From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   August 15th - The Feast of the Assumption of Mary   
      
   On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly declared, "The Immaculate Mother   
   of   
   God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life,   
   was   
   assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." These words are found in the   
   apostolic constitution, "Munificentissimus Deus."   
      
   Mary has been the subject of theological discussion in the Church since the   
   early days. In the first centuries there were heresies denying the two   
   natures   
   of Jesus. There were some who refused to recognize His divinity, others who   
   refused to recognize His humanity. So it is not unexpectedly surprising that   
   some denied that Mary was the (Immaculate Virgin) Mother of God. The Council   
   at   
   Ephesus in 431 responded to these heresies by declaring that, "Mary is the   
   mother of Jesus, Jesus is God, therefore Mary is the Mother of God   
   (Theotokos,   
   or literally, "she who gave birth to the one who is God.")   
      
   In the bull "Ineffabilis Deus," Pope Pius IX states that Mary was born   
   without   
   sin (the Immaculate Conception). All through the New Testament we see Mary   
   as   
   the perfect "YES" (Fiat) to God. She says yes to God at the Annunciation.   
   She   
   believes the angel and she agrees to be the Mother of Jesus. She also says   
   yes   
   to God at the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, she dedicates her Son to   
   God.   
   She is present at Cana and has compassion on the wedding couple and tells   
   Jesus   
   that they have no more wine. She trusts and tells the servants to do   
   whatever   
   her Son says, thus His first public miracle. We see Mary intimately joined   
   with   
   Jesus throughout His life and present at His death. She shares His joys and   
   sufferings.   
      
   The Catholic Church believes that Mary's body was preserved from the   
   corruption   
   of death and that in a unique anticipation of the general resurrection, she   
   was   
   taken into heaven body and soul. Whether or not Mary actually died is   
   uncertain,   
   but generally it is believed that she left this world at Jerusalem or   
   Ephesus.   
      
   The celebration of a feast honoring Mary goes back at least as early as the   
   4th   
   century. A feast was usually celebrated on the date of death of the   
   individual   
   because this was considered his or her birthday in heaven. An ancient belief   
   tells of Mary dying on her Son's birthday. Because this day is consecrated   
   to   
   Jesus, Mary's feast was postponed. St. Gregory of Tours tells us in 580 that   
   it   
   was kept in mid-January. We also hear of it being celebrated in Syria, and   
   St.   
   Aldhelm in 690 speaks of its being celebrated in the middle of August in   
   England. August 15 is the day the Roman Catholic Church now celebrates the   
   feast   
   of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Let us raise ourselves from our fall and not give up hope as long as we are   
   free   
   from sin. Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. 'Come, let us   
   adore   
   and prostrate ourselves and weep before him' (Psalm 95:6). The Word calls us   
   to   
   repentance, crying out: 'Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily   
   burdened   
   and I will refresh you' (Matthew 11:28). There is, then, a way to salvation   
   if   
   we are willing to follow it"   
   --Saint Basil the Great   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.  (John 16:24)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Prayer to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven:   
      
   O Virgin Immaculate!  Queen of Heaven and earth!  Hail to thee O Mother of   
   God   
   and our Mother!  We profess our faith in thy triumphant Assumption into   
   Heaven,   
   where the Angels and Saints acclaimed thee as Queen of all creation.  We   
   join   
   the heavenly court in praising thee, and give praise to the Holy Trinity,   
   Who   
   from the moment of thy Conception raised thee above all creatures, and at   
   thy   
   passing drew thee gloriously into Heaven.   
      
   O Mother of the servants of God, we beseech that our will and our very lives   
   be   
   rendered unto the service of the Lord, so that we may join in union with the   
   legions of Heaven, and offer thee our deepest devotion and love.   
      
   O Mother of the Afflicted, do thou watch over and intercede for us in our   
   daily   
   misfortunes and necessities.  Transform our fear of the Judgment into a   
   lively   
   hope through thy blessed comfort, so that on that dreadful Day when Christ   
   will   
   come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire, we may be   
   granted   
   not the Divine Justice but the Divine Mercy.   
      
   O Mediatrix of all graces, as we make our spiritual pilgrimage we look to   
   thee   
   as our life, our sweetness, and our hope.  After this earthly life, pray our   
   souls, full of contrition and penitence, may be delivered unto the blessed   
   fruit   
   of thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)