On August 15, the Lutheran church remembers St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord. One of the oldest symbols for Mary is lilium candidum, or the Madonna Lily. The liturgical color for the feast of St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord is white.
“In the earliest days the Virgin Mary was neither unduly apotheosized, nor was she unjustly slighted. She was looked upon as one who was highly favored of God in that she was permitted to hold the Divine Child in her arms, and croon Him to sleep with her gentle lullaby. It was she who stood loyally beside His cross after many of His followers had fled in cowardly panic.”
-F. R. Webber in Church Symbolism
To apotheosize means to elevate to the rank of a god or to idolize. Christian history is rich with saints who submit their wills to God and say, “Thy will be done.” As we study their lives, celebrate what God has done through them, and learn about the symbols the church has used to depict these saints and their actions, let us not confuse that attention with building up idols. Let us thank and praise the Creator for His creation.
Coming soon…
The 2021-2022 Illuminated Liturgical Calendar from Lemon Creek Press!