August 1 - 20 , 2017 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY 25
In Christ , Mary brings new joy and meaning to mankind , Pope says
Vatican City - On the Feast of the Assumption , Pope Francis said that in bringing Christ to the world , Mary also provides the joy and grace of her Son , which not only sustain us in difficulty , but are primarily intended for the weak and humble .
“ Carrying Jesus , the Madonna also brings us a new joy , full of meaning ; she brings us a new ability to pass with faith through the most painful and difficult moments ; she brings us the capacity for mercy , forgiveness , understanding and supporting one another ,” the Pope said Aug . 15 .
Mary , he said , “ is the model of faith and virtue ,” and in contemplating her Assumption into Heaven , we give her thanks “ because she always precedes us on the pilgrimage of life and of faith .”
We are also able to ask that she “ guard us and sustain us , that we may have a strong faith , joyful and merciful ; that she help us to be holy , to meet her , one day , in paradise ,” he said .
Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims present for a special Angelus address given for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven , which is celebrated annually Aug . 15 .
The dogma of the Assumption of Mary – also called the “ Dormition of Mary ” in the Eastern Churches – teaches that when Mary ’ s earthly life ended , God assumed her body and soul into heaven . The Assumption of Mary
Catholics around the world mark the Feast of the Assumption of Mary , commemorating the end of her earthly life and assumption into Heaven . But while the feast day is a relatively new one , the history of the holiday – and the mystery behind it – has its roots in the earliest centuries of Christian belief .
“ As her earthly life comes to an end , the Assumption helps us to understand more fully not just her life , but it helps us to always focus our gaze to Eternity ,” said EWTN Senior Contributor Dr . Matthew Bunson .
“ We see in Mary the logic of the Assumption as the was a widely-held tradition even in the early centuries of the Church , and was a frequent meditation in the writings of saints throughout the centuries . However , it wasn ’ t until 1950 that it was dogmatically defined by Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus .
In his Angelus speech honoring the feast , Pope Francis turned to the day ’ s Gospel reading from Luke , in which Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth , who is miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist , despite her advanced age .
He noted how when Mary arrived to her cousin , having gone “ in haste ,” Elizabeth immediately proclaims , “ Blessed are you among women , and blessed is the fruit of your womb .”
In this moment , the greatest gift that Mary brought not just to Elizabeth , but to the whole world , “ is Jesus , who already lives in her ,” Francis said .
“ And he lives not only by faith and waiting , as in many other women in the Old Testament : from the Virgin Mary Jesus took on human flesh , for his mission of salvation .”
The Pope then noted how preceding the encounter , Elisabeth and her husband Zechariah were filled with sadness by the fact that they couldn ’ t have children . However , in place of this , “ now there is the joy of a child on the way : a child who will become the great John the Baptist , p r e c u r s o r of the Messiah .”
A n d when Mary arrives , this joy “ overflows and bursts from their hearts ,” he said , “ because the invisible but real presence of Jesus fills all meaning : life , family , the salvation of the people ... everything !”
M a r y herself expresses this joy when she speaks the “ stupendous prayer ” of the Magnificat , which is “ a song of joy to God who works great things through humble people , unknown to the world , like Mary herself , like her spouse Joseph , and also like the village in which they lived , Nazareth .”
In off-the-cuff remarks , the Pope pointed to “ the great things the Lord does in the world with the humble , because humility is like a void that leaves room for God .”
After leading pilgrims in
WWW . PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY . COM
the Angelus , the Pope offered a special prayer for all those who are suffering due to various global situations .
In addition to the various conflicts raging throughout the world , the Pope ’ s words come after one woman lost her life and several others were injured when a car rammed into a group of protesters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville , Va . earlier this week , adding fuel to
The history of the Assumption – and why it ’ s a Holy Day of Obligation
culmination of Mary ’ s life ,” he continued . “ A Eucharistic requirement for that day is very fitting .”
The dogma of the Assumption of Mary – also called the “ Dormition of Mary ” in the Eastern Churches – has its roots in the early centuries of the Church . The Catholic Church teaches that when Mary ended her earthly life , God assumed her , body and soul into heaven .
According to St . John of Damascus , in the 5th century , at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 , Roman Emperor Marcian requested the body of Mary , Mother of God . St .
Juvenal , who was Bishop of Jerusalem replied “ that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles , but that her tomb , when opened upon the request of St . Thomas , was found empty ; wherefrom the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven ,” the saint recorded .
By the 8th century , around the time of Pope Adrian , the Church began to change its terminology , renaming the feast day of the Memorial of Mary to the Assumption of Mary , Bunson noted .
“ By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ , of the
Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul , and by our own authority , 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 ,” the Pope wrote .
What ’ s also notable about the dogma , he added , is that it “ uses the passive tense ,” emphasizing that Mary did not ascend into heaven on her own power , as Christ did , but was raised into heaven by God ’ s grace .
Today , the Feast of the what were already-escalated racial tensions in the United States .
The Pope ’ s appeal also comes as many South Asian and African countries such as India , Bangladesh and Sierra Leone face heavy flooding and mudslides , which so far have led to hundreds , if not thousands , of deaths . ( E . harris , CNA )
Assumption is marked as a major feast day and a public holiday in many countries . In most countries , including the United States , it is a Holy Day of Obligation , and Catholics are required to attend Mass . Dr . Bunson explained that on important feast days , it ’ s important to mark the significance of the feast as especially vital by emphasizing the necessity of celebrating the Eucharist that day .
“ What is more fitting than on the Assumption of the Blessed Mother to , once again , focus on her Son , on the Eucharist ?” he reflected .