The Black Madonna of The Pacific

 

Our Lady of Antipolo, Philippines 

The Black Madonnas of the World are unusual in that most of them have origin stories of discovery. These images also have stories of endurance through great odds. The Black Madonnas of the Americas and the Pacific Islands often include discoveries by peasants, being washed ashore, or surviving shipwrecks or great storms.

These Madonnas are part of the evangelization of the areas where they are discovered, and in my opinion, have great meaning in all aspects of their narrative. Unfortunately, many of the people in the Americas and the Pacific Islands are not native to the region, but were taken by force to be slaves by the colonists. Often, the passage to the colonies was quite treacherous, sometimes deadly.

To   have a narrative of survival of a dark image of Divinity was very meaningful and comforting to those who were suffering under such oppression. In fact, having a dark image of Divinity is profoundly healing to those who also have dark skin. When they see such images, they feel included, seen and loved because of such images.

Hopefully, all of humanity will recognize the unconditional love the Spiritual World has for every person, regardless of all the externals most of us consider valuable. What counts is what is inside our hearts and minds, how we treat one another. The color of our skin is simply an example of the creative expression of the Cosmos. We are all born of the stars, and to the stars we shall return. 

Until then, let us heed to call to recognize Divinity in all with whom we meet!

The Assumption of The Virgin Mary

The Assumption of Mary

 

August 15th in the Western Catholic tradition is considered to be the festival of the Assumption of Mary. In the Anglican tradition, it is considered to be a devotional focus, but no formal dogma exists. In the Eastern and Orthodox tradition, the festival is at the end of August. 

Some traditions call it the Solemnity of The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, others call it the Dormition of The Virgin Mary. This commemoration has quite a history and is steeped in what many call the Apocryphal texts. 

From the beginning of the Christian movement, there were intense debates, theories and essentially confusion about the Christ impulse. For many, it was simply incomprehensible as to how a god could come to earth to be a human and live a mortal life. Why would a god, any god, but particularly the creator of the universe choose to inhabit a mortal body and suffer a public execution? This debate and confusion extended to the parentage of Jesus. What about that virgin birth thing, and also who was Joseph, and who or what was Mary?

How could a mortal human give birth to a god?

Many of the Apocryphal books of the Bible as well as books that were not included in the Canon we have today, try to explain the phenomena of Christ Jesus coming to earth and experiencing a human body as well as life. The Proto Gospel of James, The Dormition of the Virgin, and The Gospel of Bartholomew are just a few of the ancient texts trying to explain away the mystery of the Virgin Mary.

In the 5th Century, the Dogma of the Virgin as "God Bearer" became accepted  Christian theology. But what happened to Mary when she died was controversial in the Western Catholic tradition until 1950, when Pope Pius XII declared that the Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven upon her death.

At the heart of the controversy, is trying to make sense of a mystical spiritual event with materialistic reasoning.  The contortions and pretzel bending the ancient texts proclaim regarding where Mary came from, wether or not she was born from an immaculate conception herself, and what happened to her when she died, show the difficulty in trying to rationalize the suprasensible with the material. 

Mary is a mystery, and there is a beauty in this reality. Sometimes, it is OK to not understand something beautiful and good. Emil Bock in his book The Three Mary's says it the best. He points out that in the beginning of the New Testament, we have the image of Mary in the Luke Gospel. She reminds us of where we have been, our innocent paradisiacal beginnings. This is the attraction to Mary, she reminds us on the one hand of what we have lost, but what also is at the center of our being if we can access it. Bock goes on to remind us that at the end of the New Testament, we read about The Virgin of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation. This Virgin reminds us of what we are to become. 

As an artistic image, Mary is a symbol of the highest potential of the human soul. I think this is part of the mystery behind the Assumption of Mary, that the human soul, the essence of who we are, is infinite and everlasting. That our spirits as well, will ascend at the moment of our deaths. The word "Dormition" is considered "sleep" and the relinquishing of our bodies when we pass as going to sleep, is an image we should embrace and not fear. 

The images of the Dormition, especially in ancient Christian iconography of the East, shows Mary on her death bed. Above her is Christ who appears to be holding a baby. This is symbolic of Christ escorting Mary's soul to heaven. It is the completion of the arc of the Nativity images where Mary kneels before the infant Jesus who has come to earth.

 Assumption of Mary by Giotto di Bonone

How ever you perceive the Mary Mystery, you are invited to perceive it as a loving gesture towards human kind.

Blessings on your journey!

August Marian Festivals

August is an interesting month. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is a time aptly named "The Dog Days of Summer," apparently because dogs like being super hot and lazy. It is a time of a beginning of the harvest season in many places, and in others, there is this pregnant pause as fruits and grains ripen in the warm sun. Hot August nights are filled are meteor showers, and everyone is trying to enjoy the last days of Summer, before the business of Autumn.

There are two specific Marian festivals in August. 

St Mary of the Angels Chapel in Assisi

August 2nd is The Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, which is a Franciscan observance, marking the day that St Francis of Assisi witnessed a small chapel dedicated to Mary near Assisi filled with light. It is in this chapel that St Francis heard the charge to "Rebuild my Church," and Francis started repairing the 7th century structure, as well as launching his movement to bring Christian values to a world and church that was becoming more materialistic. It is on this day that La Negrita, the Black Madonna of Costa Rica was found in the early 1600's.

La Negrita, Costa Rica

The other festival is called The Assumption of Mary in the Western Catholic communion, and in the East, it is called The Dormition of Mary. This festival commemorates the death and bodily rising up to heaven of The Virgin Mary. Both the East and Western festivals are celebrated on August 15. The history of this festival is quite interesting, and is a reflection of the human grappling with the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ as well as how the birth of Christ could be related to a human being. Essentially, it is the difficulty early Christians had with comprehending how a god could become human and die an agonizing death. 

When one explores ancient iconography from the 4th Century onward, there are artistic representations of the Assumption of Mary, and there are legends pointing to how it happened and who were the witnesses. 

There were major arguments as to the nature of Mary, as to how a mere mortal of lowly status could birth a god. I will leave this argument up to scholars and theologians. For me the mystery of Mary is that her life was a template for the human soul. Artistically, she represents the human soul. The recognition that she was elevated into heaven upon her death, is a symbol of what we have to look forward to upon our human death. She was declared Theotokos in the 5th century, which means "god bearer." In fact, most Black Madonnas from the Eastern Church Iconography are called Theotokos.

Iveron Theotokos, Georgia

We too are bearers of the Divine, and I look forward to the day when it is universally recognized so that we can honor not only ourselves but all with whom we come in contact

Art and Culture

Madonna and Child by Kevin Wak Williams
https://artbywak.com/

 Here we are at the beginning of August, a month that has many festivals in the Christian liturgical year, specifically regarding The Virgin Mary. The art surrounding Our Lady, as so many call her is extraordinary. It inspires and comforts many. 

Why is that?

Rudolf Steiner tells us that art is the creation of organs of perception by which the spiritual world communicates to humanity. 

We witness many forms of art, and it can be said that there are many messages that are being conveyed. It has always fascinated me when cultures and religions restrict art. In some religions, art was and is banned as some sort of sacrilege. In Christianity of the 700's, particularly in Constantinople, it was thought that God was mad if religious images, and since the Christians were using them in churches and homes, and the Muslims were not, maybe if the Christians got rid of art, then God would help them win battles.

When Constantine V decreed that religious art was banned, then he won a couple of battles, and the rest we know of as history. It is of note that it took three generations of Byzantine empresses to reverse the decision, bringing back religious art, but not until after quite the theological and political fight for nearly three generations. Other great debates and even schisms have happened in cultures regarding whether or not art should be present in daily life. This history shows us how powerful image and art is in culture. 

Art, specifically religious art, has great influence.

What about modern art? Some would argue that television and movies are modern forms of art. The organization that gives out awards known as "Oscars" for movie performances and production, is actually called The Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Recently, a beloved actress from a very influential television show in the 1960's passed away. Star Trek, which has inspired generations of fans, numerous television and cable shows, as well as several movies, featured Nichell Nichols as playing an African woman in a position of power on the Star Ship Enterprise. This character was the first time a woman of color was seen in a leading roll, not based on a maid or American slave. The character allowed for the acceptance of women of color in healthy, educated and leadership positions. Nichols wanted to quit the role for various reasons, but was told to stay in her character by none other than Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, precisely because having a woman of color in such a position would influence the acceptance of Black women as full members of American society. While Star Trek was several centuries in the future, it showed that advanced cultures included people from all races as contributing members of society.

Obviously Star Trek and The Black Madonna are quite different in their core messages, but both are healing influences on culture because they show that humans, regardless of the color of their skin, have something to offer. In the case of The Black Madonna, she shows that Divinity has many colors, and that those who have much melanin in their skins, are Divine, just as those with varying levels of melanin. 

May these images, and art of all forms inspire us to recognize the dignity of all human beings.

Blessings on your Journey