Of the Assumption of Mary, Part II
After receiving this welcome
intelligence she imparted it to Saint John: we may well imagine with what grief
and tender feelings he heard the news; he who for so many years had attended
upon her as a son, and had enjoyed the heavenly conversation of this most holy
Mother. She then once more visited the holy places of Jerusalem, tenderly
taking leave of them, and especially of Mount Calvary, where her beloved Son
had died. She then retired into her poor cottage, there to prepare for death.
During this time the angels did not cease their visits to their beloved Queen,
consoling themselves with the thought that they would soon see her crowned in
heaven. Many authors asserted that, before her death, the Apostles, and also
many disciples who were scattered in different parts of the world, were
miraculously assembled in Mary’s room, and that when she saw all these her dear
children in her presence, she thus addressed them: ‘My beloved children,
through love for you and to help you my Son left me on this earth. The holy
Faith is now spread throughout the world, already the fruit of the Divine seed
is grown up; hence my Lord, seeing that my assistance on earth is no longer
necessary, and compassionating my grief in being separated from Him, has
graciously listened to my desire, to quit this life and to go and see Him in
heaven. Do you remain, then, to labour for His glory. If I leave you, my heart
remains with you; the great love I bear you I shall carry with me and always
preserve. I go to Paradise to pray for you.’ Who can form an idea of the tears
and lamentations of the holy disciples at this sad announcement, and at the
thought that soon they were to be separated from their Mother? All then,
weeping, exclaimed, ‘ Then, O Mary, thou art already about to leave us. It is
true that this world is not a place worthy of or fit for thee; and as for us,
we are unworthy to enjoy the society of a Mother of God; but, remember, thou
art our Mother; hitherto thou hast enlightened us in our doubts; thou hast
consoled us in our afflictions; thou hast been our strength in persecutions;
and now, how canst thou abandon us, leaving us alone in the midst of so many
enemies and so many conflicts, deprived of thy consolation?
We have already lost on earth
Jesus, our Master and Father, who has ascended into heaven; until now we have
found consolation in thee, our Mother; and now, how canst thou also leave us
orphans without father or mother, Our own sweet Lady, either remain with us, or
take us with thee.’ Thus Saint John Damascen writes: ‘No, my children’ (thus
sweetly the loving Queen began to speak), ‘this is not according to the will of
God; be satisfied to do that which He has decreed for me and for you. To you it
yet remains to labour on earth for the glory of your Redeemer, and to make up
your eternal crown. I do not leave you to abandon you, but to help you still
more in heaven by my intercession with God. Be satisfied. I commend the holy
Church to you; I commend redeemed souls to you; let this be my last farewell,
and the only remembrance I leave you: execute it if you love me, labour for the
good of souls and for the glory of my Son; for one day we shall meet again in
Paradise, never more for all eternity to be separated.’
She then begged them to give
burial to her body after death; blessed them, and desired Saint John, as Saint
John Damascen relates, to give after her death two of her gowns to two virgins
who had served her for some time. She then decently composed herself on her
poor little bed, where she laid herself to await death, and with it the meeting
with the Divine Spouse, who shortly was to come and take her with Him to the
kingdom of the blessed. Behold, she already feels in her heart a great joy, the
forerunner of the coming of the Bridegroom, which inundates her with an
unaccustomed and novel sweetness. The holy Apostles seeing that Mary was
already on the point of leaving this world, renewing their tears, all threw
themselves on their knees around her bed; some kissed her holy feet, some
sought a special blessing from her, some recommended a particular want, and all
wept bitterly; for their hearts were pierced with grief at being obliged to
separate themselves for the rest of their lives from their beloved Lady. And
she, the most loving Mother, compassionated all, and consoled each one; to some
promising her patronage, blessing others with particular affection, and
encouraging others to the work of the conversion of the world; especially she
called Saint Peter to her, and as head of the Church and Vicar of her Son, recommended
to him in a particular manner the propagation of the Faith, promising him at
the same time her especial protection in heaven. But more particularly did she
call Saint John to her, who more than any other was grieved at this moment when
he had to part with his holy Mother; and the most gracious Lady, remembering
the affection and attention with which this holy disciple had served her during
all the years she had remained on earth since the death of her Son, said: ‘My
own John’ (speaking with the greatest tenderness) ‘my own John, I thank thee
for all the assistance thou hast afforded me; my son, be assured of it, I shall
not be ungrateful. If I now leave thee, I go to pray for thee. Remain in peace
in this life until we meet again in heaven, where I await thee. Never forget
me. In all thy wants call me to thy aid; for I will never forget thee, my
beloved son. Son, I bless thee. I leave thee my blessing. Remain in peace.
Farewell!’
But already the death of Mary is
at hand; divine love, with its vehement and blessed flames, had already almost
entirely consumed the vital spirits; the heavenly phoenix is already losing her
life in the midst of this fire. Then the host of angels come in choirs to meet
her, as if to be ready for the great triumph with which they were to accompany
her to Paradise. Mary was indeed consoled at the sight of these holy spirits,
but was not fully consoled; for she did not yet see her beloved Jesus, who was
the whole love of her heart. Hence she often repeated to the angels who descended
to salute her: ” I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find
my Beloved, that you tell Him that I languish with love.” Holy angels, O fair
citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, you come in choirs kindly to console me;
and you all console me with your sweet presence. I thank you; but you do not
fully satisfy me, for as yet I do not see my Son coming to console me: go, if
you love me, return to Paradise, and on my part tell my Beloved that “I
languish with love.” Tell Him to come, and to come quickly, for I am dying with
the vehemence of my desire to see Him.
But, behold, Jesus is now come
to take His Mother to the kingdom of the blessed. It was revealed to Saint
Elizabeth that her Son appeared to Mary before she expired with His cross in
His hands, to show the special glory He had obtained by the redemption; having,
by His death, made acquisition of that great creature, who for all eternity was
to honour Him more than all men and angels. Saint John Damascen relates that
our Lord Himself gave her the viaticum, saying with tender love, ‘Receive, O My
Mother, from My hands that same body which thou gavest to Me.’ And the Mother,
having received with the greatest love that last communion, with her last
breath said, ‘My Son, into Thy hands do I commend my spirit. I commend to Thee
this soul, which from the beginning Thou didst create rich in so many graces,
and by a singular privilege didst preserve from the stain of original sin. I
commend to Thee my body, from which Thou didst deign to take Thy flesh and
blood. I also commend to Thee these my beloved children (speaking of the holy
disciples, who surrounded her); they are grieved at my departure. Do Thou, who
lovest them more than I do, console them; bless them, and give them strength to
do great things for Thy glory.’
The life of Mary being now at
its close, the most delicious music, as Saint Jerome relates, was heard in the
apartment where she lay; and, according to a revelation of Saint Bridget, the
room was also filled with a brilliant light. This sweet music, and the
unaccustomed splendour, warned the holy Apostles that Mary was then departing.
This caused them again to burst forth in tears and prayers; and raising their
hands, with one voice they exclaimed, ‘O, Mother, thou already goest to heaven;
thou leavest us; give us thy last blessing, and never forget us miserable
creatures.’ Mary, turning her eyes around upon all, as if to bid them a last
farewell, said, ‘Adieu, my children; I bless you; fear not, I will never forget
you.’ And now death came; not indeed clothed in mourning and grief, as it does
to others, but adorned with light and gladness. But what do we say? Why speak
of death? Let us rather say that Divine love came, and cut the thread of that
noble life. And as a light, before going out, gives a last and brighter flash
than ever, so did this beautiful creature, on hearing her Son’s invitation to
follow Him, wrapped in the flames of love, and in the midst of her amorous
sighs, give a last sigh of still more ardent love, and breathing forth her
soul, expired. Thus was that great soul, that beautiful dove of the Lord,
loosened from the bands of this life; thus did she enter into the glory of the
blessed, where she is now seated, and will be seated, Queen of Paradise, for
all eternity.
Mary, then, has left this world;
she is now in heaven. Thence does this compassionate Mother look down upon us
who are still in this valley of tears. She pities us, and, if we wish it,
promises to help us. Let us always beseech her, by the merits of her blessed
death, to obtain us a happy death; and should such be the good ploasure of God,
let us beg her to obtain us the grace to die on a Saturday, which is a day
dedicated in her honour, or on a day of a novena, or within the octave of one
of her feasts; for this she has obtained for so many of her clients, and
especially for Saint Stanislaus Kostka, for whom she obtained that he should
lie on the feast of her Assumption, as Father Bartoli relates in his life.
Example
During his lifetime this holy
youth, who was wholly dedicated to the love of Mary, happened, on the first of
August, to hear a sermon preached by Father Peter Canisius, in which, exhorting
the novices of the society, he urged them all, with the greatest fervour, to
live each day as if it was the last of their lives, and the one on which they
were to be presented before God’s tribunal. After the sermon Saint Stanislaus
told his companions that that advice had been for him, in an especial manner,
the voice of God; for that he was to die in the course of that very month. It
is evident, from what followed, that he said this either because (loaf had
expressly revealed it to him, or at least because He gave him a certain
internal presentiment of it. Four days afterwards the blessed youth went with
Father Emanuel to Saint Mary Major’s. The conversation fell on the approaching
feast of the Assumption, and the Saint said, ‘ Father, I believe that on that
day a now Paradise is seen in Paradise, as the glory of the Mother of God,
crowned Queen of heaven, and seated so near to our Lord, above all the choirs
of angels, is seen. And if as I firmly believe it to be this festival is
renewed every year, I hope to see the next.’ The glorious martyr Saint Lawrence
had fallen by lot to Saint Stanislaus as his patron for that month, it being
customary in the society thus to draw them. It is said that he wrote a letter
to his Mother Mary, in which he begged her to obtain him the favour to be
present at her next festival in heaven. On the feast of Saint Lawrence he
received the holy Communion, and afterwards entreated the Saint to present his
letter to the Divine Mother, and to support his petition with his intercession,
that the most Blessed Virgin might graciously accept and grant it. Towards the
close of that very day he was seized with fever; and though the attack was
slight, he considered that certainly he had obtained the favour asked for. This
indeed he joyfully expressed, and with a smiling countenance, on going to bed,
said, ‘From this bed I shall never rise again.’ And speaking to Father Claudius
Aquaviva, he added, ‘Father, I believe that Saint Lawrence has already obtained
me the favour from Mary to be in heaven on the feast of her Assumption.’ No
one, however, took much notice of his words. On the vigil of the feast his
illness still seemed of little consequence, but the Saint assured a brother
that he should die that night. ‘O brother,’ the other answered, ‘it would be a
greater miracle to die of so slight an illness than to be cured.’ Nevertheless
in the afternoon he fell into a deathlike swoon; a cold sweat came over him,
and he lost all his strength The Superior hastened to him, and Stanislaus
entreated him to have him laid on the bare floor, that he might die as a penitent.
To satisfy him, this was granted: he was laid on a thin mattress on the ground.
He then made his confession, and in the midst of the tears of all present
received the Viaticum: I say, of the tears of all present, for when the Divine
Sacrament was brought into the room his eyes brightened up with celestial joy,
and his whole countenance was inflamed with holy love, so that he seemed like a
seraph He also received extreme unction, and in the mean while did nothing but
constantly raise his eyes to heaven and lovingly press to his heart an image of
Mary. A father asked him to what purpose he kept a rosary in his hand, since he
could not use it. He replied, ‘It is a consolation to me, for it is something
belonging to my Mother.’ ‘O, how much greater will your consolation be,’ added
the father, ‘when you shortly see her and kiss her hands in heaven!’ On hearing
this, the Saint, with his countenance all on fire, raised his hands to express
his desire soon to be in her presence. His dear Mother then appeared to him, as
he himself told those who surrounded him; and shortly afterwards, at the dawn
of day on the fifteenth of August, with his eyes fixed on heaven, he expired
like a saint, without the slightest struggle; so much so, that it was only on
presenting him the image of the Blessed Virgin, and seeing that made no
movement towards it, that it was perceived that he was already gone to kiss the
feet of his beloved Queen in Paradise.
Pray
by Saint Alphosus de Liguori
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your interest in our blog! Your comment will be viewed shortly to be added to our blog. :)