Valentine ObienyemÂ
Today, on the solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven, Fr. Chigozie Jidere, our Chaplain, delivered an exceptional sermon. He delved into the rich tapestry of issues surrounding our Blessed Mother. Over the course of history, the Church has re-affirmed the four dogmas about the mother of God ( First Dogma), conceived without original sin( Second Dogma), who thereafter remained a perpetual Virgin( Third Dogma) and upon his death was assumed into Heaven ( Fourth Dogma).
With a keen awareness that his audience was not comprised of theological scholars, the priest subtly indicated his intention to avoid delving into intricate theological issues. Those issues, though not explicitly mentioned by Fr. had given rise to intense theological debates necessitating the convening of Councils such as Ephesus, Constantinople, Chalcedon, and Lateran for resolution. Nevertheless, Fr. made clear the unwavering reverence the Church, both in the West and East, has consistently shown towards the Virgin Mary. The priest’s historical journey culminated with the proclamation of the Assumption as a dogma by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950.
How can we simplify the concept of a dogma for those unfamiliar with it? The closest comparison would be an “axiom” in philosophyâa basic truth or principle assumed to be true without needing proof. A dogma, similarly, is a core, unchanging belief accepted as true and binding without room for debate. While not explicitly found in the Bible, it is considered a divinely revealed truth and is part of the Church’s rich deposit of faith.
Listening to Fr. as he spoke, memories of Msgn. Omisasan, my former parish priest at St. Paulâs Catholic Church in Ebute-meta, Lagos, flooded back. Every year during the Assumption celebration, he would recount the tale of Mary’s tomb being opened and flowers discovered within. This story forms one of the traditions that revolve around her.
During his sermon, Fr. revisited instances when other Christian denominations had criticized Catholics for supposedly worshiping Mary. He mentioned that while some from these denominations had come to grasp and value Mary’s role, he reiterated that what they often misinterpret as worship is, in reality, a deep expression of love, respect, and honor directed towards Mary.
It is puzzling that despite Catholics’ attempts to clarify that our intention is to honor rather than worship Mary, some still persist in arguing otherwise. They often point to images of uninformed worshippers genuflecting to Mary’s statues instead of simply bowing as evidence to support their perspective.l – Mariolatry
A significant takeaway from today’s reading, Luke 1:39-56, is that the Magnificat holds the biblical foundation for both the Hail Mary and the Catena – Mariology.
In summary, today’s celebration serves as a poignant reminder. As St. Augustine of Hippo eloquently put it, “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley.” And in the words of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, “Do not fear loving the Blessed Virgin too much; you can never love her more than Jesus did.” What about you?
As Fr. concluded his sermon, he had effectively differentiated between Mariology and Mariolatry, even though he hadn’t explicitly aimed to do so. He also emphasized the need for Christians to imitate the virtues of BVM and look up to her as a model as we journey towards heaven.
