The Glorious Mysteries

Resurrection and Promise of Eternal Life

1.  The Resurrection

At first, only a few women, Peter, and John were gifted with the hint that Jesus was risen. They came to the tomb and the angel tells the women, “He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6. Look at this painting of Mary Magdalene peering in the empty tomb with despair and puzzlement. A stranger appears from nowhere, but she realizes who he is only when he calls her name. Jesus has risen.

The Resurrection and God’ love

To make sure everyone should hear the good news of Jesus’ infinite love, and that he suffered, died, was buried and rose from the dead, Jesus gave us the Apostles. They left their homes, their families, their loved ones and traveled throughout the known world teaching and baptizing. Their only gain was the knowledge that they were doing what Jesus had commanded. Their reward? Eleven died gruesome deaths as martyrs and the twelfth (John) died an old man after years of exile.

From the earliest traditions:

Would you permit yourself to be tortured and die for a cause that you knew was a lie? If you would, do you think you could persuade eleven other fake witnesses to be tortured and die for a lie – without dissent? I think not. The Apostles didn’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead; they knew. They were witnesses.

Hallelujah Chorus

One musical score that attempts to capture magnificence and magnitude of the Resurrection is Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. (YouTube search words: handel hallelujah).

Scriptural references

The complete accounts of the burial, resurrection, and aftermath are contained in Matthew 27:57 – 28:20; Mark 15:42—16:20; Luke 23:50—24:53; and John 19:38—20:31.


 2.  The Ascension

Jesus led his disciples to the Mount of Olives and gave them final instructions. Then, as the disciples watched, he lifted up his hands, blessed them and ascended into heaven. “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19.

The Ascension and God’s love

The Christian Faith is quite clear. When we die with Christ we will be raised with him. He has prepared a place for us so that we may share in his divinity just as he shares in our humanity. In Christ the divine nature and human nature were made as one, and this is what Christ is promising us, that we can share eternity with him in our resurrected and glorified body. He leads the way through the Ascension. In heaven we will become what was fully intended from the beginning of time. We will become sons and daughters living in heavenly union with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for all eternity. We indeed were made in the image of God.

The Ascension is a prophecy for and a promise of eternal life with God for those who Jesus judges should spend eternity in heaven. We are filled with the expectation that at a minimum Christians who love Jesus and, consequently, obey his commandments will be in heaven with a glorified body. The Lord delivered his message and then in a way which could leave no doubt as to its finality, he was taken up into heaven.

Where We’ll Never Grow Old

To be in heaven is to be with Jesus for eternity. No one can understand heaven, but perhaps the best description (or at least a nice one) is encapsulated by the hymn, Where We’ll Never Grow Old. (YouTube search words: never reeves). We will be in that place or state that “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Scriptural references

The Ascension is described in Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:49-53, and Mark 16:19-20.

 

3.  Pentecost: The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Obeying the final commands of Jesus at the Ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem to receive the promised Holy Spirit. When they were all gathered together on the day of Pentecost, “suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2. Tongues of fire descended upon those present. The disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit. They spoke in different languages and there was such a commotion that Jews outside the house could hear them. Then Peter used the attention directed towards them to explain what was going on and to briefly expose Jews from all nations to Jesus and his saving grace. Within a very short time 3,000 were baptized. The Church is born.

The gift of the Holy Spirit and God’s love

How does the Holy Spirit help us? I refer you to the Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

 “O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.”

You Raise Me Up

When you click on You Raise Me Up  (YouTube search words: Hurkens raise) you will be treated to a peerless rendition of You Raise Me Up. Don’t just listen to the performance by Martin Hurkens as he stands in an outdoor European shopping mall but look at the reactions of the people. Some casually glance over and continue their business without a second thought given to the words, the music or the talent and humility of the singer. Some stop and listen for a bit, but the press of shopping takes control and they leave with a brief acknowledgment of recognition and appreciation, soon to be forgotten. Others stop and listen intensely and recognize the talent and beauty of what they witness, and what has been freely given to them. Finally, there are those who are visibly moved by this beautiful gift.

I’m not sure where it’s possible to find a better living metaphor of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift freely available to those who will stop, listen and absorb. But most of us will pay little heed or will allow the weeds of our life to choke and extinguish the gift of the Third Person of the Trinity. Some, however, will raptly listen to this gift just as those in the shopping mall listened and accepted the beauty and elegance of what they were seeing and hearing. Once we’ve received this gift it’s up to us to ask for renewal again and again. And we will receive it over and over – just as the Apostles did.

There is an incredible amount of truth and God’s love to be found in the world. Sometimes, as in this performance, it is thrust upon us and we have to open our eyes and ears to see and listen. Quite often we need to embark on a sustained discovery mission. But sooner or later the Holy Spirit will be made available to each of us.

Scriptural references

Pentecost is described in Acts 2:1-41.

 

 4.  The Assumption of Our Blessed Mother

The Apostolic Churches teach that when Mary’s life was completed, she was taken up, body and soul, “into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son’s Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body.” Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, par 974.  The Eastern Orthodox have cherished a detailed tradition concerning the Assumption of Mary which can be accessed from an Eastern Orthodox website, Orthodox Church in America. The painting of Jesus taking Mary up into heaven is from the Ancient Order of Hibernians website.

The Assumption and God’s love

Under God’s plan of salvation we could not expect the joy of Christ and our own resurrection without Mary. God used a mere creature to bring us his Son and our Savior. He is God and didn’t have to, but this was the history he desired – perhaps (I sure don’t know) in part to show us the importance of his creatures in helping to bring others to Jesus.

From the Annunciation to the early infancy of Jesus and until he was laid in the tomb thought to be sealed forever by a great stone, Mary’s life was a series of sufferings and tests. She passed them all and gave us the Savior of the world. The next time you see a picture of Jesus being cradled by his mother either in his infancy or after being taken down from the cross, think of her 60 or so years of sufferings, all of which were replaced in all eternity when she was assumed into heaven by the very Love that she had cradled, protected and mourned. God bestowed two supreme honors upon her. She was chosen to be the Mother of God and then when her earthly visit was completed her body did not suffer corruption, but, along with her soul, was assumed into heaven.

The Assumption of Mary, a mortal, prefigures our own eternal destiny. Just as Jesus raised his mother he will raise us. This is God’s love. Mary was the first in everything: she was the first to see and recognize him; the first to love him; to suffer with him; his first disciple and the first of God’s creature to enter heaven with a glorified body. She leads the way, and we are given the opportunity to follow. The Assumption seems an inevitable and essential part of God’s plan of salvation and how he communicates that plan to us.

Ave Maria

There are at least three recognizable musical masterpieces that bear the name, Ave Maria. The one we most often hear is the Ave Maria composed by Franz Shubert in 1825. This Perry Como version of the Schubert Ave Maria (YouTube search words: ave maria como) is superimposed over clips from “Song of Bernadette,” the 1943 movie about Bernadette and our Lady of Lourdes. The words are essentially the Hail Mary prayer. The second was composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) (YouTube search words: Bocelli ave Bach) and the third by Giulio Caccini (1551 – 1618) or Vladimir Vavilov (1970). (YouTube search words: Caccini ave Bocelli).

 

5.  The Coronation of Our Blessed Mother

The Coronation is a figurative event embraced by Christians who believe that Mary is the most favored mortal in heaven. Judging by Fatima, Lourdes, etc. that seems to be a sensible conclusion. There are many rooms in heaven, and it appears Mary’s room is closest to the Eternal One.

God’s love and the Coronation of Mary

Who was closest to God during their earthly tenure? It wasn’t your pastor, it wasn’t your priest, it wasn’t Martin Luther, St. Augustine or Pope John II. It was that little Nazarene girl, descended from King David, who more than anyone from Adam to the present, was responsible for bringing the Lord to us. She was fully human and zero divine, yet of all God’s creatures, is most divine. God has reserved spots in his heavenly kingdom for each of us who accept him. What spot could be more fitting for his spouse – Mary; his daughter – Mary; his mother – Mary; our mother that Jesus gave us on the cross – Mary?

Because Mary is in heaven in the presence of our Lord, we know that we too can come into the presence of Jesus. Not so highly favored as Mary, perhaps, but favored enough and we won’t know the difference. Even if we do, we won’t care but will accept God’s grace of eternal life to the extent we are capable of understanding

Whispering Hope

Whispering Hope (YouTube search words: whispering reeves) reflects God’s love and our place in eternity.

Scriptural references

John’s visionary account of the birth of the Savior can be found at Revelation 11:19 – 12:6. This account includes a description of the woman clothed with the sun, universally thought to be Mary, the mother of Jesus: “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Revelation 12:1. The painting was accessed from A Lamp to My Feet website.

Footnotes and Attributions

 

Last modified August 4, 2019