It is another lovely warm Spring day, and one way I have used the restrictions of COVID -19 is to start walking and bike-riding again. As my fitness improves, so does my enjoyment, especially now as nature is clothing itself once again with the life and vitality of Spring.
Springtime in the Southern hemisphere coincides with the feast-day of the Assumption of Mary (August 15th) which marks her death and physical entry into heaven. One tradition suggests that on the day she died, the Apostle, St Thomas, was absent – as he was when Jesus appeared to the Disciples on the first Easter evening. The other Apostles went with him to the stone cave tomb and opened it, so he could gaze upon Mary for one last time. I let this lovely poem by Sister M. Angeline retell the legend:
To a holy place,
Left her body in the earth –
Her body, “full of grace”.
But Thomas, tardy, slow of foot,
Absent when she died,
Spent with sorrow, craved to see
Her of the Crucified.
There was a swift intake of breath,
A hurried silent prayer;
Startled they opened the new-made tomb
To find but lilies there. (1)
All legends carry their own truth, and Mary’s empty tomb has been a sacred site since the early beginnings of Christianity. It lies in an ancient cemetery in the foothills of the Mount of Olives, and dates back to the 1st century AD when rock caves were a common way to bury the dead.
Over the centuries, Churches have been built over her grave-site – and destroyed during the political unrest. The current church dates from the second half of the 14th century. Each time, the underground cave-tomb has survived untouched.
The question remains whether the empty tomb was Mary's? In whatever way you answer that question, 'The Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Mary' continues to share similar popularity to the empty tomb(s) of Jesus. They both draw constant visits by Christian pilgrims and tourist..
It doesn't worry me whether these sacred places are authentic or not. Rather, I find both the feast of the Assumption of Mary and the Resurrection of Jesus, affirm that we are sacred beautiful bodied-beings. Created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). This is something Christianity has not been good in emphasising. Instead, the physical body was often regarded as something sinful; needing to be 'mortified and put to death' because it is 'hostile to God', as suggested by St Paul in Romans 8.
In contrast, the Feast of the Assumption (and the Resurrection) encourage us to delight in our physicality. They remind us that our body is a God-given gift. Given for us to delight in. Given also for us to develop the qualities and experiences of love, meaning, power, goodness, sacrifice for a cause, and the willingness to be their hands and feet:
Christ (and Mary) have no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which they look
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which they walk to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which they bless all the world.(2)
Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and good will on your journey.
Phil
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(1) Robert, Cyril. Our Lady's Praise in Poetry. Poughkeepsie, NY: Marist Press, 1944.
See also Mary's Tomb, https://www.biblewalks.com/marystomb
(2) These words are adapted from a prayer attributed to St Teresa of Ávila. For the original prayer see: https://liturgy.co.nz/i-have-no-hands-but-yours
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