Day: August 15, 2021

“But some are fallen asleep”

In complete contrast to the Pharisee,” the Publican, standing afar off,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel parable, “would not lift up so much his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” God has only sinners to send to sinners to proclaim the great good news of human redemption in Christ. Some of you heard me say that though I doubt you remember. Today is the 23rd anniversary of my being among you and that was part of my first sermon here at Christ Church on August 15th, 1998. To be sure, I can hardly remember either! The fact that it is our granddaughter Anna’s birthday is, perhaps, much more memorable.

But that aside, there is a wonderful paradox and contradiction that confronts us in today’s readings and their conjunction with an intriguing and important theological and pastoral commemoration. August 15th marks the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, which in the Prayer Book calendar is referred to as The Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a literal translation of the Greek κοιμνσις and the Latin dormition but which also became known as the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. The doctrine of the Assumption became Roman Catholic dogma as late as 1950. Yet the underlying idea is about the crucial role of Mary and that has strong support among Anglican and Protestant theologians.

The great paradox lies in this. In the Epistle, Paul repeatedly makes reference to things in the life of Christ “according to the Scriptures;” the phrase is used explicitly twice and alluded to at least twice more. It becomes an important doctrinal and creedal point captured in the idea that essential faith depends entirely on that which can only be proved by the received witness of the Scriptures. Yet the dogma of the Assumption of Mary has absolutely no scriptural ground or base whatsoever.

Nonetheless, it belongs to a profound creedal reflection on the role and place of Mary in the working out of human redemption. But because it has no explicit scriptural attestation, it cannot be required to be believed in our Anglican and Protestant understanding.

I want to probe the deeper connection between Mary’s Assumption or Dormition or Falling Asleep, to refer to its various terms, and the nature of our pilgrimage in faith in the Trinity season. Today’s readings provide an interesting complement to the place of Mary in the work of human redemption. The idea is that “where Christ is there shall we be also.” Such is the deep meaning of the “grace which has been bestowed upon [us],” realised most fully in Mary, “full of grace.” Such is the deep truth of her commemoration on this day.

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