Readings for Sunday August 15, 2010

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary



After reading this Sunday’s Gospel from St Luke, I was reminded of the writings of Pope John Paul II
during his weekly Rosary hour. Enjoy the readings and spread the good news-
IHN tommyk

The Pope writes:

The Rosary is my favorite prayer.
It is a marvelous prayer!
Marvelous in its simplicity
and in its profundity.
In this prayer we repeat over and over again the words that were spoken to the Virgin Mary by the Angel and by her kinswoman Elizabeth. The entire Church shares in these words.

October 29th 1978

In the Rosary we bless the faith of Mary


"And blessed is she who believed."
Blessed are you, O Mary, who believed, when the Messenger of God spoke to you.
Blessed are you, who believed "that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
Elizabeth blesses your faith.
The entire Church blesses your faith.
All humanity blesses your faith.
All of us who recite the Holy Rosary bless the faith of Mary, in each of its Mysteries.
Let us pray to her.
And let us pray together with her.
We believe that in these Mysteries she prays with us. Mary allows us to find ourselves amid the great things that the Almighty has accomplished in her, amid the "great works of God" through which the Church lives.
Like a mother she guides the life in which the Church's faith, hope, and charity are expressed.
And this happens — in a special way — through the Holy Rosary.
Let us give thanks for all the fruits of this prayer, through which the Mother of Christ has been with us.

October 28, 1984
Mankind needs Mary!

Mankind needs Mary! In her we find, truly, access to the heart of her Son, the only place where our restlessness can find peace, where our sorrows find comfort, where our intentions to live a life consistent with the values of the Gospel find strength and constancy. Pray fervently to Most Holy Mary! Be aware of her at your side and consecrate yourselves to her, renewing throughout the day your affection and your trust, so that she may accompany you in your daily affairs. Her memory is alive in families, especially in the daily recitation of the Rosary. It's a daily encounter that she and I never miss: if you wish to be close to the heart of the Pope for some moments, I suggest to you the Rosary hour, when I remember all of you to the Virgin Mary, and I would be pleased if you would remember me to her in the same way.

May 12, 1991

Excerpts from “The Rosary Hour: The Private Prayers of Pope John Paul II”

1st Reading Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
11:19a God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. 12:1 A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
3 Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. 4 Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. 6a The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. 10ab Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”

2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-27
20 Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 23 but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 24 then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 27a for “he subjected everything under his feet.”


Gospel Luke 1:39-56
39 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” 46 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my Savior 48 for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: 49 the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. 50 He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. 51 He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. 52 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, 55 the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” 56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Question’s for Discussion:
1. What do you appreciate most about Mary?

2. In what way would you like to be more like Mary?

3. Which of the words found in Mary’s song (vv 46-55) best describes how you are feeling about your spiritual life? Rejoicing lowly blessed thrown down lifted up filled hungry empty

4. The Gospel tells us that Mary is “blessed” because she believed and trusted in God and his words to her. Are there obstacles in your life that keep you from having a deeper faith and trust in Jesus?