The beautiful image above is by Ann Bain and will be more fully appreciated it you click on it for a larger version. Bain incorporates a Latin phrase in most of her pieces. The phrase causa noestra laetitiae might be a calligraphed "typo" of the Latin causa nostrae laetitiae which translates, cause of our joy. If you know another reason or source for noestra, please leave a note in the combox.
From the Good Word Blog at America comes this reflection on the Assumption by John Kilgallen, SJ:
The Gospel reading for the Feast of the Assumption is the Visitation, that meeting made up of Elizabeth’s words of greeting to Mary and Mary’s poetic response to Elizabeth. As is elsewhere so often the case, we cannot understand this story without recalling again the announcement of God that He wishes Mary to be mother of the Messiah and the Son of God and after Mary’s acceptance of God’s will.
Upon Mary’s greeting Elizabeth, John leaps in the womb of his mother. This ‘leaping’ is to be understood as John’s recognition of the presence, now in Mary’s womb, of the Lord. Elizabeth, sensing this ‘leaping’, interprets correctly its meaning, and recognizes Mary as the ‘mother of my Lord’. Elizabeth understands who Mary is and who Jesus is because she is inspired by the Holy Spirit to know and to speak as a prophet. Moreover, Elizabeth shows great reverence for Mary and again rightly understands Mary’s virtue in Jesus’ conception: ‘blessed are you who believed that what God told you would indeed come true’. Belief is key to Mary’s decision to do what God has asked of her, even if she now or ever understands fully what God’s plans for her are. Mary is often praised for her obedience, but it is her faith in God that opens her life to obeying God’s will. Thus, Luke presents Mary in his Gospel both as an individual living her life on earth and as an ideal disciple. If her faith leads Mary to choose God’s will for her, it is also clear that in her faith is a trust in God, in His love for her, which makes her confident to do whatever God asks of her. Mary never understands God to the degree that she could say that she knew from the start all that God would ask of her. But not understanding everything did not mean that God did not love her. In this she never doubted. This faith, this trust, then this readiness to obey the God who loved her so much – all this burned in her heart all her life.
(Read the complete reflection here)
- John Kilgallen, S.J
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