ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Gospel: Lk 1: 39-56
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
VICTORY IN JESUS: In the Old Testament, Adam was enticed to sin by the devil and his sin brought death. However, as death came through Adam, resurrection has come through Christ. The Gospel reminds us of meeting between Mary and Elizabeth and we see joy in both as they anticipate the birth of Christ. Mary, from the very moment of her conception, co-operated with God in working out the salvation of the world. From conception, she was full of grace, was touched by God, and protected from sin so that she might be worthy to bear the Word of God as flesh, and to remit Him to the world. The coming of Christ was the fulfilment of his promises to Abraham our father. Through him all the powers of evil have been defeated together with sin and death.
PRAYER: Thank you Lord for giving us victory over evil, sin and death.
****
PARTAKER IN GOD’S PLAN: The Assumption means that God who planned the very first moment of Mary’s life with such extraordinary care, also planned her very last moment just as carefully. At the first moment of her life, by a very special privilege of God, Mary was preserved free from the stain of sin. At the last moment, by another very special privilege she was preserved free from the corruption of the grave. At the end of her life Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. In the Immaculate Conception the emphasis is on the soul. In the Assumption the emphasis is on the body. Both are important. They were made for each other. At death, there is only a temporary separation. Body and soul will be reunited in the Resurrection. The Assumption means that the body that participated in the battle of life will also participate in the victory. The lesson of the Assumption is that the whole person, body and soul, participates in the battle of life and the whole person, body and soul, will share the victory. Let us ask Mary, assumed into heaven, to obtain for us the grace to respect and discipline the body so that one day we may join her body and soul in heaven.
DAILY GOSPEL 