She Said Yes & Heaven Embraced Her
Friday is a Holy Day – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On August 15, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when she was taken up body and soul to heaven, sharing in her son’s victory over death and resurrection.
We can marvel at the joys and sorrows of her entire life – the Immaculate Conception, the presentation of Mary by Saints Anne and Joachim in the temple, her fiat-YES to God, faithful from the moment of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, escape to Egypt, life in Nazareth, the foot of the Cross, Pentecost, her first holy communion.
Today, as we prepare to honor of the Solemnity of the Assumption:
• REFLECT on how we can be a good example for others, inspiring their spiritual journey and supporting strong virtues like our Blessed Mother.
• SHARE the respect, joy, and love of Mary for all to see; and not hesitate to ask her to intercede for us.
• CONTEMPLATE what God is asking us to do and then find the courage to say, “Yes” to do God’s will.
• MINDFULLY CARE for others in our neighborhood, nearby nursing homes, or parish community, like Mary cared for Elizabeth for three months.
• BE CONFIDENT in our prayers just as Mary was when she called upon her Son at the Wedding Feast at Cana.
Let our faith reflect our trust in the Lord so that upon our death we see Mary at the gates of Heaven, lovingly welcoming us into the arms of Jesus in paradise.
The bible does not give us an exact account of this glorious moment. We can only imagine that perhaps at her last breath on earth she was taken into the arms of angels as the heavens opened and the most luminous light came down to kiss the earth, welcoming Mary to her eternal home in paradise with her son our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Assumption is one of the most important Marian feast days in the Catholic Church.
The painting featured with this article is by the Catholic Creative based out of Charlotte, NC, and available at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCatholicCreative.
