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August 15, 2005

The Assumption Lk 1:39-56

Mary set out and traveled 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 Savior for he has looked with favor 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.
Today is the Assumption. Mary was the first after Jesus to be taken to heaven when she died. The visitation is the first part of the reading today. John the Baptist as an unborn child leaped with joy when Mary greeted his mother Elizabeth. John would be the voice crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.

The next part of this reading is known as the Magnificat. Mary echoes the words of the Hebrew Bible, if I remember correctly, Hannah's words. She is filled with joy and accepts the will of God graciously and humbly. Her child holds the fulfillment of God's promise.

The Assumption has been a special day for me. It was seven years ago today that I learned that it might be possible to become a Catholic religious Sister. I had been praying and reading Scripture and felt this was what God was calling me to but at the time thought it might be something that was not possible. The seven years today seem for me more like seven days. God works in many marvelous ways and I am most grateful for all the gifts that I have been given.