I love our Blessed Mother, and I love the Feast of the Assumption. I have a hard time with most of the depictions of this event though. I don't know a great deal about art - I only know what speaks to my soul - so maybe there's something I just don't get. The beautiful paintings of myriads of cherubs gloriously whisking the Virgin Mary away just seem off to me. I realize that these are artistic expressions and not a journalistic account, but it's the essence of the depictions that doesn't feel quite right. Mary was the most profoundly human (human as in living in relationship to God) person to ever live. The satisfaction of humanity is destiny - full union with the One we were created for full union with. Our Lady lived this destiny perfectly throughout her earthly life, and when it was time for that life to come to a close, her destiny was actualized in a way that would not only justly reward the person she was but also serve the rest of Creation as a promise of what is to come - what is, in a way, going on right now. Yes, this event - humanity fully sharing divinity - is glorious; I just picture it more simply. I imagine a stirring in her heart, a quiet Voice speaking without words saying "It is time." And then she was gone and yet more fully present then ever - able to be a mother to every single soul, not just those who were blessed enough to be in her physical vicinity. Being the epitome of humanity, I think Mary's experience would be the epitome of human experience. And God usually speaks to His children in a quiet simplicity that is infinitely more beautiful than all the cherubs anyone could ever paint.
As I write this though it seems very unfair to the artists who created these works. How would you paint the Voice of God? I think they did the best they could, knowing they would fall short but still compelled to try, trusting in God to do something beautiful with what ever they could offer in love.
Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord's word to her would be fulfilled! May we see heaven as our goal and come to share in her glory!
1 comment:
I think your right, the artwork of the Assumption, though always creative, and beautifully done could never capture its true beauty. An honor for any artist to paint I'm sure, but how incredibly daunting to try to depict.
I am amazed at how much the Virgin Mary has come to mean to me. I remember at Bible studies as a Protestant practically 'skimming' over verses referring to her, and having this faint voice in my head say something like 'Mary really deserves more attention than we are giving her'
Tamara and I were talking on the way home about todays reading from Revelation 12 (The Woman and the Dragon) and just how much everything makes so much more sense as a Catholic.
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