Fr. John Ryan

 

FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION

15th August

Today, the Feast of the Assumption is also the feast of the Church in Milford. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, our place of worship in Milford is under the patronage of Mary and through her intercession we pray to her Son and praise him under her constant care.
On being greeted by Elizabeth and praised as “blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled” Mary’s reaction was one of humility before God. Not for her the acceptance of accolades but instead there was an immediate acknowledgement other dependency on God. The blessings that came her way were attributed to the grace of God - My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my Saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. What a powerful expression of faith and a wonderful statement of gratitude for God’s goodness working in her life. There is no doubt that in Mary we have the great example of discipleship - a humble servant of God always ready to acknowledge the glory of the Lord.
As we celebrate the day of Mary’s ultimate reward for her dedication, service and deep faith we should ask for the grace to follow in her footsteps. From the beginning Mary was dressed for action - she had her lamp lit and was waiting for the master to welcome her in. from the moment of the Annunciation she was ready to serve - the lowly handmaid - and journeyed with her Son right to the Cross, enduring the suffering of the Passion, feeling a sword pierce her own heart too, before rejoicing at the resurrection.
No better person is there for us to take as an example. We can see in her experiences the ups and downs of life - the severe pain that we can suffer and the times of rejoicing. How she reacts is a clear indication of the way we are called to react to the Lord in all that we experience. Accepting the good and giving thanks for it, enduring the pain and offering it - pondering on it all in our hearts and presenting it to the Father whose name is holy and whose mercy reaches from age to age on those who fear him.
As we celebrate the patron of the Church in Milford the whole parish should rejoice -the central place of worship for us is a symbol of the unity to which we as parish are called. Milford, Tullylease and Freemount, forming one parish give thanks for all that we have and receive. Together we join with Elizabeth and say blessed is Mary among women - and together we pray that we can all follow the example of such a wonderful woman. Maybe at some stage today we could visit the parish church in Milford and pray asking Mary our Mother who was assumed into the presence of her Son to be with us and to guide us along the way of the Lord. Entrusting all the people of the parish to her care, we pray that any endeavours we undertake in the next twelve months, especially with regard to faith and spirituality, will bear fruit and draw us closer to the kingdom of God.