Joining Her Son’s Resurrection
August 15th is when the Church celebrates the day of Mary’s Dormition, a Latin title that references the day on which she “fell asleep.”
This virgin from Nazareth is the most blessed among women (Luke 1:42), for she is the Theotokos, the God-bearer. Back in March, we celebrated the Annunciation of our Lord – the feast day on which Christ was conceived in a human woman by the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, Mary was the living, breathing tabernacle of our Lord. She receives a unique gift that Alice von Hildebrand elucidates in her book, “The Privilege of Being a Woman:”
“She alone combines two unique privileges given to women: virginity and maternity.”
– Alice von Hildebrand
At one and the same time, Mary is blessed to be a mother to Jesus and to be wholly set apart for God’s purposes as a virgin. And yet, as part of this great privilege, Mary undergoes the heartbreak of witnessing her Son’s torment and death on the cross. Even here, she is privileged to see the glory of the world’s salvation, echoing her song in the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55): God has remembered his promise to be merciful to his people.
Mary believed in and lived the hope of the resurrection, and so today we remember the day on which she entered into that rest and give thanks for her through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Brief History
As Lutherans, we might see Marian celebrations through guarded eyes because of the ways in which others have misused the memory of the Mother of God. But let’s not let it be so! As our Lutheran Confessions explain—and as we delve into in this post—our theology has the most beautiful way of honoring the saints through admiration, thanksgiving, and imitation. Mary, the mother of our Lord, is no exception and is worthy of our honor and respect as God’s favored one. Of course, this honor and respect is never over and above the love that we have for our Lord, but here, too, Mary is a beautiful example of forsaking the world for the love of Jesus, the Christ.
Historically speaking, the Church has venerated Mary not on only one day but on several days throughout the year. A turning point took place at the Council of Ephesus in the fifth century when Cyril of Alexandria prevailed over the false teacher Nestorius and insisted that Mary isn’t merely the “Christ-bearer” but the very “God-bearer” (Theotokos) because Christ’s humanity cannot be separated from his divinity.
After the council, August 15th was recognized as Mary’s Dormition (or Assumption, a name reflective of the belief that Mary didn’t die but was taken up living into heaven), but this isn’t the only feast in the liturgical year that celebrates Mary. The Church has also observed Mary’s purification after Jesus’ birth in February, the Annunciation nine months before Christmas, the Visitation in July, and the Nativity of Mary in September.
This day is historically associated with flowers and herbs because of the legend of Mary’s Dormition, which states that when the Apostles went to look for Mary’s body in the tomb following her death, they found instead beautiful flowers and the smell of fragrant spices. In many cultures, parishioners would bring their herbs, flowers, and fruits on this day to be blessed by the priest, and the herbs would be set aside by the family altar to be used during special times of need such as sickness or inclement weather.
It might be fitting on this day to harvest and preserve some of your own herbs, perhaps for making tea in times of sickness. Arranging a beautiful floral array is another way to bask in the beauty of Mary’s life as represented in fragrant and vibrant flowers.
Collect
O God, who hast taken to Thyself the blessed Mary, mother of Thine only Son: Grant that we who have been redeemed by His blood, may share with her the glory of Thine eternal kingdom; through the same, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen
Lessons
Resources
Celebrate with these St. Mary Lavender Sugar Cookies!
Free flower crown tutorial by RevAndMrsGandy on LutheranHomeschool.com
Issues, Etc. interview with the Rev. William Weedon on St. Mary
Lutheran Witness article by the Rev. William Weedon
Propers found in Daily Divine Service Book: A Lutheran Daily Missal, edited by the Rev. Heath Curtis
References:
1. Vitz, Evelyn Birge. A Continual Feast. Ignatius Press. 1985.
2. Pfatteicher, Philip H. Journey into the Heart of God. Oxford University Press. 2013.
3. von Trapp, Maria. Around the Year with the von Trapp Family. Sophia Institute Press. 2018.
Images:
1. The Virgin and Child with a Monkey, Albrecht Dürer, Germany, 1498
2. Dormition, El Greco, Greece, 16th century
[…] of the finest Biblical examples of a barren yet faithful woman who was given a son. She foreshadows Mary in a few ways, connecting the Old to the New Testament and pointing the way to […]