“For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy” (Lk 1:44).

After Mary, conceived Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit,  she went in haste to the home of her relative Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, John leapt for joy in her womb. When we experience great joy we want to share it with others, just as Mary did. When we unite with those we love we, like John, we leap for joy.

There was no one closer to Jesus than Mary. She bore him, nursed him, raised him, initiated, in motherly fashion, his public ministry, held him in her arms as he was taken down from the cross, and she was with the Apostles in the upper room when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Mary, like Jesus, was also Immaculately conceived. When her time came, who better than Mary to have experienced the “singular participation in her Son’s resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (966).

Today we celebrate the official dogmatic constitution issued by Pope Pius XII in 1950, the Assumption of Mary, the final grace she received from her Son. Today is a day of joy! Jesus is the promise and Mary is the hope that we will live eternally with our heavenly Father, for Mary is now where we will one day be, body and soul. This is a day to celebrate!

Jesus and Mary have undone the sin of Adam and Eve. They in their faithful life and witness to God have opened up heaven for us. This is the Gospel, this is Good News! In our darkest trials, when storm clouds of injustice seem to gather, when nothing appears to get better, there is hope, because there is a light that shines in the darkness:  “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.” God is ever faithful and present to us in his mercy. May we like Mary ponder the wonderful gifts of our Father’s Love, Mercy, and bestowal of his Grace.

Mary, like the moon, reflects the light of her Son. May we celebrate with thanksgiving today this wonderful gift we have been given of experiencing the foretaste of heaven and so go forward with haste, reflecting the radiance of Jesus in our life by being beacons of light and hope, and today at some point leap with joy! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death!

For the readings of the Mass for Tuesday, August 15, 2017:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081517-mass-during-day.cfm

Catechism of the Catholic Church