The chapel was full this morning to celebrate Our Lady's feast day. How many stayed home today because the USCCB with the approval of the Vatican eliminated the obligation when the feast falls on Saturday or Monday? Probably most. How gratifying to see so many Catholics attend Mass willingly without obligation for the simple love of the Blessed Mother.
The feast of the Assumption is the oldest Marian feast in the Church, not surprising when you consider that some of the apostles surrounded Mary's bed when she died. The mystics describe visions seeing the apostles placing her body in the tomb and later returning to find her gone. Did any of them actually witness the physical assumption? Whether they did or not, they witnessed in the same way they witnessed the Resurrection. Mary was buried and assumed into heaven. She was gone. Her body was not subject to corruption.
Today is a feast to celebrate with hope and gratitude for our Blessed Mother's fiat and life of continuous union with her Son Jesus. Her assumption fills us with the hope of our own resurrection on the last day and gratitude for all the blessings God has given us, especially the gift of life and our redemption from sin. We can begin living heaven today by always remaining in the state of grace. If you haven't been to confession in awhile today would be a great day to go.
Have a blessed feast day!
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