Solemnity of the Assumption of the

Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. – Luke 1:45

     Exactly a year ago, I was trodding Japanese soil, the Land of the Rising Sun, maki and ramen. Finally, my passport was adorned with its first stamp — a dream come true.

       I challenged God to take me outside the country before 2014 ended, but two months short of welcoming 2015, there was still no plane ticket in sight. I lost hope. Then a friend told me about an ongoing airline seat sale. Soon after, I found myself booking a flight to Nagoya at a huge discount.

       After receiving the flight itinerary, I realized that the 15 crazy minutes I spent searching for a cheap flight was actually the beginning of a dream unfolding. God made a way to fulfill His promise of that passport stamp I so desired. Yes, it was a few months delayed from what I prayed for, but who said my timeline was the same as God’s?

       In our lives, we have dreams that are yet to come true and prayers yet to be answered. We may have grown weary of waiting. But hold on and remain steadfast. That promise He has spoken to you, He will fulfill. Osy Erica (osy.erica@gmail.com)

Reflection: God is a silent worker. His hands are moving. Trust Him.

Father, calm my heart when it becomes restless in waiting. Lift my spirit when I become downtrodden. Build my faith when it begins to crumble. You are a Promise Keeper.

We celebrate the Assumption of Mary today, a gift that we also hope to receive. The assumption of our bodies into heaven is the last act of our human nature before we are united to the Trinity in the resurrection. Let us pray for the grace to persevere in our calling up to the end.

Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10

19 God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. 12:1 A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. 4 Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. 6 The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”

Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16

R: The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

9 [10] The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir. (R) 10 [11] Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. (R) 11 [12] So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord. (R) 15 [16] They are borne in with gladness and  joy; they enter the palace of the king. (R)

Paul knows that without the resurrection of Jesus the Gospel is  meaningless. His resurrection affirms His victory over sin and death. As the lyrics of a hymn say, “Death could not hold Him down; He is risen!” The resurrection is the core belief of our faith, the central tenet of salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:20-27

20 Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 23 but each one in proper order: Christ the first-fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 24 then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 27 for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

Mary has a privileged role in the work of salvation as the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary does not boast about this because she knows that everything she has is a gift from God. She was chosen by the grace of God’s election. We see Mary’s humility as she serves her cousin, Elizabeth, who is in need.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Mary is taken up to heaven; a chorus of angels exults.

Luke 1:39-56

39 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” 46 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. 48 For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: 49 the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. 50 He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. 51 He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. 52 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, 55 the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” 56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

think: Let us pray for the grace to persevere in our calling to the end.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR  2 Maccabees 13-15  

A CELEBRATION OF FULFILLMENT

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was defined as a Dogma of Faith by Pope Pius XII in 1950. The dogma states: “By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul, and by our own, we proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by God, that the Immaculate Mother of God, Mary Ever-virgin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven.”

       The Blessed Virgin Mary’s assumption depends totally on Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Through her Son, who conquered death, the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed to heaven. Mary’s whole existence was transformed because of her union with Jesus. Being the first fruit of His resurrection, Mary is the sign of our future glory in union with Jesus Christ. This is a celebration of fulfillment.

       Fulfillment means completion. The Greek word for completion is telos, which means goal, whole, perfection. The Assumption is God’s embrace into the mystery of His completion and perfection. In the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see what it means to be complete in a life embraced by the mystery of our perfect God. Her assumption is also a celebration of our destiny. Where the Blessed Mother is, we will be. We are being led into the mystery of completion, into the mystery of God.

       When we honor Mary, we do not draw a wedge between her and humanity. She is united with the sufferings of God’s people. We acclaim Mary to remind us of the future that God has in store for all of us. We invoke Mary so that we may continue the same journey of faith and reach the fulfillment of our human longing. With Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary shows us what can happen to a person who is totally open to the mystery of God’s love. Like her, we can discover the meaning of our whole existence in the will of God, our Father. In union with Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary represents the hope of all humanity. Fr. Alex Balatbat

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Who is the Blessed Virgin Mary for you? In what way did you experience her presence in your life?

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord for He looked with favor on His lowly servant.” Amen.