Catholics congregate on 15 August each year to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary. Across the Archdiocese of Perth, parishes held Masses to honour the Immaculate Mother of God, whose body and soul was elevated to heaven.
At St Mary’s Cathedral’s mid-day Mass, Perth Catholics took time out of their workday and braved the cold winter storm to remember the Virgin Mary.
The Mass was celebrated by Cathedral Dean, the Very Rev Dr Sean Fernandez, assisted by Deacon Greg Lowe.
In his homily for the occasion, Fr Sean described the Blessed Mother’s life of faith and service, as a role model for Catholics.
“In the Gospel, we hear the song of praise from the young woman, in whose body God took flesh. A young woman who spoke her yes to God with her mouth, and who lived her yes, in the service the child who came into her life.”
“This one woman who goes in love to serve her cousin, to share in her cousin Elizabeth’s joy. This young woman who proclaims the mighty deeds of God in the Magnificat. She could not have known all the roles she was playing in God’s plan. But she still had faith to proclaim the marvellous mercies of God.”
“This one woman who lived out this faith in service of God’s plan. Every day she fed her child, she nurtured the child, shared her faith with her child, and she stood eventually as a disciple by the cross of her Son.”
Fr Sean reflected that through the assumption of Mary’s body and soul, nothing of her was lost and she is assumed into Heaven to be a sign of hope that God is triumphant.
“Nothing of our lives and relationships, nothing of the faith and hope we live out everyday, is lost with God.”
He reminded the faithful that we are called as disciples, “to be shaped by faith, hope and love. And we’re called to put our bodies and everything of us at the service of our brothers and sisters.”
Fr Sean concluded that “Mary’s assumption is the promise that God will triumph. His kingdom will come. And that nothing of our love and faith, our service and compassion, the words we speak of forgiveness and love, the hands which we reach out to serve our brothers and sisters, will be lost, but will be raised to glory.”
