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Reflection Hymn In honour of Our Lady's Assumption
A new hymn in honour of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been written for AD2000 by a priest of the Anglican Diocese of Ballarat, Father Ramsey Williams SSC. Father Williams has subscribed to AD2000 since the time of its launching in 1988 by Mr B.A. Santamaria and is a foundation member of the Joint Ballarat Catholic/Anglican Diocesan Commission, whose first Catholic chairman was Dr George Pell - now Archbishop of Melbourne. As a member of the Commission, Father Williams had an audience with the Holy Father in Rome in 1980. Father Williams is currently Rector of the parish of Christ the King, Hamilton, Victoria, and Editor of The Church Chronicle, the Ballarat Anglican Diocesan publication. He is a member of the Societas Sanctus Crucis (SSC), an international society of Anglican priests, which, among other things, has as its principal object the reunion of all Christians with the See of St Peter, and prays daily for that objective. Mary's Assumption - the belief that the Mother of God, by a unique privilege was transported body and soul into heaven at the end of her life on earth - was defined as a part of revealed truth by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950. It was a logical culmination of the traditional belief and teaching of Catholics through the centuries. From the earliest times, there had been a solid and deep-rooted conviction among Christians that something quite extraordinary had befallen Our Lady at the moment of her departure from this life. This conviction found expression in writings, sermons, practices of devotion, and prayers to Mary "assumed into heaven." Churches, religious orders, cities and nations were dedicated or consecrated to her under the title of the Assumption. The Assumption hymn, Fr Williams explains, may be adapted for all major feasts of Our Lady, and also the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C, in which the Gospel reading is that of St John 2:1-11, the story of the Wedding of Cana of Galilee (see verse 4 of the hymn). The suggested tune for the Assumption version of the hymn is "Orientibus Partibus 77.77 and Allelulia" (Catholic Worship Book, 646) or Gwalchmai 77.77 and Allelulias (Catholic Worship Book 671 or Australian Hymn Book, Catholic Section, 623).
Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 12 No 7 (August 1999), p. 20 |
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