I want you all to look at the famous hymn: “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones” it’s in our new hymnals #882. It’s melody that is used with many texts. For example “All Creatures of our God and King.”
Anyway, the song suggests that we join the Holy Ones in praising God. The first verse is addressed to the angels. As you may, or may not, know there are nine categories of angels, divided up into three groups (or spheres):
FIRST SPHERE
Seraphim
Cherubim
Thrones
SECOND SPHERE
Dominions
Virtues (or princedoms)
Powers
THIRD SPHERE
Principalities (or Virtues)
Archangels
Angels
So notice that all these heavenly bodies are called upon to sing “Alleluia.” But look at the second verse . . . it is addressed to someone higher than all of the angels.
That someone is Mary. Her status is not to be another God . . . but just like the angels to direct our attention to God. That is, “Praise to God” and “Alleluia” to God.
Did you know that todays is actually the oldest Marian feast in the Church? It started in the 5th century in Jerusalem as the feast of “Mary Theotokos” (or “Mary, the God bear-er.” This feast is even recognized in other denominations . . .
the Eastern Orthodox Church call the feast the “Dormition of Mary”
(there is a monastery in Israel called Dormition Abbey)
for Anglicans and Episcopalians, they celebrate “St. Mary the Virgin, Mother of our Lord”
for ELCA Lutherans, they commemorate “Mary, Mother of our Lord.”
The point is that we honor Mary and do what she did . . . that is, to honor God, to praise God to give God thanks. Mary did this in her entire life, even as she had to face impossible situations (e.g. being pregnant before she was married; losing her spouse; having her Son receive ridicule and torment . . . and finally to lose her Son through death.)
Even at the end of her life, we celebrate her total trust and praise of God. And that she didn’t die but was assumed into heaven. She received a “dormition” or sleep and was taken into heaven.
At the end of Mass we will celebrate the Communal Sacrament of Anointing. We acknowledge the trials and tribulations of so many in our community. And what we celebrate is for each of us (even with our own pains and hurts) to be like Mary and all the angels . . . and continue to give praise to God.
That’s tough to do. Most of us would rather complain to God. But we have the example of Mary, who would have many reasons to complain; instead she looked past her problems and was able to give God praise.
May we do the same.