Ancient of Days

This is a name for God in the Book of Daniel. This term appears 3x in the Book of Daniel (7:9; 13; 22). This term is used in the sense of God being eternal.

In the Zohar (the seminal document of Kabbalah that emerged in 13th century Spain) there’s mention of the Ancient of Ancients, & the Holy Ancient One. The Ancient of Days is the manifestation of the Ancient of Ancients within Creation. It refers to the most primary (“ancient”) source of creation in the divine will Keter (“Crown”).

In the 16th century Lurianic Kabbalah, Atik Yomin is systemized as the uppermost Partzuf (Divine “Countenance/Configuration”) in rectification of the World of Atzilut (“Emanation”) after the “Shattering of the sephirot Vessels.”

Keter of Atzilut acts as the guiding Divine motivation in creation, developing into 2 partzufim, Atik Yomin (Ancient of Days) & Arich Anpin (“Long Visage/Infinitely Patient One”). Atik Yomin is the inner partzuf of Keter, synonymous with Divine Delight, that enclothes within & motivates Arich Anpin, the outer partzuf of Keter, synonymous with Divine Will.

Arich Anpin is said to extend down all levels of Creation in ever more concealed mode as the divine substratum of everything. The Zohar goes into great detail describing the White Head of God & ultimately by Luria, emanation of its anthropomorphic personality of attributes.

In the descending realms explained by Luria, the Gulgalta (“Skull”-Keter Will) within Arich Anpin enclothes the Chesed (Kindness) of Atik Yomin, becoming the origin of the lights of the world of Atzilut; the Mocha Stima’ah (“Concealed Brain” – Chokmah Wisdom) within Arich Anpin enclothes the Gevurah (Severity) of Atik Yomin, becoming the origin of the vessels of the world of Atzilut.

The Dikna (“Beard”) of Arich Anpin constricts the infinite light originating from Atik Yomin in 13 channels of rectification to lower, relatively finite reality. The Merkabah text Re’uyot Yehezkel identifies the Ancient of Days as Metatron. Metatron is an angel in Judaism, Gnosticism, & Islam.

In Eastern Orthodox Christian hymns & icons, the Ancient of Days is sometimes identified with God the Father or occasionally, the Holy Spirit. But most properly, in accordance with Orthodox theology he’s identified with God the Son, Jesus.

Eastern Christian art will sometimes portray Jesus as an old man, the Ancient of Days, to show symbolically that he existed from all eternity. Sometimes as a young man, or wise baby, to portray him as he was incarnate.

This iconography emerged in the 6th century. Mostly in the Eastern Empire with elderly images, although usually not properly or specifically identified as “the Ancient of Days.” The 1st images of the Ancient of Days, so named with an inscription, were developed by iconographers in different manuscripts, the earliest of which are dated to the 11th century.

The images in these manuscripts included “Jesus Christ, Ancient of Days,” confirming that this is a way to identify Christ as pre-eternal with the God the Father. Later, it was declared by the Russian Orthodox Church at the Great Synod of Moscow in 1667 that the Ancient of Days was the Son & not the Father.

In the Western Church, similar figures usually represent ONLY God the Father. In the Book of Enoch, it states that he who’s called “Son of man,” who existed before the worlds were, is seen by Enoch in company with the “Ancient of Days.”

According to the Urantia Book, the Ancients (yes, plural) of Days are an order of celestial beings created by the Trinity to serve in groups of 3 as the rulers of the 7 super-universes of time & space. The Urantia Book is a spiritual, philosophical, & religious book that originated in Chicago, Illinois. It was printed sometime between 1924 & 1955.

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The Assumption of the Virgin Mary

This is 1 of the 4 Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII gave its definition on November 1, 1950 with his apostolic constitution named Munificentissimus Deus as the Assumption of Mary, body & soul, into Heaven. It’s celebrated on August 15th.

Munificentissimus Deus mentions several Holy Fathers, theologians, & Doctor of the Church who held to the Assumption of Mary are: Adrian I, Sergius I, Leo IV, John of Damascus, Amadeus of Lausanne, Modestus of Jerusalem, Anthony of Padua, Albertus Magnus, Thomas of Aquinas, Bonaventure, Bernardino of Siena, Robert Bellarmine, Francis de Sales, Peter Canisius, Francisco Suarez, etc.

It’s debated between theologians, clergy, & laypeople whether Mary actually died or whether she was raised up to eternal life without bodily death.

In Eastern Christianity, they have an equal belief called the Dormition of the Mother of God, or the “Falling Asleep of the Mother of God.” In Lutheran churches, August 15 is celebrated as the Feast of St. Mary. Some Anglican denominations observe August 15 under a variety of names, including the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin or the Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In the Passing of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this is credited to Joseph of Arimathea, 1 of the apostles (often pictured as Thomas the Apostle, of Doubting Thomas fame), wasn’t there at the time of Mary’s death. But he gets there late. This brought about a reopening of Mary’s tomb. Only Mary’s grave clothes were found in the empty tomb. Just like her son, Jesus. Subsequently, Mary drops her girdle down to the apostles, from Heaven, as proof of the event happening.

The feast was commanded for Constantinople on August 15 by Emperor Maurice in 600. About 50 years later, it was introduced in Rome & is mentioned in a papal decree of Sergius (687-701), who started a procession for the feast.

Pope Leo IV gave the feast a vigil & an octave to solemnise it above all others. An octave is the 8th day after a church festival, including the day of the festival. Pope Nicholas I placed it on a par with Christmas & Easter. On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of the Virgin Mary as a dogma of faith.

In the 12th century, a German nun Elisabeth of Schonau was allegedly granted visions of Mary & Jesus. This had a far-reaching influence on the Western Church’s tradition. In her work Visio de resurrectione beaten Virginia Mariae, she tells how Mary was assumed in body & soul into Heaven.

On May 1, 1950, Gilles Bouhours, who was a Marian seer, reported to Pope Pius XII a supposed message that the Virgin Mary would have ordered him to tell the Pope on the dogma of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary.

It’s said that Pius XII asked God for a sign that could reassure him that the dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was ACTUALLY wanted by God. This just happened to be during the Holy Year of 1950.

When Gilles communicated the message to Pius XII, the Pope considered this message the hoped for granted to Gilles by the Pope. Pius XII himself said the dogma of the Assumption of the body & soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven.

Some Catholics believe that Mary passed away before being assumed. But they believe that she was miraculously resurrected before being assumed. This is a moralistic interpretation. Others believe she was assumed bodily into Heaven without dying first. This is an immoralistic interpretation. Either interpretation can be held legitimately by Catholics, with Eastern Catholics observing the Feast as the Dormition.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church on August 15th. The Eastern Orthodox & Eastern Catholics celebrated the Dormition of the Mother of God on this date. This is also called the Dormition of the Theotokos, the “falling asleep of the Mother of God. It’s preceded by a 14-day period of fasting.

Eastern Christians believe Mary died a natural death, that he soul was received by Christ upon death, that her body was resurrected after her death, & that she was taken up into a Heaven bodily in anticipation of the general resurrection.

Views differ within Protestantism. They are those with a theology closer to Catholicism sometimes believing in a bodily assumption. Most Protestants don’t believe this.

The Lutheran Church kept the Feast of the Assumption of Mary after the Reformation. They designated August 15th as a lesser festival named “Mary, Mother of Our Lord” or “St. Mary, Mother of our Lord.”

While in Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary is accepted by some & rejected by others. It disappeared from Anglican worship in 1549. It partially returned to Anglo-Catholic tradition during the 20th century under different names.

A Marian feast on August 15th is celebrated by the Church of England as a non-specific feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast is called by the Scottish Episcopal Church it’s a feast called “St. Mary the Virgin.” Other Anglican provinces have a feast of the Dormition. The Anglican Church of Canada’s Book of Common Prayer (1962) marks the day as the “Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Assumption Day on August 15th is a nationwide public holiday in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chile, Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, East Timor, France, Gabon, Greece, Georgia (the country), Republic of Guinea, Haiti, Italy, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Montenegro (Albanian Catholics), Paraguay, Philippines (Maragondon, Cavite), Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, To go, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tahiti, & Vanuatu. It was also in Hungary until 1948.

It’s also a public holiday in parts of Germany (parts of Bavaria & Saarland), Switzerland (in 14 of 26 countries), & Bosnia & Herzegovina. In Guatemala, it is observed in Guatemala City & the town of Santa Maria Nebaj. Both cities claim her as their patron saint. In Costa Rica & parts of Belgium, the day is combined with Mother’s Day.

Prominent Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, & Oriental Orthodox countries in which Assumption Day is an important feast day but isn’t a public holiday recognized by the state include the Czech Republic, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines, & Russia. In Bulgaria, the Feast of the Assumption is the biggest Eastern Orthodox celebration of the Holy Virgin. In Eastern Orthodox churches following the Julian Calendar, the feast day falls on August 28th.

In the Maronite church, the Assumption of Mary is known as the “Assumption of the Holy Mother of God.” It’s celebrated on August 15th.

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St. Dorothy/Dorothea of Caesarea

St. Dorothy is a 4th century virgin martyr who was executed at Caesarea Mazaca. She’s called a martyr of the late Diocletianic Persecution. Although her death happened after the resignation of Diocletian himself.

Dorothea & her companion, Theophilus, are mentioned in the Roman Martyrology as martyrs of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Her feast day is on February 6. She’s officially recognized as a virgin martyr.

She was removed from the General Roman Calendar by Pope Paul VI’s motu proprio Mysterii Paschalis, being judged as not having “universal significance.” Her feast day does still remain in some regional calendars & the Tridentine Calendar.

Her early life is unknown. The first record of her, Martyrologium Hieronymianum, only has 3 basic facts: her day of martyrdom, the place where it happened, & her name & Theophilus’ name.

Dorothea of Caesarea, virgin & martyr, was persecuted during the persecution of Diocletian on February 6, 311 at Caesarea in Cappadocia. She was brought before the prefect Sapricius, tried, tortured, & sentenced to death. On the way to the place of execution, the pagan lawyer, Theophilus said, mockingly, “Bride of Christ, send me some fruits from your bridegroom’s garden.”

Before she was executed, she sent him, by a 6 year old boy, her headdress which was found to be filled with a heavenly fragrance of roses & fruits. Theophilus at once confessed himself a Christian, was put on the rack, & suffered death. This is the oldest version of the legend.

In the Western church, Dorothy of Caesarea has been venerated since the 7th century. In the late medieval Sweden, St. Dorothy was considered to be the 15th of the Holy Helpers.

In art, she’s accompanied with Saints Barbara, Catherine, & Margaret. They form a quartet of female virgin martyrs called Quattuor Virgines Capitales, meaning, “The Four Capital Virgins.”

She’s the patroness of gardeners. Because of her virginal attribute of a wreath of roses. On her feast day (February 6), trees are blessed. She’s also the patroness of brewers, brides, florists, midwives, newlyweds, & the village of Pescia, Italy. The Sisters of St. Dorothy is a congregation of sisters/nuns, who are occupied with teaching.

St. Dorothy is often pictured as a virgin carrying a basket of flowers, sometimes with fruit, & also wearing a crown of roses. She has also been pictured as being surrounded by stars as she kneels before an executioner; crowned with palm, referring to the martyr’s palm; in an enclosed garden or an orchard with the Christ Child in an apple tree; leading the Christ Child by the hand; veiled with flowers in her lap; & holding apples from Heaven.

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