follow me." We seek in her faith
support for our own. Over the centuries her sorrows are remembered in
various feasts and by devotions that influenced some of the great works
of Christian art, such as the Pieta and the Stabat Mater.
In the western
church, religious orders, especially the Order of Servites, promoted
devotion to the Sorrowful Mother.
Traditionally,
seven sorrows are ascribed to her:
- Mary hears the
prophecy of sorrow from Simeon.
- Mary flees with
the Child into Egypt.
- Mary experiences
the loss of the Child Jesus in Jerusalem.
- Mary meets her
Son on the road to Calvary.
- Mary stands
beneath the cross of Jesus.
- Mary receives
the body of Jesus taken down from the cross.
- Mary sees her
Son's body placed in the tomb.
Today the feast
of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated the day after the feast of the
Holy Cross.
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The Queenship
of Mary (August 22)
In the Old Testament,
royal titles are commonly given to God and those specially anointed
by God. Titles of royalty were given to Jesus and Mary from earliest
times by Christians as signs of the special power they possessed. In
prayers and hymns like the Salve Regina and the Regina Coeli, Mary,
the Mother of Jesus, is called Queen.
Instituted in
1955, this feast follows the feast of the Assumption, as it points to
Mary's privileged place in heaven. Mary "was taken up body and soul
into heavenly glory when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the
Lord as Queen over all things." (Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium 59)
Our Lady of
Guadalupe (December 12)
Under the title
of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mary is honored as" the patroness of the Americas."
The feast originated in the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to Juan
Diego, a humble Mexican worker, in 1521.
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Our Lady of
Lourdes (February 11)
Pope Pius X included
the feast of our Lady of Lourdes in the Roman calendar in 1908, just
50 years after the report of Mary's apparitions at the grotto of Massabielle
near Lourdes, in France. There Mary identified herself as the Immaculate
Conception.
Immaculate
Heart of Mary (Saturday after the Feast of the Sacred Heart)
Closely related
to the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the optional memorial of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary was instituted in 1942. The feast honors
Mary who treasured the mysteries of Jesus and "pondered them in her
heart."
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Other feasts
and times dedicated to Mary
Besides the feasts
of Mary in the Roman calendar, she is honored in the particular calendars
of various rites, nations, regions and religious communities.
Since the 18th
century, the calendar months of May and October have been devoted to
Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. Originating Spain and Italy, where
Mary was honored with "May Devotions", litanies, the rosary and other
special prayers, the practice, spread worldwide.
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Mary's
Death and Assumption into Heaven
Stories
from the 5th century (or perhaps earlier) recount Mary's later life,
her death and assumption into heaven -- events unreported by the four
Gospels.
The
legends describe Jesus appearing to Mary in the house on Mount Sion
in Jerusalem where she lived after Pentecost. Her Son tells her she
is soon to die. From all parts of the world the apostles gather to bid
her farewell:
"Stretching
out his hands, the Lord received her holy soul. And when her soul
departed, the place was filled with a sweet smell and bright light.
"And
a voice from heaven proclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women.'
"Peter
and John, Paul and Thomas, ran to embrace her feet and receive her
holiness; and the twelve apostles laid her holy body on a bier and
bore it forth. (Ps. John: The Dormition of Mary, 4th century)
"Instructed
by Jesus, Peter and the other apostles took her body to be buried
in a new tomb near Gethsemane in the Kidron Valley, where miracles
of healing accompanied her burial.
"Three
days later, angels took her body to heaven."
By
the year 600, a feast called the Dormition of Mary, honoring her death
and assumption into heaven, was celebrated in Jerusalem and in the churches
of the East. Some centuries later it would pass into the Western churches
known as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
One
of the first churches in Christendom dedicated to Mary was built over
her tomb near Gethsemane around 400 A.D. Today, a church still marks
this site in Jerusalem.
In
the 7th century, Theothekno, bishop of Palestine, preached a homily
on the feast of Mary's Assumption, August 15:
"Rejoice
with the Mother of God,
with angels and saints,
and celebrate this great feast:
the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
"On
earth she was a fruitful virgin,
in heaven she intercedes for all;
through this blessed woman,
the Spirit's gifts still flow upon us,
and her words teach gentle wisdom.
"At
her assent the earth blossomed;
she sought good things for the poor.
Now in heaven her care is undiminished,
near her Son she seeks the good of us all."
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