A Glimmer of Grace

A Reflection on the Psalm for August 15th, 2021:
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Psalm 45

R. At your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

Daughters of kings are among your ladies of honour; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house. 

R. At your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

The king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him. The princess is decked with golden robes; in many-coloured robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow. 

R. At your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. 

R. At your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

Several years ago, on a silent retreat, I was invited to close my eyes and imagine the throne room of God. As I prayed and responded to the prompts of the guided meditation, I pictured the space, the people present, and ways I would act according to the described events. After spending some time focused on Christ, the leader cued us to look to God’s right hand and see Mary — and I audibly gasped and began to tear up. I saw her so vividly in my imagination and was moved by her beauty and the intensity of her gaze. Her face was clearer in my mind compared to Jesus’ — like how it is easy to observe the moon, but difficult to look directly at the sun. She reflected God’s love wonderfully, and her smile radiated joy. I wish I could return to the memory, which might seem silly because it was in my mind, but the moment of prayer felt so real; my sense is that the Holy Spirit wanted to give me a little glimmer of the tenderness and grace of our Blessed Mother.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on August 15th, celebrates God welcoming Mary, body and soul, into heaven at the end of her earthly life. Psalm 45, titled “Ode for a Royal Wedding,” alludes to the marriage of heaven and earth that we anticipate in heaven — when God and the Church can be in full communion, as He desires. I invite you to find the full version of the psalm in your Bible and to find a quiet place to pray it in the style of lectio divina: read, reflect, respond, and rest. As you reflect on what you have read, invite the Holy Spirit to inspire images of the scene that the psalmist describes — with Mary as the Queen Mother and Jesus as King. Pay attention to all your senses, to where you find yourself in the scene and how you react to the events, and especially to what God speaks to your heart. If you aren’t a visual thinker and struggle to imagine, you can also journal the experience or use other means of engaging in the prayer — and in whatever mode you choose, let God lead the way.




Kendra L.

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