The saints vie for Mary’s presence, Mary: Day 269

The saints vie for Mary’s presence

St. John of Damascus imagines how, at the time of Our Lady’s departure from this world, the saints in heaven vied with the saints still on earth for her presence with them.

At Mary’s death, Adam and Eve, our first parents, opened their lips

to exclaim: “You blessed daughter of ours, who removed the penalty of our disobedience! You inherited from us a mortal body, but you have won for us immortality. You received your nature from us, and now you have given us back that nature transformed by grace. You have conquered pain and loosened the chains of death. You have restored us to our former state of innocence before we fell. We had shut the door of paradise, but you gained entrance to the tree of life. Through us, sorrow came out of good; through you, good from sorrow. How can you, who are all beautiful, taste of death? You are the gate of life and the ladder to heaven. Death has become the passage to immortality.”

Then all the company of the saints in heaven exclaimed: “You have ful- filled our prophecies. You have purchased this joy for us. Through you we have broken the chains of death. Come, our desire, you who have gained us what we desired!” Then the saints standing by on earth added their words, no less burn- ing: “Remain with us, our comfort, our sole joy in this world! Mother, we have suffered on your Son’s account; don’t leave us as orphans! Let us have you as a refuge and refreshment in our labors and weariness.

“You can remain if you so desire, just as you can depart from here. If you depart, you dwelling-place of God, let us go, too, if we are truly your children through your Son. You are our sole consolation on earth. As long as you live, we live, and it would be happiness to die with you.” When they had all fulfilled their duty of loving reverence and had woven her a rich crown of hymns, they spoke a parting blessing over her, as a God-given treasure, and the last rites. —St. John of Damascus, Second Homily on the Dormition

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

St. John’s imagined scene reflects a poignant reality we may experience at the passing of a loved one who dies in the Lord. Can I recall an occasion when I

wanted such a loved one to stay with me a while longer, while still rejoicing that he or she was—I had reason to hope—on the way to an eternal home?

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord Jesus, help me to say to you, as St. Paul once said: I would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. But whether I am at home or away, I will make it my aim to please you (see 1 Co 5:8–9).

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