FIVE GLORIOUS DAYS IN AUGUST - VIVA MARIA VIVA !
SMITTEN BY FAITH Special BONUS Issue # 0005 31st August 2021
Bartolome Esteban Murillo 1617-1682 ; The Annunciation
Oil on canvas 1655-1660; Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
It doesn't take a leap of faith to rejoice, celebrate and be thankful to an extraordinary woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago - the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, also known as the Mother of God and Theotokos ( ‘God-Bearer’ in Greek). The Virgin Mary is not a myth. Mary is ever present in all the scriptures, apocrypha, magnificent artwork through the centuries, the most beautiful churches, thousands of books, compelling writings of saints, theologians and Popes, songs, prayers and billions of hearts. And, yes - most certainly, in mine.
Today is the last day of the month of August. So, before the month is over, with this bonus issue, I would like to pay tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Lest we forget, August is pretty special because there are so many Marian feast days all packed into this month alone –FIVE Marian Feast Days ! So, I would like to recollect for my readers, all these dates, rejoice and share my happiness. Recalling these Marian feast days provides us a window into the life of Mary and her role in the salvation of mankind.
Mary has many reverential titles and many roles. I will highlight here only some of them.
· the only woman born without original sin through the Immaculate Conception
· as the Mother of Jesus Christ, she was the Theotokos or God-Bearer
( The Murillo painting above portrays the Virgin Mary’s deep humility at the Annunciation ( a Marian feast day celebrated on March 25th ) when she is told by the Angel Gabriel that she is to be the Mother of the Son of God. In the painting, Mary is on her knees before the Angel Gabriel, who is also on his knees. See how Murillo has so fervently captured this most precious virtue of Mary – that of her humility. Mary’s words - “Thy will be done !” - changed the course of humanity.
· As the first disciple of Jesus Christ, Mary is our Intercessor and Mediatrix to God
Non-Catholics who worship and honour God only are confused by this. My simple answer to them is that devotion to the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God and honouring the many saints in Heaven, never detracts from the devotion and honour due to God.
So, come with me as I recall the most GLORIOUS FIVE DAYS OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST. The month is almost over – and yet now we get to celebrate – all over again !
AUGUST 2ND – THE FEAST OF THE PORTIUNCULA PARDON - BASILICA OF MARY, OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS IN ASSISI
Right : The interior of the Basilica of Mary, Our Lady of Angels in Assisi with Portiuncula Chapel enshrined in the centre.
Left : DETAIL of the Portiuncula Chapel
There is a rare and remarkable Plenary Indulgence known as the ‘Portiuncula Pardon’ going back to 1216 which is linked to this particular church and only to this one particular day of August. If you come as a truly penitent pilgrim to Assisi to the Basilica of Mary, Our Lady of the Angels from sunset on August 1st to sunset on 2nd August, you will be one of the fortunate ones who will be able to receive a plenary indulgence. Enshrined in this Basilica is a 6th century tiny ( only 180 square foot ) ‘Portiuncular Chapel’ where St. Francis of Assisi ( the founder of the Franciscan Order and the St. Clare Order) who before he founded the Franciscan Order, was born into luxury and lived a materialistic and sybaritic life. St. Francis called himself a ‘sinner’ then. But, one day, as he prayed in the ruins of this ancient chapel dedicated to Mary, he heard the voice of Jesus Christ asking him to give up all and join him; give up all and repair his churches - especially this little chapel which bore the name of his mother. So, St. Francis became a mendicant monk, acquired the chapel in 1211 from the Benedictines, repaired it and made it the first church of the Franciscan Order. St. Francis loved the Virgin Mary and prayed to her with great devotion. The name remained ‘Our Lady of Angels’ from the miraculous singing ( people thought angels were singing ) often heard in the empty chapel. After St. Francis passed away, a big basilica was built in the 16th century and the original tiny chapel, called the Portiuncula Chapel was preserved inside the big Basilica. It is still there today.
In 1216, St. Francis, guided by the voice of Jesus, boldly asked the Pope ( Honorius III ) to bestow the fullest plenary indulgence on all who come to pray at the Portiuncula Chapel which honours the Virgin Mary, as a holy place. Remarkably, the Portiuncula Pardon or Portiuncula Indulgence was indeed granted by the Pope to St. Francis of Assisi before he passed away. I suppose that the subject of ‘Papal Indulgences’ usually draws a lot of controversy - that of pre-reformation selling of indulgences – now outlawed. I do not intend to go into this here. An indulgence is remission of one’s temporal punishment for sin. What an indulgence means to me is that it is a very beautiful spiritual concept of a MERCIFUL God. If we believe in a LOVING God, then why can’t we accept also the FORGIVING God in our private relationship with Him. Through the prayers of St. Francis who loved the Virgin Mary and prayed all the time in this little chapel, the Portiuncula Pardon granted to those who make the pilgrimage to this holy spot, must surely be one of the most precious and magnanimous favours granted by God because of his mother, as the Mother of Mercy.
AUGUST 5TH - OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS; SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE AND SALUS POPULI ROMANI
Left : The exterior of the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome
Right : Detail of the Sales Populi Romani Icon of Mary which is kept inside the Basilica
August 5th marks the dedication of the Papal Basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore or St. Mary Major in Rome, also known as ‘Our Lady of the Snows.’ Built by Pope Liberius in the 4th century, this Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one the most beautiful and significant Marian cathedrals in the world; the first church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is one of the 4 ancient major basilicas of Rome, together with the Basilica of St Peter, the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls and the Arch-Basilica of St John Lateran. The title, ‘Our Lady of the Snows’ dates back to a medieval legend of a rich childless couple who prayed continuously in order to discover Mary’s wish for them. On the night of August 4th, a very hot summer night,the Blessed Virgin made her wish known to the couple and also to Pope Liberius that she wanted a shrine built on a particular spot on the Esquiline Hill which they would see covered with snow the next morning. Accompanied by clergy and laity, the pope walked in procession to the spot and found a site completely covered with snow - in the intense heat of the summer’s day ! A miracle indeed. Pope Liberius immediately ordered the building of the Marian church on that very spot and this was later ( in 432 CE ) replaced with a newer and larger church – a cathedral by the next Pope. The feast day of ‘Our Lady of the Snows’ began in that Basilica in 435 CE.
And, there is more. Inside the Basilica is one of the most iconic and ancient pictures of Mary known as the ‘Salus Populi Romani ‘ or ‘Salvation of the Roman People’. Legend has it that this Marian Icon was actually painted by Luke the Evangelist as the Virgin Mary herself sat for him while he painted. This painting was later brought from Jerusalem to Constantinople by St. Helena and later when it was brought to Rome by Pope Gregory, miraculously saved Rome from the terrible plague in the 4th century
AUGUST 13TH - OUR LADY, REFUGE OF SINNERS
One of the many titles bestowed on the Virgin Mary is that of Mary, the Mother of Mercy who intercedes for us when we ask for her help. Mary pleads for us to God. This feast day on August 13th celebrates the Virgin Mary as ‘Our Lady, the Refuge of Sinners’, a title which dates back to the 8th century to the time of St. Germanous, the Patriarch of Constantinople. Mary was born without original sin; so when we appeal to Mary’s purity and sanctity, Mary as the Mother of God is the best person to intercede to God for his mercy to sinners. When we turn to her with faith; when we seek refuge with her, Mary who is full of love will surely help. There never was and never will be anyone who loved God as much as Mary loved Him. God who is love itself inspired Mary with the virtue of utmost charity – so that she might succour all who had recourse to her. This is Mary, Our Lady of Refuge. Were it not for the intercession of Mother Mary, there would be no hope of mercy.
AUGUST 15TH – THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY
Francesco Botticini 1446-1498 ; The Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Tempera on wood; National Gallery, London
Francesco Botticini was an incredibly talented early Renaissance painter from Florence. In this gigantic and very dramatic painting, we see Heaven and Earth in one vast beautiful landscape. Up in the sky we see Jesus Christ blessing his mother the Virgin Mary as she kneels before him, her hands together in prayer. This is a very busy composition and surrounding Jesus and Mary, we see orderly ranks of angels, saints and many of the Old Testament figures. The Virgin has ascended to Heaven after death and Heaven is filled with luminous light and cloud. In the lower half of the painting – Earth – we see the Virgin Mary’s empty tomb filled with lilies surrounded by the amazed Apostles who gather around it.
The Assumption is one of the most ancient feasts of the Virgin Mary and commemorates her death and her assumption, body and soul, into heaven. The Assumption of the Virgin Mary – when God transported or ‘assumed’ Mary, body and soul into the glory of Heaven is defined dogma of the Catholic Church and the Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary Into Heaven on August 15th is a great celebratory day for Catholic Churches ; the day when Mary was received into Heaven. In 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution ‘Munificentissimus Deus’, Pope Pius XII declared the Catholic Church’s belief in the Assumption of the Virgin Mary as infallible. The Pope said, “We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into Heavenly glory.”
AUGUST 22ND – THE CORONATION OF MARY
Peter Paul Rubens 1577-1640; The Coronation of Mary 1625
Oil on Canvas; Royal Museum of Fine Arts Belgium, Brussels
August 22nd is the fifth and last day in August dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Pope Pius XII decreed and instituted the feast of the ‘Queenship of Mary’ in his encyclical, Ad Caeli Reginam (‘To the Queen of Heaven’) on Oct. 11, 1954. Later, in 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the feast day from May 31st to August 22nd in order to emphasize the closeness between Mary’s Queenship and her Assumption.
The imagery and composition of the Queenship of Mary have been much celebrated in art – especially by Renaissance and Baroque artists. In this huge painting, Rubens has managed reverently and skilfully to capture and show the vital role of Jesus in the coronation of his beloved mother, Mary. It's a beautiful composition - thrilling and so inspiring. When Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven, she did not have to wait for the day of final judgement. She was taken straight to Heaven and ‘crowned’ as the ‘Queen of Heaven and Earth’ taking her rightful place as the Mother of Jesus Christ. We see here in the Rubens painting, the very important presence of the Holy Trinity all together - God the Father, Jesus Christ his Son and the Holy Spirit. God the Father is on the right and Jesus on the left, holds a crown over the head of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. The Holy Spirit in the traditional form of a Dove is immediately overhead. Angels and cherubs are celebrating in the foreground. The coronation of the Virgin Mary is the culmination of all the privileges granted to Mary, the mother of God. The Apostle, St. John, in his vision of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation describes “ a great sign appears in Heaven; a woman clothes with the sun, the moon under her feet and on her head, a crown of 12 stars”.
What a wonderful vision to end the month of August !
VIVA MARIA VIVA !
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