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.”
One Minute Reflection – 15 August – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Gospel: Luke 1:39–56
My soul glorifies the Lord ... Luke 1:46
REFLECTION – “We heard the Song of Mary, the Magnificat – it is the song of hope, it is the song of the People of God walking through history. It is the song many saints, men and women, some famous and very many others unknown to us but known to God, mums, dads, catechists, missionaries, priests, sisters, young people, even children and grandparents – these have faced the struggle of life while carrying in their heart the hope of the little and the humble. Mary says, “My souls glorifies the Lord” – today, the Church too sings this in every part of the world.” … Pope Francis (Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 15 August 2013)
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
The Ark Which God Has Sanctified
The ark which God has sanctified,
Which He has filled with grace,
Within the temple of the Lord
Has found a resting-place.
More glorious than the seraphim,
This ark of love divine,
Corruption could not blemish her
Whom death could not confine.
God-bearing Mother, Virgin chaste,
Who shines in heaven’s sight;
She wears a royal crown of stars
Who is the door of Light.
To Father, Son and Spirit blest
may we give endless praise
With Mary, who is Queen of heaven,
Through everlasting days.
Amen.
The Ark Which God Has Sanctified is written by the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey. In the Divine Office (1974) it is sung with Morning Prayer on 15 August, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is set to the 1836 tune – St Peter (Reinagle) by Alexander Robert Reinagle (1799-1877).
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in the US, however, in most countries of Africa, the Solemnity will 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, its 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.
St Alipius of Tagaste
Bl Alfred of Hildesheim
Bl Agustín Hurtado Soler
St Arduinus of Rimini
Bl Claudio Granzotto
Bl George Halley Bl Isidore Bakanja (c 1887-1909) Martyr
St Napoleon of Alexandria
Bl Pio Alberto del Corona St Simplician (c 320-c 401) Bishop and Successor of St Ambrose (340-397) Doctor of the Church in the Archdiocese of Milan. 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 Tarcisius (3rd century) Martyr About St Tarcisius:
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
You must be logged in to post a comment.