Joy in the midst of instability

 

On every August 15^th, the Church celebrates the Assumption of Mary.  The Catholic Church teaches as dogma that the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory".  One of the Bible readings for the day is from The Book of Revelation, which indicates that the early community of believers had a special place for the Mother of our Lord (Revelation 11:19; 12:1-10).  This is complemented with the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:39-56), which is frequently referred to as the Canticle of Mary, and sometimes called the Magnificat.  For many of us, we often hear this text, or recite or sing it as part of our “daily office”. 

But this year, on this Solemnity, it’s extraordinarily different.  It’s different because of Covid-19.  It’s different because of the unrest and demonstrations in our streets.  It’s different because of loved ones we’ve lost.  It’s different because we understand this virus is global, affecting people all around the world.  It’s different because of financial instability, radical changes in business and jobs, and evictions.   It’s different because we’ve lost a lot of the stability that we thought we were standing on.  And we’re questioning and re-evaluating what stability even means.   It’s different because our world has been turned upside down.

Yet it’s no different than what Mary sings in her canticle; she describes a world which, because of the birth of Jesus, gets turned upside down.  And her song forces us to re-evaluate life based on our belief in Christ.

The hungry get filled with good things.

The rich are left with emptiness.

The mighty and powerful are cast from their thrones.

The lowly have been lifted up.

And she, a woman, a teenager, unmarried, pregnant, with no rights according to the Law, discovers her blessedness!   As Elizabeth says to Mary, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:45)

Today, things have been turned upside down for all humanity in much the same way they were in Mary’s day.  But it’s not the first time, and certainly won’t be the last.

I’m reminded of another story of our Church history which isn’t in the Gospel accounts.  It takes place in the third century when Christians were harshly persecuted.  It’s the story of a deacon in Rome named Lawrence.  The account tells us about the remarkable deed he performed a few days before he was martyred.

A Roman official came to Lawrence demanding that Lawrence give him the treasure—or riches—of the Church. The official said that the emperor needed the money he would receive if crucifixes and sacred vessels like chalices were melted down and the gold sold.

Lawrence agreed, but he asked the official for three days to prepare the “treasures.”  During those three days, Lawrence sold everything he could and gave the money to the poor, the sick, orphans, widows, and anyone in need.  He asked all of those people then to go with him to the official. The legend says that Lawrence lined all the people up and announced to the official, “These are the treasures of the Church!”   The Roman official was furious. Lawrence was immediately arrested and brutally executed, burned alive over coals.  As he was led to his death, Lawrence said these words: “I rejoice greatly because I have been considered worthy to be a sacrificial victim for Christ”.   I can’t think of St. Lawrence without remembering that he is the patron saint of comedians.  Because while he was being burned, it's reported that he said to his tormentors, “Please turn me over.  I’m done on this side!”  

Perhaps amidst all the truths we’re learning about society and humanity these days,  today is more about the joy and delight Mary and Lawrence can teach us in finding Joy in the Lord our God in spite of all the other things in our lives which are being turned upside down.  There is time to respond to all that, but today Mary reminds us that we need to rejoice because our citizenship is written in the Book of Life.   Knowing this priority, and God’s faithful stability, empowers us to face the challenges of tomorrow with confidence, and yes, joy.