The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On August 15, we will celebrate the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. This annual feast reminds us of God’s faithfulness to Mary and our shared destiny.

This year, I will celebrate the feast with the Oblates of the Colombo province in Sri Lanka. I arrived here on August 1 to lead two of the province’s annual retreats. It’s my first visit to both the province and the country. I’ve been deeply impressed by the rich religious and cultural diversity here, as well as by the Oblates’ dedicated ministry to the poor and those on the margins of society.

During the first retreat, held at the scholasticate in Kandy from August 4-9, I asked the retreatants to reflect on Mary’s experience. At the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), when the angel appeared to her, she was asked to set aside her plans for marriage and a normal life to become the mother of the Savior. In faith, she accepted this invitation, and from that moment, she had to renew her commitment every day. Sometimes, this was a significant challenge, such as when the Savior was born in a humble manger or when she and Joseph lost him in Jerusalem. Mary must have wondered what she had said yes to when word spread that Jesus was preaching a radical message; some even said he was out of his mind.

With unwavering faith, she followed him to the cross and held his lifeless body in her arms. What must have gone through the mind of the mother of our Lord at these moments?

After three days, she knew him to be alive. God had resurrected her Son. Her joy was now mingled with the sorrow she had endured, but in this, she experienced the profound faithfulness of God. In the end, God took her to be with Him, with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit, to enjoy the fullness of life. From Mary’s story, we learn that we, too, are called to walk in faith with our God through the daily challenges of our lives.

May this year’s celebration of the Assumption remind us of the glorious destiny God has prepared for all who walk faithfully with Him in this world.

By Raymond Mwangala, OMI

Published on the OMI World website