August 14, 2026
Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel: Lk 11:27-28

Today is Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time. This evening, the Church celebrates the Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The recently published Roman Missal reminds us: The Solemnity of the Assumption is, in many ways, the preeminent feast of Our Lady, as it commemorates her passing, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, where she stands beside her Son clothed in golden vesture. Though the dogma of the Assumption was only defined in 1950, it was widely held by the earliest Christians. The Blessed Virgin truly leads the way; she fulfilled her vocation in humility, and, by reason of her Immaculate Conception, the tomb was not fitting for her body. Where she is now, we hope one day to be.

The Gospel for this evening’s Vigil Mass is taken from the holy Gospel according to Luke. I would like to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.

In our daily lives, we often hear the saying: “A mother is honored by her son.” This means that if a woman’s son accomplishes something extraordinary in the world, the mother who bore him must surely be great.

In today’s Gospel, we hear a woman cry out: “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed!” (cf. Lk 11:27). In what context was this said? Saint Luke tells us: It was while Jesus was speaking. What was He speaking about? He was teaching the crowds in parables. Who is this woman? She is a figure of the Church. For the Church, seeing God’s salvation in the words of Jesus and moved by the Holy Spirit, praises the Blessed Virgin Mary, who conceived and nurtured Jesus.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, from the moment she received the Annunciation from the Angel Gabriel and humbly assented to God’s plan, saying: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (cf. Lk 1:38); after the Savior’s birth, fled into Egypt with her spouse, Saint Joseph; and after the death of Herod, dwelt with Saint Joseph and Jesus in Nazareth; she observed the Law of Moses, presenting Jesus in the Temple on the eighth day, where Simeon prophesied concerning her destiny and that of the Infant Jesus (cf. Lk 2:21-38). When Jesus reached the age of twelve, she once lost Him; upon returning to Jerusalem and finding Him in the Temple, she expressed her maternal care and treasured His words in her heart (cf. Lk 2:41-52). At the wedding feast at Cana, perceiving that the wine had run out, she prayed to her Son with firm faith: “They have no wine” (cf. Jn 2:1-12), thus moving Jesus to perform His first miracle, changing water into wine. As Jesus preached the Gospel to the multitudes, His Mother remained close by (cf. Mt 12:46-50), standing by Him even until His death upon the Cross (cf. Jn 19:25-27). After Jesus’ Ascension, she accompanied His Church through her prayer (cf. Acts 1:14), thereby leaving us a perfect example to follow.

This evening, let us imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary and humbly offer our prayer to God:

O God, who, looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary, raised her to this grace, that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory, grant through her prayers, that, saved by the mystery of your redemption, we may merit to be exalted by you on high. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica