Often when I am saying the Glorious Mysteries’ of the Rosary, when I arrive at the “Assumption of Mary”, my mind often dwells on the mystery of the Holy Trinity dwelling in our souls. For the Christian, God is neither just transcendent nor immanent, but both. Some Christian writers will use the work “Panenthiesm” to combine both concepts.
Christ’s Resurrection and Mary’s Assumption tell us something of God’s plan for mankind. In Mary, by pure grace, she is the first fruit of Christ death and Resurrection. In her we see what God desires for us all. In her we see our own ultimate union with the deep mystery of the Holy Trinity, already dwelling within the heart, or one with our hearts.
There is only one “Body of Christ”, so to ask Mary to pray for us, is no different than asking our friends to do the same. Christ is the well from which all grace flows, but we are all channels of grace for one another. To pray for another is one such channel. It is too bad that many Christian use this as a way condemn us, our devotion to Mary, it is something I don’t understand. For if asking Mary to pray for me, or us, is in some way interfering with Jesus, then it holds true to ask anyone to pray for me or us is the same, which is absurd, for we are told to pray for one another. Why death would stop that is a mystery to me. For aren’t we surrounded by a crowd of witnesses.
For many death is the end, an entering into eternal nothingness, for the Christian it is an opening up into a larger world, perhaps one that expands for eternity, since the mystery of God is infinite, there will be no end to it. For the infinite cannot be reached, just a deeper entering into the Center.
God is often seen as just another ‘Person’, just bigger. God is not a person in that sense, to make God thus is just another idol that needs to be destroyed. For a bigger version of what it means to be human is something very scary and off putting, the darker aspects seem to take on a life of their own. God for many is nothing more than an abusive father with a bi-polar disorder, something understandable, finite, controllable, if certain actions or prayers or done, then perhaps the wrath will be forestalled. I think that is part of the path, to let go of one idol after another, until we come to ‘no-thing’, then the mystery and the road of infinite love can be taken. A joyful journey, even if often filled with the sufferings that simply comes with life.
In the Assumption we see God’s true intent for us all, life unending, ever expanding, and a dive into eternal mystery. We are after all seekers, digging for answers to all of life’s mysteries. The way is long or seems to be and difficult, so we should support each other on the journey. Perhaps not throwing stones and condemning is one way to do that. Not just for Christians but for all. For we are told not to judge for a reason; for to judge is to limit God’s work in the world, at least according to the judgment in our own hearts. We are all different, each on a path, some further along than others, though only God knows the depths of each heart.
God is not tame, not does he belong to anyone, and we are all God’s children, brought into existence out of love. Best to leave those loved infinitely in the mystery, and to stop judging.
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
Holy Spirit Monastery
