In the Virgin Mary, all Christendom has a powerful lawyer and a magnificent model
Each year the Church celebrates the feast of the Glorification or Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother.
“Finally, the Immaculate Virgin, preserved immune to every stain of original guilt, finished the course of earthly life, was assumed in body and soul to heavenly glory” (LG 59).
Dogma
On November 1, 1950, the late Pope Pius XII declared the dogma of the Assumption of Mary our mother.
The glory of Mary comes from her definitive “yes” to God’s plan. She did the opposite of Eve: she does not want to be autonomous before the Creator. She fully accepts what God proposes to her in regard to the salvation of all mankind.
In the Gospel (cf. Lk 1: 39-56) we have Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth.
On this occasion, Mary pronounces her hymn (Magnificat), which is a joyful concert of God, the meeting point of biblical revelation. Mary is the first Christian in the history of humanity, for she accepts God in her totality.
“Blessed are you among women”
As Christians, who wish to follow Christ in truth, we can not forget the importance of devotion to Our Lady and the essential elements of the intercession of this woman who is full of grace. All devotion to Mary began with her acceptance of being the mother of the Messiah. She herself was greeted by the angel Gabriel as being “full of grace,” this means that Mary, throughout her entire existence, was free from the original guilt that all human beings inherited due to selfishness.
God loves all human beings, we are privileged in the love that God has for us. Mary entered directly into the plan of love of God for each human person, accepting to be the mother of Jesus. All Jewish women would like to be the mother of the Messiah, the One expected for centuries by the people of Israel.
Maria was already promised to Joseph that she would be her rightful husband. It was to this simple girl that the angel appeared and offered the noblest proposal that a woman could receive in this life. The redemption of humanity would only be possible, with the coming of God himself, to restore to man the essential elements of his existence.
Mary conceived by the action of the Holy Spirit. For God everything is possible, because our existence is already a great miracle inexplicable, by the purely human eye. By the YES of Mary, we receive from God a new chance to be glorified in Christ.
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to thy word”
In the midst of the mystery, Mary throws herself next to God; she wants to do His will; even though she knew she would have to give up many things, including the risk of being considered an adulteress. All Christians are called to holiness. To be holy is to say “yes” to God’s plan, even if it costs us dearly. Faith means being available to God’s will.
Mary, being full of grace, can help us and intercede for us. She can help us in the way of responding to God’s plan. Mary is the mother of God and our mother was given to us by Jesus Himself when He gave His life for us all (cf. Jn 19:27).
The Church defined four truths of faith about Mary: The Council of Ephesus (431), Maternity; the Lateran Council (649), Virginity; Pius IX, ex cathedra, 8 December 1854, the Immaculate Conception; Pius XII, November 1, 1950, the Assumption to Heaven.
Mary continues to intercede for us, She helps us to follow her son Jesus Christ. The true devotee of Mary will never be lost in the mistakes demanded by relativism reigning in society. The great lesson that remains of Mary is to live in humility what God wants from us. Today, we want to do our will and for this we lose ourselves by becoming sad, aimless people.
Pray the rosary
We must always pray for the Holy Rosary that Mary has recommended to us in many apparitions, so that we can improve our sense of the concrete love that God has for each human being.
All of us were created according to the image of God (cf. Gn 1:26). Mary Most Holy is the only person who has ever overshadowed this image. She has been preserved from all the false freedom that the world preaches, She is the intact work of the Holy Trinity, She has always been able to respond to Love with love.
In Our Lady of the Assumption, all Christendom has a powerful Advocate and a magnificent model. From her we learn that we will only be happy doing the will of God in our lives.
Mary, being full of grace, can help us, intercede for us on the path of response to God’s plan. For this reason, She is the model of all consecrated persons who seek to offer their lives, their “yes” to God for their brothers. Let us pray for them so that they may live more and more intensely with their dedication, following Mary’s example.
I close this little reflection with this prayer:
“O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and Mother of humanity! With all the fervor of our faith we believe in your triumphant Assumption in body and soul to heaven where you are acclaimed Queen of all the angelic choirs and of the whole assembly of the saints! To them we unite to praise and bless the Lord who exalted you above all simple creatures, and to offer you the fervor of our devotion and our love. Fill your heart with blissful tenderness, and your soul of joy as you contemplate the adorable Trinity face to face! We, poor sinners, whose body weighs down and hinders the flight of the soul, we beseech you to purify our senses so that we learn, from this world, to savor God, God alone, in the happiness of creatures. We who invoke you as our Mother, we take you, like John, for the guidance, strength and consolation of our mortal life. ”
(Pius XII, Prayers, 57)
By Friar Giribone – Founder of the Missionary Work of the Virgen do Carmo Peregrina