Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
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, he 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.
The
Blessed Mother, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed
body and soul into heavenly glory. Her Assumption reminds us of the promise
made by Jesus to all who faithfully follow Him: that we, too, hope to share in
the glory of Heaven.
Do
we have a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary? Do we regularly pray the Holy
Rosary and ask the Blessed Mother to pray and intercede for us?
Even
while she was pregnant, the Blessed Mother visited her cousin Elizabeth without
thinking of her own comfort or well-being. She went to Elizabeth because she
wanted to comfort, help, and strengthen her. Mary could have chosen to remain
at home and rest, yet she chose to serve. Her journey to Elizabeth reveals a
heart filled with love, humility, and selflessness.
This
is one of the beautiful things we can learn from Mary: genuine love does not
always wait to be served; it willingly goes out to serve others. Even when we
ourselves are tired, burdened, or facing our own struggles, the Holy Spirit can
move our hearts to become instruments of God's love and consolation to those
who need us.
Of
course, we also long to be visited, comforted, and strengthened by the Blessed
Mother. But do we make time to pray to her and ask her to intercede for us? Do
we regularly pray the Holy Rosary? As the Mother of Jesus, Mary holds a unique
place close to the heart of her Son. We can confidently entrust our prayers to
her maternal intercession, knowing that she always leads us closer to Jesus.
On
this Solemnity of the Assumption, we are reminded that Mary's loving concern
was not limited to her cousin Elizabeth. As our spiritual mother, she also
desires to accompany, comfort, strengthen, and help us in the midst of our
worries, struggles, and problems. When our hearts are weary, when our faith
becomes weak, and when we do not know where to turn, we can come to Mary and
ask her to pray for us. She gently points us toward her Son and reminds us, as
she did at Cana, to listen to Him and follow His will.
Mary's
Assumption also gives us hope. She shows us what awaits those who faithfully
surrender themselves to God. Her earthly life was marked by humility,
obedience, service, and unwavering faith. Now she shares in heavenly glory. May
her example inspire us to persevere in our own journey of faith, trusting that
every sacrifice offered in love, every prayer uttered in faith, and every act
of humble service is precious in God's eyes.
Let
us therefore turn to the Blessed Mother with confidence and ask her to pray and
intercede for us, especially during these difficult times. Let us pray the Holy
Rosary not merely as a routine, but as a loving conversation that brings us
closer to Jesus. And let us ask Mary to teach us how to say “yes” to God, how
to serve without expecting anything in return, and how to remain faithful even
when our journey becomes difficult.
As
we honor the Blessed Mother today, are we
willing not only to ask Mary to comfort and strengthen us, but also to imitate
her selfless love by becoming instruments of comfort, strength, and hope to
those whom God places in our path—and are we ready to say our own wholehearted
“yes” to God, just as Mary did?—
Marino J.
Dasmarinas
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