The Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady | Tuesday 15 August 2023

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Today is Tuesday 15 August, the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, in the 19th week of Ordinary time.

Juliano Ravanello sings the Magnificat, the song of Mary: “My soul glorifies the Lord. My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. He looks on his servant in her lowliness. Henceforth, all ages will call me blessed.” As I listen, can I sense the Lord looking on me in my lowliness, and can I rejoice in him and in all that he does for me?

A minha alma engrandece o Senhor

Porque olhou para minha humildade

Minha alma engrandece o Senhor

Em Deus meu salvador exulte canto

Todas as gerações vão bendizer-me

Pois sob a humildade serva se inclinou

Imensas maravilhas fez em mim

Deus de todo poder santo é o seu nome

Sua misericórdia há de estender-se

Por toda a geração sob os que o temem

Manifestou a força de seu braço

Os corações soberbos dispersou

Depôs os poderosos e seus tronos

Aos humildes porém quis exaltar

Colocou seus bens quem tinha fome

Aos ricos despediu de mãos vazias

Socorreu Israel seu servidor

Sua misericórdia recordando

Conforme prometera aos nossos pais

A Abraão e toda descendência

Demos glória a deus pai onipotente

E a seu filho Jesus Cristo senhor nosso

E ao espírito que habita em nosso peito

Pelos séculos dos séculos. Amém.

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 1: 39 - 56

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

And Mary said,

‘My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.

Notice, first, the setting of this passage. Mary and Elizabeth are both pregnant. Mary has gone to support and help her older relative. What can you feel of the relationship between them?

In her heart-felt prayer here, often called the Magnificat, Mary recognises the great things that God has done for her. If this became your prayer, what would be the acknowledging that God has done for you?

Mary speaks of a God who is subversive, favouring the lowly and the hungry over the proud and the self-satisfied. Do you recognise this as a picture of the God you are meeting in this prayer?

As the Magnificat is read again, notice what it tells you about the God whom Mary knows.

Approach this same God with your own needs, your own requests, as this prayer-time comes to an end.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.