COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY EVER-LIVING GOD, WHO ASSUMED THE IMMACULATE VIRGIN MARY, THE MOTHER OF YOUR SON, BODY AND SOUL INTO HEAVENLY GLORY, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT, ALWAYS ATTENTIVE TO THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE, WE MAY MERIT TO BE SHARERS OF HER GLORY. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Rev 11:19a;12:1-6a,10ab; Ps 44:10-12,16; 1Cor 15:20-27; Lk 1:39-56
“SATAN, YOU ARE EXPOSED, AND ALL YOUR EVILS AND WICKEDNESS CONQUERED”.
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates God’s victory over the evils of sin and death. It is a dogma in the Catholic Church, tracing its origin as far back as the 5th or 6th century. This dogma teaches that when the Blessed Virgin Mary died, she was taken body and soul to heaven. According to the general assertion of the Doctors and holy Fathers of the Church, during the Papacy of Pius XII in the year 451 at the Council of Chalcedon, Mary died from no infirmity, but from pure love. “We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (DS 3903).
The scriptures we reflect on this holy day of Mother Church have a lot to teach us as we are still on pilgrimage in this life toward our heavenly homeland. John, in his vision, sees a conflict between God and Satan, the Prince of this world. This vision of John, in a sense, reveals to us the source of sin, evil, persecutions, sufferings and so forth in the world. A great struggle or battle begins between the forces of God (Goodness) and the forces of Satan (Evil), because Satan and his evils, sins and wickedness are exposed and will be defeated.
The woman John sees in his vision represents Mary and may be God’s faithful people who have been waiting for the Messiah to save them. In Mary’s case, she is the ‘house’ or the ‘Temple’ or the ‘Tabernacle’ of the Lord on earth as she carries the Baby Jesus in her womb. She provides shelter for the infant Jesus as well as struggles to protect him and save his life. The crown of 12 stars represents the 12 tribes of Israel. The son to be born is Jesus the Messiah and Saviour. Evil King Herod, at the time that Jesus was born, tried to kill him since he saw Jesus as a threat to his throne and reign. Herod, of course, was motivated by Satan to kill the child Jesus. However, Herod’s hidden evil and wicked intentions were revealed and exposed by God through his Angel.
The huge red dragon represents Satan and his overwhelming ugliness. His 7 heads, 10 horns and 7 crowns represent the powers and kingdoms of this world over which Satan rules. The third of the stars that are hurled down to earth represent the fallen angels that have become Satan and his demons. The wilderness represents a spiritual refuge and protection from Satan and his demons. Satan will always attack God’s people, but God will always offer and provide both physical and spiritual security and protection for his true disciples. Firm faith in the Lord will supply that.
SOME IMPLIED SYMBOLISM OF THE TWO SIGNS THAT APPEARED IN THE SKY (Rev. 12:1ff).
1) “….a woman clothed with the sun,.. moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with a child…..”. (Rev 12:1-2). This symbolises: godliness, goodness, honesty, truthfulness, faithfulness, justice, mercy, love, humility, forgiveness, integrity, patience, tolerance, endurance, perseverance, and all the Christian virtues and values. Anyone who falls within these Christian virtues/values could be described as a “WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN”.
2) “….a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems…the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth to a son, to devour her child she gave birth” (Rev 12:3-4). This symbolises: evil, wickedness, tyranny, jealousy and envy, dishonesty and lies, injustice, discrimination, hatred, anger, hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, impatience, destruction, backbiting, deformation of character, revilement, bribery and corruption and all the vices in the world. Anyone who falls within these vices could be described as a “HUGE RED DRAGON”.
By our baptism and confirmation, we are the Temples, Houses and Tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. We are to allow the Holy Spirit in us to lead, direct, guard and guide us to do good deeds and actions in the world. Satan, of course, will also always be scheming to destroy our efforts to do good. On our own, Satan will conquer us, but with God he will be defeated and frustrated. As we celebrate this great Marian Feast, let us always have recourse to Her to intercede for us at the feet of her Son. Happy Assumption Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, MONDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “HAVING RECEIVED THE SACRAMENT OF SALVATION, WE ASK YOU TO GRANT, O LORD, THAT, THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, WHOM YOU ASSUMED INTO HEAVEN, WE MAY BE BROUGHT TO THE GLORY OF THE RESURRECTION. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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