Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

May God bless us in his mercy. May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.

We all need God’s pity and blessing. None of us are without sins and imperfections. None of us are strong enough to resist all temptation. God knows this and that is why He sent His Beloved Son to become one of us and offer himself as a sacrifice for our failings. It is God’s pity that brings us blessing, but it is God’s Love that brings us His pity. It is His Divine Love that makes His face shine upon us and leads us to salvation. Truly, we are blessed in His Mercy and we would do well to be merciful ourselves for we will be judged as we treated others, for good and ill. Better for us if our thoughts, words, and works are weighed more towards selflessness and good than toward selfishness and evil.

Do we thank God for His Mercy and Blessings? How can we be as merciful as God is toward us? Do our thoughts, words, and works make known God’s Way of Love to others?

O Lord, bless us in your mercy.

Amen.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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.

The two images of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Satan, Prince of the World are polar opposites of each other. Mary is clothed in the lights of the sun, moon, and stars. She the model of what it means to be a God-bearing person. She gives birth to our Lord and Savior, bringing new life into the world. Her entire being brings glory to God. Satan, on the other hand, is clothed in bloody red scales and his horns are meant not for trumpeting God’s glory, but to do violence to the children of God. His tail sweeps away the light of God’s Divine Truth and brings darkness. Unlike Mary, who brings love and life to all creation, he knows only how to bring about sin and death. There could not be a clearer picture painted of the choice that faces us all. We can be like Mary and bear God into the world with pain and labor, but with the promise of everlasting life or we can be like Satan devouring the world in passion and violence, but leave ourselves empty inside and with no hope of eternal life.

How can we clothe ourselves in the light of God’s Goodness and bring love and life to the world? Are we willing to bear the pain and suffering that come with doing God’s Will? What can we do to prepare ourselves to flee from the temptations and wickedness of the Devil and all his empty promises?

O Lord, make us into signs of your love and mercy for all those we meet.

Amen.

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter."

We are called to be stepping stones toward God, not stumbling blocks to faith. Our every thought, word, and work should have the increase of faith in God, hope in salvation, and charity toward others as their main goals. Our lives should lead others to God, not away from Him. The Pharisees burdened others, we should unburden them. We should be living signs of God's Love, Mercy, and Grace constantly calling all His children into a deeper conversion of heart, soul, and mind. We ought to be welcoming of others, not condemning them. This does not mean we should condone their sins, but rather, we should focus our energies on helping others overcome their vices because we want them to be with us in heaven.

Are we stepping stones or stumbling blocks to the faith of others? Are our actions rooted in the desire to know, love, and serve God and His children? How can we make our lives signs of God's Love?

O Lord, convert our hearts, souls, and minds so that we can give a deeper witness of your Unfathomable Love and Divine Mercy.

Amen.