August 2010
Vol. XXXI, No. 8

Dear Oblates and Friends of Portsmouth,

In the middle of August the Church celebrates the oldest feast in honor of Our Lady, her bodily assumption into Heaven. This feast, dating from the sixth century in the Eastern Church, commemorates Mary's death, called her dormition, the early Christian term meaning falling asleep in the Lord. The Benedictine monastery of the Dormition in Jerusalem marks the traditional site of Mary's death and assumption.  One of Mary's titles, found in the Litany of Loreto is Ark of the Covenant.  Loreto is a town in Italy where St. Peter Canisius first heard this litany and adopted it for use in his native Germany as  a Counter-Reformation prayer for restoring devotion to the Blessed Mother denied by the Protestant reformers.

In the mass for the Vigil of the Assumption, the selection used for the First Reading is taken from the Book of Chronicles which describes the translation of the Ark constructed by Moses during the exodus from Egypt from its temporary shelter to the permanent resting place made for it in the newly built Temple of Solomon. The symbolism is obvious and particularly appropriate when applied to Our Lady as the mother of Jesus, the incarnate Word of God.  The ark contained principally the tablets of the Decalogue, the Word of God revealed to Moses, and the most revered symbol of the presence of God among his Chosen People. According to an ancient tradition the Ark also contained the rod of Aaron used to convince Pharaoh to release the enslaved Jews and a portion of the manna sent by God to sustain the people during their march through the desert on their way to the Promised Land.

All three of these symbols from the Old Testament are types or foreshadowings of a higher reality found in the New Testament, a means of prophesying and preparing for events connected with man's salvation, his spiritual release from the evil of sin rather than from human oppression.  The new law of the Gospel does not replace but fulfils and completes the fundamental Mosaic Law, not destroying it but building upon it, with Jesus as the author. The manna, which was ephemeral and a temporary expedient, looks ahead to the eucharisic bread which conveys spiritual nourishment and provides union with God, the panis angelicus of Jesus Himself in sacramental form. Aaron's use of his wonder-working staff enables the Jews to gain their freedom and find their land of promise just as the Cross of Calvary is the means whereby Jesus' sacrificial death redeems the human race.       

In the Book of Revelation  Saint John describes 'a woman adorned with the sun, wearing a crown of stars and standing on the moon, who bears a child who will eventually triumph over a fierce dragon.' For the evangelist the woman is symbolic of the church which is being persecuted at the time he is writing his apocalyptic book. She is forced to go into hiding for a time, but will emerge resplendent in glory when the forces of oppression have been overcome.  Later the Church Fathers saw in Mary the personification of this symbol, embodying all of humanity in its ideal, sinless state. The glory that is hers shall one day be ours and her assumption into heaven is a guarantee of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time.  At Easter Jesus gave us this hope at his resurrection; through Mary's assumption she becomes the ideal mediator between God and sinful man in need of forgiveness.

The clearest statement of the role of Mary in the plan of salvation can be found in the Preface of the mass of the feast of the Assumption, a dogma which was not proclaimed until 1953 by Pope Pius XII. 

·         First, having been taken bodily into heaven, Mary has become the beginning and pattern of the Church in its perfection.

·         Second, she is a sign of hope and comfort for all of God's people on their pilgrim way (i.e. their journey in this life on earth to heaven.)

·         Third, her assumption is a reward and a fitting dignity for Mary as the Mother of the incarnate God, and being sinless, free from the penalty of physical corruption by death.

Throughout the liturgy Mary is portrayed and invoked as the intercessor for the whole human race, a role which Michelangelo has admirably depicted in his fresco of The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. There Mary, though cowering, sits enthroned at the right side of her Son, mitigating by her presence the powerful expression of justice represented by her Son as He deals out judgment to the saved and the damned. All of us, sinners and saints,  those that are  doomed  and those that are spared, are in need of what Mary can offer in her capacity as Mother of God and Mediatrix with God on behalf of  humanity.

Liturgical Calendar for August

1        SUNDAY XVIII OF THE YEAR
4       St. John Vianney, Cure d'Ars
5       Dedication of Saint Mary Major in Rome
6       Transfiguration of the Lord
7       St. Cajetan,  Founder of Theatines
8       SUNDAY XIX OF THE YEAR
9       St. Teresa of the Cross (Edith Stein)
10    St. Laurence, Deacon & Martyr
11     St. Clare of Assisi, Religious
15    ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY
16    St. Stephen of Hungary,  King
20    St. Bernard, Abbot & Doctor
21    St. Pius X,  Pope
22    SUNDAY XXI OF THE YEAR
23    St. Rose of Lima, Recluse
24    St. Bartholomew, Apostle
25    St. Louis of  France,  King
27    St. Monica, Mother of Augustine
28    St. Augustine of Hippo, Bishop & Doctor
29    SUNDAY XXII OF THE YEAR
30    SS. Margaret Clitherow, Anne Line and
         Margaret Ward, Martyrs under Elizabeth I

MONASTERY NOTES

In the May Commencement exercises, presided over by the Abbot Primate, the Right Reverend Notker Wolf, more than 100 graduates took part, the largest number in the history of the school.   The Headmaster announced that plans are under way to construct a large dormitory for boys to balance Saint Bridget's House, completed in 2007.  More than half the cost has been raised so far.

The Portsmouth Institute, directed by James MacGuire, Class of 1970, is a three-day conference held at the Abbey devoted to study in depth of a particular topic, including time for meditation, relaxation and conversation. This year, as a preparation for the beatification of John Henry Newman in September in England, the symposium focused on Cardinal Newman and the Intellectual Tradition.  It took place in early June, drawing more than 200 participants.  The speakers were both English and American, all experts in Newman studies, some coming from Oxford and the Oratory in Birmingham, where Newman resided for most of his Catholic life and two men  from Boston College and Duke University.  Works of  Newman  discussed included  The Grammar of Ascent, his poem The Dream of Gerontius and  frequent allusions to his Apologia Pro Vita Sua as well as to the sermons  he delivered before and after his conversion.   Father Ian Ker, a leading authority on Newman's life and thought, spoke on the topic, "Newman's Hermaneutic of Continuity," while an informative talk on the  threatened state of Catholicism at American colleges and universities, both Catholic and secular, was given by Patrick Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society.  A featured presenter was the Deacon John Sullivan, whose cure was deemed miraculous by the Investigative Commission in the canonization process and is responsible for the beatification of Newman in September.  At the mass on Saturday he assisted as deacon and gave the homily in which he alluded to this incident.  Two musical events took place during the weekend:  one, a performance of selections from Elgar's Dream of Gerontius by two nationally known soloists and his Serenade for Strings, performed by an orchestra of 25 members and conducted by Troy Quinn, director of Portsmouth's music program.   A memorable final concert was given in the Abbey church by the choir of the Anglican parish of All Saints in Ashmont, Boston, who sang Solemn Evensong in honour of Blessed John Henry Newman.  Among the hymns sung were Lead Kindly Light and Firmly I believe and truly from "The Dream of Gerontius."  The ecumenical service concluded with Abbot Caedmon presiding at Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

An impressive collection of antique Greco-Roman vases, glass and coins has now been housed in specially designed cases for permanent exhibition in the school's Thomas More Library.  This gift has been amassed over the past few years, all the objects the gift of Peter Ferry '75, a resident of Singapore.  Other parts of this collection can be found in the McGuire Art Center and the Cortazzo Administration Building.