High lights of today's feast:
(1) Jn14:6 says"I am the way& the truth &the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"Implying for everything you have to come thru' God. Then Why Mary?
(2) JN2 at Cana,U'll see when U request via Mary, You get more than what you asked? New wine!
(3) Is above (1)&(2) contradict?
(4) What is immaculate conception of Mary?
(5) Why church took more than 18 centuries to define the dogma's of Mary?
Are U prepared to spend around 9 minutes/out of 1440 minutes(around 0.6%) of today: to listen:
http://www.sinhalagospel.lk/su
Today's reflection:
On 15th August 2016, we celebrate the feast of Assumption of Mary
Is it real?
In order to analyze the assumption of MARY, you should first consider the role of Mary, as seen from Gospel
Jn14:6 says"I am the way& the truth &the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"Implying for everything you have to come thru' God.
Jn2: 1st Miracle of Cana,Implies, for your happiness,intercession of Mary will result, for you to be given more than what U,ask!(New wine).
Will these 2 Gospel readings contradict?.
When you analyze CANA incident,you notice,God showing us
(1)when HE is present,only Mary got to know wine is depleting(HE pretend not to know)
(2) Jesus did not decline Mary,asking her wedding managers should report to HIM.
(3)Jesus made better wine than that they were using
(4)Jesus should have made wine from nothing,but HE insisted,water to be filled-indicating that you should follow7 ethics+church rules,in good faith- this is in line with Jn16:4; HE never compromise about action that has to be followed to achieve our freedom.
(5)Mary did not know,that Jesus was asking/ to fill water-indicating difference between Mary&God. Despite she told' Do whatever HE asked you to do".
These 2 Gospel readings supplement each other rather than contradicting and gives an additional message for us to practice. Intercessionary prayers and value of associating with other humans or saints.
Until 18th century, church and it's followers did not have any necessity to define dogma on Holy Mary, they believed the immaculate conception and assumption of Mary. But subsequent development of philosophies, by charles Darwin, karl marx, miller and sigmund Freud, which lead society on controversial ides of governing by a dictatorship,ignoring other people ideas, which lead man to hate God,considering man is an animal. From 1854 to 1950, world was undergoing many hardships,along with new philosophies with 2 world wars, many dying in wars.
What make them to establish dogma's on Mary?
If these philosophers were right, and if the man is naturally good and capable of deification through his own efforts, then it follows that everyone is immaculately conceived. The church arose in protest and affirmed that only one human in the world is immaculately conceived and human is prone to sin, and that freedom is best preserved when like Mary, a creature answers Fiat to the Divine Will.
The dogma of the Immaculate conception wilted and killed the false optimism of the inevitable and necessary progress of man without God. MAN FINALLY SAW THAT HE WAS NOT NATURALLY GOOD. ONCE HAVING BOASTED THAT HE CAME FROM THE BEAST, HE NOW FOUND HIMSELF ACTING LIKE A BEAST.
Hence Holy Spirit introduced 2 dogma's.(1) Immaculate conception was established by Pope Pius IX on 8/12/1854,(2) dogma for Assumption of Mary, by pope Pius XII on 1/11/1950.
Having understood, what makes Holy spirit to establish dogma's of Mary
Why God create Mary, without sin, has to be further analyzed.
Jesus gave 10 times as much of His life to Mary compared to His apostles!. If the mere touch of His garment could cure a women suffering with an issue of blood, then the human mind can hardly contemplate what 30 years of residence with Jesus must have done for Mary!After the years of companion with Philip,Jesus said to Him"Have I been with you for all these time & still you do not understand?"How much greater of an understanding of His mysteries He might there fore expected of His mother!, who was with Him during All His hidden life!.Though She doesn't seem to have followed Him as the 12 apostles and some other women did all the way from Gallile to Jerusalem; she was with Him at the most crucial moments of His mission,in Cana & Calvary,which witness beginning & end of His ministry.
From the very dawn of mankind, purity has been deemed essential to any sacrifice. So when the time arrived for the second person of the blessed Trinity to come to earth & offer to GOD & infinitely Meritorious sacrifice in expiations for man's sins,'it was only reasonable that GOD should create Mary free from every stain of sin, if for no other purpose than the honor of His Son, who was GOD.
How Mary Himself showed about Immaculate Conception!
On 27/11/1830 in Paris, Mary gave a Medal to Catherine(24yrs). Formed around her,written,"O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN,pray for us who have recourse to you"
Then MARY told 'HAVE A MEDAL MADE ACCORDING TO THIS MODEL,EVERY ONE WHO WEARS IT AROUND THEIR NECK WILL RECEIVE GREAT GRACES.FOR THOSE WHO WEAR WITH CONFIDENCE THERE WILL BE ABUNDANT GRACES!" By1842 more than 100m medals distributed.
Due to profusion of healing & conversions,MEDAL was named as 'MIRACULIOUS'. With popular request from clergy, on 2/2/1849 Pope Pius IX commence study "IMMACULATE CONCEPTION" and on 8/12/1854 by he define the doctrine of Immaculate Conception of Mary, as revealed by Holy Spirit & therefore to be firmly & believed by all the faithful.
Within 4 years Mary confirmed to,14 year old Benedette in lourdes on 25/3/1858, she reveled her name as
"I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION "
As a child she could not understand her name. Like. Parrot she repeated the name to the priest. Immediately he understood the meaning:
BOTH CATHERINE who died in 31/12/1876 AND BERNEDETHE who died in 16/4/1879,their physical bodies are UNCORRUPTED you can see both in Rue de bac Paris and nevers in France,which gives the living evidence of validity of these 2 dogma's
Now let us analyze about her Assumption;
After Jesus Ascension, Mary remained on earth and disciples has recourse to her, she resolved their doubts, comforted and encourage them. Nothing is known historically when and where our blessed mother terminated her earthly life. Jesrusalem is most commonly credited.
3to 15 years after Jesus ascension, it is believed her assumption took place.
Assumption is logical conclusion of IMMACULATE CONCEPTION!.Death lead to corruption due to original sin. JESUS DIED,but His body didn't see corruption because He was not under original sin. Similarly Mary died,but Her body was not subject to corruption for the same reason. People who ate Manna died but who eat Eucharist will never die. Thru' Her only Eucharist came to this world?
Mary lead a life perfectly aligning Herself with GOD. She had to go thru' this world subjecting Herself to death;but finely She overcame death from the assumption.
In conclusion:
Mary's Immaculate Conception and Assumption ,makes Her enter into a constant liberating battle with the forces of Evil.
We start with Christ. The less think of Him, the less we think of her. The more we adore His divernity, the more we venerate her Motherhood. The less we adore His divinity, the less reason we have for respecting Her,we could even resent Her name! Those who dislikes any devotion to Mary, are those who deny His divernity, or who find fault with Jesus because of what he says about Hell, Divorce & judgment.
To lead an Happy life,as promised by God, cana 1st miracle reminds us;
(1)Have a peaceful mind by following 7 ethics
(2) Have a worry less mind by handing your worries to Mary and saints
(3) Then convert your talents to energy and serve the society for the love of God
For Catholics, Mary is a dynamic person who is present to us thru' her glorification. whoever desires the fruit must go to tree. Whoever desires Jesus must go to Mary: whoever find Mary will most certainly find Jesus!
God Bless you!
For more pl visit:
http://weeklycatholicreflectio
http://www.sundayreading.net/
Or
http://holymaryreflection.blog