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God Lifts Up the Lowly

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Father Steven Reilly, LC

Luke 1: 39-56

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary´s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in your wondrous, shining glory, although this is hidden from my eyes. I hope in the peace and everlasting joy of the world to come, for this world is a valley of tears. I love you, even though I am not always able to discern the love in your intentions when you permit me to suffer. You are my God and my all.

Petition: Lord, help me to be humble!

1. All Generations Will Call Me Blessed: When Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption, it was a cause of great joy throughout the Catholic world. Believed for centuries, it entered the realm of official Catholic dogma. Our Lady is brought to heaven to share in the glory and joy of her Son and our Lord. We have always looked to Mary as our mother, and so the feast of the Assumption continues to fill us with happiness. She is with Christ, and she is our mother more than ever. We entrust ourselves to her in the same way that Pope John Paul the Great did, “Totus Tuus.”

2. Scattering the Proud: Proud people are generally very focused on whatever serves their best interests. So “scattering” is a very good verb to use to indicate what happens to the proud when God goes into action. Mary rejoices in that “scattering,” but who are the proud? Maybe we don’t have to look any further than ourselves. How much we fight with that root sin of pride! Mary is happy when pride gets scattered and the perspective we have widens. Instead of just seeing things from our own myopic point of view, this scattering opens up the “thoughts of our hearts” to see others and their needs. Nothing is more Mary-like than that.

3. Lifting Up the Lowly: This feast of the Assumption is proof that God literally lifts up the lowly. Like her Son and his Ascension, Mary is lifted up by God into the realm of eternal life. Sometimes we cling to our pride out of a sort of instinct of self-preservation—“If I don’t look out for number one, who will?” But Mary’s humility is a lesson for us. Our true self-fulfillment lies in becoming everyday more filled with God; We can only do that if we are not filled with ourselves. Let’s ask Mary to help us to live more like her and experience the true joy—the lifting up—that there is in humility.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I thank you for giving us such a wonderful mother. She helps me to stay on the path of fulfilling your will. Help me to be able to sing a Magnificat in my own soul, “The Almighty has done great things for me!”

Resolution: I will be generous and joyful when I am asked to help out.

The Feast of the Assumption

First Reading: Rv. 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

Psalm: Ps. 45:10, 11, 12, 16

SecondReading: 1 Cor. 15:20-27

Gospel: Lk. 1:39-56

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption, that Mary did not suffer physical corruption after her death. She was taken body and soul upon her death into heaven. What is the significance of this feast?

The first thing we find in Mary’s life is suffering. Mary’s suffering began when she was asked to bear a son before being married to Joseph. The anxieties in her heart, – would Joseph still accept her? If the public finds out, will she be stoned to death in public? Later, when she and Joseph took the child Jesus to theTemplethe holy man Simeon said of Jesus: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and the rise of many inIsrael, and to be a sign that will be contradicted.” Turning to Mary he said, “And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will pierce your own heart.”

Suffering continued in Mary’s life when in later years she saw the opposition grow against Jesus. Her suffering reached its peak when she stood beneath the crucified body of her Son. Mary bore her suffering with courage and with patience. And that’s where she inspires us to bear our suffering as courageously and patiently as she did.

The second thing that we find in Mary’s life is the spirit of service to others. The spirit manifested itself when the angel Gabriel announced that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. Her answer was short and to the point: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Mary’s spirit of service continued to manifest itself when she learned of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and went to help. Finally, that spirit of service continued to
manifest itself when Mary asked help from Jesus for the young married couple atCana.

The third thing that we find in Mary’s life is a spirit of profound prayerfulness. This spirit of prayerfulness is seen in her prayer of praise to God. Mary offered this prayer called the Magnificat right after learning thatElizabeth’s child leaped in the womb when she approachedElizabethwith Jesus in her womb. Mary’s spirit of prayerfulness continued at the birth of Jesus, when the Gospel tells us that Mary “kept all these things [connected with Jesus' birth] reflecting on them in her heart.” And it reached a special peak when the Acts of the Apostles relates that she “devoted” herself “to prayer” with the Apostles in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Because of her prayerfulness, she was always ready to do the will of God. That’s why she was sinless, that’s why she was taken body and soul to heaven upon her death to be with God forever.

Mary inspires us to want to carry our cross patiently as she carried hers. She inspires us to want to serve others generously and joyfully, as she served them. Finally, she inspires us to pray regularly as she did. Who can be a better Advocate than Mary our Mother?