It is a commonly held belief that we don’t choose our saints, our saints choose us. An experience, Marist priest, Fr Michael Whelan SM, is all too familiar with.
“Marists should consider themselves chosen to be Marists by our most gracious choice,” he said
“I’m very conscious of that, it wasn’t so much me choosing to be a Marist, it was I believe Mary chose me.”
“It’s a conviction in my heart that that’s real and I have no doubt about that calling and I’m very grateful for it and I just trust it.”
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian Dogmas of the church and a holy day of obligation, celebrating the Blessed Mother’s assumption into heaven, body and soul, anticipating the resurrection of all members of Christ’s body [CCC 974].
From there, she constantly intercedes on behalf of her children.
“It’s a beautiful reminder that like Mary, God has a beautiful plan for us too. We are also called to be with God forever in heaven,” said Fr Collin Nunis, a priest of the Melkite Catholic Eparchy.
“But for that to happen we need to be like her and give him our own fiat every day, in everything we do.”
Reflecting on the importance of the Assumption, Jocelyne Mansour, a contributor to The Catholic Weekly, said her relationship with the Blessed Mother began at a young age.
“Some family was breaking away from the Catholic faith. They tried to convince me that you shouldn’t be praying to Mother Mary and every night I’d go to sleep and say a Hail Mary then I would say, ‘Ok, tonight is the last night I’ll pray to you,’ she said.
“But the next night would come again, and I would find myself praying for her intercession again, so as a child I vowed I would never stop praying to her.”
Catholic Weekly reader Amanda Boudaher said her grandfather also had a strong dedication to Mary.
He would pray the rosary daily with complete trust that she would always come through as helper for him.
“During the civil war in Lebanon, my grandfather’s brother was caught in a bombing and they didn’t hear from him.
“So my grandfather, instead of praying and asking for help, he went over to a statue of Our Lady at his house and started yelling at her to bring his brother back and make sure that he was safe.”
“And he survived. He rocked up at their house and obviously my grandfather attributed that completely to our lady heeding his demands … He had so much trust in her, he knew she would pull through.”
This demonstration of unadulterated faith shown by her grandfather in Our Lady, has shaped Amanda’s faith today, encouraging her to pick up what her late grandfather passed down; a daily rosary.
The role of grandparents passing down faith and traditions is strong within the Maronite community, and one Jocelyne hopes to see continue and revive in some areas.
“In Lebanon, it is customary for Catholics to dress up as a saint in exchange for help from that saint-although it seems to be forgotten in some parts,” she said.
“I remember my grandmother dedicated my sister because she was really sick—she was in and out of hospital—so they asked Mother Mary, ‘If you help her, we will dedicate her to you.’
“And for 40 days she dressed my sister as Mother Mary.”
While it took the church some time to promulgate the dogma of the Assumption in 1950, Fr Michael said Our Lady has always been working under the radar.
“Mary’s presence in the church, hidden and unknown, is basically the Marist spirit, being with people in ways that are hidden and unknown,” he said.
“I also think Mary would’ve just walked into heaven; everyone would’ve said, ‘Yes, welcome.’
“There would’ve been no fuss, no swirling vestments, just a beautiful presence. Welcome home.”