{"id":40934,"date":"2013-08-14T07:57:58","date_gmt":"2013-08-14T12:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=40934"},"modified":"2018-08-08T13:15:41","modified_gmt":"2018-08-08T18:15:41","slug":"the-assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/08\/the-assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary is Our Homegirl: A Reflection on the Assumption of Our Humble and Barefoot Queen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mother<\/a>

Quilt by Georgette Stephens<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"white<\/a>

photo by Shawn Chapman<\/p><\/div>\n

She is so often portrayed as too pretty to touch, air brushed like a fluffy cloud or a pink puff of spun cotton candy. But she knew gut-wrenching grief. She cried real tears when she was widowed. Of course she did. Joseph\u2019s death must have been a bottomless loss for her.<\/p>\n

She walked the way of the Cross with her Son, wanting to die with Him as any mother would. But she stood at the foot of the Cross all the same, to love Him, and to go on doing whatever He told her. Maybe her toes clenched in her sandals as she stood there; toes that probably looked more like Mother Teresa\u2019s than the dainty artistic feet that peek out from beneath her dress in so many representations. Maybe she took her sandals off because she knew that Golgotha had just become Holy Ground.<\/p>\n

Her hands, likely bloodied from attempts to comfort her bleeding Son, were probably rough and work scarred from a lifetime of labor and loving service. These hands of Mary\u2019s, so soon to be assumed into Heaven, had held babies, hauled water, kneaded bread, cared for the sick, worked in the fields, watered the donkey, expressed human affection, and were often raised to God in prayer.<\/p>\n

What do you think of when you think of Mary\u2019s Assumption? I don\u2019t know why, but I always think of the hem of her dress; a dress which was doubtless as simple as a worn tee shirt and faded jeans would be to us today. I see its frayed, homespun cloth brighten as she is taken into the Light of Heaven. I want to see her feet. I always look for them under there.<\/p>\n

I am sure that in the mysterious process of the glorification of her body, Mary\u2019s calloused feet were much honored in Heaven; every scratch, each leathery sole, becoming what they always were: beautiful, heavenly bright. Maybe that\u2019s what happens in Heaven. Things begin to look the way they look to God.<\/p>\n

Thinking of my own mother\u2019s dirty little feet when she came in from the garden tracking mud on the kitchen floor convinces me that Our Lady tracked dirt all the way to her Son\u2019s throne. She brought the Earth with her, I\u2019m sure of that.<\/p>\n

We are a very Incarnational people, we Catholics. Earth is good, the body is good, because God is good, and Jesus is true God and true man; Incarnate in the flesh. In spite of the air brushed holy cards of Mary, in which her pupils seem far too small and she is painted to look like a pastel ghost, we know that the stars in Mary\u2019s hair represent the way she looked to God: gloriously human, the humble and barefoot Spouse of the Holy Spirit who was lowly and invisible to the world, but brilliantly radiant to the Lord. Then again, our exalted Mother, as brightly shining as we see her in Revelations 12, shows us she is real and totally human. Even as Heavenly Queen, rather than sighing with celestial bliss, she wails in the pangs of birth.<\/p>\n

That particular wailing is for us, I think. She is with us in our struggle with evil, in our determination to follow her Son, in our attempts and failures at practicing virtue, in the Church\u2019s painful war against the powers and principalities of darkness.<\/p>\n

There is a trail of glory that Mary left, but it looks a lot more like dirty foot prints to me as she runs to the Seat of Mercy with our burdens and pains, about her latest enmity with the Evil One, with her requests for us, her lost, suffering, fighting and dying children she wants to lead to her Son. Her Son, I like to think, must smile when he sees those clods of soil in the throne room that show she has been in. She will keep working for the Kingdom until her work of Queenly discipleship is done and there are stars in our hair too as we reign with God forever.<\/p>\n

She was assumed into Heaven, body and soul. She is the Living Tabernacle of the New Covenant. She is Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Mother of us. She listens with a real heart, leads us to Christ with real love.<\/p>\n

The Assumption reminds me of this: Mary is real. She\u2019s tracking in dirt. She\u2019s holding my hand. And she\u2019s beautiful- the way God sees beauty. Not only that, but as Monsignor Mike Sis said once in a homily, \u201cThe Assumption means God\u2019s gonna win! God\u2019s gonna WIN!\u201d<\/p>\n

In answering my Methodist friend, Paula, with an explanation of what the Assumption was, she exclaimed, \u201cOH! Isn\u2019t that what happens in the end to all of us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Can I get a \u201cHeaven yeah?”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSinless Virgin, let us follow joyfully in your footsteps; draw us after you in the fragrance of your holiness. \u201c
\n( Antiphon from The Little Office of the BVM).<\/p>\n

\"feet\"<\/a>

Photo by Stefan Pauc<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    She is so often portrayed as too pretty to touch, air brushed like a fluffy cloud or a pink puff of spun cotton candy. But she knew gut-wrenching grief. She cried real tears when she was widowed. Of course she did. Joseph\u2019s death must have been a bottomless loss for her. She walked… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[1932,262,101,923],"class_list":["post-40934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","tag-assumption","tag-heaven","tag-mary","tag-mother","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":454524,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/i-am-crowned-the-assumption-and-coronation-of-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":40934,"position":0},"title":"“I am Crowned” the Assumption and Coronation of Mary","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"August 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 To me a cup was given Myrrh and mara, burning my hands Deeply I drank, losing myself in love I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Valley From my Sun-filled body came a river of grace Tying my feet I have grown wings Radiant and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/890bb9f20e0fb502df04052e31dc0946-assumption-of-mary-mama-mary-550x638.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/890bb9f20e0fb502df04052e31dc0946-assumption-of-mary-mama-mary-550x638.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/890bb9f20e0fb502df04052e31dc0946-assumption-of-mary-mama-mary-550x638.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":285399,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/08\/an-organic-approach-to-the-assumption-queenship-of-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":40934,"position":1},"title":"An Organic Approach to the Assumption & Queenship of Mary","author":"Rachel","date":"August 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I'd like to offer some thoughts on\u00a0an organic approach to understanding the Assumption and Queenship of Mary. What do I mean by organic? Mostly I mean an understanding that captures the organic\u00a0connection between ideas and life. For example, you think about it something but those thoughts don't permeate your actual\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"Just as you accompanied Our Lord in this life, and lived and loved and suffered with him, so, at the completion of your life, he takes you body and soul into heaven. With my whole heart I share in your happiness and pray that the world may enjoy a similar fate.\" J Kentenich, Heavenwards. Painting in the Assumption Chapel at St.Mary's University in San Antonio. \" Photo by me","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/IMG_3855-522x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":559060,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/12\/sword-pierced-heart\/","url_meta":{"origin":40934,"position":2},"title":"A Sword Pierced Her Heart","author":"Norine Shaivitz","date":"December 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Our Lady was sobbing. The sword had pierced her through. She wept for her son, who was going to die. We are soon to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe. But since September, I have been contemplating Holy Mother under the title of Our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/ourladyofsorrows-517x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15310,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/04\/animals-with-catholic-captions\/","url_meta":{"origin":40934,"position":3},"title":"Animals with Catholic Captions","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"April 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the best things about being Catholic is the hope and joy we have in our faith. Jesus Christ is truly Risen! He is risen indeed! Sometimes, we Catholics take ourselves too seriously. We live in a Good Friday world but we are an Easter people and alleluia is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/jumping-animal.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":65535,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/12\/faces-show-the-struggles-of-advent\/","url_meta":{"origin":40934,"position":4},"title":"12 Faces that Show the Struggles of Advent","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"December 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"We often take ourselves too seriously, especially when it comes to the pursuit of holiness. Too often do I come across misconceptions about the many limitations and boxes people confine their notions of what saintliness can or should look like. I often think it\u2019s because of the misunderstanding of what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"12 Faces that Show the Struggles of Advent","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/12FacesthatShowtheStrugglesofAdvent-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/12FacesthatShowtheStrugglesofAdvent-550x366.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/12FacesthatShowtheStrugglesofAdvent-550x366.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50429,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/08\/presence-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":40934,"position":5},"title":"The Presence of Mary","author":"Rachel","date":"August 15, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Mary has a presence all her own. I didn't always know that - I didn't always know her. I remember distinctly the first time I really felt her near. I was on a silent retreat, the first I'd ever attended. It was a 3-day experience of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Tepeyac of San Antonio","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photo-1-e1408072225858-141x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/155"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40934\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}