The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First reading – Apocalypse 11:19,12:1-6,10
“The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready”. We are celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, The commemoration of the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Dormition, or falling asleep, as it was known in the East) is known as the Assumption because of the tradition that her body did not decay but that she was raised up, body and soul, into heaven. It’s a feast because Mother Mary is our forerunner and with her, we all have a space in heaven. In the First reading we can see the figure of Mother Mary who gave birth to the child who was to rule all the nations and sitting in the throne. But the woman escaped into the desert where God had made a place of safety. This is the point of our reflection: she is in the desert, place of isolation and sufferings. But she has a safe place. She is together with us in the desert of our isolation and suffering. When we are with her, at the same time we are in a safe place because God had made a place of safety for her. So being with Mother Mary is being in a safe place albeit the loneliness and suffering of the desert. Let’s reflect: am I together with Mother Mary in the safe place prepared by God in the midst of the my desert?
Tuesday 15 August
