By The Faithful Disciple
GROW AS A DISCIPLE
Unlike with our other important relationships, God isn’t exactly someone we can meet for coffee and look into his eyes while having a conversation. Whether we talk to God in our mind or out loud, we recognize that even with a good prayer life it can sometimes be difficult to cultivate and maintain a relationship with God. Doubters and unbelievers are quick to remind us how impossible it is to believe what we cannot see or hear, but today’s readings also remind us that God doesn’t speak to us as another human being would. Maybe he doesn’t speak with the booming voice of a preacher or a politician, and maybe he doesn’t write direct messages for us in the sky or sand, but God does speak. Perhaps, like Elijah, we tend to expect God to communicate with huge gestures, such as strong wind that crushes rocks, or earthquakes or fires; but we hear today that God spoke to Elijah in a “tiny whispering sound.” It’s not unlike a very good teacher who doesn’t need to raise her voice to get her students’ attention when they lose focus – she has their respect and simply needs to speak normally and calmly and the students quiet down, pay attention, and listen. When we still our hearts and minds and listen, in prayer, let us be confident we will hear God’s voice.
What we know about the Feast of the Assumption of Mary
On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus (The Most Bountiful God) said: “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.” Notice that he says, “having completed the course of her earthly life.” That leaves it open to interpretation whether Mary died before she was assumed into Heaven or not.
From early on, it was clear that there were no relics of Mary. There was an empty tomb in Jerusalem which quickly became a place of pilgrimage. There are also stories from early Apostolic Tradition and quotes from early Christian letters and sermons that point us toward the Assumption of Mary. The feast of the “Memory of Mary” is one of the earliest Marian feasts and was celebrated as early as the 300s. “If therefore it might come to pass by the power of your grace, it has appeared right to us your servants that, as you, having overcome death, do reign in glory, so you should raise up the body of your Mother and take her with you, rejoicing, into heaven. Then said the Savior [Jesus]: “Be it done according to your will” (The Passing of the Virgin 16:2-17 [A.D. 300]). – Timothy of Jerusalem
Please come and celebrate with us this Holy Day of obligation honor-ing and giving thanks to Him for what He has done for us through Mary!
Masses at our church are: Tuesday August 15th, 9 am and 7 pm. No confessions before each Mass and no devotion to St. Michael after the 7 pm Mass.
Great news!
We all know how much the church needs new vocations to the priest-hood and religious life these days. So, we should be grateful for every new vocation, and for every man or woman who has been discerning it. Voca-tions should be encouraged and prayed for by us all. I have great news to announce to all of you today. One of our parishioners, Brendan Tabone, son of Mary and John is going to enter the Sacred Heart Major Seminary on August 21st this year. It’s a blessing for him, for his family, but also for us as a parish community. It’s a blessing, but also our responsibility to pray for him during this time of the formation process of becoming a priest, so he would truly recognize what is God’s Will for him.
After 11 am Mass on August 20th, you are all invited to the Activity Cen-ter for coffee and doughnuts and to say a few words of encouragement to Brendan. May he know our love for him. And please keep praying for him and his family. Godspeed Brendan.
Fr. Tom