Aug. 15, 2019: Assumption

Aug. 15, 2019: Assumption

I witnessed a tender moment this week in one of the Pre-K classes when a little three-year-old boy, with his face drenched with tears from being separated from his mama on his first day of school, was comforted by a kind, gentle teacher who looked into his eyes with her assurance that everything will be okay. The kind gesture of the teacher in some way mirrors what our Heavenly Mother does for each of us. While she’s not physically with us, Jesus gave her as our Mother and we honor her as our own, especially on this solemnity of Assumption when she was assumed soul and body into Heaven.

One way we honor our Heavenly Mother is to emulate her humble openness to God’s will as she said, “yes” to Archangel Gabriel. Our Heavenly Mother shows us that if we make a sincere gift of ourselves to God’s will, we too, will bear and give birth to Christ in our lives.

Another way to honor our Heavenly Mother is to live our lives in such a way to point to Christ in all things. She told the servant at the Wedding at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you.” Her entire life was a humble surrender to the will of God.

While on earth, we strive to follow the footsteps of the Lord, including the Way of the Cross. Our Lord said to his disciples, “Do not be afraid… Pick up your cross daily and follow me.” When we face our own calvaries and the way of the cross, we need to ask our Heavenly Mother if we can borrow her courage, faith, and trust in her Son. She will certainly accompany us just as she did for her Son. Just as her body was transformed in Christ and assumed into Heaven, we too will be transformed in Christ as we remain faithful disciples on earth and one day share in the destiny of Christ.