The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a Marian dogma
proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in his EncyclicalMunificentissimus Deus. “We pronounce,
declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever
Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body
and soul into heavenly glory (Encyclical Munificentissiums Deus #44)
“Our Lady’s Assumption reminds us that our own true homeland
is Heaven, and she offers us her motherly help to prepare for the definitive meeting
with Christ at the end of our earthly pilgrimage.” (Pope Saint John Paul II)
For a more detailed explanation of the Marian dogma of the
Assumption please visit Catholic Answers.
Patron Saint of Those
with Breast Cancer and Breast Disease
Although we have little evidence of the legendary life of Saint Agatha she is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs. The only actual facts we have is that she was born in Sicily and died a martyr.
Tradition and legend tell us that she was born of a noble family in Sicily in the third century and took vows of virginity at a young age. When she was pursued by a pagan consul named Quintianus, she rejected him. Quintianus had Saint Agatha arrested for being a Christian. He sent her to live in a brothel to try and corrupt her, but her faith did not waiver. She was sent back to Quintainus for torture where he ordered her to be stretched on a rack and have her breasts cut off. Quintainus refused her medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter. When she was tortured again, she died after saying a final prayer: “Lord, my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Receive now my soul.”
Patience to Suffer
Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.
Apostleship of Prayer
___ Sources
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01203c.htm
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=14
http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-agatha-of-sicily/ Art
Saint Agatha Francisco de Zubaran
St Peter appears to St Agatha Simon Vouet
A mother can be described in many ways, today I contemplate two. A woman is a man’s mother if she carried him in her womb or if she was the woman contributing half of his genetic matter. Although Mary is the Mother of God, she is not his mother in the sense that she is older than God or the source of His divinity, she is neither. She is however the Mother of God in the sense that she carried Him in her womb and contributed half of his genetic material. Today, January 1, is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, the Theotokos, “God-bearer” declared by the council of Ephesus in 431, to which the early Church Fathers heartily agreed.
“The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God” ( Against Heresies, 5:19:1, A.D. 189, Irenaeus)
“We acknowledge the resurrection of the dead, of which Jesus Christ our Lord became the firstling; he bore a body not in appearance but in truth derived from Mary the Mother of God” (Letter to All Non-Egyptian Bishops 12, A.D. 324, Peter of Alexandria)
“The Father bears witness from heaven to his son. The Holy Spirit bears witness, coming down bodily in the form of a dove. The archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing, the good tidings to Mary. The Virgin Mother of God bears witness” ( Catechetical Lectures 10:19 A.D. 350, Cyril of Jerusalem)
“Though still a virgin she carried a child in her womb, and the handmaid and work of his wisdom became the Mother of God” (Songs of Praise 1:20, A.D. 351, Ephraim the Syrian)
“The Word begotten of the Father from on high, inexpressibly, inexplicably, incomprehensibly, and eternally, is he that is born in time here below of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God” (The Incarnation of the Word of God 8 , A.D. 365, Athanasius)
“I have been amazed that some are utterly in doubt as to whether or not the holy Virgin is able to be called the Mother of God. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how should the holy Virgin who bore him not be the Mother of God?” (Letter to the Monks of Egypt 1 A.D. 427, Cyril of Alexandria)
“Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from this very conception united to himself the temple he took for her” (Formula of Union, A.D. 431, Council of Ephesus)
