Sunday, June 12, 2005
LUKE 1:39-56
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary's Assumption, that Mary did not suffer physical corruption after her death. She was taken body and soul upon her death into heaven. What is the significance of this feast?
In our technological age, we have advanced so much in our scientific knowledge. We have explored the outer space of the galaxies, and the inner space of atoms, electrons, neutrons and so on. We have made so much advances in genetic engineering that we can clone and alter natural offspring. We have made great advances in psychological and human sciences that we can brainwash and make people crazy.
But when it comes to living our lives, our chief need is to find somebody who will inspire us to do what we know we should do, a hero role model. And that is the role of a friend, a spouse, or a parent. As Christians we might add that this is also the role of Mary.
As we look on the life of Mary, the first thing we find in Mary's life is suffering. Mary's suffering began when she was asked to bear a son before being married to Joseph, her fiancé. In other words, she was asked to be an unwed mother. The anxieties in her heart, - Would Joseph still accept her, when he finds out that she's already pregnant? If the public finds out, will she be stoned to death in public?
Later, when she and Joseph took the child Jesus to the Temple. There, the holy man Simeon said of Jesus: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and the rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted." Turning to Mary he said, "And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will pierce your own heart."
Suffering continued in Mary's life when in later years she saw the opposition grow against Jesus.
Finally, her suffering reached its peak when she stood beneath the crucified body of her son on Calvary. Mary bore her suffering with courage and with patience. And that's where she becomes a source of inspiration to us. She inspires us to bear our suffering as courageously and patiently as she did.
This brings us to the second thing that we find in Mary's life. It's the spirit of service to others. The spirit manifested itself when the angel Gabriel announced that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. Her answer was short and to the point: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
Mary's spirit of service continued to manifest itself when she learned of her cousin, Elizabeth's pregnancy and went to help. Finally, that spirit of service continued to manifest itself when Mary asked help from Jesus for the young married couple at Cana. Mary was already there to help at the reception in the first place.
Someone once said, "My life turned around when I stopped asking God to do things for me and asked God what I could do for him." It is this kind of spirit of service in Mary that inspires us to want to try to serve as she did.
This brings us to the third thing that we find in Mary's life. It is a spirit of profound prayerfulness. This spirit of prayerfulness is seen in her prayer of praise to God. Mary offered this prayer called the Magnificat right after learning that Elizabeth's child leaped in the womb when she approached Elizabeth with Jesus in her womb.
Mary's spirit of prayerfulness continued at the birth of Jesus, when the Gospel tells us that Mary "kept all these things [connected with Jesus' birth] reflecting on them in her heart."
And it reached a special peak when the Acts of the Apostles relates that she "devoted" herself "to payer" with the Apostles in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Because of her prayerfulness, she was always ready to do the will of God. That's why she was sinless, that's why she was taken body and soul to heaven upon her death to be with God forever.
Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, "Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God's gift of himself." This is what prayer did for Mary. And this is what it can also do for us.
Mary inspires us to want to carry our cross patiently as she carried hers. She inspires us to want to serve others generously and joyfully, as she served them. Finally, she inspires us to pray regularly as she did.
It is in this regard we can confidently look to Mary as our intercessor. We often ask friends, especially those we believe, who are close to God to pray for us and for our intentions. Jesus himself declared: "…If two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven." (Matt. 18: 19) Mary is the person most pleasing to God, a person who is always ready to help us. Her prayers and intercessions will be most pleasing to God. Who can be a better Advocate than Mary Our Mother?
And if we imitate Mary in these three things, of patiently carrying the cross, of generous service, and of living a life of prayer, then we too will rejoice with her someday in heaven in the presence of the Holy Trinity, as she rejoices there now.
This is the message contained in today's feast.
This is the good news we celebrate together.
This is the invitation that God extends to each one of us in this liturgy.
In our technological age, we have advanced so much in our scientific knowledge. We have explored the outer space of the galaxies, and the inner space of atoms, electrons, neutrons and so on. We have made so much advances in genetic engineering that we can clone and alter natural offspring. We have made great advances in psychological and human sciences that we can brainwash and make people crazy.
But when it comes to living our lives, our chief need is to find somebody who will inspire us to do what we know we should do, a hero role model. And that is the role of a friend, a spouse, or a parent. As Christians we might add that this is also the role of Mary.
As we look on the life of Mary, the first thing we find in Mary's life is suffering. Mary's suffering began when she was asked to bear a son before being married to Joseph, her fiancé. In other words, she was asked to be an unwed mother. The anxieties in her heart, - Would Joseph still accept her, when he finds out that she's already pregnant? If the public finds out, will she be stoned to death in public?
Later, when she and Joseph took the child Jesus to the Temple. There, the holy man Simeon said of Jesus: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and the rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted." Turning to Mary he said, "And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will pierce your own heart."
Suffering continued in Mary's life when in later years she saw the opposition grow against Jesus.
Finally, her suffering reached its peak when she stood beneath the crucified body of her son on Calvary. Mary bore her suffering with courage and with patience. And that's where she becomes a source of inspiration to us. She inspires us to bear our suffering as courageously and patiently as she did.
This brings us to the second thing that we find in Mary's life. It's the spirit of service to others. The spirit manifested itself when the angel Gabriel announced that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. Her answer was short and to the point: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
Mary's spirit of service continued to manifest itself when she learned of her cousin, Elizabeth's pregnancy and went to help. Finally, that spirit of service continued to manifest itself when Mary asked help from Jesus for the young married couple at Cana. Mary was already there to help at the reception in the first place.
Someone once said, "My life turned around when I stopped asking God to do things for me and asked God what I could do for him." It is this kind of spirit of service in Mary that inspires us to want to try to serve as she did.
This brings us to the third thing that we find in Mary's life. It is a spirit of profound prayerfulness. This spirit of prayerfulness is seen in her prayer of praise to God. Mary offered this prayer called the Magnificat right after learning that Elizabeth's child leaped in the womb when she approached Elizabeth with Jesus in her womb.
Mary's spirit of prayerfulness continued at the birth of Jesus, when the Gospel tells us that Mary "kept all these things [connected with Jesus' birth] reflecting on them in her heart."
And it reached a special peak when the Acts of the Apostles relates that she "devoted" herself "to payer" with the Apostles in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Because of her prayerfulness, she was always ready to do the will of God. That's why she was sinless, that's why she was taken body and soul to heaven upon her death to be with God forever.
Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, "Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God's gift of himself." This is what prayer did for Mary. And this is what it can also do for us.
Mary inspires us to want to carry our cross patiently as she carried hers. She inspires us to want to serve others generously and joyfully, as she served them. Finally, she inspires us to pray regularly as she did.
It is in this regard we can confidently look to Mary as our intercessor. We often ask friends, especially those we believe, who are close to God to pray for us and for our intentions. Jesus himself declared: "…If two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven." (Matt. 18: 19) Mary is the person most pleasing to God, a person who is always ready to help us. Her prayers and intercessions will be most pleasing to God. Who can be a better Advocate than Mary Our Mother?
And if we imitate Mary in these three things, of patiently carrying the cross, of generous service, and of living a life of prayer, then we too will rejoice with her someday in heaven in the presence of the Holy Trinity, as she rejoices there now.
This is the message contained in today's feast.
This is the good news we celebrate together.
This is the invitation that God extends to each one of us in this liturgy.
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 5:03 PM 
