Post by Voxxkowalski on Aug 14, 2016 15:34:25 GMT -5
The Dormition icon depicts the “Falling Asleep” of Mary (Dormition being a word from the French word
“dormire” which means “to sleep”). This title word, right away, brings a new way to look at the death of
believers. To believers and followers of Jesus Christ death has become something alien. It is such a
different thing than it was before Christ’s victory over it. It is so different that the old word “death”
does not really work anymore. Believers, like Mary and the Apostles, experienced firsthand the power
of Christ’s resurrection and His destruction of death. This experience made it impossible to use that
word, “death,” in the same way any longer. How could believers talk about Mary’s “death” when they
knew she was alive in heaven with Her Son? They could not. They knew that with her, as with all
mankind, there was something else happening. And this “happening” is the thing depicted in the
Dormition icon and this new “thing,” this new “happening,” is best described as a kind of “sleep” since
there are no other adequate words. Hence, “Dormition”! This is why this event (and icon) is called “The
Dormition of the Mother of God,” because the word “death” simply does not apply.
With this in mind let’s take a look even closer at the icon…
With this icon, as with all icons, we are meant to be drawn in. We are meant to be a part of this event
and, more importantly and powerfully and poignantly, we are meant to relate this icon to ourselves
personally. In apse icons of Mary,
as with all icons of Mary, She
holds (or is near to) Jesus. The image of mother with child is an emotional touchstone for most people.
We all came from the wombs of our mothers. And while the complexities and shortcomings of human
reality make this, at times, a difficult or even unpleasant reality, it is still something we all have in
common. As such we all, on some level, hope and desire for our basic, childlike needs to be satisfied. It
is then common and natural, when we look at the icon of The Perfect Mother offering and supplying
perfect love, for us to want that love too! The love She gives to Jesus is the love we want! On some
level we hope and desire and need for THAT love to be OUR love! We want to be loved perfectly by our
mommies! Gratefully, by grace and mercy, in some mystical way this love IS available. And this is the
great joy of being a Catholic , because these hopes, desires and needs ARE satisfied. And we
experience them and feel them personally when we believe it to be so.
With the belief that Mary, THE Perfect Mother, loves us we can experience things like being fed… with
the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35); being dressed… with a “garment of incorruption” and a “robe of
righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10); being washed… of our sins (Acts 22:16); having our thirst quenched… by
“The Fountain of Life”; being protected and sheltered… “under the shadow” of her wings (Psalm 17:8);
and being given a place… to find “rest for our souls.”
These needs being met are what help us to relate to God and His Mother and they help us to build and
to strengthen our faith. They help us to believe, truly, deeply and unwaveringly, because faith becomes
a lived experience. When we are bathed and fed and clothed in Church then we cannot help but simply
KNOW that we are loved. And this is what we see in icons of Mary. We see an unconditionally loving
Mother who is always ready and waiting for us. She is ready to embrace us! She is ready to tend to our
needs! She will wash, clothe, and feed us!
Now, in the Dormition icon we see the favor returned. In contrast to all of those icons that show Mary
holding little baby Jesus, we now see Jesus holding little Mary! With everything that is happening in the
action filled Dormition icon, one could easily miss this most significant detail of Jesus
holding Mary. Everyone’s attention is on the “sleeping” Mary. This is why this small detail could be
missed. But it is perhaps the most important detail of the whole icon. A foundational and poignant
mystery is revealed in this detail. It is the mystery that Jesus comes from Heaven to receive His
mother’s soul!
In the overall composition of a Dormition icon Mary is lying in state. She is surrounded, left and right, by
the Apostles. Just behind Mary’s funeral bier is Jesus. Jesus is enveloped by a sort-of bubble. This
“sort-of bubble” depicts His mystical presence at the event. Above Jesus the gates of Heaven are wide
open. They are open and ready to receive the newly departed soul of Mary. Just as Mary’s arms are
wide open and ready to receive us in a Apse icon, the gates of Heaven are wide open and ready to
receive too.
Mary’s soul, held tenderly by Jesus, is depicted as a swaddled, little baby. It is a twin or rather mirrorlike
or flip-flopped, image that contrasts with the abundant and familiar icons of Mary with child. It is as
if Jesus now, as He holds little Mary, is returning all of the favors and all the care that His mother gave to
Him. There are no rules or covenants or laws that force Jesus to “return the favor.” He does this out of
love. And this reveals in perhaps one of the most easily accessible ways with “down to earth” theology
the exact way that Grace takes place. Things that should not be, are. Heaven and earth should not be
together. Death should not be a passage to life. But here it is! It is God’s mercy depicted in front of our
eyes ready for us to absorb this new reality that God loves us so much that he will come when we are
dead and reveal our deaths to be merely sleep!
And this is also what this icon means for us! It means that we need not fear death since it is merely
sleep… just as it is merely sleep for Mary! This is a significant way that we can make this icon be
personal to us.
Additionally, if we are meant to relate to and be drawn into icons and if the detail of Jesus holding little
Mary is THE significant detail of the Dormition icon, then how are we supposed to relate to this? The
answer is simple enough. We can see that this is exactly what is in store for us. Jesus’ loving work by
way of His death on the cross and harrowing of hell and His Resurrection from the dead all comes to this
very personal moment. We, all of mankind, will be held like little babes in the arms of our loving God!
And in fact, this reality has already begun when we believe and submit. And who would not want to be
held in the loving arms of Jesus like a little babe?
So here we have it depicted, God’s eager love doing what cannot be done. What is Jesus doing
“outside” of Heaven? Did He not already come and fulfill and accomplish everything? Nonetheless,
there He is; even though He has already accomplished the impossible with His crucifixion and
resurrection, He goes even beyond all of this and holds Mary, HOLDS US, against His bosom and carries
us to heavenly peace. (This is a cut and paste from a Church bulletin)
“dormire” which means “to sleep”). This title word, right away, brings a new way to look at the death of
believers. To believers and followers of Jesus Christ death has become something alien. It is such a
different thing than it was before Christ’s victory over it. It is so different that the old word “death”
does not really work anymore. Believers, like Mary and the Apostles, experienced firsthand the power
of Christ’s resurrection and His destruction of death. This experience made it impossible to use that
word, “death,” in the same way any longer. How could believers talk about Mary’s “death” when they
knew she was alive in heaven with Her Son? They could not. They knew that with her, as with all
mankind, there was something else happening. And this “happening” is the thing depicted in the
Dormition icon and this new “thing,” this new “happening,” is best described as a kind of “sleep” since
there are no other adequate words. Hence, “Dormition”! This is why this event (and icon) is called “The
Dormition of the Mother of God,” because the word “death” simply does not apply.
With this in mind let’s take a look even closer at the icon…
With this icon, as with all icons, we are meant to be drawn in. We are meant to be a part of this event
and, more importantly and powerfully and poignantly, we are meant to relate this icon to ourselves
personally. In apse icons of Mary,
as with all icons of Mary, She
holds (or is near to) Jesus. The image of mother with child is an emotional touchstone for most people.
We all came from the wombs of our mothers. And while the complexities and shortcomings of human
reality make this, at times, a difficult or even unpleasant reality, it is still something we all have in
common. As such we all, on some level, hope and desire for our basic, childlike needs to be satisfied. It
is then common and natural, when we look at the icon of The Perfect Mother offering and supplying
perfect love, for us to want that love too! The love She gives to Jesus is the love we want! On some
level we hope and desire and need for THAT love to be OUR love! We want to be loved perfectly by our
mommies! Gratefully, by grace and mercy, in some mystical way this love IS available. And this is the
great joy of being a Catholic , because these hopes, desires and needs ARE satisfied. And we
experience them and feel them personally when we believe it to be so.
With the belief that Mary, THE Perfect Mother, loves us we can experience things like being fed… with
the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35); being dressed… with a “garment of incorruption” and a “robe of
righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10); being washed… of our sins (Acts 22:16); having our thirst quenched… by
“The Fountain of Life”; being protected and sheltered… “under the shadow” of her wings (Psalm 17:8);
and being given a place… to find “rest for our souls.”
These needs being met are what help us to relate to God and His Mother and they help us to build and
to strengthen our faith. They help us to believe, truly, deeply and unwaveringly, because faith becomes
a lived experience. When we are bathed and fed and clothed in Church then we cannot help but simply
KNOW that we are loved. And this is what we see in icons of Mary. We see an unconditionally loving
Mother who is always ready and waiting for us. She is ready to embrace us! She is ready to tend to our
needs! She will wash, clothe, and feed us!
Now, in the Dormition icon we see the favor returned. In contrast to all of those icons that show Mary
holding little baby Jesus, we now see Jesus holding little Mary! With everything that is happening in the
action filled Dormition icon, one could easily miss this most significant detail of Jesus
holding Mary. Everyone’s attention is on the “sleeping” Mary. This is why this small detail could be
missed. But it is perhaps the most important detail of the whole icon. A foundational and poignant
mystery is revealed in this detail. It is the mystery that Jesus comes from Heaven to receive His
mother’s soul!
In the overall composition of a Dormition icon Mary is lying in state. She is surrounded, left and right, by
the Apostles. Just behind Mary’s funeral bier is Jesus. Jesus is enveloped by a sort-of bubble. This
“sort-of bubble” depicts His mystical presence at the event. Above Jesus the gates of Heaven are wide
open. They are open and ready to receive the newly departed soul of Mary. Just as Mary’s arms are
wide open and ready to receive us in a Apse icon, the gates of Heaven are wide open and ready to
receive too.
Mary’s soul, held tenderly by Jesus, is depicted as a swaddled, little baby. It is a twin or rather mirrorlike
or flip-flopped, image that contrasts with the abundant and familiar icons of Mary with child. It is as
if Jesus now, as He holds little Mary, is returning all of the favors and all the care that His mother gave to
Him. There are no rules or covenants or laws that force Jesus to “return the favor.” He does this out of
love. And this reveals in perhaps one of the most easily accessible ways with “down to earth” theology
the exact way that Grace takes place. Things that should not be, are. Heaven and earth should not be
together. Death should not be a passage to life. But here it is! It is God’s mercy depicted in front of our
eyes ready for us to absorb this new reality that God loves us so much that he will come when we are
dead and reveal our deaths to be merely sleep!
And this is also what this icon means for us! It means that we need not fear death since it is merely
sleep… just as it is merely sleep for Mary! This is a significant way that we can make this icon be
personal to us.
Additionally, if we are meant to relate to and be drawn into icons and if the detail of Jesus holding little
Mary is THE significant detail of the Dormition icon, then how are we supposed to relate to this? The
answer is simple enough. We can see that this is exactly what is in store for us. Jesus’ loving work by
way of His death on the cross and harrowing of hell and His Resurrection from the dead all comes to this
very personal moment. We, all of mankind, will be held like little babes in the arms of our loving God!
And in fact, this reality has already begun when we believe and submit. And who would not want to be
held in the loving arms of Jesus like a little babe?
So here we have it depicted, God’s eager love doing what cannot be done. What is Jesus doing
“outside” of Heaven? Did He not already come and fulfill and accomplish everything? Nonetheless,
there He is; even though He has already accomplished the impossible with His crucifixion and
resurrection, He goes even beyond all of this and holds Mary, HOLDS US, against His bosom and carries
us to heavenly peace. (This is a cut and paste from a Church bulletin)
okgazette.com/2016/06/29/black-mass-and-the-consumption-of-mary-set-for-aug-15/
The ceremony, known as The Consumption of Mary, is part of a ticketed black Mass hosted by Oklahoma City’s satanic Church of Ahriman Aug. 15 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. A black Mass is a dark parody, or inversion, of a traditional Roman Catholic Church religious service.
Church of Ahriman religious leader Dastur Adam Daniels has drawn local and national enmity for his organization’s public ceremonies and demonstrations. Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City issued a media statement calling the group’s 2014 black Mass “a satanic inversion and distortion of the most sacred beliefs not only of Catholics, but of all Christians.”
Daniels said this year’s celebrations include The Consumption of Mary as a way to illustrate black magic and his church’s teachings .....According to the ritual, the corrupted Mary statue is placed into the center of a Solomonic triangle, which “entraps” her. Celebrants dance counter-clockwise around the statue before a spirit severs the statue’s head, unleashing a Hellmouth, or opening to hell.
Inside the statue is an actual pig’s heart, Daniels said. After the statue has been smashed, a priestess pulls the heart out of the rubble and eats it, thus “consuming” Mary and ending the ritual..
Church of Ahriman religious leader Dastur Adam Daniels has drawn local and national enmity for his organization’s public ceremonies and demonstrations. Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City issued a media statement calling the group’s 2014 black Mass “a satanic inversion and distortion of the most sacred beliefs not only of Catholics, but of all Christians.”
Daniels said this year’s celebrations include The Consumption of Mary as a way to illustrate black magic and his church’s teachings .....According to the ritual, the corrupted Mary statue is placed into the center of a Solomonic triangle, which “entraps” her. Celebrants dance counter-clockwise around the statue before a spirit severs the statue’s head, unleashing a Hellmouth, or opening to hell.
Inside the statue is an actual pig’s heart, Daniels said. After the statue has been smashed, a priestess pulls the heart out of the rubble and eats it, thus “consuming” Mary and ending the ritual..
I ask all of our Members who see this to pray fervently at Assumption services(and privately) that firstly this abomination be somehow prevented from occurring be it from Heaven* or man.....that if this filth occurs (7pm Oklahoma city time) that God show Mercy on our Nation...and to make reparation.
Spread this to all forums and social media you can!
*In the Icon above...according to Tradition (in a stunning remembering of 1st Chronicles 13:"And when they came to the floor of Nachon, Oza put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it: because the oxen kicked and made it lean aside. 7And the indignation of the Lord was enkindled against Oza, and he struck him for his rashness: and he died there before the ark of God..."
if you look at the very bottom of the Icon you will see a sword bearing Angel slicing off both the hands of a rash Jew who had attempted to slow the progress of Our Lady's funeral bier in procession to Her Tomb. Tradition further holds that St Peter who was in Procession as well immediately retrieved the mans hands and miraculously re attached them...leading to the conversion of the man and many others who were witnesses....I can't think of a better occurrence to happen to the foul demoniacs attempting to perpetrate this vile and monstrous blasphemy. If the Satanist leader were to have this occur to him it would be a great mercy and a great witness to the world...but that is just a Catholic sons zeal-full hope...God is in full control and whatever happens or nothing at all I will be praying. Please spread the word