The Church Celebrates the Family Year of Amoris Laetitia Family
On March 19, 2021, the Church celebrated the fifth anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, a spiritual teaching, Amoris Laetitia (On Love in the Family). This writing highlights the beauty and joy of love within the family unit. On this day, the Pope launched the year of “Amoris Laetitia Family”, a year celebrating the family which will conclude on June 26, 2022.
As Pope Francis reflected on the Holy Family, he invoked the Blessed Mother, “May the Virgin Mary grant that families throughout the world be increasingly fascinated by the evangelical ideal of the Holy Family, so as to become a leaven of [a] new humanity and of a genuine and universal solidarity.”
"Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family and its beauty in God's plan." (Amoris Laetitia, 325) Whenever, I struggle with family issues or the physical, mental health or spiritual being of a family member, I first turn to Mary, the Blessed Mother of our Savior. She was and remains the very first disciple of Christ bearing Him and His Truth to the world. As Christ’s mother, she was blessed to live a full life of God's grace. This Sunday, we celebrate our belief that she never lost this grace and therefore was "assumed" or brought directly to heaven with a glorified body. On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith with the following words:
“We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.” – Pope Pius XII
Mary was graced in a very powerful way so she could bear Jesus in her womb. As we were not born full of grace, God is able to dwell in us sinners, due to our baptisms. Mary remained full of this special grace so that she could care for Jesus and guide Him as he matured. She then relied on this same grace of God, to care for the first Christians, a continuation of her ministry to Jesus. And she continues this intercessory prayerful support, this healing way, this loving motherly care even now in her ministry to us.
Flowing from our Baptism, we receive grace when we partake of the visible signs of the God’s presence on earth in the Sacraments (Eucharist, Confession, Anointings, etc.,), and at other times when we invite the Lord into our lives such as, but not limited to, our devotional practices as when reciting the Rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet, attending Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, during our prayerful conversations with the Lord, and when asking for heavenly support as we care for one another. Consider the grace that is available in the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary which includes the Assumption of Our Lady (4th mystery). The first Glorious Mystery is the Resurrection of Jesus. As it says in this Sunday’s second reading, "Christ has been raised from the dead.... For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be given life." We enter into Christ's life not only by believing that He died to give us life, but by imitating Him to remain in His life.
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates Our Dear, Mother Mary leaving this earth, let us also celebrate this member of the Holy Family whom intercedes for all of our families, safeguarding us and protecting and embracing under the mantle of her care to keep the family as a foundation of societal, community, parish and our life.
Fr. John
PRAYER TO THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness come from you. In the plan of your wisdom, she, who bore the Christ in her womb, was raised body and soul in glory to be with Him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless love and praise. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.