The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The readings give us much to ponder as we reflect on Mary, her special place prepared by God for eternity, and all that resulted from her “yes” to the angel’s message that she was to bear the Christ, the anointed one of God. Mary is “blessed among women,” the vessel for the life and salvation of Christ for all generations. Mary always points us to her son, Jesus. Through her witness, we are inspired to proclaim the greatness of the Lord with our lives. In her Assumption, we are assured that Mary is in the presence of God, pointing the way to all who live as God’s good and holy people in this life while we await ultimate fulfillment in the next.
BLESSED ARE YOU
Elizabeth had waited a long time for the child she carried. She was beyond child-bearing age by the time she conceived the baby who would be known as John the Baptist. We can only imagine her joy and amazement when the baby leaped in her womb at Mary’s arrival. Elizabeth was old and Mary young, yet both trusted in the goodness of the Lord; both relied on the Holy Spirit to be with them in the perplexing, exciting, and anxious time in which they found themselves. They show us what it means to put God at the center of our lives. Their story may inspire us to believe that God’s loving mercy awaits in every moment of our lives. Elizabeth calls Mary and the child in her womb “blessed,” holy. Mary’s holiness is found in her belief in God and her willingness to carry out God’s plan by carrying the child Jesus in her womb. How are you called to holiness? In what ways are you willing to carry out God’s plan?
MY SOUL PROCLAIMS
Mary’s response to Elizabeth, which we hear in today’s Gospel, is known as the Magnificat. Mary “magnifies” the greatness of the Lord—through her, we see God’s mercy clearly. Mary’s canticle is a declaration that God cares for the lowly and vulnerable, for the humble and hungry. This, Mary says, is the God for whom the people of Israel had long waited. This is God in whom we believe. Like Mary, the Almighty has done great things for us. As followers of Mary’s son, Jesus Christ, we are called to make this merciful, caring God known to those who are in need. How will you glorify, magnify, the Lord by your life?
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