Christians have been urged to cultivate the virtues of humility, faith and unwavering trust in God, regardless of the circumstances surrounding them.
The call was made on Saturday by Rev. Fr. Austen Christmas, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Good Shepherd Rushoroza Cathedral, while presiding over Holy Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Fr. Christmas urged Christians to draw inspiration from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose humility and faith enabled her to accept God’s call despite being a young and ordinary woman without social status or political power. He noted that Mary’s life demonstrates that God uses ordinary and humble people to accomplish extraordinary purposes.
“God looks at the heart, not at human status or power,” Fr. Christmas said, urging Christians not to despise themselves because of their social or economic circumstances.
The priest also encouraged Christians to build supportive communities, drawing lessons from the relationship between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth. He noted that Mary and Elizabeth stood by one another, demonstrating the importance of supporting each other in both joyful and difficult moments.
“Every day you make a plan of what you are going to do and what you are going to eat. Therefore, every day, make a plan of how you are going to heaven,” Fr. Christmas said.
He further urged Christians to respond to life’s challenges with faith and thanksgiving rather than complaining, observing that Mary chose to praise God despite the difficult path that lay before her.
According to Fr. Christmas, Mary’s Magnificat, her song of praise to God, is a powerful expression of deep faith, joy and trust in the Lord. He explained that the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds Christians that God can transform the lives of the humble and disadvantaged while bringing down pride and arrogance.
“In Mary’s song, God brings down the proud and powerful. He lifts up the poor, the humble and the hungry – Fr. Austen Christmas.
Fr. Christmas further reminded the faithful that God remains faithful to His promises and continues to show mercy from generation to generation. He urged Christians to remain steadfast in their Catholic faith, assuring them that God does not abandon those who place their trust in Him.
The Meaning of the Assumption
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated annually on 15 August, commemorates the Church’s belief that Mary, at the completion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
The doctrine was formally defined as a dogma of the Catholic faith by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950, through the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus. The dogma teaches that Mary, “having completed the course of her earthly life,” was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
The Assumption reflects Mary’s unique participation in the victory of Christ. Because of her intimate participation in her Son’s life, death and resurrection, she shares uniquely in His glory in the fullness of her person—body and soul.
The solemnity also points Christians towards their own ultimate destiny. Mary’s Assumption is a sign of Christian hope, reminding believers that Christ will ultimately raise those who belong to Him to eternal life, including the resurrection of the body.
Mary is also celebrated as Mother and model of the Church. Her faithful “yes” to God—from the Annunciation through the Cross—offers Christians a profound example of faith, obedience, humility and perseverance.
Above all, the Assumption proclaims the triumph of grace over death. Mary’s glorification reminds Christians that death is not the final word for those who place their lives in Christ.
The celebration of the Solemnity of Assumption of Mary invites the faithful to imitate Mary’s humility and faith, to trust in God amid life’s uncertainties, and to live each day with their hearts directed towards the ultimate goal: eternal life with God.