In Laruns in the Pyrenees of France, the town will gather in period costumes and much festivities to celebrate "Assumption Day" and the town's patron saint, the Virgin Mary. I have been to Laruns and seen the sheep, down off the mountain with their shepherd, drink out of the fountain in the town center. I think about them every August 15th.
The way I used to mark Assumption Day was to send an invite to my friends who were ex-Catholics and invite them to my house which we'd call "Our Lady of S. Meridian Bar and Grill." We'd have wine, wafers, and tell jokes about famous assumptions made by the Roman Catholic Church, like "Don't worry; things will blow over in England and Henry VIII will be back in our pocket! You'll see!"
The actual celebration is about the belief that the Virgin Mary was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven at the time of her death. The holiday took on more meaning for Roman Catholics in 1950 when Pope Pius XII made it official infallible dogma of the Church. Anglicans and Episcopalians believe that the BVM was assumed into heaven, but the day is not part of our official doctrine. We aren't celebrating "Blessed Virgin Mary" until Monday. That leaves room for the Luke gospel reading where Christ says he came not to bring peace, but division. One might say that there's not a lot of peace around the doctrine of the Assumption (was she dead before she was assumed? Had she died and been resurrected? Do we know this really happened?)
Happy Assumption Day to the sheep in Laruns!
"I have been to Laruns and seen the sheep, down off the mountain with their shepherd, drink out of the fountain in the town center." I can really relate to that from my own experience. There's a really fascinating debate that I thought would be of interest on evolution vs. intelligent design going on at http://www.intelligentdesignfacts.com
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment on the sheep and the assumption.
ReplyDeletePeggins