The Feast of the Assumption
Saturday 14th August 2021
There are times when the monotony of daily living and the grind of dull routine sap all our energy. It results usually in a weakening of our conviction that the Lord is present and at work in our lives. We may even go so far as to doubt the possibility of a hereafter. At such moments we are crying out for the kind of reassurance and comfort that this feast day brings, for in contrast to such despair, Mary’s Assumption helps lift our minds and hearts above the gloom of the situation we are in. It reminds us of our final homecoming by assuring us that there is another dimension to our existence and death has not the final say.
We get a glimpse of Mary as a young woman full of joy, hope and happiness, setting out in haste over the hill country to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Both women had great news to share. Their conversation was an outpouring of joy. Mary experienced happy times but she was not spared any of the trials of a mother rearing her child. There were many things in life she did not understand, much that she found painful to accept and still through all, not knowing what lay before her, Mary never took back the "Yes" she had answered to the angel. Jesus was always the centre of her existence.
Mary, having completed her earthly pilgrimage, was assumed, body and soul into heavenly glory. It was the final crowning grace of her relationship with God. Mary's Assumption reinforces hope in our own future because she points forward to our final homecoming. Where she has gone we hope to follow. This feast is a reminder that the joys of eternal life are what God wishes to share with us all. Our chief concern in the meantime is to become more like Jesus by allowing our lives to be influenced by Mary, who has so much to teach us about her son.
Stay safe and well!
Fr. Arsenio