The Magnificat

Today is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We believe "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 Gospel reading today is from Luke 1:39-56

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

The Visitation by Juan Correa De Vivar

After reading this perfect example of faith, and understanding the danger Mary was in of stoning under Jewish law, it is easy to see why she is adored by the Church. After all, Jesus gave us to her and her to us for a reason.

Mary is the perfect embodiment of faith and faithfulness. She magnifies the Lord. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said Mary is like “a magnifying glass that intensifies our love of her Son".

Mary's greatest desire is for each of us to truly know and have a relationship with her Son. This is why we are devoted to her as Mother of the Church.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God that we be made worthy of the promises of Christ!