Dennis Chriszt, C.PP.S., points out why the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is important for all of us.
By Dennis Chriszt, C.PP.S.
When the Church celebrates the assumption of Mary, we might wonder what this has to do with us. The answer is quite simple: Whatever God has done for Mary, God has done or will do for us. Mary was conceived without original sin, and in the waters of baptism, we are cleansed of original sin. Mary brought Christ into the world, in the anointing with chrism, we are commissioned to bring him into the world by what we say and do. And as Mary was assumed into heaven, a place in heaven awaits us.
In today’s gospel, we hear Mary’s great prayer of thanksgiving (Luke 1:46–47), a prayer we are invited to make our own: Our souls proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior.
Whatever God has done for Mary, God has done or will do for us.
Many years ago, when I was a seminarian, I did some volunteer work at an inner-city parish in Chicago. The pastor emeritus had been retired there for many years. When he was pastor in the 1960s and 70s, the neighborhood around the parish changed. It had once been a large Irish Catholic community, but as Black families began to move in, most of the long-time parishioners began to move out.
The pastor strove to welcome the new members of the community and at the same time to encourage the parishioners to stay in the neighborhood and welcome their new neighbors, too. While many of the white parishioners moved away, he stayed. And when he retired, he asked the new pastor if he could continue to stay.
I got to know him as a kind, old man—a man of God—who cared deeply for the people of God no matter their race, color, or creed. When I was a deacon, I would sometimes assist him at Mass. His vision was going and he was sometimes forgetful, losing track of where he was in the celebration. After a while, he could no longer preside and rarely left his room, and on occasion I would bring him his meals and we would talk.
During one conversation, he told me that he wanted the Magnificat, the prayer of Mary, to be read at his funeral. He was afraid that whoever preached at his funeral would make him out to be a good and holy man, and he wanted none of that.
During one conversation, he told me that he wanted the Magnificat, the prayer of Mary, to be read at his funeral. He was afraid that whoever preached at his funeral would make him out to be a good and holy man, and he wanted none of that. What he wanted people to remember was what Mary wanted people to remember: “The Mighty one has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1:49). Mary takes no credit for anything and instead points to what God has done for her. The old, dying priest wanted to be remembered for what God had done, not for what he had done.
Every evening, millions of people in the Church pray the Magnificat. Every time I pray it, I am reminded to remember what Mary and that old, dying priest remembered: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
– courtesy: U.S. Catholic
Author: Fr M.A. Joe Antony, SJ
Welcome to our new online magazine, INI!
INI, is a new venture of the Madurai Province (MDU), Tamil Nadu, India, born on the feast day of St. Ignatius, 31 July 2021 - the year which Jesuits celebrate as the Ignatian Year – the 500th anniversary of his conversion.
INI, by the way, is not an acronym. INI, as you may guess, are the first two syllables of the original first name of St. Ignatius. He was called 'Inigo.' INI stands also for 'initiative'. There is a Tamil word, which is pronounced exactly like the first two syllables of ‘Inigo’ and ‘initiative’. It means ‘henceforth,’ - ‘from now on.’
INI is, in fact, the brainchild of Fr. Danis Ponniah,SJ, MDU Provincial. It is he who thought of it and invited me to edit it. Trusting in the unfailing grace of God, the maternal love of Our Blessed Mother, and the blessings of our Founder and Father, St. Ignatius, I have accepted to edit this online magazine. I hope my experience of editing the New Leader for 20 years and Jivan, the South Asian Jesuit magazine for 17 years, will help. So will the feedback and help of the eminent members of our Editorial (Advisory) Board.
Anyone who asks ‘What is important to today’s Jesuits?’ has only to look at what Jesuits call their 'Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs).' After a long, serious process of discernment and discussion that lasted for nearly two years, Fr. General Arturo Sosa, SJ declared on 19 February 2019 that all through this decade (2020 -2029) Jesuits all over the world will focus on four areas: 1. To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment; 2. To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice; 3. To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future; 4. To collaborate in the care of our Common Home.
In the light of these four apostolic preferences, every Jesuit Province has come up with its own apostolic preferences – called Province Apostolic Preferences (PAPs). Provinces seem to have mostly tried to interpret the UAPs in their own local context. The MDU Province came up with five - the first four reflecting the UAPs in the context of the State of Tamil Nadu, India and the fifth one on Jesuit formation – forming our men in Ignatian spirituality to be credible in life and mission.
Apart from focusing on UAPs of Jesuits, if any Province has, among its PAPs, something unique – like MDU’s PAP on Jesuit formation, INI will look at them too, with a view to enlightening others on why they consider it important.
INI is not merely for Jesuits everywhere, but also for all our associates and collaborators - professors, teachers, students, alumni, and priests and religious who belong to IGFA - the Ignatian Family - all those who draw inspiration from St. Ignatius and the Ignatian spirituality, all those who collaborate with Jesuits – priests, Religious and all men and women of good will.
So read INI regularly and send us your feedback. Write. Get your friends and colleagues to read it.
To begin with, INI will be a quarterly, published every three months.
It is free and if you want it to be sent to your inbox regularly, you need to register, giving your name and email address.
Let INI inspire us all, in its own little way, to show the way to God, to walk with the marginalized and the poor, to work for reconciliation, justice and peace, to accompany our youth, and to care for our planet, our home!
View all posts by Fr M.A. Joe Antony, SJ
