YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (2)
YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
HOMILY THEME: LOWLINESS AND GRACE: MARY ASSUMED INTO HEAVEN
BY: Friar Magnilay Tayo
Feast of the Assumption reminds us of the many graces God has bestowed on the Blessed Virgin, especially that she was raised up to heaven to be united with her Son.
To think about it, to praise God and the graces he has bestowed on Mary, isn’t Mariolatry to begin with, or something to just gaze on worthlessly. The graces God bestowed on Mary isn’t for herself purely to begin with. These are given to her so that she may be a fitting example for us and an intercessor in our needs. Grace is bestowed on her for our sake: yes, for all of us! When we look at grace from the divine and ecclesial perspective, it is not bestowed purely for personal gain or personal merit. Grace isn’t ours and always ours, to begin with. Grace is bestowed so that whoever receives it may benefit his or her brethren. Grace is given to build up the body of Christ, the Church.
This is why the lowliest of women, a village woman named Mary of Nazareth, was chosen by God to bear his Son, to be his first disciple and witness, to be mother of the Church, and definitely, to be our Mother too. God gives not because we are so qualified or talented, but because we allow ourselves to be used totally by God, because we allow ourselves to be lowly.
Above all, let us ask ourselves: how many graces have we received so far in our lives? How many of them have been used to build up our community and our Church? Are we, who are so fond of asking graces from the Lord, willing to give ourselves completely to Him to be an instrument of grace for the Church? Eventually, we will be judged because of what we have done the graces which are proportionally given to us by God. May Mary, assumed into heaven, teach us to be more like Jesus, her Son.
May she teach us to ask for grace, but above all, to be willing to give ourselves completely to the Lord.
