Feast of Mary’s Assumption – Sr. Esther Adama, SNDdeN
August 15, 2026
Luke 1: 39-56
The declaration of the dogma of the Assumption of Our Mother Mary by Pope Pius XII in 1950, in his apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus was/is to meant “make our belief in our own resurrection after death stronger and render it more effective.” The dogma contributes significantly to our benefit as it reflects the glory of the Most Blessed Trinity, to which the Blessed Virgin Mary is bound by such singular bonds. It was promulgated to encourage all God’s people to develop a stronger devotion toward our Blessed Mother and that those who meditate and emulate her examples will be led to her Son our Lord Jesus Christ where they too will inherit the Kingdom of God.
On this day the church celebrates a remarkable woman, our Blessed Mother’s assumption both body and soul into heaven through her victory over death. Mary our Mother has been connected with the ark of the covenant right from the early patristic epoch. She is bears Christ who is the fullness of God’s new covenant and to achieve this, God in His infinite goodness prepared and preserved a body for Himself, not just that of Jesus but His blessed Mother as well. The church refers to her as the container that contains the uncontainable (Jesus). She is the only creature endowed with that grace and privilege. Only Mary, born without the stain of original sin, could give birth to Christ (new Adam), fully God and fully human. Due to her role in God’s salvation plan, she does not suffer from the effects of sin, rather; She, enjoys God’s absolute protection from every form of evil despite the tribulation and suffering encountered as described in the first reading.
Now that the Blessed Mother is enthroned in heaven what next? Mary is not simply enjoying all the blessings of God meant for her in the heavenly realm rather as the Queen mother of the all humanity, she remains in heaven taking the role of a great intercessor who is constantly praying for her children. She is praying that our faith stays strong, loving, enduring and faithful to her Son our saviour to whom she leads us daily. We are privileged to have such a perfect Queen in heaven performing this wonderful and all-important role for us.
Having said this, I will like us to reflect on what it takes to be an intercessor, it means constantly working, watching, over us, and thinking of the wellbeing of the other. It means to empathize with the other; it is not a self-centered position but selfless way of life which Mary exemplified from her fiat all through her life to the period before and after the annunciation as she journeyed immediately to the hill country to visit and share the goodness God with her cousin Elizabeth.
This feast calls us something special and extraordinary today, by praying for someone we will not ordinarily bring before God on a normal day. Today let us ask Mary to teach us what to do when our faith is beginning to falter and when things are difficult. Let us also bring the needs of our families, communities, the sufferings of the poor and marginalized, those held captive by kidnappers, children who are deprived of the freedom of childhood and turned into adults while still children due to the war, hunger, death and the constant increased in the systemic poverty confronting our world.
As children of God dear friends, we have Mary as our Mother, who showers us with her maternal protection, love, peace and care, therefore, when we pray the rosary, let us move beyond the recitation of the words and be more pro-active to becoming the persons our loving Mother wants us to be for the greater glory of God. St. Julie reminds us in her letter 156 on this feast day to ‘imitate our Blessed mother in her humility, in her great love for the good God’ in our daily live.
Finally, this feast invites us to recall that holistic nature of the salvation of God. As Mary is assumed both body and soul into heaven, so does God desires that every human race should be in heaven with Him after our earthly life is over. This can be attained if we put conscious efforts into developing daily a deeper relationship with God by asking our Mother Mary to assist us do it as she did. So let us live for God as we reclaim and rekindle our believe in the tremendous intercession of our Mother as Queen of heaven and earth by laying our petitions, those of others and the entire world to her maternal mantle.
Luke 1: 39-56
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Meet Sister Esther Adama, SNDdeN
