Sin cuts off the flow of Divine Graces to the soul. Pride, the basis of all sin, turns us into devils. Humility makes us the friend of God again. The Introit reminds us that God hears our “voice” when we are humble. The Collect reflects the sentiment that God shows “mercy and pity” in exercising His Power. It is a matter of serious reflection that the Epistle warns us that the Holy Ghost will enter only into the soul of the humble person.
Rather than attempting to do things on our own, without the help of God we should implore Him to “Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Thy eye; protect me under the shadow of Thy wings.” (Gradual). The Gospel gives Our Lord’s own views on the subject of humility: “everyone who exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” With all the science of today, most people in the world live as atheists, having as Satan told Adam and Eve the attributes to “be like God, knowing good and evil,” which is only an arrogant manner of saying as Satan did “I will not serve” rather than humbling oneself and accepting the teachings of Our Lord.
The Offertory is our plea for God to intervene and keep our enemies at bay who try to prevent us from following the teachings of Our Lord. The Secret reminds us that the gifts being offered first came from God, and that we are but returning them. At Communion time we should remind ourselves of the humility of the publican so ashamed of his weakness and sinfulness. Rather than raise his eyes to Heaven he merely struck his breast and said: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
The Postcommunion reminds us that our strength comes from humble reception of the “Holy Sacraments.”
Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Nothing is said of the Vigil of the Assumption in the Liturgy today, the feast itself begins with first Vespers later on Sunday.
Although the fact of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heaven following her death was believed by most Cathol ics in accordance with tradition, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the doctrine Ex Cathedra on November 1, 1950 and obligated all Catholics to believe the doctrine as a part of the Faith. The Assumption was the reward of Our Lord to His Immaculate Mother Mary and ensured that her pure and virginal body, which had borne the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, might not suffer corruption.