Church of the Home for Saturday, August 13

The Assumption of Mary

On Monday, August 15, we will celebrate the feast day of one of the greatest mysteries of our faith: the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.

"The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of His Body." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 974).

We do not know for certain if Mary experienced bodily death or was assumed before she died. However, tradition leans towards saying that she did experience bodily death. It is believed that Mary died in the presence of the Apostles and was buried in a tomb at the foot of the Mount of Olives, outside of Jerusalem. When her tomb was opened later, it was empty.

We do not celebrate feast days, such as the Assumption, to observe events of the past. Feast days are meant to help us look at the present at the future. They give us an understanding of our own relationship with God. The Assumption evokes the concept of eternity in Heaven. It gives us hope that when our earthly life is over, we will follow Mary into the glory of Heaven and rest with God forever.

Celebrate the Feast of the Assumption within your Church of the Home. Here are a few ideas to make Monday special:

Participate in Mass (either in person or online)

Resurrection will celebrate the Assumption of Mary Mass with Fr Dean on Monday at 8:05. If you are unable to attend in person, the live stream of Mass will be available all day.

Plant a Mary Garden

In Europe and throughout the world, it was (and is still) traditional to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption by bringing the summer harvest to be blessed. The first fruits — herbs, tomatoes, summer squash, etc. — are often associated with the Feast of the Assumption both because of the time of year and because Mary was the first believer in Jesus to experience the promised resurrection. She is the first fruit of a great coming harvest. This year, celebrate her Assumption Day by planting a Mary garden of your own. If you live in an apartment or dorm, consider a potted Mary garden in your window with a small statue or image of Our Lady and a container full of potted herbs and flowers. Check out this great link with ideas for your very own Mary garden.

Have something special to eat for this feast day! Your plans can be as simple as a picnic or cookout or as fancy as a formal sit-down dinner or a proper tea. Try using fresh herbs and summer produce from your local farmers' market. Check out this recipe for Assumption Salad. Or why not put those fresh herbs and veggies on a pizza? These are great recipes for afternoon tea. Or try this fun and colorful dessert recipe that looks like clouds in the sky. Add a “Hail Mary” or “Hail, Holy Queen” to your meal blessing.

Join us for Mass this weekend in person at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.

READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES

Sunday Readings

Scripture Reflection by Roger Vanden Busch

Sunday Connection from Loyola Press

VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION

Not everyone wants to follow Jesus' difficult teachings and that may cause divisions among us. Where do we begin to change and heal our divided world? It's closer than you think. Join Steve as he reflects on this Sunday's Scripture readings.