It was a pleasure to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption Mass last Tuesday 18 August in our Mother Isabelle El Khoury Stadium. We were blessed to have His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, who has joined us from Sydney.
Mary said yes to God.
Saying "yes" like Mary (the mother of Jesus) means trusting God with a humble heart. When the angel Gabriel told her God's plan, she accepted it with complete faith, even though she did not know what would happen next. Her reply in Luke’s Gospel was, "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled."
Mary's Yes shows Humility, Trust over Fear and Openness
- Humility: She saw herself as a servant ready to do God's work.
- Trust over fear: She let go of her worries and believed God was good.
- Openness: She welcomed God's plan into her daily life without needing all the answers.
How can we be more like Mary:
Listen closely to how God might be calling you to love or help others.
Release control and accept the unknown parts of your life with peace.
Respond daily by trusting God when faced with hard or surprising moments.
We also had two statues blessed. These will become important reminders to all of us that we are all called to follow God and we can all live saintly lives. The statue of St Charbel was blessed during this Mass and then moved to Cedar Campus, while the statue of St Maroun was blessed in the garden space at St Joseph Campus.
In the Gospel of Luke, Mary gives these words, which we call the Magnificat:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.”
(Luke 1:46-49)
Mary is a source of inspiration to all people no matter their faith or background. Let us all reflect on the trust she showed in God and her gently supportive love to Jesus and to us all.
Mother Mary, Pray for us.
- Ms Joanne Bacash