Model of Faith

The Feast of the Assumption

Today (15/8), we celebrate The Feast of the Assumption- The commemoration of the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Dormition, or falling asleep, as it was known in the East) is known as the Assumption because of the tradition that her body did not decay but that she was raised up, body and soul, into heaven. How did a simple Jewish woman come to be exalted as the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God and the Queen of Heaven? Its all God’s grace. This is what we are celebrating today. Unlike what Protestants may think of us, we are not celebrating the glory of Mary in herself but we are celebrating the wonderful works of God and his abundant grace, seen and proven in this person, Mary. Mary is assumed into heaven only because of God’s grace. It is God’s grace that is able to transform a humble and simple person like Mary into the person whom we admire today. Therefore, on this Feast day, it is God whom we are glorifying and praising. To criticize this feast and to reject it would be to cast doubts on the power of God to do the impossible.

The Feast of the Assumption proclaims several messages of faith and hope.

First, it is during this feast that we come to affirm our faith and hope that we, who are believers in Christ, will share in the resurrection of Christ. We can believe in the resurrection because it has already happened in the person of Mary. She is proof that the resurrection is a reality and not a mistaken and naive human wish that there is life after death.

Second, the Feast proclaims the goodness and beauty of our physical bodies. Mary is assumed into heaven not only in spirit/soul. She is assumed both body and soul into heaven. The body is not evil. The body is not the cause for our sinfulness. The body is created by God. It is a good, a precious gift to be cherished and guarded with care. We must then respect our physical bodies and the bodies of other person. Physical and sexual abuse, drugs, smoking, drinking, gluttony, inadequate rests violate the sanctity of the body.

Third, the Feast proclaims the unity of the body and the soul. A body without a soul is a lifeless object/thing. But a body with a soul is a person. He or she is a person. He or she deserves respect and dignity. If we forget the spiritual dimension of the person and only think of him as a physical body, we would soon start treating him as an object/thing to be used, abused and discarded when no longer useful to others and society. To remember that the person is a unity of the body and soul is to remember that he is sacred. To say that a person has a soul is to say that life will not end even when he experiences physical death. The body may decay but the soul continues for eternity. And because there is life after death, we should begin to invest in what happens for eternity rather than focus all attention on what is temporary – our present riches.

In today's Gospel reading,  Elizabeth, Mary's kinswoman, expressed this well when she exclaimed: "But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Lk 1:43) She called the Baby in Mary's womb "Lord," that is, she called Jesus "God."

Today, on this special feast day, Mary is visiting us as she visited Elizabeth. Mary is a walking tabernacle. She brings Jesus to us, or, more precisely, she brings us to Jesus. The purpose of this holy day is not so much to praise Mary as to praise Jesus with Mary by proclaiming the greatness of the Lord and finding joy in God our Savior (Lk 1:46-47). Mary's purpose in mothering us is to call us to do whatever Jesus tells us (Jn 2:5). She is happiest when we worship and live for Jesus alone.

Mary is a model of faith and hope for us. And she is among "the first-fruits" of "all those who belong to Jesus" and who share in his triumph (1 Corinthians15:20-24). There is a venerable tradition dating back to the early church which marks Mary's "falling asleep" (called the Feast of Dormition in many Eastern churches) and her heavenly birthday when she was received into heaven. Her reception into heaven is seen as a sign to all believing Christians of the promise Jesus made that we too would be received into paradise. At the last supper Jesus told his disciples that he would prepare a place for them in his Father's house. "And when I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:3).

What enabled Mary to grow in faith and to persevere in hope in the face of obstacles and trials? The Gospel of Luke reveals the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in Mary's life. When Elizabeth and Mary greeted one another they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with a joyful anticipation of the fulfilment of God's promise to give a Savior. John the Baptist, even before the birth of the Messiah, pointed to his coming and leapt for joy in the womb of his mother as the Holy Spirit revealed to him the presence of the King to be born. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us to enable us to know and experience the indwelling presence of God and the power of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the way in which God reigns within each of us. Mary accepted her mission with uncompromising faith and obedience. She acted with unwavering trust and faith because she believed that God would fulfill the word he had spoken. Her great hymn of praise echoes the song of Hannah (see 1 Samuel 2:1-10) and proclaims the favor of the Lord: God exalts the lowly and he fills the hungry. The Holy Spirit is ever ready to renew your faith and hope in God's promises and to make you strong in love for God and your neighbor.

Our love of Mary should lead us ultimately to love of her son, Jesus. She brought Jesus into this world. Jesus has brought her into the next life. We too join Mary in praising God and giving thanks to him for the wonderful things he has done in our life. Most of all, we join Mary in thanking God for giving us his Son, Jesus.

Have Faith, Do not be afraid.

Personal Reflection:Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

We often speak the word 'theology' which is generally understood as the discourse on God or God-talk. On the existence of God, there are generally three views: Atheism, Agnosticism and Theism, though within each of these views are innumerable schools and divisions of opinions. 

Atheism is a stance that rejects the existence of God. Among the atheists are included some of the philosophers, social scientists and psychologists, such as Albert Camus, Karl Max, Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmud Freud. The reasons for the denial of God vary. According to some, there is so much evil, unmerited suffering and injustice in this world that one cannot believe in a good and loving God. Many of atheists argue that God is the projection of the human mind created by religions and powerful groups which they subdue the powerless and the poor. 

People are often mystified when they look at the reality of the world we live in, and try to reconcile that with a good and loving God. We frequently face difficulties of all kinds, big and small; personal as well as global tragedies. Seeing this, we can't help but ask, "How can this be? How can a loving God have created this? There is something missing from this picture. It doesn't add up!" That's true. There is a piece missing from our equation.

There IS something that we are refusing to look at, which would reconcile these contradictions in our minds and heal our discomfiture with God. We need to understand what that is, because that missing piece is causing a breakdown of affinity between mankind and God, and making us miserable.

We need to always ask ourselves this question: does the Lord Jesus ever seem distant when trials or adversity come your way? In today’s Gospel reading, it was at Jesus' initiative that the disciples sailed across the lake, only to find themselves in a life-threatening storm (Mark 6:45-52). Although they were experienced fishermen, they feared for their lives. The Lake of Galilee was known for its sudden storms whipped up suddenly by strong winds which swept down from the nearby mountains. The disciples must have cried out for help when they recognized that their boat was about to be capsized by the threatening waves.

Although Jesus was not physically with them in the boat, he nonetheless had been keeping vigilant watch for them in earnest prayer on the distant shore. When Jesus perceived their trouble he came to them walking on the sea and startled them with his sudden appearance. The disciples were terrified rather than joyful when they saw Jesus' presence on the water. They thought a ghost had appeared to seal their doom. At first, they could not believe it was really the Lord who was coming to help them until they heard his reassuring voice - "I am here for you and ready to help you - let your heart be filled with courage - and do not allow any fear or doubt to hold you back from trusting in me." Jesus calmed their fears, and he calmed the threatening waves and storm as well. 

This dramatic incident on the sea of Galilee revealed Peter's character more fully than others. Here we see Peter's impulsive tendency to act or speak quickly without thinking through what he was about to do. Peter often failed and came to grief as a result of his impulsive response to challenging circumstances (such a cutting off the ear of a servant who came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane or Peter promising Jesus that he would never deny him shortly before his betrayal at the high priest's courtyard). When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he took a leap of faith only to cave in out of fear and doubt. He failed to keep his eyes on Jesus and to rely on the strength which God readily hands to those who trust in him. 

In Peter's moment of fear and failure, he fortunately did not give into despair or hopelessness. When his faith began to sink, Peter clutched at Jesus' hand and held firmly. Whatever weakness Peter had, he was not a quitter. Every time Peter fell, he rose again. His failures only made him draw closer to his Lord, and love him more humbly and deeply, and with greater gratitude and trust in his mercy and help.

The Lord Jesus keeps vigilant watch over each one of us at all times, and especially in our moments of temptation and difficulty. Now, do you recognize the Lord's presence when you meet adversity or trouble and do you cling to him as Peter did in his trial? The Lord Jesus assures us that we do not need to give into fear and despair when troubles threaten us. The Lord is always ready to strengthen our faith, to reassure our hope in his promises, and to fill us with his peace and love. When troubles and danger threaten to overwhelm you, how do you respond? With expectant faith and hope in the Lord's abiding presence, love, and care for you?

The transfiguration of The Lord

Today we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Even though it was not a day of obligation in Malaysia, the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican churches, also celebrated this solemnity as a major feast on August 6. For those who attended mass today, the gospel reading was taken from year A. 

The Transfiguration of Jesus was a prelude to an even more important event. Origen, the great 3rd century bible scholar, shows us how the transfiguration can change our lives: "When he is transfigured, his face also shines as the sun that he may be manifested to the children of light who have put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, and are no longer the children of darkness or night but have become the sons of day, and walk honestly as in the day. Being manifest, he will shine unto them not simply as the sun, but as demonstrated to be the sun of righteousness.

Luke's gospel tells us that while Jesus was transfigured, Peter, James, and John were asleep (Luke 9:32)! Upon awakening they discovered Jesus in glory along with Moses and Elijah. How much do we miss of God's glory and action because we are asleep spiritually?  There are many things which can keep our minds asleep to the things of God: Mental lethargy and the "unexamined life" can keep us from thinking things through and facing our doubts and questions. The life of ease can also hinder us from considering the challenging or disturbing demands of Christ.  Prejudice can make us blind to something new the Lord may have for us. Even sorrow can be a block until we can see past it to the glory of God. This begs a question, are you spiritually awake? Peter, James, and John were privileged witnesses of the glory of Christ. We, too, as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory. We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. The Lord wants to reveal his glory to us, his beloved disciples. Now, do you seek his presence with faith and reverence?