SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - MASS DURING THE DAY - Gospel (Luke 1:39-56)
- NHA CHUA CHA
- Aug 16
- 7 min read
FIRST READING - Rev 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB
"A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet."
A reading from the Book of Revelation
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm. 1 [a]A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman[b] clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.[c] 3 Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon,[d] with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. 4 Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.[e] Her child was caught up to God and his throne. 6 The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days.[f] 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser[j] of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night.
SECOND READING - 1 Cor 15:20-27
"Christ the first fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ."
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits[a] of those who have fallen asleep. 21 [b]For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 23 but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 24 then comes the end,[c] when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 [d]The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 27 [e]for “he subjected everything under his feet.” But when it says that everything has been subjected, it is clear that it excludes the one who subjected everything to him.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 1:39-56
"The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly."
✠From the Gospel according to Luke
39 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord[a] should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed[b] that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
The Canticle of Mary. 46 And Mary said:[c]
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior.48 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.49 The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.50 His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.51 He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.52 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.53 The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.54 He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,55 according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - MASS DURING THE DAY - Gospel (Luke 1:39-56)
Dear People of God,
Today, the Church solemnly celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul, into Heaven. In this world, no one has been assumed into Heaven in both body and soul like Mary. She is the Immaculate Conception, the Ever-Virgin, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and the Mother of all humanity. God poured out His abundant grace upon her. She was chosen by God to be the first woman to cooperate with Him in the plan of salvation, by conceiving and giving birth to the Son of God.
She humbly considered herself a small and lowly handmaid before God, listening to and obeying God’s teachings in the most perfect way. Indeed, she is an example for all humanity to follow in absolute obedience to God, in humility, and in self-abasement before Him. She is the woman appointed by God to crush the head of the ancient serpent, which is Satan—who successfully tempted the mother of all living beings, Eve. Today, Mother Mary always accompanies people to drive away Satan. In this world, Mother Mary is the best Mother. No one has a holier love for God and for people than she. The sacrifice of Mother Mary terrified Satan when he heard her holy name, the Immaculate Conception.
She always accompanies and follows every step and every breath of human beings in all places and at all times. Therefore, she appeared many times in Fatima to deliver messages to the people, which are: to repent of sins and return to God, to diligently pray the Rosary, and to venerate her heart. Indeed, the Rosary has the power to exorcise Satan; it is the weapon that she has given to the people. The Rosary not only expresses love for Mother Mary but also demonstrates that she always accompanies and brings God to all humanity, as revealed in the life of Jesus Christ through the four mysteries: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious.
From the very beginning, when she was addressed by God as “Full of Grace,” Mary did not keep that grace to herself, but shared it with all humanity. This is evident in her visitation to Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child in her womb leapt for joy, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out, “Blessed are you among women.”
Then Mary offered a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God, saying: “My soul magnifies the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed.” The grace of being “blessed” is a gift she shares with all of humanity. It is a source of hope for those who call upon her holy name, for she intercedes on behalf of her children and defends them from the harassment of Satan.
The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary being assumed both body and soul into heaven speaks of the resurrection of the Son Of God who died to save all humanity.
This is the hope for us all at the end of time: when God calls us back to Himself at the Second Coming, our souls will be reunited with our bodies in Heaven. But in order for body and soul to be united and become one, God desires that people today live according to what He calls them to: to obey Him in all things; to always fear and worship Him alone; to listen to and faithfully carry out His teachings, following the example of Mother Mary, and not act according to our own will.
Through the intercession of Mother Mary, may God increase our strength, deepen our faith, and grant us the grace to live and practice His teachings with complete fidelity. May we learn to live a humble, self-abasement, being simple and small life like Mother Mary, and follow her example in cultivating an interior life that is always closely united with God—so that we may know how to bring God to others.
For over two thousand years, God continues to reveal to humanity that the fierce battle between Satan and the Blessed Virgin Mary still rages on. This battle is taking place in the very Sanctuary of God's dwelling. Mary, as the great Commander, leads the army of Angels, Saints, and the children of God on earth—the Army of Light—to wage war against Satan and reclaim souls for God.
Therefore, God calls everyone in the Army of Light to remain faithful to Him, to remain closely united with Him, with the Blessed Mother Mary, with the angels and saints, asking for their guidance and protection in the spiritual battle against Satan, who is spreading across the world and capturing souls for himself.
Today, Mary calls her children to:
“Be vigilant at all times and in all places, be alert against the temptations of Satan.”
“Sacrifice and pray unceasingly to God and to me, that I may strengthen you, so you may have the courage to fight against Satan, who is deceiving and capturing many souls.”
“Sin no more! Repent and return to God. Live a holy, perfect, and upright life in His sight.”
“Remain united with God at all times and in all places. Never stray from Him even for a moment, so that Satan may have no opportunity to ensnare you in his traps.”
“I love all my children. Therefore, anyone who calls upon my holy name, I promise to be with you, to help you, and to drive Satan away from your soul.”
“Hold your Rosary and pray with me. Praise God as I praised Him in the Magnificat:
'My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior’ I desire that my children always glorify God and bring Him to the entire world.”
Have faith, trust, hope, and confidence in the power of God: the day will come when He calls you out of this earthly life. If you have lived in a way pleasing to Him, He will also allow your soul and body to be reunited and share in the joy of eternal life with Him, with Mary, with the angels, and with all the saints in Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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