The Word Today : August 15, 2013 Thursday 19th Week in Ordinary Time Year I Solemnity, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Vigil: 1 Chr 15: 3-4. 15-16; 16: 1-2 / Ps 132: 6-7. 9-10. 13-14 / 1 Cor 15: 54b-57 / Lk 11: 27-28. Day: Rv 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab / Ps 45: 10. 11. 12. 16 / 1 Cor 15: 20-27 / Lk 1: 39-56 READINGS Revelation 11: 19a; 12: 1-6a. 10ab God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.” 1 Cor 15: 20-27 Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.” 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. REFLECTION Today, we celebrate the great feast of Our Lady’s assumption into heaven, the day when Our Mother was taken body and soul and raised to the fullness of glory in heaven. The stress is on “body and soul.” Our Lady was given the fullness of glory and there must have been great rejoicing in heaven, in the whole universe, on seeing the Queen, the Mother of Our Lord, appear in flesh! The Ark of Yahweh, the Lord of the earth, is in our midst whenever we call on Our Lady’s name. With her, our crossing over will be victorious and God’s glory will cover us always. At all times, let us look at Mary who is always near us, watching over us so that in all things and through all things, we may be united with and be one with Jesus, her Son. Let us tenderly hold on to Mary so that with her and like her, we may always do what is most pleasing to Our Lord in great as well as in small things. In loving obedience, let us act courageously, forgive and forgive seventy times seven times like a faithful servant of God. phjesuits.org/
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 00:34:28 +0000
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