Aug 15, 2007: The Feast of the Assumption (School Mass)
(School Mass for Children)
I have one older sister who has two children. When she had her first child, she received a baby monitor as a gift. Do you know what a baby monitor is? It’s like a microphone that you place near baby’s bed, and you can hear the baby from different parts of the house. My sister can listen to her baby sleeping while she is doing dishes or washing laundry. When baby Therese cries, my sister quickly goes to the bed to pick her up to see if baby is hungry or needs comfort.
Well, did you know that we have a heavenly mother who also listens to us, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to see if we are crying, hungry, or hurt? Blessed Mother was a gift from Jesus to us. At the foot of the cross, Jesus told his mother Mary to be our mother. At the end of her life, Mother Mary was given a special gift that no other human person received. She was taken up to heaven both body and soul to be with her Son and God the Father. This is what’s called assumption. And today is a special feast day commemorating assumption of her body and soul into heaven. When we die, our souls go to heaven but our bodies are buried in the graves. Our bodies will be resurrected when Our Lord Jesus comes. But Mother Mary’s both body and soul went to heaven at the end of her life. So in heaven, we now have two persons who have both their body and soul—one is Jesus and the other is Mother Mary.
Just because she is in heaven doesn’t mean that she is not involved with things on earth. Have you wondered how Jesus can answer all of our prayers at the same time? You know there are 6.7 billion people here on earth. I know you guys like to text message on your cell phone or instant messaging. Can you imagine trying to send and answer instant text messaging to 6.7 billion people simultaneously? Well that’s what’s special about being in heaven. Mother Mary can hear all 6.7 billion of us simultaneously with her heavenly baby monitor. And even though she has 6.7 billion babies to listen to, she knows exactly what each baby needs. She even sends heavenly instant messages to us. And I’m going to read you some that were sent to the children in Medjugorje where she is still appearing to them since 1981.
“Dear children, I come to you as the mother who, above all, loves her children. I am with you even though you are not conscious of it. I am with you to love and protect you, to protect your heart from Satan and bring you all nearer to the heart of my Son Jesus.
God sends me to you out of love, so that I may help you to understand that without him there is no future or joy, and above all, there is no eternal salvation. Little children, I call you to leave sin and to accept prayer at all times, that in prayer you may come to know the meaning of your life.”
Mother Mary is always with us, listening to us, and helping us to grow in holiness. On this feast day commemorating assumption of her body and soul into heaven, let’s send her our instant message by praying a Hail Mary together.
