Thought for the Day – 31 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Pray for Us … at the Hour of Our Death”
“Our divine Redeemer, although He was God and did not except Himself from the law of death. It was appropriate, therefore, that His divine Mother should have been no exception either. But Mary had shared in the torments of her Son’s death upon Calvary and so obtained from Him, the privilege of a death so sweet and gentle, as hardly to justify the name at all. Her soul was separated from her body as if in an ecstasy of love and was united even more indissolubly with God. She did not die of a natural disease but, out of love for God. She had always loved God with all the ardour of the noblest of creatures and her life ended in a final outpouring of love. It was the climax of a continuous ascent towards God.
Death should be like this for us too. It can be like this if we follow her example, especially in the boundlessness of her love for God.
O Mary, my tender Mother, be at my side throughout my life but especially at the hour of death. Shelter me beneath your maternal mantle and never let me be far apart from you. Grant that I may have a calm and peaceful death like yours, a death made easy by a great love for Jesus and for you, as well as by the reception of the Holy Sacraments and by your special blessing, amen.”
Thought for the Day – 15 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven
“The fourth Book of Kings tells us, that the prophet Elias was brought up into Heaven in a fiery chariot without having first endured the pains and humiliations of death (Cf 4 Kings 2:11). Why did God not do likewise in the case of the Blessed Virgin, commanding His Angels to bear her to Heaven before death struck her innocent body? As St Paul says, it was sin which caused death to enter the world. From the moment of her conception, Mary was free from the slightest taint of sin, for she was immaculate and full of grace. Nevertheless, according to the most widely held tradition, Mary chose to die, even as her divine Son had willed to die. Jesus “was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7). The same is true in Mary’s case, with only this difference. Jesus died a cruel death after the most hideous tortures in the midst of a blaspheming and hate-ridden mob. Nothing like this happened to Mary, although she is called the Queen of Martyrs because of the sword which pierced her soul at the sight of her divine Son, dying in such agony.
Jesus willed, however, that the immaculate body of His Mother would remain intact. It was only her great love and intense desire of being reunited with her Son, which gradually consumed her mortal life. Her ever-incresing love for God, broke the bonds of her mortal frame until she went to sleep at last, in the Lord.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
“How can death devour this truly blessed woman, who gave birth to the Whole Person of the Word of God, through union with God? How can hell receive her? When Christ, who is the way and the truth, said “Where I am, there will my servant be also, .” why would there not be a dwelling for His own Mother with Him, with an even greater justification? It is well said, that precious in the sight of the Lord God of Hosts, is the death of his saints – but even more precious, is the passing of the Mother of God from this life..”
St John Damascene (675-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
One Minute Reflection – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Readings: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10,; Psalm 45: 10-12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56
“For behold, henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed.” – Luke 1:48
REFLECTION – “If Saint Mary Magdalene – who had been a sinner and from whom the Lord had cast out seven demons – merited to be glorified by him to the extent that her praise abides forever among the assembly of the saints, who can measure the extent to which “the upright rejoice and dance for joy in the presence of the Lord” with regard to holy Mary, who knew not man? … If the Apostle Peter, – who was not only unable to watch for one hour with Christ but, who even went so far as to deny him, – afterwards won such favour that the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were entrusted to him, of what praises is holy Mary not worthy, who bore the King of Angels Himself in her womb, He Whom the Heavens cannot contain? If Saul, who “breathed murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord” … was the object of such mercy … that he was “caught up to the third heaven, whether in the body or out of the body,” it is not surprising, that the holy Mother of God – who stayed beside her Son through all the trials He endured, from His cradle onwards – should have been lifted up to Heaven, even in her body and exalted high above the Choirs of Angels.
If there is “joy in heaven before the angels over one sinner who repents”, who can tell what joyful and lovely praises rise up before God, concerning Holy Mary who never sinned? … Indeed, if those who “once were darkness” and have now become “light in the Lord” “will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” who is able to tell “the eternal weight of glory” of Holy Mary, who came into the world “like dawn arising, beautiful as the moon, resplendent as the sun” and of whom was born “the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world?” Moreover, since our Lord said: “Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am, there will my servant also be,” where do we think His Mother must be, who served Him with such eagerness and fidelity? If she followed Him and obeyed Him, even to death, no-one can wonder, that now, more than anyone else, she “follows the Lamb wherever he goes.” – St Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) – Cistercian Monk – 2nd sermon for the Assumption, from the Durham collection. (Biblical references : Lk 8:2; Ps 149[148]:1; Ps 68[67]:4; Lk 1:34; Mt 26:40.70; Mt 16:19; Acts 9:1; 2 Cor 12:2; Lk 22:28; Lk 15:7; Eph 5:8; Mt 13:43; 2 Cor 4:17; Sg 6:9; Jn 1:9; Jn 12:26; Rv 14:4)
PRAYER – God our Father, You crowned the Blessed Virgin Mary on the day of her Assumption with a glory beyond compare. You had looked on her lowliness and had made her the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, Your only-begotten Son. Grant that by her prayers, we may be saved by the mystery of Your redemption and share with her in the glory of eternal life. We make our prayer through Christ Your Son, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 15 August – The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Prayer in Honour of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Venerable Pope Pius XII (1876-1958)
O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of men, we believe with all the fervour of our faith, in thy triumphal Assumption, both body and soul, into Heaven, where thou art acclaimed as Queen by all the Choirs of Angels and all the legions of the Saints. And we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord, who has exalted thee above all other pure creatures and to offer thee the tribute of our devotion and our love. Amen
Fra Angelico, The Death and the Assumption of the Virgin, c1432. This work combines the ancient iconography of the Dormition–showing the Virgin’s body surrounded by the Apostles, while Christ receives her soul, shown as a baby because she is reborn into Heaven–with the evolving imagery of the Assumption.
The Feast celebrates the Assumption of the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven upon her death. According to Pope Benedict XIV, it is a probable opinion, which it is impious to deny, though not an article of faith but has since in 1950 has been raised to a DOGMA of the Faith. The origin of the Feast day is not known but it was celebrated in Palestine before the year 500. It is a holy day of obligation, it’s Vigil being a fast day, in many English-speaking countries. In 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed Mary’s Assumption a Catholic Dogma: “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” (Munificentissimus Deus). He did not specify whether she died first – Catholic Doctrine leaves that open. St Epiphanius of Salamis (Cyprus, died 403) had written, “No-one knows how her life ended.” But the Assumption of Mary is a nexus of Catholic faith in God’s power to resurrect the body and unite it with the soul in everlasting life. Among the many masters who have painted the subject of the Assumption are Fra Angelico, Ghirlandaio, Rubens, Del Sarto and Titian. Patronages – Acadians, Cajuns, Cistercian Order, Cistercians, fish dealers, fish-mongers, French air crews, harness makers, France, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Malta, Paraguay, Slovakia, east Africa (region of east Africa which includes diverse countries, proclaimed on 15 March 1952 by Pope Pius XII) South Africa (this is not a region but a country) and the Assumption is, therefore, the Patronal Feast of the Country of South Africa – proclaimed on 15 March 1952 by Pope Pius XII), 24 dioceses, 38 cities.
Blessed Alfred of Hildesheim OSB (Died 874) Bishop, Benedictine Monk, Confessor, Founder of Essen Abbey, Hildesheim Cathedral, many Convents, Schools and Seminaries, Royal Spiritual Adviser to the East Frankish King Louis the German, Diplomatic Peacemaker, he was know for his great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His Lifestory: https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/15/saint-of-the-day-15-august-blessed-alfred-of-hildesheim-osb-died-874-bishop/
Bl Agustín Hurtado Soler St Arduinus of Rimini Bl Claudio Granzotto Bl George Halley
St Simplician (c 320-c 401) Archbishop of Milan and Successor of St Ambrose (340-397) Doctor of the Church in the Archdiocese of Milan, Teacher, Catechist, Writer, Mystic. St Ambrose used to call Simplician father, as a sign of spiritual relationship but they were also great friends. Simplician took also an active part in the conversions of both Alypius of Thagaste and Augustine of Hippo. The meeting between Augustine and Simplican occurred in Milan in 386 and it is recorded in Augustine’s Confessions. After his conversion, Augustine also called Simplician father and in 397 he dedicated to Simplician two books on the issue of predestination, known as De Diversis Quaestionibus ad Simplicianum. St Augustine, remembered and referred to him with deep gratitude, calling him the “spiritual father of my soul” and would submit his own writings to him to review and comment. Details of the life of St Simplician here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/saint-of-the-day-15-august-st-simplician-of-milan/
St Stanislaus Kostka SJ (1550-1568) Polish Jesuit Novice. On the evening of the Feast of Saint Lawrence (10 August), Stanislaus felt a mortal weakness, magnified by a high fever and clearly saw, that his last hour had come. He wrote a letter to the Blessed Virgin begging her to call him to the skies, there to celebrate with her, the glorious Anniversary of her Assumption (15 August). His confidence in the Blessed Virgin, which had already brought him many favours, was this time again rewarded – on 15 August 1568, towards 4:00 in the morning, while he prayed to God, to the Saints and to the Virgin Mary, he died. Many in the City proclaimed him a saint and people hastened from all parts to venerate his remains and to obtain, if possible, arelic. St Stanislaus was Beatified on 19 October 1605 by Pope Paul V and Canonised on 31 December 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. https://anastpaul.com/2017/11/13/saint-of-the-day-13-november-st-stanislaus-kostka-sj-1550-1568/
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: Three Christians martyred together. No details survive but the names – Eutychian, Philip and Straton. They were martyred in Nicomedia, Bithynia (in modern Turkey).
Martyred in the Mexican Revolution: 4 Saints – St David Roldán Lara St Luis Batiz Sainz St Manuel Moralez St Salvador Lara Puente
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War from 1934 to 1939. • Blessed Agustì Ibarra Angüela • Blessed Carmelo Sastre y Sastre • Blessed Clemente Vea Balaguer • Blessed Francisco Míguez Fernández • Blessed Ildefonso Alberto Flos • Blessed Jaume Bonet Nadal • Blessed Joan Ceró Cedó • Blessed Josep Santonja Pinsach • Blessed Juan Francisco Barahona Martín • Blessed Juan Mesonero Huerta • Blessed Luis Ros Ezcurra • Blessed Manuel Formigo Giráldez • Blessed Miguel Alberto Flos • Blessed Sebastià Balcells Tonijuan • Blessed Severiano Montes Fernández
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen
Day 9: O Blessed Mother Assumed into Heaven, after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, we rejoice that thou hast at last been taken to the throne prepared for thee in Heaven by the Holy Trinity. Lift our hearts with thee in the glory of thy Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach us how small earth becomes when viewed from Heaven. Make us realise, that death is the triumphant gate through which we shall pass to thy Son and that someday, our bodies shall rejoin our souls in the unending bliss of Heaven. From this earth, which we tread as pilgrims, we look to thee for hope and help. In honour of thy Assumption into Heaven, we ask for this favour: ……………………………….. (Mention your request) At the hour of our death, lead us safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of God for all eternity together with thee. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen
The Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 14 August:
Mention is made of this vigil, with fasting, by Pope Nicolas I, who was the Pope in the year 858. It is recorded that on this day, Angels were heard, near the City of Soissons, singing this anthem:
“Felix namque es, sacra Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignissima, quia ex te ortus est Sol justitiae, Christus Deus noster.”
Vigils were kept on the evening before each feast day from the earliest days of the Church. On that evening all of the faithful would gather together to prepare themselves for the feast they were about to celebrate. This might also include listening to readings from the Scriptures and a sermon on the topic by a Priest. Mass would then be celebrated on the feast day and the fast would be broken. It is said that both Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome practiced and fully supported, the idea of the vigil. The Vigil of the Assumption would have been one of the Church’s most important vigils.
“Of the glory and felicity of the Saints in the beatific vision Saint Paul says with Isaias (I Cor. 2,9; Is. 64, 4), that neither have mortal eyes seen, nor ears heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him and who hope in Him. In accordance with this Catholic truth, we should not wonder at what is related of Saint Augustine, the great light of the Church, that, in setting out to write a book on the glory of the blessed, he was visited by his friend, Saint Jerome, who had just died and entered into the glory of the Lord and was admonished by his visitor, that he would not be able to compass his design; since no tongue or pen of man could describe the least part of the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in the Beatific Vision. Such is the testimony of Saint Jerome; and if through holy Scriptures we had no other information than that this glory is eternal, it would be beyond all our comprehension. For, however much of our intellect may expand, it will never comprehend eternity and ,as this is infinite and boundless, it is inexhaustible and incomprehensible, how much soever it may be known and loved. Just as God, the Infinite and the Almighty, created all things, without being thereby exhausted and even if He had created endless worlds ever anew, would remain still infinite and immutable; so also, although seen and enjoyed by countless Saints, He will remain an infinite source of new knowledge and love; for in creation and in glory, all creatures participate in Him only to a limited extent, each according to its condition, while He, in Himself, is without limitation or end.
If on this account the glory even of the least of the Saints is ineffable, what shall we say of the glory of the most Blessed Mary, since among the Saints she is the most holy and she by Herself is more like to her Son than all the Saints together, and since her grace and glory, exceed those of all the rest, as those of an Empress or Sovereign over her vassals?” – From the writings of Abbot Giovanni Battista Orsini (c 1450-1503) (the 39th Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller from 1467 to 1476).
St Athanasia of Timia St Callistus of Todi St Demetrius of Africa St Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia St Eberhard of Einsiedeln St Eusebius of Palestine
St Eusebius of Rome (Died 357) Priest, Confessor. “At Rome, the birthday of the blessed Priest Eusebius, who for the defence of the Catholic Faith, was shut up in a room of his own house by the Arian Emperor, Constantius, where constantly persevering in prayer for seven months, he rested in peace. His body was removed by the Priests, Gregory and Orosius and buried in the cemetery of Cllistus on the Appian Way.” – Roman Martyrology. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/08/14/saint-of-the-day-14-august-saint-eusebius-of-rome-died-357-priest-confessor/
St Fachanan of Ross St Francisco Shoyemon Bl Juliana Puricelli St Marcellus of Apamea Bl Sanctes Brancasino St Ursicius of Nicomedia St Werenfridus OSB (Died c 780) Priest, Monk, Missionary __
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: 11 Beati • Blessed Ángel de la Red Pérez • Blessed Antonio María Martín Povea • Blessed Basilio González Herrero • Blessed Ezequiél Prieto Otero • Blessed Joaquín Frade Eiras • Blessed Jocund Bonet Mercadé • Blessed José García Librán • Blessed Ricardo Atanes Castro • Blessed Segundo Pérez Arias • Blessed Vicente Rubiols Castelló
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen
Day 8: Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, we rejoice that thou art the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Thou hast given thy holy fiat to God and thou art the Mother of our Saviour. Obtain peace and salvation for us through thy prayers, for thou have given birth to Christ our Lord, the Saviour of all mankind. Intercede for us and bring our petitions before the Throne of God. ………………………………. (Mention your request) Through thy prayers, may our souls be filled with an intense desire to be like thee a humble vessel of the Holy Spirit and a servant of the Almighty God. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen
Day 7: Mary, Queen of every heart, accept all that we are and bind us to Jesus and to thyself, with the bonds of love, so that we may be thine forever and may be able to say in all truth: “I belong to Jesus through Mary.” Our Mother, Assumed into Heaven and Queen of the Universe, ever-Virgin Mother of God, obtain for us our petitions, if it be for the glory of God and the good of our souls. ……………………………….. (Mention your request) Our Mother, assumed into Heaven, we love thee. Give us a greater love for Jesus and for thee. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen
Day 6: Mary, our dear Mother and mighty Queen, take and receive our poor hearts with all their desires, all the love and all the virtues and graces with which they may be adorned. All we are and all we might be, all we have and hold in the order of nature as well as of grace, we have received from God, through thy loving intercession. Help us dear Mother, to surrender to God, all that we have, including our petitions. ………………………………… (Mention your request) Our Lady and Queen, into thy gentle hands, we entrust all, that it may be returned to its noble origin. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen.
Day 5: O merciful and loving Mother, may thy glorious beauty fill our hearts with a distaste for earthly things and an ardent longing for the joys of Heaven. May thy merciful eyes glance down upon our struggles and our weakness in this vale of tears. Hear then loving Mother, our request and plead to Jesus for us. ……………………………….. (Mention your request) Crown us with the pure robe of innocence and grace here and with immortality and glory in Heaven. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen.
Day 4: O Dearest Mother Mary, Assumed into Heaven, God placed thee at His right hand that thou may intercede for his little ones as the Mother of God. In the midst of all the saints thy stand as their Queen and ours — dearer to the Heart of God than any of creation. Pray for thy children and grant us every grace won by our loving Saviour on the Cross. Please intercede for us in our needs and ask thy divine Son Jesus to grant our request if it be for the good of our souls. ……………………………….. (Mention your request) O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen.
Day 3: O Mother, Assumed into Heaven because thou shared in all the mysteries of our Redemption here below, Jesus has crowned thee with glory. With thy most glorious and powerful intercession, help us O loving Mother and present to Jesus our request. ………………………………… (Mention your request) O Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen.
Day 2: Mary, Assumed into Heaven, we venerate thee as the Queen of Heaven and earth. As thou tasted the bitterness of pain and sorrow with thy Son on earth, thou now enjoy eternal bliss with Him in Heaven. Loving Queen, we beg thy intercession, do not despise our petitions, for we trust in thy power with God …………………………………. (Mention your request) We praise and bless Our Lord Jesus for giving us such a loving Mother. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Amen
As we prepare for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we ask her to intercede for all our needs. After her humble and hidden life on this earth, Our Lady had a greater role after the death of Our Lord as Queen and Mother of the Catholic Church. She underwent all kinds of suffering, anguish and humiliations on earth. It is fitting that Our Lord glorified her through her Assumption. Our world and in particular, South Africa under the Patronage of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, is at a very serious crossroads, with crises and difficulties on many fronts… Let us share this Novena that many may solemnly pray, begging the merciful intercession of Our Lady on her Country and on our world
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou has destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life, for body and soul. Thou granted Thy Mother a special place in Thy glory and did not allow decay to touch her body. As we rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant us renewed confidence in the victory of life over death. Amen.
DAY 1 Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, we believe in thy triumphant Assumption into Heaven where the Angels and Saints acclaim thee as Queen of Heaven and earth. We join them in praising thee and bless the Lord . Who raised thee above all creatures. With them we honour thee. We are confident that thou do watch over our daily lives and we ask that thou shall intercede for us now in this, our special need, ……………………………. (Mention your request) We are comforted by our faith in the coming resurrection and we look to thee for thy help, prayers and comfort. After this earthly life, show unto us, the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O kind, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. O Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.
Thought for the Day – 28 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” “Mary, Mother of God”
“The near-infinite greatness of Mary, flows from the fact, that she is the Mother of God. The Eternal Word of the Father, consubstantial with Him in nature and equal to Him in majesty, willed to become man in order to set us free from the slavery of sin and to regain Heaven for us. He became man in the chaste womb of the Virgin Mary. He took a human body and soul and was born of her, as the God-Man. For this reason, there is attributed to His Divine Person, the title of Son of Mary and to Mary, the title of Mother of God.
There is a relationship between Mary and each of the three Divine Persons, for she is the daughter of God the Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit by whose power the Word became incarnate in her and the mother of the Word made Man. She is, moreover, in the words of Dante, the “termine fisso di eterno consiglio” (Paradiso 33:1-3). In other words, she is the centre of the eternal plan which God established for the redemption of the human race. It was God’s eternal design to reunite creation to the Uncreated, by means of Mary. She became the mother of the Eternal Word, in whom the divine and human natures were indissolubly united. He redeemed us by His infinite merits but, in this work of redemption, He employed the co-operation of His holy Mother. All the graces, privileges and virtues of Mary, flow from this great mystery of her divine Motherhood. As befitted the future Mother of God, she was conceived free from the stain of original sin and full of grace. Her mortal life was a continuous ascent towards the highest peak of sanctity. When she died, she was assumed body and soul into Heaven, where she was crowned in glory, as Queen of Angels and Queen of Saints. When we consider the sublime nobility of Our Lady, we should be moved to love and venerate her. This love and veneration does not subtract in the slightest from God’s glory, because, she is the Mother of God. In fact, it is a great advantage to us, to imitate her and to call on her to intercede for us.”
Thought for the Day – 16 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” The Fourth Glorious Mystery The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven
“The fourth Book of Kings tells us, that the prophet Elias was brought up into Heaven in a fiery chariot without having first endured the pains and humiliations of death (Cf 4 Kings 2:11). Why did God not do likewise in the case of the Blessed Virgin, commanding His Angels to bear her to Heaven before death struck her innocent body? As St Paul says, it was sin which caused death to enter the world. From the moment of her conception, Mary was free from the slightest taint of sin, for she was immaculate and full of grace. Nevertheless, according to the most widely held tradition, Mary chose to die, even as her divine Son had willed to die. Jesus “was offered because it was his own will” (Isa 53:7). The same is true in Mary’s case, with only this difference. Jesus died a cruel death after the most hideous tortures in the midst of a blaspheming and hate-ridden mob. Nothing like this happened to Mary, although she is called the Queen of Martyrs because of the sword which pierced her soul at the sight of her divine Son, dying in such agony.
Jesus willed, however, that the immaculate body of His Mother would remain intact. It was only her great love and intense desire of being reunited with her Son, which gradually consumed her mortal life. Her ever-increasing love for God, broke the bonds of her mortal frame until she went to sleep at last, in the Lord.
Quote/s of the Day – 27 August – The Memorial of St Amadeus of Lausanne OCist (1110—1159) Bishop (I am unsure of whether he is a Saint or a Blessed as there seems to be disagreement about the final confirmation of his cultus. Whichever, he is a Saint of God!)
“O how marvellous are His wounds by which the wounds of the world were healed! How victorious His wounds, by which He slew death and stung hell!”
“Your Son appeared to us as an abundance of food when grievous famine threatened, as a spring of living water, to a life in distress and fainting from thirst in the heat.”
“He came from Him, from whom He did not depart, going forth from Him, with whom He stayed, so that without intermission, He was wholly in eternity, wholly in time, wholly was He found in the Father when wholly in the Virgin, wholly in His own majesty and in His Father’s, at the time when He was wholly in our humanity. ”
“He himself is your son, O Mary, He Himself rose from the dead on the third day and with your flesh ascended above all the heavens that He might fill all things. Therefore, O blessed lady, you have your joy, the object of your desire and the crown of your head have been granted you. He has brought to you the sovereignty of heaven through His glory, the kingdom of the world though His mercy, the subjugation of hell through His power. All things with their diverse feelings respond to your great and unspeakable glory – angels by honour, mortals by love, demons by terror. For you are venerated in heaven, loved in the world, feared in hell.”
“Has anyone ever come away from Mary, troubled or saddened or ignorant of the heavenly Mysteries? Who has not returned to everyday life gladdened and joyful because a request has been granted by the Mother of God?”
Thought for the Day – 15 August – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“It is generally believed that Our Blessed Lady died, since she would not have wished to escape death anymore than her divine Son did. Our Lord, however, had see her sharing in His agony and death upon Mount Calvary and He willed that her own death would be so peaceful as hardly to justify the name.
The just die, in the love of God and the Martyrs died, for the love of God. But Mary died, consumed by the love of God. It was not disease which brought an end to her life but love. Her love for Jesus, was more ardent and more perfect, than that of any other creature. She loved Him, when she held Him in her arms in the stable at Bethlehem, when she fled with Him into Egypt and, when she offered Him in the temple to His heavenly Father. She loved Him, when she found Him after He had been lost and when she looked after Him in their home at Nazareth. She loved Him, as she followed Him to His death on Calvary. She loved Him, in the joy of His Resurrection and, subsequently, of His Ascension into Heaven. Jesus desired her to remain on earth for a while, to comfort the infant Church and to initiate the loving patronage which she would exercise over it, in Heaven. Her love grew, from day to day, until it entirely consumed her and her Immaculate Heart could no longer contain it. Mary fulfilled, in a most perfect manner, the Creator’s command to His creatures, to love Him with all their hearts and with all their strength. Consequently, her love reached such a peak, that her soul, in it’s final ecstasy, glided from her body.
Let us ask our Mother, Mary, to help us to die with the love and grace of God in our hearts and, with the names of Jesus and Mary on our lips.”
Quote/s of the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
“It was fitting that she, who had kept her virginity in childbirth, should keep her own body free from all corruption even after death. It was fitting that she, who had carried the Creator as a child at her breast, should dwell in the divine tabernacles… it was fitting that God’s Mother should possess what belongs to her Son and that she should be honoured by every creature as the Mother and the Handmaid of God.”
St John Damascene (675-749)
Father and Doctor of the Church
“As the most glorious Mother of Christ, our Saviour and our God and the giver of life and immortality, has been endowed with life by Him, she has received an eternal incorruptibility of the body together with Him who has raised her up from the tomb and has taken her up to Himself in a way known only to Him.”
St Modestus of Jerusalem (Died 630)
“And with regard to ourselves, how deservedly do we keep the Feast of the Assumption with all solemnity. What reasons for rejoicing, what motives for exultation have we on this most beautiful day! The presence of Mary illumines the entire world so that even the holy city above has now a more dazzling splendour from the light of this virginal Lamp. With good reason, thanksgiving and the voice of praise, resound today throughout the courts of Heaven… let us not complain, for here we do not have a lasting city but we seek one that is to come, the same which the blessed Mary entered today.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor
One Minute Reflection – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Readings: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10, Psalms 45: 10, 11, 12, 16, 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56
My soul glorifies the Lord … Luke 1:46
REFLECTION – “He himself is your son, O Mary, He Himself rose from the dead on the third day and with your flesh ascended above all the heavens that He might fill all things. Therefore, O blessed lady, you have your joy, the object of your desire and the crown of your head have been granted you. He has brought to you the sovereignty of heaven through His glory, the kingdom of the world though His mercy, the subjugation of hell through His power. All things with their diverse feelings respond to your great and unspeakable glory – angels by honour, mortals by love, demons by terror. For you are venerated in heaven, loved in the world, feared in hell.
Rejoice, therefore and be glad, for He who receives you has arisen, your glory, lifting up your head. You rejoiced at His conception, you were afflicted at His passion. Rejoice again in His resurrection and your joy no-one will take from you. Christ, rising from the dead, dies no more; death will have no more dominion over Him.
The Spirit calls you, God says to you: “Arise, hasten, my love, my dove, my fair one and come. For the winter is past, the rain has departed and gone, the flowers have appeared on our earth. The time for pruning has come” (Sg 2:10-12). … Then the censer, following the incense and lifted up by the hand of the Lord, mounts to the throne of God. It goes up attended by a train of angelic spirits calling out on high and saying: “Who is this who comes up through the desert like a column of smoke from the odour of myrrh and incense and all the powders of perfume?” (Sg 3:6). … St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Cistercian Monk, then Bishop – Homilies in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary VI, SC 72
PRAYER – My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour!
For He has blessed me lavishly
and makes me ready to respond.
He shatters my little world
and lets me be poor before Him.
He takes from me all my plans
and gives me more than I can hope for or ask.
He gives me opportunities
and the ability to become free
and to burst through my boundaries.
He gives the strength to be doing,
to build on Him alone,
for He shows Himself
as the ever greater One in my life.
He has made known to me this!
It is in my being servant that it becomes possible.
For God’s kingdom to break through
here and now.
Amen
A Magnificat Translated from the German by Olga Warnke of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Our Morning Offering – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
Who is She Ascends So High? By Sir John Beaumont (1582-1628)
Who is she ascends so high,
Next the heav’nly King,
Round about whom angels fly,
And her praises sing?
Who is she adorned with light,
Makes the sun her robe?
At whose feet the queen of night
Lays her changing globe?
This is she in whose pure womb
Heaven’s Prince remained,
Wherefore in no earthly tomb
Could she be contained.
Heav’n she was, which held that fire,
Whence the world took light,
And to heav’n doth now aspire,
Flames with flames unite.
She that did so clearly shine,
Our Day once begun,
See how bright her beams decline,
Sitting with the Sun.
Who is She Ascends So High? was written by the English poet, Sir John Beaumont (1582-1628). In 1607 and again in 1625, both he and and his wife were charged and fined as Roman Catholic Recusants for refusing to attend Anglican services. In 1626 he was created a Baronet by King Charles I (1600-1649), who himself had married a Catholic and allowed her to practice her faith openly and freely. In the Divine Office, Who is She Ascends So High? is used on Feast Days of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The suggested musical setting in the Divine Office is the hymn tune – Assumpta Est. The tune used in the following video is unknown.
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (however, in most countries of Africa, the Solemnity will be celebrated on the Sunday following the 15th).
The Feast celebrates the Assumption of the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven upon her death. According to Pope Benedict XIV, it is a probable opinion, which it is impious to deny, though not an article of faith but has since in 1950 has been raised to a DOGMA of the Faith. The origin of the Feast day is not known but it was celebrated in Palestine before the year 500.
It is a holy day of obligation, it’s vigil being a fast day, in many English-speaking countries. Among the many masters who have painted the subject of the Assumption are Fra Angelico, Ghirlandajo, Rubens, Del Sarto and Titian. Patronages – Acadians, Cajuns, Cistercian Order, Cistercians, fish dealers, fish-mongers, French air crews, harness makers, France, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Malta, Paraguay, Slovakia, east Africa (region of east Africa which includes diverse countries, proclaimed on 15 March 1952 by Pope Pius XII) South Africa (this is not a region but a country) and the Assumption is, therefore, the Patronal Feast of the Country of South Africa – proclaimed on 15 March 1952 by Pope Pius XII), 24 dioceses, 38 cities.
Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: Three Christians martyred together. No details survive but the names – Eutychian, Philip and Straton. They were martyred in Nicomedia, Bithynia (in modern Turkey).
Martyred in the Mexican Revolution: 4 Saints –
St David Roldán Lara
St Luis Batiz Sainz
St Manuel Moralez
St Salvador Lara Puente
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War from 1934 to 1939.
• Blessed Agustì Ibarra Angüela
• Blessed Carmelo Sastre y Sastre
• Blessed Clemente Vea Balaguer
• Blessed Francisco Míguez Fernández
• Blessed Ildefonso Alberto Flos
• Blessed Jaume Bonet Nadal
• Blessed Joan Ceró Cedó
• Blessed Josep Santonja Pinsach
• Blessed Juan Francisco Barahona Martín
• Blessed Juan Mesonero Huerta
• Blessed Luis Ros Ezcurra
• Blessed Manuel Formigo Giráldez
• Blessed Miguel Alberto Flos
• Blessed Sebastià Balcells Tonijuan
• Blessed Severiano Montes Fernández
Quote/s of the Day – 13 June – The Memorial of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Evangelical Doctor of the Church
“Damned money! Alas! … Money is the ‘droppings of birds’ that blinded the eyes of Tobit.”
“Christ, who is your life, is hanging before you, so that you may look at the Cross, as in a mirror. There you will be able to know, how mortal were your wounds, that no medicine other, than the Blood of the Son of God, could heal. If you look closely, you will be able to realise, how great your human dignity and your value are…. Nowhere other than looking at himself, in the mirror of the Cross, can man better understand how much he is worth”
(Sermones Dominicales et Festivi III, pp. 213-214)
“The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.”
“The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey and those, who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit.”
The Praises of Mary “Assumption” Poem by Saint Anthony
O how wondrous is the dignity of the glorious Virgin! She merited to become the mother of Him who is the strength and beauty of the angels and the grandeur of all the saints.
Mary was the seat of our sanctification, that is to say, the dwelling place of the Son who sacrificed Himself for us.
“And I shall glorify the place where my feet have stood.” The feet of the Saviour signify His human nature. The place where the feet of the Saviour stood was the Blessed Mary, who gave Him His human nature.
Today the Lord glorifies that place, since He has exalted Mary above the choirs of the angels. That is to say, the Blessed Virgin, who was the dwelling of the Saviour, has been assumed bodily into heaven.
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Evangelical Doctor of the Church
Quote/s of the Day – 9 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A and the Memorial of St Ephrem of Syria (306-373) Father & Doctor of the Church
“We give glory to You, Lord, who raised up Your Cross to span the jaws of death like a bridge by which souls might pass from the region of the dead to the land of the living. .. You are incontestably alive. Your murderers sowed Your living body in the earth as farmers sow grain but it sprang up and yielded an abundant harvest of men raised from the dead.”
“Jesus, who feared nothing, experienced fear and asked to be freed from death – although He knew it was impossible. How much more, must we persevere in prayer before temptation assails us – so that we may be freed when the test has come!”
“She bore within herself, as a child, Him by whom the world was filled. He descended to become the model that would renew Adam’s ancient image.”
“You gave us so many gifts on the day of Your birth, a treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick. spiritual light for the blind, the cup of salvation for the thirsty, the bread of life for the hungry.”
“We have had Your treasure hidden within us, ever since we received baptismal grace, it grows ever richer at Your sacramental table.”
“Mary’s titles are numberless… she is the palace in which the mighty King of kings abode, yet He did not cast her out when He came, because it was from her that He took flesh and was born. She is the new heaven in which dwelt the King of kings, in her, Christ arose and from her, rose up to enlighten creation, formed and fashioned in His image. She is the stock of the vine that bore the grape, she yielded a fruit greater than nature and He, although other than her in His nature, ripened in colour on being born of her. She is the spring from which living waters sprang up for the thirsty and all those who drank them, yielded fruit a hundredfold.”
St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)
“The queenly figure of Mary is illuminated and glorified in the highest dignity which a creature may attain.
What grace, sweetness and solemnity in the scene of Mary’s “falling asleep,” as the Christians of the East imagine it!
She is lying in the serene sleep of death, Jesus stands beside her and clasps her soul, as if it were a tiny child, to His Heart, to indicate the miracle of her immediate resurrection and glorification.
The Christians of the West, raising their eyes and hearts to heaven, choose to portray Mary borne body and soul to the eternal Kingdom.
The greatest artist saw her thus, incomparable in her divine beauty.
Oh let us too go with her, borne aloft by her escort of angels!
This is the source of consolation and faith, in days of grief or pain, for those privileged souls – such as we can all become, if only we respond to grace – whom God is silently preparing for the most beautiful victory of all, the attainment of holiness.
The mystery of the Assumption, brings home to us the thought of death, of our own death and gives us a sense of serene confidence; it makes us understand and welcome the thought, that the Lord will be, as we wish Him to be, near us in our last agony, to gather into His own Hands, our immortal soul.
“May your grace be always with us, Immaculate Virgin.”
Our Morning Offering – 17 August – Saturday of the Nineteenth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and a Marian Saturday
The Praises of Mary “Assumption” Poem by Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) Doctor of the Church
O how wondrous is the dignity of the glorious Virgin!
She merited to become the mother of Him
who is the strength and beauty of the angels
and the grandeur of all the saints.
Mary was the seat of our sanctification,
that is to say,
the dwelling place of the Son
who sacrificed Himself for us.
“And I shall glorify the place where my feet have stood.”
The feet of the Saviour signify His human nature.
The place where the feet of the Saviour stood
was the Blessed Mary,
who gave Him His human nature.
Today the Lord glorifies that place,
since He has exalted Mary
above the choirs of the angels.
That is to say,
the Blessed Virgin,
who was the dwelling of the Saviour,
has been assumed bodily into heaven.
Thought for the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
You have Borne for us the Clothing of Immortality
Saint John Damascene (675-749)
Priest and Father and Doctor of the Church
An excerpt from his Homily 9 – On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“Once indeed God ejected the mortals and first parents of the human race from the paradise of Eden, when they had drunk deeply, from the wine of disobedience and had become so affected by the hangover of sin, through the intoxication of that transgression, which led to the sleepiness of the mind’s eye. Now, however, shall not paradise receive her who repelled the onslaught of all sin, producing the seed of obedience to God and Father and bringing forth life, for all races of mortal men? How can death devour this truly blessed woman, who gave birth to the whole person of the Word of God through union with God? How can hell receive her? When Christ, who is the way and the truth, said Where I am, there will my servant be also, why would there not be a dwelling for His own mother with Him with an even greater justification? It is well said that precious in the sight of the Lord God of Hosts, is the death of His saints but even more precious, is the passing of the Mother of God from this life.
Then Adam and Eve, the founders of our race, exclaimed with a loud voice in great rejoicing: “Blessed are you, O daughter, who bore for us the penalties of the commands that had been broken. When you had gained a mortal body from us, you gave birth to a covering of immortality for us. You repaid us so that it might be well with us, since you received birth from our loins. From beyond the grave you have called us back to our ancient seat, we closed paradise for ourselves but you made open the way of the tree of life. Through our actions, sadness came forth from happiness, through you even more joyful things have returned from sorrow. In what possible way could you be acceptable to death, O Immaculate one? You are the bridge of life and the ladder to heaven, you are a boat over the sea of death reaching to immortality.”
But the woman herself, as she did not shrink from the truth, said: “Into Your hands, my Son, I commend my spirit. Receive this soul which is dear to You, which You have preserved free from any sin. I hand over my body, not to the earth but to You. Take me to Yourself, that where You are, You, the child of my womb, so there I also may be Your companion. I am hastening to You, who have often come to me on this side of that long distance.”
When she had said this, she heard in reply: “Come to my rest, my blessed Mother, arise, come, my beloved, most blessed among all women. Behold, the winter is ended. You are all fair, my beloved and there is no spot of stain found in you, the odour of your ointments are more precious than all other aromas.”
++++++++++
There is an invocation in a Litany to Our Lord in which we ask: ut ad celestia desideria erigas, te rogamus, audi nos – that our souls be raised to the desire for celestial things, we pray Thee, hear us. This invocation should be the conclusion of our meditation on the Assumption of Our Lady. We should ask, that we may love the celestial happiness of Our Lady, to give her glory and that we may one day be with her in Paradise. We should also love and meditate on her joys, as a way to accept with peace and resignation the sorrows and sufferings God sends us, so that we might prove our love for Him.
Quote of the Day – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
“In the bodily and spiritual glory which she possesses in heaven, the Mother of Jesus, continues in this present world as the image and first flowering of the Church, as she is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise, Mary shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come (cf 2 Peter 3:10), as a sign of certain hope and comfort for the pilgrim People of God.”
Lumen Gentium
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church #68.
“While she lived on this earth she could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is close to us, actually, “within” all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God. Being in God and with God, she is close to each one of us, knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness and has been given to us, as the Lord said, precisely as a “mother” to whom we can turn at every moment.”
Pope Benedict XVI
“As soon as we apprehend by faith, the great fundamental truth, that Mary is the Mother of God, other wonderful truths follow in its train and one of these, is that, she was exempt from the ordinary lot of mortals, which is not only to die but to become earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
AnaStpaul 
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