In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
“And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
These words come from the mouth of St. Mary on the day she shared her feelings about being selected by God to give birth to His Son in this world.
Today, the Armenian Church continues and concludes the celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary. It is a celebration that continues for eight days. Throughout these eight days, the Church’s focus points to the key role she played in nurturing God’s Son. The Church has celebrated the Assumption of Mary for about fifteen centuries. This feast draws together the whole lifetime of Mary.
In today’s Bible reading, we hear Mary, a young girl of about sixteen, speaking of God’s love and compassion. From there, we fast-forward a half-century later to her burial when she is taken in body and soul into God’s Kingdom. She is the very first person to share completely in the promises of the Resurrection. She shared faithfully in Jesus’ life and ministry and experienced grief more than anyone else at His death. She shares a special and unique place in His Resurrection. She is our “look” into Heaven. Through her Assumption into Heaven, we learn a very important lesson. It is a lesson most people forget. It is the lesson that Jesus’ Resurrection is for us. It is the lesson that eternal life is available for us. It is the lesson that tells us what we most want to know.
• Is there life beyond this life?
• What is Heaven like?
• Who will be there waiting for us?
She offers us “a look” into Heaven. Today, we hear the rare words of St. Mary. They are rare because her words are limited in the Bible. With these words, Mary opens up her heart and shows the pure joy inside. She was deemed worthy to become the Mother off the Lord and that filled her with great joy. In her joy, she says the following: “And God’s mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
These are great words, comforting words. These words offer encouragement. They show us that God is with us at all times in both the joys of life and sorrows of life; in our days of health and in our days of illness; in the good days and bad. God is with those who invite Him into their lives.
This is the promise of St. Mary. “The mercy of God is on those who fear Him,” she says. She uses the word “fear.” What did she mean by that? For St. Mary, the word “fear” means to respect the ways of God; to do as He expects and to simply obey His teachings.
In other words, follow the teachings of God and you will enjoy His mercy in your eternal life. It means take a look at the people God has placed in your life. Take the storms in their lives and bring out the sun. Help turn their tears into smiles. For every trial they face become a safe place for them. For every sigh they express, be a source of comfort.
So the words of St. Mary speaks to our lives very clearly. We are to use our time in this world, no matter how long or short that is, to bring honor to God by meeting each other’s needs and spreading His Light everywhere we go in this world.
“The mercy of God is extended to all who “fear” Him from generation to generation.” May we all take time to think about how we personally seek the mercy of God in our lives. We are to use our time in this world, no matter how long or short that is, to bring honor to God by meeting each other’s needs and spreading His Light everywhere we go in this world.
Amen.
