I've been on a Summer Blog Vacation, but I'm still writing! Here's one from earlier in August (2013). Enjoy!
Reflection on Readings – August 15, 2013 (Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary- Day) Revelation 11: 19a, 12: 1-6a, 10ab; Ps. 45: 10, 11, 12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27; Luke 1: 39-56
Proclaiming the Greatness of God!
Today, the Good News is straight forward and easy to proclaim: Your being proclaims the greatness of God! Through fear, trust and faith, your YES to bearing God in your words and through your actions is your primary purpose in this life. Your efforts should point to the works of our Lord Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection! And while this effort is rooted in your being, it also involves serving others, rejoicing in the Lord, and receiving God’s blessing and mercy so that the lowly will be raised, and the hungry will be fed! What’s the reward? Resurrection and a place in the kingdom of God! How do I know this? Let us look to the Blessed Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Mary, most holy…
Our faith has taught us that Mary is Theotokos, a Greek word meaning “God Bearer”. The Virgin Mary was visited by God and the angel Gabriel, and she said YES! Her fear was not the fear of the unknown, or that which was frightening. Her fear was the profound respect of knowing the Lord God was calling on her to bear a light to the world in His Son Jesus Christ. Her trust in God’s promise, and her faith in His works serves as an example for all disciples who dare to ask the question, how can we “bear God” to others? In today’s Gospel, it was Mary who bore God and his plan to Elizabeth, causing her baby John the Baptist to leap in her womb. It was Mary who proclaimed God’s greatness in what is called The Magnificat, identifying herself as a servant of the Lord, rejoicing in His favor, celebrating His blessing and mercy, promising to bring forth a new creation to bring down the mighty, lift up the lowly, and feed the hungry! Mary’s trust in God’s promise brings to the entire world a promise of her own, as her life points to the life, death and resurrection of Christ Our Lord! At a wedding in Cana she pointed to the miracle of Christ’s willingness to share of himself, serving the best wine to all. On His way to Golgatha, carrying His cross, Christ said to his mother, “see I make all things new,” and in the piercing of her heart, and the depth of her sorrow, she cried for our Lord and gave us the challenge to never leave Him, remaining at the foot of the cross, until he was laid in the tomb, and rose again the next day. She saw Him ascend into the heavens, and be seated at the right hand of the Father, remaining with the disciples to continue to point them in the direction of fulfilling their own promise to the Lord, in bringing the Gospel to all nations! The Good News? Not only does our being proclaim God’s greatness, we should seize the opportunity to point others to Christ!
With all that said, today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. What is “The Assumption?” The Catechism tells us that “the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.” (CCC #966) This confirms the Good News that we’ve been reflecting upon. The Immaculate Virgin, free from original sin, is a beacon for us all to see in that our being can strive for such goodness, so as to bear Christ to the world, and enter into communion with His love. The course of her earthly life was that of the perfect disciple, always dedicated to serving the Lord, pointing the way to Him and His mission. In her death and assumption into heaven, body and soul, Mary is afforded the opportunity and reward for her love and dedication, exalted as “Queen”, forever conformed to her Son, once again pointing us towards the promise for us all, as we too will be conformed with Him when, as John witnessed in today’s reading from Revelation, the kingdom comes to us all, bringing “salvation and power” and the presence of “the anointed One” Jesus Christ forever! The Byzantine prayer on the “Feast of Dormition” or Mary’s “falling asleep” says, “In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.”
But in the meantime, while we live here on earth, attempting to be the best disciples we can be, let us conclude with the challenge of the Gospel, and Mary’s Magnificat, the proclamation of the Greatness of the Lord: Just by being, you are proclaiming the greatness of God, but in that being, BE a servant to Him and His creation! Let your spirit rejoice in Christ our Savior, and know that God looks on you with much love and favor, for Like Mary, you too are blessed, and you too will receive mercy from fear! But be prepared, for God’s strength will scatter our pride and conceit. His Way is not our way, unless we serve others to point the way to Him alone, for we’ve seen it time and time again, the mighty fall, the rich are sent away empty, all while the lowly are lifted up. So let us make it our aim and our personal stake in being a servant of the Lord to ensure that the hungry are filled, the lonely are cared for and the sick are healed! Being a disciple like Mary begins with a respectful fear of the Lord, and a YES from the heart. It is followed by a call to trust in His Way, and always involves the faith to see it through. Today, in her being, Mary’s Assumption points us to the blessed work of discipleship and the promise of everlasting life!
Today, the Good News is straight forward and easy to proclaim: Your being proclaims the greatness of God! Through fear, trust and faith, your YES to bearing God in your words and through your actions is your primary purpose in this life. Your efforts should point to the works of our Lord Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection! And while this effort is rooted in your being, it also involves serving others, rejoicing in the Lord, and receiving God’s blessing and mercy so that the lowly will be raised, and the hungry will be fed! What’s the reward? Resurrection and a place in the kingdom of God! How do I know this? Let us look to the Blessed Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Mary, most holy…
Our faith has taught us that Mary is Theotokos, a Greek word meaning “God Bearer”. The Virgin Mary was visited by God and the angel Gabriel, and she said YES! Her fear was not the fear of the unknown, or that which was frightening. Her fear was the profound respect of knowing the Lord God was calling on her to bear a light to the world in His Son Jesus Christ. Her trust in God’s promise, and her faith in His works serves as an example for all disciples who dare to ask the question, how can we “bear God” to others? In today’s Gospel, it was Mary who bore God and his plan to Elizabeth, causing her baby John the Baptist to leap in her womb. It was Mary who proclaimed God’s greatness in what is called The Magnificat, identifying herself as a servant of the Lord, rejoicing in His favor, celebrating His blessing and mercy, promising to bring forth a new creation to bring down the mighty, lift up the lowly, and feed the hungry! Mary’s trust in God’s promise brings to the entire world a promise of her own, as her life points to the life, death and resurrection of Christ Our Lord! At a wedding in Cana she pointed to the miracle of Christ’s willingness to share of himself, serving the best wine to all. On His way to Golgatha, carrying His cross, Christ said to his mother, “see I make all things new,” and in the piercing of her heart, and the depth of her sorrow, she cried for our Lord and gave us the challenge to never leave Him, remaining at the foot of the cross, until he was laid in the tomb, and rose again the next day. She saw Him ascend into the heavens, and be seated at the right hand of the Father, remaining with the disciples to continue to point them in the direction of fulfilling their own promise to the Lord, in bringing the Gospel to all nations! The Good News? Not only does our being proclaim God’s greatness, we should seize the opportunity to point others to Christ!
With all that said, today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. What is “The Assumption?” The Catechism tells us that “the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.” (CCC #966) This confirms the Good News that we’ve been reflecting upon. The Immaculate Virgin, free from original sin, is a beacon for us all to see in that our being can strive for such goodness, so as to bear Christ to the world, and enter into communion with His love. The course of her earthly life was that of the perfect disciple, always dedicated to serving the Lord, pointing the way to Him and His mission. In her death and assumption into heaven, body and soul, Mary is afforded the opportunity and reward for her love and dedication, exalted as “Queen”, forever conformed to her Son, once again pointing us towards the promise for us all, as we too will be conformed with Him when, as John witnessed in today’s reading from Revelation, the kingdom comes to us all, bringing “salvation and power” and the presence of “the anointed One” Jesus Christ forever! The Byzantine prayer on the “Feast of Dormition” or Mary’s “falling asleep” says, “In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.”
But in the meantime, while we live here on earth, attempting to be the best disciples we can be, let us conclude with the challenge of the Gospel, and Mary’s Magnificat, the proclamation of the Greatness of the Lord: Just by being, you are proclaiming the greatness of God, but in that being, BE a servant to Him and His creation! Let your spirit rejoice in Christ our Savior, and know that God looks on you with much love and favor, for Like Mary, you too are blessed, and you too will receive mercy from fear! But be prepared, for God’s strength will scatter our pride and conceit. His Way is not our way, unless we serve others to point the way to Him alone, for we’ve seen it time and time again, the mighty fall, the rich are sent away empty, all while the lowly are lifted up. So let us make it our aim and our personal stake in being a servant of the Lord to ensure that the hungry are filled, the lonely are cared for and the sick are healed! Being a disciple like Mary begins with a respectful fear of the Lord, and a YES from the heart. It is followed by a call to trust in His Way, and always involves the faith to see it through. Today, in her being, Mary’s Assumption points us to the blessed work of discipleship and the promise of everlasting life!
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