Looking at the Readings For the Feast of the Assumption

ICON The Assumption of Mary
LOCATION Coptic Church of Saint Menas CAIRO

Yesterday we looked at the reading for the Vigil of the Assumption. TOday we look at the readings for the Actual Feastto be read on the 15th. Most people, including me, will be hearing this readings this evening.

Those reading can be located here.
Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,with the moon under her feet,and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.Then another sign appeared in the sky;it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the skyand hurled them down to the earth.Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:“Now have salvation and power come,and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One.”

There is so much going on here in this scripture. I wish I had more time to comment on it. Often Catholics are asked where is the proof in scripture of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We see hear a sign of it. Pope benedict even alluded to tittoday in his Angelus when he said:"Mother and Son appear closely associated in the battle against the infernal enemy until full victory is achieved over him"

The Book of Revelation it must be remembered is from the Church of the East. St John , who Jesus gave personal care of his mother, wrote this book. He was in areas of modern Turkey. This book was not accepted by some at first. Thus the Marian implications were not explored fully until this book was accepted in the West and the Universal Church. Needless to say this appears to be Mary herself in her full Glory acting out her role in Salvation history.

We now go to the Psalm
Ps 45:10, 11, 12, 16R. (10bc)
The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.

R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,forget your people and your father’s house.

R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
So shall the king desire your beauty;for he is your lord.

R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;they enter the palace of the king.

R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

This Psalm speaks of a Kingdom of God. In in it we are seeing a Queen. This is not the place to go into the Theology of the Queen Mother, the old testament examples of the Queen Mother and what that means for Mary. However this psalm is very Marian

The Second Reading is
1 Cor 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters:Christ has been raised from the dead,the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.For since death came through man,the resurrection of the dead came also through man.For just as in Adam all die,so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,but each one in proper order:Christ the firstfruits;then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;then comes the end,when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,when he has destroyed every sovereigntyand every authority and power.For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.The last enemy to be destroyed is death,for “he subjected everything under his feet.”.

This of course relates to one of the main purposes of the Feat. That is to remind us that Christ has defeated death and that lour destiny if we finish the race is to be with him.

The Gospel is as Follows
Lk 1:39-56
Mary set outand traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,where she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,the infant leaped in her womb,and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,cried out in a loud voice and said,“Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:“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 this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

Wow again so much is going on here. We have the Magnificat that one of the most famous New Testament Canticles. A Canticle that is repeated every night in Vespers as a part of the liturgy of the hours. Pope benedict spoke in beautiful fashion on what is going on at this link. There is someinteresting things going on with the Covenant of the Ark and how that prefigured Mary too.

We see at the end of the Gospel "Mary remained with her about three monthsand then returned to her home. " Compare with 2 Samuel 6:10-12 where we read that David ordered the ark diverted up into the hill country of Judea to remain with the household of Obededom for three months.

Further, as David leapt for joy before the ark when it was brought into Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:14-16), we see John the Baptist leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary, the ark of the new covenant, came into her presence. John’s leap was for for what Mary contained and it prompted by the VOICE of Mary

Lots there

Here is a good link by a blogger on Mary in the Book of Revelation