http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZjUgRjbTYY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moBvLFbFdJ4
I apologize to you - for some reason my blog posting of reflections on Labor Day disappeared. So I am attempting to recreate some other thoughts for you. Blessings, sj
“Every human being enjoys a basic right to be respected, not because of any title, position, prestige, or accomplishment but first of all because we are created in the image and likeness of God. From an ethical and moral perspective we embrace the exhortation of St. Paul "to anticipate one another in showing honor" (Rom 12:10).
Litany of Labor:
Leader: Let us pray to the God of all creation, from whom comes life, work and purpose.
Almighty God, when you lovingly formed us out of the dust of the earth, you breathed into us the breath of life and gave us work and purpose for living.
We give you thanks, O God.
• For those who plow the field; for farmers and farm workers, for those who work with their hands and those who move the earth, for all who provide food for others.
• For those who tend the sick and those who seek new cures; for doctors and nurses, for scientists and technicians; for all who work to care for the sick.
• For those who design and create; for inventors and explorers, for artists and musicians; for those who write books and those who entertain; for all who open windows on their world through art and music.
• For those who work in offices and those who work in warehouses; for secretaries and receptionists, for stockers and bookkeepers; for those who market products and for those who move them; for all who serve others through administration.
• For those who inspire our minds and those who motivate us; for teachers and preachers, for public servants and religious servants; those who help the poor and those who work with our children; for all who encourage us to learn.
• For those whose labor is tidiness and cleanliness; for janitors and sanitary workers, for drycleaners and maids; for those who produce cleaning products and those who use them; for all those who add beauty and cleanliness to your world.
• For those who sail the waves and those who fly the skies; for captains and attendants, for astronauts and deep sea divers; for those who chart and those who navigate.
• For those who serve in the armed forces; for soldiers and airmen; sailors and marines; for all those who put themselves in harms way to protect others.
• You bless us all with skills and gifts for labor. You provide us opportunities to use them, for the benefit of others as well as ourselves and the growth of your Kingdom on earth. Guard and protect those who labor in the world.
• Send your special favor on the unemployed, the under-employed and the disabled, that they may find work that enriches their lives and provides for their families.
• Give health to the sick, hope to the bereaved.
• Keep us from laboring for ourselves alone.
• Make us loving and responsible in all that we do. (Adapted from: Author: Carolyn Moomaw Chilton)
http://usccbmedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/labor-day-reflection-income-inequality.html
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/labor-employment/labor-day-statement-2013.cfm
http://blogs.luc.edu/bioethics/2013/08/27/labor-day-reflection-being-hospitable-toward-labor/
Scripture reference: Luke 5:1-11
In today’s Gospel, Luke is presenting us with a picture of what God looks like and how God acts. He is doing it through the medium of story and through the textures and colors of the unique characters of Peter and his fishing companions. Jesus climbs into Simon’s boat to catch Peter’s attention and spirit. This is a clue as to how God acts! God moves into our lives, our comfort zones, if you will, very subtly and mysteriously, and then invites us to let go of our familiar ways, our predictable patterns, our safe places, our long held beliefs, attitudes, and points of view that are not “of God” so that we are available to God’s on-going invitation to “Go deeper”!
Jesus has cast the net of call – this net is always about letting the Word “catch us” as we are, “just minding our own business.” Peter was doing his usual thing, going out into the dark of night to fill his nets with fish for his family and village. However, once he encountered Jesus, he would no longer be the same. Jesus, the carpenter, tells Peter the fisherman to throw his nets over on the other side of his boat and to go deeper at a time when the water is warm, the sun is high in the sky, the fish have gone into the cool mud of the bottom waters, and the guys are just plain tired.
By letting himself be “caught” by Jesus, Peter instantly (through grace) lets go of his control and trusts in the invitation to go deeper, certainly a metaphor indicating that something in his own inner deepness will be transformed. Within moments of the nets being lowered, they are filled to capacity, nearly causing the boats to capsize. These men now stand in awe, for they have experienced scarcity transformed into abundance, control transformed into trust, confidence transformed into vulnerability, routine transformed into risk, and the ordinary transformed into the extraordinary. We are told by Luke that they left everything they used to do and completely committed themselves to a new angling adventure!
Today, we gather to remember and celebrate three people who were “caught” by the net of call as well, and who manifested God’s love, mercy, generosity, and forgiveness: namely, Fr. Caspar Rehrl, Anne Marie Hazotte (Mother Agnes), and Fr. Francis Haas.
In the opening paragraph of Sr. Margaret Lorimer’s book, Ordinary Sisters, she writes: “The Sisters of St. Agnes count as their founders one woman and two men, but at no one time did the three plan or work together to form a religious community.” Perhaps we could say today, that this one woman and two men are our own trinity of founders, who revealed what God is like by their response to the call, along with their gifts of faith, hope, creativity, courage, tenacity, inspiration, and their capacity to endure prolonged suffering and hardship.
If we review the writings that tell of the lives of these three unique individuals, we find that they all had an inner passion, purpose, and desire to make a difference with their own lives and to give purpose to the lives of the peoples settled in the Wisconsin territory and beyond during the mid-19th century.
Fr. Caspar Rehrl:
In her book, Fieldstones ’76, Sister Imogene Palen, describes Caspar Rehrl as “priest, missionary, trail blazer, builder of churches and schools, publisher, organizer of parishes, a holy man of God who was chosen to found the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes.” Although Fr. Rehrl (according to Sr. Margaret’s writings) did not intend to found a traditional sisterhood, he did want the community to be recognized by the universal church.
Thus, in 1858, he composed a rule of which he submitted to Bishop Henni of Milwaukee. (Sr. M. writes) “The first rule Fr. Rehrl wrote visualized the sisters primarily as teachers in rural areas and as servants of the priests. Their motherhouse should be located in the country, or at least on the outskirts of the village. They should have the usual farm animals and gardens, but in addition, they should plant grapes and have honey bees, raise and manufacture flax, spin their own wool, and make their own dresses. They should make candles and church vestments, clean the church, and wash the vestments and linen. If the priest in a parish had no cook, the sisters should cook for him.”
7. Recreation
The Agnesians abhor mundane recreations or dancing but they can recreate by walking in the garden and fields, by singing, and by everything which pleases God. They may have no musical instruments but such as can be used for divine services, as the organ or melodeon. They may have sheep so that the Agnesians may be able watch the lambs.
In summary, Sr. Margaret writes, Bishop Henni did not find this rule satisfactory.
We also recall a story that speaks of how Fr. Rehrl’s vocation discernment techniques left much to be desired. It is told that when he would visit his friends in the Barton farmlands, they would often ask if he needed anything. One time when he was visiting Caspar Blum, Caspar asked him, “Father, what is it you need today, how much wheat and how much barely?” The farmer was startled when Fr. Rehrl responded, “I need her,” pointing to the farmer’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Anna, who eventually did enter the community.
Fr. Rehrl died Sept. 3, 1881, and two days later was his funeral Mass, of which newspaper accounts estimated that 5,000 people had paid tribute to this Apostle to the Shores of Lake Winnebago. Among the prayers that were expressed, it was often said that “he was holy.”
Fr. Francis Haas:
On reviewing the letters of Fr. Francis Haas to Mother Agnes, our Sr. Mary Monica Kutch writes: “What do these letters tell us about Fr. Francis Haas?” She summarizes her findings with the following list:
• His whole life was spiritually oriented in answer to his vocation to mission;
• He was dedicated to the establishment of the Congregation of St. Agnes as a papal institute, firmly, authentically Roman Catholic as he understood it in his day;
• He was “Franciscan” in ideals and practices, appreciative of the finer things of life, valuing cleanliness, healthful foods and the environment (including nature, education, and art), and he lived a life of simplicity;
• He was a man of regularity in habits, dependable, of great strength of character, appreciative, dedicated to the spread of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Sacrament, and St. Agnes;
• His attitude toward the women whom he shepherded was typical of that of men of his day: 1) he was “Father” to his “children” the sisters, 2) he was protector and disciplinarian, and 3) he found women hard to understand;
• His sense of humor was evident to friends who enjoyed his company, and although circum- stances brought a changed attitude toward Mother Agnes, his deep sense of friendship as co-founder of the Congregation never faltered.
In the history of the Capuchins of the Province of St. Joseph, Fr. Campion Baer writes of Francis: “The suffering and trial of his final years had mellowed Francis. When he began the religious community (the Capuchins), his desire to introduce the order in all its purity and perfection had an influence on his conduct. He was harsh at times even severe as a matter of principle and sense of duty.” … However, he adds later: “As Francis came in contact with other provinces and saw how they observed religious life, he came to realize that governing with strict authority and law was not always the most fruitful way of maintaining religious observance. Although strict, almost severe, Francis also was as tender as a mother.”
Mother Agnes:
Finally, in this deep story of call, we reflect upon Mother Agnes, who in 1863 came from Detroit to Barton at the age of 16. Upon her arrival, Fr. Rehrl called her his “child of destiny,” and in July of 1864, after renewal of vows, she was elected Superior General, and was faithful to that leadership role until her death in 1905. In Sr. Margaret’s book, she quotes Sr. Luisa Wolsiffer, who paints a picture for us of how God looked and was revealed through the life of Mother Agnes.
“Mother Agnes possessed a strength and nobility of character which commanded the love and esteem of the sisters. In the government of the congregation, she manifested great wisdom and prudence, and met difficulties fearlessly and with courage. She accomplished much by means of prayer; her devotion to the Holy Eucharist, our Blessed Mother and to St. Joseph was remarkable. . . Mother Agnes was charitable not only to members of her household, but also extended her charity beyond the precincts of the convent. She cared for orphans, assisted poor students for the priesthood, and cared for the destitute parents of the sisters.”
So what is the Good News for us today? Let us ponder that . . .
• Call is the impulse to move ahead in a meaningful way – it is passion, purpose, desire, and choice all rolled into one.
• Call creates the urge to do something significant; it provides the inner drive that informs us that it is time to get on with it!
• Call takes us beyond the confines of what we thought we knew to regions of high risk and the unknown.
• Call lingers in the realm of the mysterious where God whispers to us again and again . . . “There is nothing to fear.”
Recently I read an obituary of a woman religious in the Archdiocesan paper. What was provided about her 81 years of life was: her name, dates of birth and death, religious community in which she was a member, dates of first profession and final profession, and States in which she ministered. I was fortunate to have directed her on a retreat. Her story of faithfulness was not mentioned. I felt a little twinge of emptiness inside. However I’m sure her story of faithfulness probably will be shared again and again at her wake service and funeral.
I felt the same sort of empty twinge when I first began to reflect on the readings about the life of St. Monica (331-387). As I came upon the feast of St. Monica in the Calendar of Saints, I was somewhat stunned to read the following in the listing with her name, she is described as simply, WIDOW. Here, too, her story of faithfulness is not mentioned unless you “Bing,” “Google” or “Yahoo” search for her.
As I considered this description, I soon asked myself, “Isn't there more?” Monica lived into her late 50’s – quite uncommon for those days. As I continued to read about her life, I discovered that she had a very full life. I was sure that if she had lived today, she certainly would have more descriptors than just - Widow.
We celebrate Monica on August 27th – a Christian, a woman, a daughter-in-law, a woman of authentic voice, a woman of fortitude, a visionary and dreamer, a woman of integrity, a woman of long suffering, a patient and prayerful wife, a faithful mother, and widow.
She was born of Christian parents in North Africa, yet they arranged her marriage to a non-Christian. Patricius was a pagan man with a violent temper and unfaithful to her as a husband. It is written that he never beat her, but we know psychological abuse can leave “scars” as well. Her mother-in-law also lived with them and she was verbally abusive to Monica. However, Monica was patient with them and prayed for their openness to be received into the Christian faith. Through her prayers and her kindness, eventually her husband and his mother became Christians. And it is written that they remained very respectful of Monica’s generosity to the poor, her deep faith, and constant prayer life. When she was at the age of 40, her husband died, leaving her a widow.
They had three children, of whom the eldest was Augustine. He was brilliant, likeable, a talented scholar, and also a source of constant worry for her. At age 17, he left home for the wild life, and lived recklessly taking on the truth and ideals of the heresies of his day. He was particularly troubled by the mystery of evil. Eventually, after 18 years of prayers and fasting for her son’s conversion, he was baptized. Shortly thereafter, Monica died.
As Joan Chittister once remarked, “The good news is that great women have always walked the earth; that their footprints are still clear; that their presence has changed things both in the Church and society.”
And so today, Monica – your life made a difference in the faith of your husband, mother-in-law, children, and especially in the life of your son, Augustine. Your life has made a difference in the lives of so many people throughout the centuries – for you are considered patroness of troubled parents, battered wives, despondent mothers, widows, and alcoholics. May the words from Thessalonians honor you today: “The news of your faith in God is celebrated everywhere – We call to mind how you proved your faith by your actions, laboring in love, and showing constancy of hope in Christ Jesus.”
We thank you, Monica, woman, Christian, wife, mother, faith-filled pray-er, widow, and Saint.
One can often sense that the season of fall is subtly seeping into the cracks and crevices of the complexion of late summer. At night the crickets are creating a cacophony of chirping while accompanied by the light from the full moon. During the day, one can notice the bright red color of the smooth Sumac near the road sides, and garden shops are displaying dried flower arrangements alongside an assortment of chrysanthemum plants.
However, another clue that there is a shift in the season here in the northern hemisphere is that on my travels to work, I pass a plethora of yard signs. No, they do not exhibit campaign slogans for political candidates. These are signs notifying passers-by that a de-cluttering has occurred. The signs read: Garage $ale, Rummage $ale, or Yard $ale. Do not take these signs literally – the garages and yards of these residences are not for sale. What has happened is that within these domestic confines, there has been a “shift” and a cleaning up and out of the attics, closets, basements, storage spaces, and the garages has occurred. Sort of a household “intervention”!
This de-cluttering happens for all sorts of reasons:
• There is no longer a need for certain items
• A move to another house, apartment, or condo
• A desire to down-size
• Individuals have died; or individuals have grown up and moved out of the house, or there has been a change in a relationship
• A Sale like this is a quick way to obtain some extra cash to buy school supplies for the kiddies
• Or a desire to change the theme, color, or environment of certain rooms and everything has to go!
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about entering the narrow gate. Some of his followers think they are BFF’s. However, just eating, drinking, and walking with Jesus is not enough to pass through the narrow gate. Discipleship calls for a “de-cluttering” of certain pious practices, attitudes, and behaviors that may keep one spiritually proud and thinking you are “first” in line when Jesus says – get thee to the end of the line! Yikes!!
When I think of a “narrow gate,” I often think of those turnstiles that one can encounter at museums, stadiums, sub-way stations, cafeterias, amusement parks, or certain lobbies. This type of “gate” allows for one person to pass at a time with a trusty coin, token, ticket, or pass in hand for entrance. One cannot approach these “narrow gates” with a lot of items in hand, or on your back, or even with a U-haul, so as to pass through with as little hassle as possible. One only passes through with ease when there is nothing encumbering one’s movement.
So, too, Jesus states: “Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life – to God! – is vigorous and requires your total attention.” That is, attention on God and not on power, prestige, or possessions. I would think that hearing Jesus speak of the narrow gate calls for us all to assess the clutter within ourselves and that we consider the practice to “strive” to live more simply – by being unencumbered by desires and regrets, by jealousy and grudges, comparisons and the need of validation from others. This invitation from Jesus calls us to deliberately, consciously, and creatively choose to live simply and not to bother about striving to be first in line.
Therefore, simply letting go, letting come, and letting be. Then we will begin to choose to live more simply—“we simply are who we simply are. . . the simplicity that enables us to hold lightly the things of this world, and to take ourselves lightly as well, is the fruit of having discovered and surrendered to the Essence of us. . . If, as we seek God, we grow in wisdom, we learn that the clutter of things can distract us from the awareness of God’s indwelling, that true simplicity is more about being detached that it is about being without possessions, and that self-acceptance is key to overcoming the preoccupation that blinds us to the simple truth that we share a common Essence with all creation.” (The God Instinct by Tom Stella)
A prayer of “de-cluttering” by John of the Cross - He must have had a Heart $ale and performed a major clearing with profound grace!
Prayer of Detachment
Deliver me, O Jesus
from the desire of being loved, from the desire of being extolled, from the desire of being praised, from the desire of being preferred, from the desire of being consulted, from the desire of being approved, from the desire of being popular.
Deliver me, O Jesus
from the fear of being humiliated, from the fear of being despised, from the fear of suffering rebukes, from the fear of being forgotten, from the fear of being wronged, from the fear of being ridiculed, from the fear that others may be loved more than I.
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
that others may be esteemed more than I, that in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, that others may be chosen and I set aside, that others may be praised and I unnoticed, that others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should. (- John of the cross (1542-1591)
John, move to the front of the line!!!
One time while I was attending a parish liturgy the priest finished reading the Gospel, much like the one we have today, where Jesus the “Prince of Peace” proclaims: "I have come to set the earth on fire” and "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No I tell you, but rather division, " . . . he said: “Welcome to the ‘not-so-nice Jesus!’
We probably are wondering – why would Jesus speak about establishing division? I would think that if we would all ponder the issues that face our world today, we could identify those “fires” that burn across our planet that cause division in the minds, hearts, and souls of human kind.
I simply “Googled” issues facing our planet and found this website http://www.globalissues.org/
Then I clicked on Loss of Biodiversity. Wow! “Fire” all around the habitats and environments of the voiceless species of this small insignificant planet of this galaxy! Would the “not-so-nice” Jesus speak out today on these ‘fires” as well?
While listening to NPR today, a spokesperson for young adults shared this website http://www.wearepowershift.org/ to bring to our awareness of the division that is happening because of the misinformation or “government-speak” that drowns out the issues regarding fracking and the controversial ($7.6 billion) oil pipeline stretching from Canada to Texas.
I recall the writings of John Dear, SJ, who reminds us of living the Beatitudes. I believe that as we celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary and read her Magnificat Song in the Scriptures, we know she taught Jesus to find his song and sing it throughout his life. I believe his song was that of the Beatitudes which caused great division between him and the political and religious leaders that were stalking him. He truly was a “presence that disturbed.” Although this writing is not recent, its power to disturb our minds, hearts, and souls still is full of energy. Here’s the link. http://www.johndear.org/
I don’t desire to present “my view” on any of these issues, but just that there are so many “fires” that divide us and I ask that we all take responsibility to become more informed about all sides of the issues and speak out, and make choices with integrity and courage that will be the best for the Common Good – for we all share this one small planet. The song of Jesus continues today in the hearts, minds, and voices that call us all to remember that we are “just visiting” here and we are to be stewards of the gifts we have be given.
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. -Teresa of Avila
SHOW ME THE SUFFERING OF THE MOST MISERABLE
Show me the suffering of the most miserable; So I will know my people’s plight.
Free me to pray for others; For you are present in every person. Help me to take responsibility for my own life; So that I can be free at last. Give me honesty and patience; So that I can work with other workers. Bring forth song and celebration; So that the Spirit will be alive among us. Let the Spirit flourish and grow; So that we will never tire of the struggle. Let us remember those who have died for justice; For they have given us life. Help us love even those who hate us; So we can change the world. Amen.
~César Chávez
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without any hesitation.
The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a full lifetime. But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. “I've been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”
On August 15th, we gather to celebrate, to remember and to affirm our belief once again in the passing of Mary into God’s embrace – body and soul. We gather to celebrate all that she had within her that enabled her to trust in Mystery, to walk in the holy darkness of questions and to ponder her experiences in the light of faith, to hope in God’s love amidst her joys and sorrows, losses and finding and the deaths and risings she encountered, and to live with courage as she responded moment by moment to the challenges and surprises that resulted from her “Yes, let it be done.”
The Assumption of Mary into heaven is one of the oldest feasts of Mary. It is easily traced back to at least the 5th century and some historians say it was even celebrated as far back as the 3rd century. The event is not found in Scripture, and there were no witnesses – the feast came before its definition– it came from the belief of the people, the heart of the people. It is written, that in 1946 Pope Pius XII sent an encyclical letter to all the bishops of the world and asked them to confer with their people about the mystery of the Assumption becoming a dogma of the Church. On the strength of their response and the testimony of history he declared the Assumption dogma in 1950. (What a great process – “confer with their people.” Maybe this should be considered once again.)
Most of what we know about Mary in Scripture comes from the Gospels of Luke and John. As a young Jewish girl, she grew into womanhood with an extraordinary faith. Oftentimes she did not understand what God was asking of her, but she believed with all her heart that it could and would be done, and she acted accordingly. It was enough for her to be called to move within holy mystery and gently hold the tension of all that was being asked of her. She did not seek answers, clarity or quick results – we are told that “she held all these things in her heart” and treasured them until their meaning was revealed a grace at a time!
In our Gospel today, Mary, a young pregnant woman went with haste to the hills of Judea to visit her older pregnant cousin, Elizabeth, who has lived the past six months no longer barren and with a quieted husband. Mary remains there for at least 3 months to be of help and to share the joy of expectation that most mothers-to-be experience.
In response to Elizabeth’s greeting, Mary proclaims a song of liberation for all people; one in which ideals are reversed and the household of God will be peopled by the poor, the hungry, and the ones with no power. These women, who stand pregnant in an embrace of joy, laughter, and praise for God’s marvels, will give birth to children of the Magnificat. These children in turn will one day stand together and sing a new song that will be revolutionary. John will sing his song of repentance and ring out the Good News that the Messiah is here. Jesus will sing his song of Beatitude that breaks through to the hearts of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized and beyond the laws of purification.
No doubt that after the Ascension, Mary grew in age, grace and wisdom as well. She, too, was filled with the Pentecost fire of the Spirit and would have received the same energy and power of the Spirit as the disciples. So how can this feast speak to us?
Mary not only witnesses to the action of God in her life, but she is a woman who was fully human, gifted with grace, truth, mercy, compassion, and faithfulness, on fire with the Spirit, generous in ministry, and centered in God. These are a few of the treasures that she had deep within her that enabled her to be a woman, wife, mother, sister, cousin, friend, disciple, prophet, and witness.
So let us ask boldly for all that she had within her that enabled her to be authentic, faithful, and trusting, so that we, too, will sing out our prophetic song of faithfulness and hope.
Let us ask boldly for all that she had within her to walk in Mystery, for we, too, have journeyed over these years, committed to the transformation of the world, the Church and ourselves promoting mutuality, inclusivity, and collaboration.
And let us ask boldly for all that she had within her to live with courage and to hold tensions creatively, always receptive to God’s grace and to stand tall in this time of liminality, living with paradox and contradictions, not running from mystery, while holding the precious stones of our stories as we proclaim, “God has done great things for us!”
Seven Wonders of the World
A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World." Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not yet finished her paper. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."
The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are:
1. to see
2. to hear
3. to touch
4. to taste
5. to feel
6. to laugh
7. and to love."
The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
Submitted by: Joy Garrison Wasson (Teacher/Muncie, IN)
I believe we could consider this celebration to be one of the seven wonders of our faith, along with the feasts of the Incarnation, Transfiguration, Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost, and the Immaculate Conception. The Assumption of Mary into heaven is one of the oldest celebrations of Mary. It is easily traced back to the 5th century. It became an official feast of the church in 1950.
The author, Wayne Dyer, once wrote a book entitled, “10 Secrets to Inner Peace.” One of the secrets he presents is this: “don’t die with your music still inside you.”
He explains that there is within each of us that place of inner knowing that holds our purpose; that which we are passionate about – and he says that it takes risk to sing our song. My reflections today, are shaped into a litany form to praise and give gratitude to Mary who was willing to risk singing her song – for she was a woman of purpose, a woman of prayer, and a woman with passion.
Mary – woman of courage; Mary – woman of trust, Mary – woman of risk – guide us.
- Mary, you journeyed to Elizabeth to share the astonishing things that God had done for you.
- Mary, you sought out Elizabeth to rejoice with her because God blessed her with new life growing within her.
- Mary, you sought out Elizabeth to embrace you with her unconditional love; to breathe upon you her words of understanding and to be held close to her heart of compassionate presence so your hearts could beat as one.
- You sought out Elizabeth because in her barrenness she knew the experience of shame, rejection, and ridicule. You needed her wisdom to help you remain faithful to God’s dream for you and God’s people.
Mary – unwed Mother; Mary – marginalized woman; Mary – oppressed woman – pray for us.
- Mary, you sang your Magnificat song and caused the child in Elizabeth’s womb to dance
- Mary, your visitation awakened John to the music within himself to be herald of your son, Jesus.
- Mary, your presence moved Elizabeth to sing her song of praise, purpose and passion.
Mary – liberator of the oppressed; Mary – political refugee; Mary – sign of contradiction – strengthen us.
- Mary, your song is a song of liberation. Your song praises God for having singled out the lowly and blessing Israel.
- Mary, your song praises God’s liberating actions on behalf of the marginalized and exploited peoples.
- Mary, your words are words of prophetic challenge to unjust systems where peoples are oppressed and held hostage by political rulers, the arrogant rich, and those who hold onto the illusions of power and deception.
Mary – Mother of the Liberator; Mary – Mother of the non-violent; Mary – Mother of a political prisoner; Mary – first disciple – empower us.
Let us pray: Mary, we desire not die with our music still inside us.
We entrust our lives to you. Teach us to risk singing our song.
Encourage us to seek out support on this earthly journey when we are overwhelmed with what is being asked of us. Mary, inspire us to live justly, to be in right relationship with all of life and to love goodness. Woman of faith, woman of vision, woman of wisdom, woman of song – empower us to be peacemakers. Dare us to live centered in God and dare us to live our song.
Amen.
