TEMPER THE SORROW

1 Chr 15:3-16, 16:1-2; Ps 132 Lord, go up to the place o four rest, you and the ark of your holiness; 1 cor 15:54-57; Luke 11:27-28


Here is a part of the Apostolic Constitution that has defined the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother into Heaven

"The most bountiful God (munificentissimus Deus), who is Almighty, the plan of whose providence rests upon wisdom and love, tempers, in the secret purpose of his own mind the sorrows of peoples and of individual men by means of joys that He interposes in their lives from time to time, in such a way that, under different conditions and in different ways, all things may work together unto good for those who love him."

What does God do all day?

Here is a question that many of the students ask when the conversation turns to heaven and in particular God being in heaven.  Well, What does God do all day, they ask?

Well the Apostolic Constitution helps answer the question.  God in his providence seeks to temper the sorrows of peoples by means of joy that he interposes in their lives.

The feast of the church are meant to be such occasions of joys so as to lift our spirits and pull us from sorrow and redirect our gaze to him whose purpose works for Good for those who love him. 

So in the middle of the dog days of summer when the heat has climbed to new heights, in the middle of squeezing in one more day trip to the beach before school starts, in the middle of barbecues and beer and leisure on the mind, the church as created a moment of inconvenience and calls us to gather together lest we forget what matters most of all. 

As we direct our gaze upward to ponder the mystery of the Blessed Mother being assumed into heaven we are reminded of our own destiny as well. 

Summer time is often a time for leisure and vacation and break from the routine.  We need that.  But what we need most is to pause and realize that God is always trying to break into our life.   God doesn't want us to break from our routine as much as he wants us to invite us into the routine of life so that in the end our life can be full of his joy that is meant to temper our sorrows in the valley of tears and direct our gaze upward to heaven, where the Blessed Mother shows us the pathway home. 

Our reach should always be beyond our grasp otherwise what's a heaven for.

May reach beyond our grasp and zero in on what matters most of all we too can join in the thanks of Mary who reminds us that death no longer has a sting and no longer holds victory but in Christ her son, we now share in victory.

Just as David rejoice in the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem on mt zion, we too rejoice with Mary, the new ark of covenant, whose womb bore Christ himself through whom the new Jerusalem stands as a city of welcome for all who believe.