Reflection on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today’s earthly triumph of our heavenly Mother Mary from the mortal finiteness of our corporal world, runs parallel to the victory of our Lord the Christ over the corruption of humanity manifested in its unbridled pride and avarice. Hence, it is only fitting that we remember her not only as the tender motherly caregiver who nourishes our personal hopes and dreams, but also as the unyielding matriarchal caretaker of the justice and harmony of our social structures.
From the tireless and bruised hands of a mother, we are nurtured with the bread and milk that will fortify us towards our successful becoming. From the tranquil yet mesmerizing voice of a mother, we are soothed to a daily introspection by her words and lullabies of wisdom, evoking the need for a constant and prayerful contemplation of our errors and faults, most especially those actions that may potentially lead us to evil. With her stern yet gentle countenance, she becomes our lifetime dialogue-partner, our eternal listening companion who ultimately strengthens us with the virtues of humility, patience, obedience and compassion.
On the other hand, is it not true that every mother is prepared to fight and die just to protect her children? In the same intensity with which she pours unceasing kindness for her offspring, she can wield an unrelenting and zealous defense of her brood when confronted with the conditions of an unjust oppression. In the same intensity with which she chooses to remain a loving and passive witness to the growth of her children, she can become an active and feisty amazon when they are threatened with an undeserving death. Our contemporary Marian spirituality may have missed this other important facet of our holy Mother, who we may reasonably speculate to have been the human source and a primary cause of the prophetic mission her Son will eventually carry out for the underprivileged and marginalized of their time.
In her Spirit-filled canticle to Elizabeth, she heralds the Lord’s “mercy on those who fear him in every generation,” and the Lord’s “strength” against the “proud in their conceit,” the “mighty who will be cast down from their thrones,” and the “rich who will be sent away empty.” She further declares that the Lord will “lift up the lowly,” and will “fill up the hungry with good things.” It is interesting to imagine how much she may have been emotionally moved years later, when her Son similarly declared in the synagogue at Nazareth from the book of Isaiah, that the “Spirit of the Lord is upon him,” that he has been “anointed to preach this good news to the poor,” and sent to “proclaim liberty to those who are oppressed” by “recovering and giving back sight to the blind.” Mary is indeed the mother of prophets, the mother of all who dare to challenge us with the painful lesson of simple sharing.
On this glorious occasion, we share a relatively obscure devotion given to us by the martyr Saint Maximilian Kolbe (whose feast-day is on August 14), the Immaculata prayer of self-consecration, beseeching the Mother of Prophets to help us become worthy in our commitment to serve the kingdom of God:
O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you.
I, a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.
If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world.” Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against your enemies.
Amen.
Brother Jess Matias is a professed brother of the Secular Franciscan Order. He serves as minister of the St. Pio of Pietrelcina Fraternity at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Mandaluyong City, coordinator of the Padre Pio Prayer Groups of the Capuchins in the Philippines and prison counselor and catechist for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of LiCAS.news.
