http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081514-day-mass.cfmI've been mulling over my reflection from the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I was struck by the homily I heard and I would like to share it here. Before I can do that, I feel the need to share a little detour first.
My plans were to go to the vigil Mass at my parish on Thursday night. That changed when a brother came through town after a conference and we all went out to eat. I knew I had several options on Friday, but the most logical (not the easiest) would be the 7AM Mass which is close to my home. I turned on my alarm and went to sleep. Silly me, I didn't double-check the time on my alarm (like I normally do), and it was set for 15 minutes later than I expected. I almost didn't make that Mass, but thankfully Fr. was apparently waiting for me as he didn't being the procession until I showed up :-)
What's the point of detailing my change of plans? Well, I think it shows how being open to God can lead us to exactly where we need to be, when we need to be there. If I had stuck with 'my' plans, I would have missed time with family members and I may not have experienced the same message from the Holy Day liturgy. Interesting stuff to ponder.
So, back to the homily. Father focused on the Canticle of Mary and her knowledge of Scripture, as evidenced in her Canticle. We were strongly encouraged to memorize this and pray it regularly. At the end of the homily, we were all invited to stand and recite the Canticle of Mary together. This Canticle comes from Luke 1:46-55, and it is part of Evening Prayer in the Divine Office.
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever."What a beautiful prayer! One of my favorite songs, Holy Is His Name, by John Michael Talbot, is based on this Canticle. (I know, I have a lot of favorite songs!) I am not consistent in praying Evening Prayer, but I do want to make an effort to include this Canticle in my day.
To learn more about the Divine Office/Liturgy of the Hours, check out the links at USCCB (United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops) or EWTN. I also highly recommend the Divine Office App by SurgeWorks, available for all of your devices! No excuse to not pray as it even offers a recorded version. There is a cost for the app, but the content is amazing. Laudate offers a similar version for free (it's a great app for lots of reasons and worth getting, but not as high quality for the Divine Office). Also, the Magnificat also includes the Liturgy of the Hours in its publication. If you have a subscription, there is an app in the Apple Store (no Android version yet) as well.
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