This week the Church celebrates the Assumption of Mary into heaven. It’s a perfectly placed holy day to remind us of who we are and where we are going.

August means summer is just about over and, for those who have children, another school year is about to start. All too soon we will be replacing shorts and t-shirts with long pants and cozy sweaters as well as finishing another calendar year. The older I get the faster time seems to pass. The culture that surrounds us seems to live on emotions alone which can change faster than the wind, and produce just as much chaos and turmoil as any windstorm or tornado. While there is value in living in the moment, we also should not be hyper focused on solely how we feel as the barometer of our life. One can’t seem to escape the headlines or sound bites indicating an epidemic of depression. Too many see their value based on fleeting ideals of their career, their bank account, their status in society, or even their popularity on social media. Yet the Church reminds us Catholics to stop and remember the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our baptism welcomed us into the family of God. Our purpose is not a secular one based on what we can measure here on earth, but rather how we reflect and imitate the love of God to each other. From the first chapter in Luke’s Gospel, Mary sings God’s praise to Elizabeth. Instead of reflecting on the message she received about her own miracle, she rushed to assist her kinswoman Elizabeth. One could argue that Mary’s purpose was to be the Mother of Jesus during His time on earth. But her motherhood didn’t end when Jesus died on the cross because He gave her a new role as Mother of the Church. 

Parenthood is not just a title, but a multi-faceted job that takes one’s whole self, requires sacrifice, can be painful and yet produces a joy that can only be experienced and not explained. Aspects of Mary’s spiritual motherhood can be found in praying the Litany of Loreto, which has over 50 titles for her. There are 15 titles that include the word “Mother,” 7 titles containing “Virgin,” and 13 titles with “Queen.” Some titles describe how she intercedes on our behalf and others are comparisons that paint a more tangible perspective of a mirror, a tower or a vessel. Praying and reflecting on the litany reminds us that God has not placed us here for a single moment in time, but rather at a particular period of time to accomplish His will in many different ways. While we can evaluate how we respond to God’s will and how much we have pursued a relationship with Him, we cannot be the final judge of how much we accomplished as that is in the hands of God.

The feast of the Assumption reminds us that there is more to life than the daily grind. Eternal life with God is possible if we have a relationship with Him now and seek to do His will as Mary did. God brought Mary full circle at the end of her life by bringing her, body and soul, into heaven. This is not something she could achieve as a mere creature created by God. This is a supreme gift from Almighty God as a blessing to Mary for fulfilling His will on earth. At the moment of her conception, she was preserved from original sin and at the hour of her death her body was spared any decay or corruption by being assumed into heaven. Mary is enjoying now what we hope to, God willing, after our resurrection from the dead. 

The summer draws to a conclusion and the daylight hours grow fewer. Another year ends and our time on earth is shortened. Yet our hope is in the Lord as our source of light and life. Our journey is not through this time but towards God as we seek to know Him as our Father and love Him by choosing His will over ours. May the Blessed Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, intercede for us with her motherly wisdom.