Do you honestly believe that the “dash” of your life will merit you a pass to eternal life? If not, why not mind your dash now? - Daily Reflections August 15,2013

THE DASH MATTERS

 

We celebrate today the greatest feast the Catholic Church had given to one of its daughters, the Blessed Virgin Mary — the Feast of her Assumption into heaven. On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII declared and defined the doctrine that “the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, 1950). It is a celebration of the life and faith of the Mother of God. Having lived a life in accordance with the will of God, she was crowned in glory.

       We only need to go back to her life as accounted by the Gospel writers to see and believe in the truth of this feast. From her immaculate birth, submission to God’s will to be the Mother of God, enduring the sorrows of accompanying her Son, to her being with the Apostles of Jesus after He resurrected — all these witness to this crowning glory of the Assumption. No doubt God bestowed on her a lot of gifts and privileges. But how she merited this honor and bliss is something we must never overlook, for they serve as the footprints we can follow in order to share in the glory that God had gifted her. The Assumption is not just the body and soul of our Blessed Virgin Mary assumed into heaven. We marvel at that final event because we knew how she lived. God gave her that gift because she spent her life in God’s favor.

       On a tombstone, we write the name of the dead person and the dates of birth and death. But the small line — the dash — between those two dates is almost unnoticed. In reality, life lived during those “dash” years is the most important. That dash defines the life of that person. That dash evaluates that person. For a Christian, that dash will be his pass to eternal life. That dash will be God’s basis for judging if he lived well as a Christian. Mary’s Assumption was because of that dash. Ours will be the same. Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you honestly believe that the “dash” of your life will merit you a pass to eternal life? If not, why not mind your dash now?

 

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us Mama Mary’s life as an example of true discipleship. Grant that I may I follow in her steps.