The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, August 15, 2018, falls on this WEDNESDAY, and IS A HOLYDAY OF OBLIGATION, a day when Catholics are obliged to attend mass. Catholics view the Assumption as the Virgin Mary's heavenly birthday. The feast day of the Assumption of Mary celebrates the day that God assumed the Virgin Mary into Heaven following her death. On this feast day we profess the belief that when Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, died, her body was not subjected to the usual process of physical decay but was “assumed” into heaven and reunited there with her soul.
Assumption Day is the principal feast day of the Virgin Mother. It is a public holiday in many countries such as Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, France, Guatemala, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. And while it is not a public holiday in the United States, one of the largest Assumption Day celebrations takes place in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, where there is a four-day festival that starts on August 12. And oddly enough in New York City, the laws regarding which side of the street you can park on are suspended for Assumption Day. Perhaps the law is that way so that all the good Catholics who our attending Mass on this Holy Day of Obligation will be able to find a parking spot near their Church.
I doubt that will be a problem here. I hope we can change it around, but I judge we’ve gotten a little lax in our obligation as Catholics to attend Mass on holydays. For the Feast of the Assumption there will be a Mass on Wednesday morning which will be at 8 AM and that evening at 6 PM. Respecting the fact that this holyday is not a holiday in our country, I try to celebrate a reverent but short (about a half hour) Mass for the Assumption. It is a workday after all.
This Tuesday evening is our monthly St. Michael’s Night Out. It will be at the Shriners Club and dinner ($10) is not served until 7 PM.
We experienced a sad act of vandalism last weekend. Some folks tore the wings off our angel in the prayer garden. When I mentioned it to Pastor David Laughner, he said It is a sad commentary on the lack of respect for the sacred and promised to keep an eye on that end of our property. He went on to observe that there is even a hostility towards people of faith in our society today. And I have to admit, that when I wear my clerical collar in the public square I get some “strange” looks these days. So, we can either get discouraged and “circle the wagons” or become more determined to bring the Good News of God’s love to the public square.
Pope Benedict XVI constantly reminded us of the urgent need for Catholic evangelization to become more effective, "People don’t know God, they don’t know Christ. A new paganism is present, and it is not enough to maintain the community of believers, although this is important… I believe that together we must find new ways of bringing the Gospel to today’s world by preaching Christ anew and by establishing the faith.” And Cardinal Wuerl tells of a time that he was invited to speak at the Catholic Center at Harvard University. The designated theme was “The Role of Faith in a Pluralistic Society.” At the conclusion of his presentation, a man who self-identified as an atheist and who taught in the law school was the first to present a question. He asked, “What do you people think you bring to our society?” The reference to “you people” was to the front row of the audience that was made up of representatives of a variety of religious traditions all of whom were in their appropriate identifiable robes. Since he was a lawyer, the Cardinal asked if the man would mind if he answered his question with a question of his own. When the man nodded in agreement, he asked: “What do you think the world would be like if it were not for the voices of all of those religious traditions represented in the hall? What would it be like if we did not hear voices in the midst of the community saying, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness? What would our culture be like had we not heard religious imperatives such as love your neighbor as yourself, do unto others as you would have them do to you? How much harsher would our land be if we did not grow up hearing, blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peacemakers? What would the world be like had we never been reminded that someday we will have to answer to God for our actions?” To his credit, the man who asked the question smiled broadly and said, “It would be a mess!”
I am an optimist, but I think the world is in a mess. Being an optimist, rather than being swayed by the pervasive thought that the Church is irrelevant, l think the Church more than ever has a vital mission in our world. We need to proclaim a whole way of living that brings about an encounter with Christ that leads to a peace and happiness rooted in God’s love. At our next Town Hall gathering I hope we can explore ways of doing this here on Tybee. Join me on September 16th at 5 PM. After our meeting we will adjourn to the Rectory for wine and cheese. I want you to see that the Rectory is not only looking good on the outside these days, guided by Mary Ann Miller and Susan Ason, it is also looking good on the inside. I am so very grateful for their efforts.