The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Body and Soul, into Heaven and Blessed Brother Estephan Nehme
By Fr. Kamil AlChouefati
The glory of God is revealed in the holiness of Mary during her earthly life, crowned by her assumption into heaven, which was a continuation of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, his ascension to heavenly glories, and his sitting “at the right hand of God.” His Holiness Pope Pius XII declared the dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven in 1950, saying, “we affirm, declare, and define the dogma revealed by God, that Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed her earthly life, was taken up, body and soul, into heavenly glory.” Mary is the New Eve.
The assumption of Saint Mary, mother of the redeemer, body and soul into the glory of heaven makes her the masterpiece of redemption and the work of the Triune God: she is the daughter of the Father, the mother of the Son, and the bride of the Holy Spirit. Through her, the Father’s plan of salvation, promised since the fall of Adam and Eve, was fulfilled: “he shall bruise your head, and you shall strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
From her, the incarnate Word appeared to the world, and with her, communion by the Holy Spirit between God and human being. The love of the Father filled her, the grace of the son saved her, and the indwelling of the Spirit sanctified her. The assumption is a model of the Triune God’s work in every human being, in their universal call to holiness, and in their particular call along their journey as God’s people. Mary’s assumption is an example of human experience with God’s work.
The assumption of the Virgin Mary, body and soul, is a unique participation in the resurrection of her Son and his Ascension in glory, body and soul, to heaven. It is an anticipation of the resurrection of hearts and the participation of souls redeemed by the blood of her Son, our divine Redeemer, in the heavenly glories, and of the resurrection of bodies at the end of time.
The Virgin Mary was free from the stain of sin from her conception until her repose and so was freed from the corruption of death and the grave. She, along with her son, is an icon of freedom and liberation spiritually, physically, and socially. Looking to Mary, her mother and model, the Church fully understands the meaning and dimensions of her mission and commits herself to it without fear, hesitation, or compromise.
The text of the book of Revelation points to the destiny of Our Lady the Virgin Mary, a destiny of indescribable glory because she is most united with the son she received through faith and bore in the flesh, fully sharing in his glory in heaven… “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and cried out in the pain of childbirth… and she brought forth a male child, who is rule all the nations with an iron rod” (Revelation 12: 1-2, 5). The greatness of Mary, the mother of God, full of grace and completely subject to the work of the Holy Spirit, lives in God’s heaven with her entire being, soul and body.
This is what the Church has believed throughout the ages: “The Immaculate Mother of God, at the conclusion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” This feast not only commemorates the incorruption of the body of the Virgin Mary but also her victory over death and her glorification in heaven, following the example of her only son Jesus Christ. This belief in the Church came in line with the Christian vision of the divine motherhood and holiness of the Virgin Mary and her conception without sin. The 2nd Vatican Council teaches: “after her earthly life was completed, Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory and was exalted by the Lord as Queen of the world, so that she might be more like her son, Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16), the conqueror of sin and death.” We say to her: O Saint Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Blessed Brother Estephan Nehme
In the land of Lebanon, Brother Estephan Nehme saw the light. He was raised in the shadow of the Maronite Church and grew in the bosom of the Lebanese Monastic Order, taking from it the spirit of worship and a touch of holiness, which he in turn passed on to rising generations.
His Birth: Brother Estephan Nehme was born in the town of Lehfed on March 8, 1889 to two righteous parents, Estephan bou Haikal Nehme and Christina Al-Badawi Khaled. He received the sacrament of baptism in the church of Our Lady on March 15, 1889 and was given the Arabic name “Youssef,” which means “Joseph.”
His Childhood: Youssef was raised by his parents. He was the youngest of a family of three boys and two girls. He was the comfort of the family, the joy of home, and its guardian angel. He would flee noise and desired solitude. Whenever he wanted to pray in his youth, he would move away from home so that he would not hear anything that would disturb his prayers and contemplations.
From his childhood, Youssef (Estephan) loved God and his holy mother the Virgin Mary. Whenever he mentioned the name of the holy mother of God, he would rejoice from the heart and be filled with ecstasy, especially when he began his rosary prayer, reciting its verses and beads slowly, contemplating their meanings. He prayed attentively and devoutly, and it was his custom to remind his family to perform the evening prayer, which the Lebanese Christians typically prayed in every home. This reverent family prayer ferments the family spiritually and makes the homes of Christians a corner of heavenly paradise.
Youssef did not like to mingle with people or to party, even with relatives. Rather, he stayed at home, prayed, and prolonged the time for prayer. Then he would lie down repeating: “God sees me, God sees me. O Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph, help me and assist me at the hour of my death.”
His Vocation: In 1905, at the age of 16, Youssef Nehme left his parental home for the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina in Kfifan to become a monk. He entered the novice ranks, and eight days later, he donned the novice habit and took the name “Estephan.” Brother Estephan lived as a “working brother,” working in the gardens and orchards of the monasteries. He was the head of his “field,” that is, the steward of the monastery’s property. He also mastered the carpentry trade, which he learned while at the Mayfouq monastery. Thus, this monk spent the years of his life working in the gardens of the monasteries he traveled to. Brother Estephan passed away on August 30, 1938, at the age of forty-nine, exuding the fragrance of holiness. He was buried in the monks’ cemetery in the Kfifan monastery. When exhumed, Brother Estephan’s body was found still intact, and it remains to this day to be visited by all who seek refuge in him, asking for a blessing or to obtain healing. Amen.
The assumption of Saint Mary, mother of the redeemer, body and soul into the glory of heaven makes her the masterpiece of redemption and the work of the Triune God: she is the daughter of the Father, the mother of the Son, and the bride of the Holy Spirit. Through her, the Father’s plan of salvation, promised since the fall of Adam and Eve, was fulfilled: “he shall bruise your head, and you shall strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
From her, the incarnate Word appeared to the world, and with her, communion by the Holy Spirit between God and human being. The love of the Father filled her, the grace of the son saved her, and the indwelling of the Spirit sanctified her. The assumption is a model of the Triune God’s work in every human being, in their universal call to holiness, and in their particular call along their journey as God’s people. Mary’s assumption is an example of human experience with God’s work.
The assumption of the Virgin Mary, body and soul, is a unique participation in the resurrection of her Son and his Ascension in glory, body and soul, to heaven. It is an anticipation of the resurrection of hearts and the participation of souls redeemed by the blood of her Son, our divine Redeemer, in the heavenly glories, and of the resurrection of bodies at the end of time.
The Virgin Mary was free from the stain of sin from her conception until her repose and so was freed from the corruption of death and the grave. She, along with her son, is an icon of freedom and liberation spiritually, physically, and socially. Looking to Mary, her mother and model, the Church fully understands the meaning and dimensions of her mission and commits herself to it without fear, hesitation, or compromise.
The text of the book of Revelation points to the destiny of Our Lady the Virgin Mary, a destiny of indescribable glory because she is most united with the son she received through faith and bore in the flesh, fully sharing in his glory in heaven… “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and cried out in the pain of childbirth… and she brought forth a male child, who is rule all the nations with an iron rod” (Revelation 12: 1-2, 5). The greatness of Mary, the mother of God, full of grace and completely subject to the work of the Holy Spirit, lives in God’s heaven with her entire being, soul and body.
This is what the Church has believed throughout the ages: “The Immaculate Mother of God, at the conclusion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” This feast not only commemorates the incorruption of the body of the Virgin Mary but also her victory over death and her glorification in heaven, following the example of her only son Jesus Christ. This belief in the Church came in line with the Christian vision of the divine motherhood and holiness of the Virgin Mary and her conception without sin. The 2nd Vatican Council teaches: “after her earthly life was completed, Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory and was exalted by the Lord as Queen of the world, so that she might be more like her son, Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16), the conqueror of sin and death.” We say to her: O Saint Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Blessed Brother Estephan Nehme
In the land of Lebanon, Brother Estephan Nehme saw the light. He was raised in the shadow of the Maronite Church and grew in the bosom of the Lebanese Monastic Order, taking from it the spirit of worship and a touch of holiness, which he in turn passed on to rising generations.
His Birth: Brother Estephan Nehme was born in the town of Lehfed on March 8, 1889 to two righteous parents, Estephan bou Haikal Nehme and Christina Al-Badawi Khaled. He received the sacrament of baptism in the church of Our Lady on March 15, 1889 and was given the Arabic name “Youssef,” which means “Joseph.”
His Childhood: Youssef was raised by his parents. He was the youngest of a family of three boys and two girls. He was the comfort of the family, the joy of home, and its guardian angel. He would flee noise and desired solitude. Whenever he wanted to pray in his youth, he would move away from home so that he would not hear anything that would disturb his prayers and contemplations.
From his childhood, Youssef (Estephan) loved God and his holy mother the Virgin Mary. Whenever he mentioned the name of the holy mother of God, he would rejoice from the heart and be filled with ecstasy, especially when he began his rosary prayer, reciting its verses and beads slowly, contemplating their meanings. He prayed attentively and devoutly, and it was his custom to remind his family to perform the evening prayer, which the Lebanese Christians typically prayed in every home. This reverent family prayer ferments the family spiritually and makes the homes of Christians a corner of heavenly paradise.
Youssef did not like to mingle with people or to party, even with relatives. Rather, he stayed at home, prayed, and prolonged the time for prayer. Then he would lie down repeating: “God sees me, God sees me. O Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph, help me and assist me at the hour of my death.”
His Vocation: In 1905, at the age of 16, Youssef Nehme left his parental home for the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina in Kfifan to become a monk. He entered the novice ranks, and eight days later, he donned the novice habit and took the name “Estephan.” Brother Estephan lived as a “working brother,” working in the gardens and orchards of the monasteries. He was the head of his “field,” that is, the steward of the monastery’s property. He also mastered the carpentry trade, which he learned while at the Mayfouq monastery. Thus, this monk spent the years of his life working in the gardens of the monasteries he traveled to. Brother Estephan passed away on August 30, 1938, at the age of forty-nine, exuding the fragrance of holiness. He was buried in the monks’ cemetery in the Kfifan monastery. When exhumed, Brother Estephan’s body was found still intact, and it remains to this day to be visited by all who seek refuge in him, asking for a blessing or to obtain healing. Amen.
