My Soul magnifies the Lord
Introduction
Today we rejoice for one of us who has reached her destination. It is Mary’s great feast, the feast of her Easter, Our Lady’s Assumption. On earth she went the way of Jesus, she lived the beatitudes wholeheartedly, and now she shares in Jesus’ glory. The Assumption is for us a sign of hope. It reminds us that we too are called to share with her in Jesus’ victory if we are willing to share with her in the humble faith and service of the poor and the lowly in the kingdom of God. Let us celebrate!
First Reading: Mary Sums Up the Church
Christ is victorious over evil and is taken up into heaven. The woman of our text is the Church, but as Mary was eminently all that the Church is called to be, the liturgy applies the text to her. She is victorious with her Son.
1 Reading Revelations 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she laboured to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One.”
Responsorial Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16
R. (10bc) The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
The daughters of kings are those whom you favour
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father’s house.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Second Reading: Christ, Cause and Firstfruits of the Resurrection
Christ overcame death by his resurrection. He was the first to rise from the dead, but we shall follow him and rise because of him. This is why Mary, who shared in his life, his mission and suffering, could follow him in heaven, even bodily.
2 Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Mary is taken up to heaven;
a chorus of angels exults.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: God Exalts the Humble
Mary fully responds in humility and service to the plans of God. She recognizes that her greatness comes from God. It is God who exalts her and who will lift her up into heaven at her assumption. She sums up a humble and serving Church.
Gospel Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out
and travelled 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 Saviour
for he has looked with favour 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.
Commentary
Mary’s actuality is our possibility. She is a living testament of our resurrectional possibilities. If the Mighty One has done great things for her, He would do similar great things for us as well. As Mary’s Magnificat declares, it is a gift done to her in generosity, and received in gratitude. Despite her heroic virtues and lofty status among men and women, Mary does not rise up by herself; she is raised by the power of God. It is all God’s doing. So will it be in our case. We will be raised by God. We can only receive this blessing in utmost gratitude and humility. It is no surprise that little John in the womb of Elizabeth could not contain his joy at the sound of Mary’s voice: here is one who is the walking evidence of what God would achieve in the world! Mary gave hope to Elizabeth; Mary gave reason for little John to be born and live a life of great austerity and sacrifice. Mary gives us reason to bear with the imperfections of this life and rest assured in the promises of the perfection that awaits us. Hail Mary! You are indeed full of Grace!
Remember, Elizabeth composed the first part of the Hail Mary. Pray the Rosary always and invite the Blessed Virgin to your life.
Blessing
What Mary was on earth,
we the Church are called to be:
believing in God’s ways and guidance
even without knowing what the future will bring,
open to one another’s needs,
serving with all that is in us.
May God give you this strength and bless you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in peace
to love and serve God in humanity. R/ Thanks be to God.