The Feast of the Assumption always sparks a vivid memory for me, of walking to Church with my family on a beautiful summer morning, carrying a bouquet of garden flowers and singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.” For years (when I was younger, of course), I was convinced that Jesus took Mary to heaven today because it is my birthday, and it was a way for Mary and me to celebrate this special day together!
Well... what a special day it is, because we all get to celebrate the promise that, as Christ has been raised from the dead, Mary has also been raised and that we, too, will one day celebrate with a glorified body. This is our faith, isn’t it?
Death is not the end for us; we believe that where Jesus has gone, we hope to follow. Mary, who is full of grace, was the first to experience the joy of the resurrection. This is our promise as well. In her Magnificat, Mary sings, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. . .”
Can we say that about how God is acting in our lives as well? Let us pray for each other that we may be able to sense the presence of God guiding and directing every move we make. May we, like Mary, sing wholeheartedly, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” ... “my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior!”
Sister Michael Marie Franzak, CSFN
