Today's Gospel in Art - The Assumption of Our Lady + video

The Assumption into Heaven, by Palma Vecchio, Gallerie dell' Accademia, Venice © Christian Art

Gospel of 15th August 2020 - Matthew 19:13-15

People brought little children to Jesus, for him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said, 'Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.' Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

Reflection on the Altar Painting

This weekend we celebrate the Assumption of our Lady. This feast refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary being assumed body and soul into heaven at the end of her life here on earth. Just to briefly pause on the word 'assumption': 'assumption' is different from 'ascension' because one is passive (one is assumed) and the other is active (one ascends). So it is by the power of God that Mary was assumed into heaven. Writings of many early Church Fathers show that Christians have believed for two thousand years already that Our Blessed Virgin was taken into heaven. However it wasn't until 1950 that this became dogma. The doctrine was dogmatically defined as that the Virgin Mary 'having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. As dogma, this means that our Church officially recognises this belief as a true and necessary part of our Catholic beliefs about Mary… and like all beliefs about Mary, they illustrate and illuminate the core beliefs about her Son: the Assumption illustrates to us the truth about Christ's promise of eternal life.

Our large, colourful altarpiece painting by Palma Vecchio dates back to 1512, the height of Italian Renaissance painting. We see Our Lady surrounded by angels. Eleven of the apostles are looking on. Saint Thomas is seen in the background running towards the scene. Thomas, having his doubts, as he is usually portrayed in art, is waiting for the 'imminent test of the girdle'. The Virgin is enthroned in a mandorla of cherubim and she drops the girdle earthwards towards Saint Thomas. The look on Our Lady's face is tender and caring… Before she was assumed into heaven, she looked down at the apostles in kindness… as a true mother towards her children…

VIDEO

In this video we look, through the lens of Christian Art, at how Our Lady might have looked back on her life before being assumed into Heaven: www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=57&v=PLvhvPwdjlQ&feature=emb_logo

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/514

Christian Art - www.christian.art