Mexican Phoenix Our Lady of Guadalupe: Image and Tradition across Five Centuries.
D.A. Brading
Cambridge University Press, 2001
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The phoenix is a symbol of beauty, and, as it rises from its ashes, a symbol of immortality. Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Mexican phoenix refers both to the beauty of the image and to its recrudescence at crucial moments of Mexican history. This work of social and intellectual history by David Brading, University of Cambridge, covers five centuries of Mexican and Guadalupan history. It deals with the sources and the transmission of the original account of the apparition, and, significantly, includes the scriptural, and even sacramental interpretations, which early preachers ascribe to the apparition and the image. It also deals with the consequences that Guadalupan history has on the Mexican ethos and character. There was also an account of the apparitions in Nahuatl - the Nican Mopohua (subject, in the last decade, to intense investigation). |
- The last sections of the book, outlining the controversies which have erupted in the last century over the "historicity" of the apparitions, the beatification of Juan Diego, and the current investigation of the Nican Mopohua may be the most interesting. The conclusion - that Guadalupe is a divinely-inspired work, inspired even though its "historicity" may be wanting - may disappoint some but it also may convert skeptics. Reading this impressive and at times ponderous work requires discipline, but the efforts are rewarded by insights into Mexican character and by intimations on how divine messages are communicated.
- Dr. Donald Charles Lacy, "a son of Indiana," has pastored United Methodist churches in Indiana since 1958, and for more than forty years, this seasoned preacher has written on many topics related to ecumenism. His writings stem from "a warm heart, open mind, and willing spirit, with the joyous imperative, 'woe be unto me if I leave these words unsaid,' persistently present." In 1979, his Mary and Jesus, a series of Advent meditations for clergy and laity, described the relation between mother and son in well-organized essays which skillfully combined Scripture, doctrine, and pastoral experience. In his newspaper columns, he writes that Mary "transcends all denominations," and he suggests a way that all Christians can pray the Hail Mary. His tips for writers include the suggestion that "writing that is truly significant is born from the wedding of the human and the Divine." These writings reflect that wedding of faith and experience, and they are evidence of the ecumenical spirit which characterizes the disciples of John Wesley.
- This collection of essays, to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Fr. Eamon R. Carroll, O. Carm., was presented by the members of his Carmelite province. The work contains introductory tributes and congratulatory letters from the Prior General and the Prior Provincial of the Carmelites, nineteen essays, and, finally, a bibliography of Fr. Carroll's writings from 1941 to 2000.
- Fr. George Kirwin's study, "Theologian Specializing in Marian Studies: His Contribution to a Deeper Understanding of the Marian Reality" speaks of Fr. Carroll's constant zeal in preaching and teaching "the Marian reality," in his Carmelite family and in his teaching career at the Catholic University of America, Loyola University of Chicago, and the International Marian Research Institute. Almost a founding member of the Mariological Society of America, he has contributed to virtually every meeting for the last fifty-two years.
- Of the twelve essays from Carmelite authors, several deal with Carmel's history: its Marian shrines and images; its chants, feasts, and traditions; a translation of a work by Arnold Bostius (the subject of Fr. Carroll's doctoral dissertation). Other Carmelite contributions deal with current ministries and apostolates, such as the Lay Carmelites and service to poor of Guatemala ("Garbage pickers at the Nejap Dump"). Finally, there are interpretations for contemporary audiences of the meaning of traditional Carmelite traits of contemplation, silence, ministry, community.
- Central to the main point of the work are the various twelfth-century Romanesque statues of Mary, sometimes known as the Virgin in Majesty. Seated on a throne, with Christ seated on her lap, the Virgin, clearly a mother, gazes confidently, even authoritatively, forward; the image "takes command of us with its tantalizing stare." These Romanesque images indicate an acceptance of maternity and of the authority it conveys. These images, including nursing Madonnas, also signify an identification with nature and the authority it imposes. In contrast, nineteenth-and-twentieth century images often depict Mary without child, hands folded, and gazing upward, not outward. References to maternity are shunned, and the image is separated from any reference to nature.
-
After Vatican II, all religious congregations responded to the Council's call for greater
fidelity to the Gospel and to their founding charism by reviewing and rewriting the basic
rule by which they were governed. The Society of Mary (Marianists) began its revision
in 1961 in anticipation of the Council's request. The process took twenty-two years and was
completed on June 29 1983 with the approval of the Rule of Life by the
Congregation of Religious.
- In response to a request from the Marianist General Administration, Bro. Ambrogio Albano, S.M., engaged the services of forty-three Marianists to write articles dealing with various facets of the Rule of Life. The contributors come from various cultures and backgrounds; each attempts to explain and enlighten some aspect of the recently approved document. The editor notes that, because of the varied background of the contributors, "it is inevitable that a certain pluralism reflects options, directions, sensibilities which do not correspond totally, perhaps, to those long used to seeing the realities of the Society of Mary through the prism of certain traditions." Nevertheless, there is, as Marianists are wont to say, "unity in diversity."
- Most articles have an historical dimension which includes references to the writings of the founder of the Society of Mary, William Joseph Chaminade (1763-1850). The essays deal first of all with topics common to all forms of the religious life "Vows," "Religious Profession." Others deal with administrative aspects of the congregation: "Administration," "Authority," "The Rule of Life," "The Three Offices," "General Chapters." Some topics are unique to the Society and its history: "Mixed Composition," "Family Spirit," "Consecration to Mary," "The Spirit of Faith," "Meditation." Still other topics indicate the new vocabulary which has entered through developments in the Church: "Dialogue," "Participation," "Peace and Justice."
- In response to a request from the Marianist General Administration, Bro. Ambrogio Albano, S.M., engaged the services of forty-three Marianists to write articles dealing with various facets of the Rule of Life. The contributors come from various cultures and backgrounds; each attempts to explain and enlighten some aspect of the recently approved document. The editor notes that, because of the varied background of the contributors, "it is inevitable that a certain pluralism reflects options, directions, sensibilities which do not correspond totally, perhaps, to those long used to seeing the realities of the Society of Mary through the prism of certain traditions." Nevertheless, there is, as Marianists are wont to say, "unity in diversity."
-
The final step in the process is the addition of Father Buby's own personal reflections. One example, from Psalm 64: "I relate this psalm to the power of fear which often cripples us from doing things. It often makes us immobile, anxious, and depressed. Praying this psalm can help us to be aware of fear and to overcome it along with human respect, realizing and trusting in God who overturns false fears and useless worries that we suffer from time to time."3 Another example, from Psalm 65: "I find myself summoning up my sentiments and devotion in verse 5. 'Happy the one whom Thou chosest, and bringeth near, to dwell in the courts.' "4 Or from psalm 70: "Often such direct and simple prayer to God is just what is needed. It is like a javelin thrown into the heavens to catch God's attention.
--Joanne Beirise
1 Bertrand A. Buby, SM, With a Listening Heart: Biblical and Spiritual Reflections on the Psalms (Staten Island, NY: Alba House, 2005), p. xviii.
2 Ibid, x.
3 Ibid, p. 74.
4 Ibid, pp. 75-76.
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The Collected Works of Donald Charles
Lacy.
Donald Charles Lacy
Franklin, Tennessee: Providence House Publishers
Mary: The Virgin Mary in the Life and Writings of John Henry Newman.
Philip Boyce
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans. 2001
Bishop Philip Boyce outlines the place the Virgin Mary occupied in Cardinal Newman's own spiritual quest. As an Anglican, Newman had, in his own words, a "true devotion" to the Virgin Mary: his first sermon to appear in print was on Mary. After he entered the Catholic Church, he was critical of devotional practices imported from Sicily which were "not necessarily to the taste of a less exuberant race like the English." His efforts to accept the Catholic understanding of Mary involved a struggle towards a broader view of doctrinal development and a more profound grasp of Mary's role as intercessor and advocate. This second part of the book contains a selection of Newman's writings on Mary. This valuable compendium makes clear that his growing understanding of Mary was rooted in a life which, as he said, was "ever under her shadow."
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Mother, Behold Your Son: Essays in Honor of Eamon R. Carroll, O. Carm. Donald W. Buggert, O. Carm.; Louis P. Rogge, O. Carm.; Michael J. Wastag, O. Carm. Washington D.C.: The Carmelite Institute, 2001 |
Other essays deal with the relation of Marian studies to theology, the changed context for the expression of Marian doctrines, suggestions for Marian preaching, and the symbolism related to the ordination of woman.
The many offerings will appeal to diverse palates. Among this reviewer's favorites were John Macquarrie's essay on early Scottish religious poetry; David Blanchard's account of the scapular of Carmel as a symbol of solidarity with the poor; John Welch's contemporary interpretation of Carmelite mystical tradition; and Ernest Larkin's analysis of John of the Cross' The Dark Night.
Fr. Carroll's eightieth birthday occurs as Carmel's marks its eight-hundredth anniversary. Mutatis mutandis, we extend to Fr. Carroll the wish for Carmel expressed by one of the volume's contributors: "Carmel has had eight hundred years of ministry in response to the Church and God's people, and, God-willing, will have many more centuries of unselfish service."
Empress and Handmaid. On Nature and Gender in the Cult of the Virgin Mary.
Sarah Jane Boss
London and New York: Cassell, 2000.
To respond to the question why "modern images of Mary have neither authority, nor any visible sign of motherhood," Sarah Jane Boss draws upon the theories of the Frankfurt School and others. Max Weber's theory of domination explains the individual's alienation from nature and from maternity. Once separated from the natural, societal forces then reduce the individual to a commodity and finally reify it. A similar sociological analysis is applied to other themes within Marian devotion - the Pieta, virginity, the Immaculate Conception. Save for some questionable generalizations, Empress and Handmaid is a balanced work highly recommended for those who wish to analyze the psychological, sociological, and cultural factors present within some expressions of Marian devotion. It also provides a good bibliography on religious practice as seen in the social sciences.
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MarienlexikonDr. Remigius Bäumer
Dr. Leo Scheffczyk
EOS Verlag Erzabtei St. Ottilien, 1987-1994.
The most complete and comprehensive reference work on the Virgin Mary is the
Marienlexikon from the Institutum Marianum in Regensburg, Germany. The first
volume appeared in 1987 and the sixth and final volume was presented at a festive
ceremony in Regensburg on December 9, 1994.
The project was initiated and sponsored by the Bishop of Regensburg and the
Institutum Marianum of Regensburg. The directors of this encylopedia were Leo
Scheffczyk (Munich) and Remigius Baumerwork (Freiburg im Breisgau). They
were assisted by twenty-nine individuals, each in charge of an area of research.
Over one thousand scholars contributed articles; Dr. Florian Trenner (St. Ottilien) was the
general editor. Its completion within a period of seven years is a tribute to the
directors and editor and also a sign of a rising interest in Marian studies in German speaking
countries.
The Marienlexikon presents an up-to-date account of biblical and
theological scholarship, but it is much more than a theological dictionary. It is a
record of the influence which Marian devotion has exerted on cultural, artistic, and
literary history. It deals with Marian traditions of cities, organizations, religious
congregations, and places of Marian pilgrimage. It is particularly helpful on topics
related to spirituality and asceticism. The articles frequently indicate how the events
at Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Cana and the Marian doctrines the Immaculate
Conception and the Assumption have been portrayed in art. A feature, not found
sufficiently in religious works, is the attention given to artists (Chagall, El Greco,
the Buddhist Georg Wang Suta) and musicians (Palestrina, Bach, Schubert, R.
Vaughan Williams). Each volume has an attractive Marian image imprinted on the
cover, and the text has many illustrations; especially charming are the medieval
woodcuts.
In his congratulatory letter, Cardinal Ratzinger hailed the work as one which "does honor to German-speaking theology." He wrote, "As the volumes continued to appear, the Marienlexikon became for me an important guide. It is not only a truly theological work but also an instrument for evangelization and spiritual renewal. It includes the history of devotion and doctrine, as well as articles on iconography and symbolism which otherwise could only be found in widely scattered journals and references. The work extends beyond Mariological questions in the narrow sense of the word, because Mariology must always be seen within the framework of the whole of theology. From an ecumenical viewpoint, it is a most valuable instrument especially as it presents the spiritual heritage of the Eastern Church. The Marienlexikon occupies an honorable place among reference works and is a great credit to German-speaking theology."
--Thomas A. Thompson, S.M.
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Jesus Living In Mary: Handbook of
the Spirituality of St. Louis Marie de Montfort.
Bayshore, NY: Montfort Publications, 1994.
In the last few years, Catholic book publishers have produced many "handbooks"
or "dictionaries" of religious information. There are dictionaries of theology, of the
early church, of sacramental theology, of the social teachings of the Church, of
spirituality. These summaries make accessible at a popular level information which
is found only in specialized journals and works. Their appearance may stem from an
awareness that we are on the threshold of a new era, and summaries of the past are
needed as we enter the new period.
In 1988, the complete writings of St. Louis Grignion de Montfort appeared in the
publication God Alone. Previous to this sourcebook, English readers based their
opinions about Grignion de Montfort solely on his best-known work True
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, which represents only a small part of his writings.
To understand de Montfort one must know his other works and the themes which
permeated them: Divine Wisdom, the cross, the Holy Spirit and the times in
which he lived.
Jesus Living in Mary: Handbook of the Spirituality of St. Louis Marie de
Montfort provides the context for better understanding the writings of the saint.
With Stefano De Fiores as general editor of the original, sixty-five scholars
have contributed eighty-eight articles spanning the gamut from "Angels" to "Zeal," and including "Beauty,"
"Creation," "Friendship," "Hope," "Hymns,"
"Iconography," "Poverty," and "Tenderness."
The articles are not limited to repeating what St. Louis said on the topic. Rather a
consistent attempt is made first to describe the situation in de Montfort's own time. For
example, what was the significance of Baptism in seventeenth-century France? How was the
Bible regarded? What place did hymn singing have? The references to de Montfort's
writings are given, and, more significantly, the way in which de Montfort dealt with
specific issues is described.
De Montfort's response to the pastoral challenges of his era is presented, as the
Montfortian Superior General William Considine notes, so that it will provide hope and
guidance to contemporary men and women seeking "to interpret Montfort's worldview
and thought in light of the culture and theologies of the new millennium." All the articles
are followed by abundant and annotated bibliographical references, and drastic revisions
have been made in the English version since "its anticipated audience is so broadly
based."
Until the publication of his collected works, St. Louis Grignion de Montfort was little known and frequently caricatured. Aspects of his Marian devotion, which may have appeared excessive, must be seen within the context of his whole spirituality. As the introduction states, the key to understanding de Montfort is to grasp that "this vagabond saint is unreservedly the world would say madly in love with Love Itself, who becames enfleshed through Mary's Yes."
--Thomas A. Thompson, S.M.
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Commentary on the Rule of Life of the
Society of Mary
Dayton, OH: North American Center for Marianist Studies, 1994.
--Thomas A. Thompson, S.M.
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Praying by Hand: Rediscovering the Rosary as a Way of Prayer.
M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O.
San Francisco: Harper, 1991.
In the last few years, several books have appeared which present the Rosary not as a
type of devotion, but rather as a method of praying. There is a great interest in prayer and
spirituality. Two Cistercians, Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington, have made significant contributions to this movement by their writings on the Centering Prayer and other
forms of contemplative prayer. Now, Basil Pennington writes a deeply personal book,
describing from experience what the Rosary means in his life.
Included is a short history of how beads, stones, and shells have been used by
peoples of all religions -- Christians, Muslims, Buddhists -- as a reminder of the call to
daily prayer, a help to focus one's attention to prayer, a way to indicate the time spent in
prayer, and a bond of solidarity with all who have prayed in this way.
The Rosary is not a fixed prayer
to be recited, but rather a method, an instrument, of prayer." There are many ways of
praying the Rosary, no one is a priori better than others. Three ways of praying the
Rosary the literal, the meditative, and the contemplative are suggested, opening into
limitless number of variations. Two sets of meditations on the mysteries are offered the
one from the Scriptures, the other written during the author's visit to the Holy Land
written from the site of the mystery Nazareth, En Karem, Bethlehem, Jerusalem. Also
included are listings of scriptural scenes which could become mysteries of the Rosary at
different periods of life: sickness, mourning, pregnancy.
In 1974, Pope Paul VI described the Rosary as a contemplative prayer in which, together with Mary, we center on the great mysteries of our redemption. Fr. Pennington's book is a fine introduction to this approach to the Rosary. (Also recommended is a book previously noted here, Robert Llewelyn's A Doorway to Silence: The Contemplative Use of the Rosary.)
--Thomas A. Thompson, S.M.
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A Short Treatise on the Virgin Mary.
Rene Laurentin
Washington, NJ: AMI Press, 1991.
This English translation of a classic of Marian studies Rene Laurentin's Court
Traite sur La Vierge Marie has been long awaited. The first edition of this work
appeared in 1953; it was revised and updated in succeeding editions. This is a translation
of the fifth edition (1967), which includes references to the Marian doctrine of Vatican
II.
The work treats with precision many of the historical and theological questions in
Marian studies. It is divided into two sections: the first, "Doctrinal Development,"
outlines the history of Marian doctrines in six historical periods, beginning with the
Scriptures. Particularly interesting is the section on the post-Tridentine Marian
Movement which culminated in the 1950s with the pontificate of Pius XII. Comparisons
are made between the Marian Movement and other preconciliar movements liturgical,
ecumenical, scriptural all of which converged in Vatican II, with some reaching the
goal for which they had been created.
The second section is a study of the principal Marian doctrines, again considered
historically, from their "preparations in the Old Testament up to the parousia where the
Church will rejoin the Theotokos in her integral glorification." The scriptural and
historical view of Marian doctrines was in sharp contrast to the more speculative
approach prevalent in the preconciliar period in the search for the fundamental principle
of Mariology. Vatican II saw the development of Marian doctrine within
the framework of salvation history:
"Mary has entered deeply into the history
of salvation" (Lumen gentium
65).
It is a tribute to Fr. Laurentin that, although written twenty-five years ago, the work still offers much to the English-speaking world. While a new introduction on the currents in Marian studies since Vatican II and an updated bibliography would have been desirable, these additions could have even further delayed the work or made its appearance impossible. Fr. Charles Neumann's translation is always clear, precise, and "reader-friendly." Fr. Fred Miller and the World Apostolate of Fatima are to be commended for making this work available. An indispensable reference guide for Marian studies.
--Thomas A. Thompson, S.M.
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With a Listening Heart: Biblical and Spiritual Reflections
on the Psalms.
Bertrand A. Buby, SM
Staten Island, NY: Alba House, 2005.
Marianist Father Bertrand A. Buby’s new book, With a Listening Heart: Biblical
and Spiritual Reflections on the Psalms, is the fruit of many years of daily
meditation on these sacred texts. Happily for us, Buby recorded his thoughts in a
prayer journal. 'Although done for his own spirituality, at a point in time his
passion and energy for the psalms came together with the "listening heart" theme
and launched him into writing this book that demonstrates how, in his words,
"the psalms are the heartbeat of prayer in the Bible. They are the responses of
people who are in love with God."1
Father Buby tries to get at the heart of the message by attuning his own heart and mind to the central ideas in each psalm: "I attempt to have a listening heart for what the poet is saying." Father credits his listening heart to his Marianist Family of sisters, brothers, and brother-priests, as well as the lay branches and the spiritual Affiliates of the Society of Mary and the Daughters of Mary. "They have shared their spirit, prayers, and friendship throughout the years."2
Buby’s process is, first of all, reading a particular psalm from Hebrew texts, for which his fifty years of studying the language have prepared him well. Through his long involvement in the Dayton Christian-Jewish Dialogue, he has listened to, prayed with, studied with, and celebrated with many in the Jewish community, attuning himself to their perspectives, out of which have come insights and reflections that are both fresh and revealing.
Based on the premise that knowledge gained from study can
enhance meditation, he next turns to one or more of his twenty Christian and
Jewish commentaries to confirm his own "take" on the psalm in question before
providing some scholarly background on it. For instance, to some psalms he
assigns a title-such as, "true wisdom," "poetic justice," "a cry for the
oppressed," or "an antidote to murmuring" as an introduction. In other cases he
provides a one-sentence preview, such as, "What a magnificent description of a
storm," "A psalm of two different moods," or "An individual lifts his/her soul
up to God." Some psalms are then classified as to literary genre: lamentation,
thanksgiving, royal, hymn, instruction, supplication, etc. Some psalms are
further designated as either morning praise or night prayer. The background
material is free flowing, with no formal lock-step format; rather it appears
based on what Buby spontaneously judges would be helpful to the reader.
Next, the text of the psalm itself is addressed in terms of
structure, images, historic background (time and place), emotions expressed,
titles used or the situation at hand. This step, as well as the preceding one,
helps the reader prepare to approach the text of the psalm itself with a
listening heart.