The Christian life is not only a life of self-effacing alone. It is also a life of loving service to others. This is the life Jesus Christ himself lived for others and called us all to embrace as well. Whether those we live for or serve are grateful or not.
Discipleship is making that fundamental or radical choice for God through the Word of God. Indeed, in life, we have many preferential options. God cannot be one of them. He has to be our priority above everything: wealth, power, authority and affluence.
The reflection of this Sunday invites us to see the institution of marriage as something holy in the natural order of the creation of God. The topic of marriage is one of the touchy topics of our time. This is because of many controversies around it.
An authentic living out of the Christian life and principles demand of us a sense of tolerance. In addition, social responsibility is in our conduct towards others. As Christians, we are a call to think, speak and act with and in the character of Christ (Rom. 12:1-2; 1Cor. 11:1; Eph. 4:22-24; Eph. 5:1-2).
The Christian life faces an imminent threat from within that is responsible for Christian suffering in modern times. The mentality of trivializing the Christian testimony concerning suffering. This is so prevalent among the clergy, religious as well as the laity of our time. This mediocrity is a bandwagon mentality of many who seem to settle for the less authentic Christian life.
The joy of suffering in the Christian way of living is total submission to do the will of God. The suffering of a Christian is never a curse, punishment from God. Nor it is due to his sinfulness or as a result of the carelessness of God. God is not stoic or sadist when it comes to our suffering. Instead, our sufferings are proofs of his love, grace and redemption to do his holy will.
There is no doubt God is a God of the poor, the needy and the less-privileged. A God whose thoughts, words and actions offer us comfort, healing, restoration and transformation from our situations.
To be a Christian is to be both hearer and doer of the Word and Commandments of God. It is not just enough to be a hearer of the Word of God but also a doer of the Word of God. This is the challenge confronting the Christian life today.
Fundamentally, Christianity is a spirituality of total declaration of Christ as the Lord and Saviour out of personal faith conviction. And the practical living of the highest moral standard this faith confession means or implies to the Christian vocations.
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a celebration of hope. A celebration of hope that God rewards his faithful servants who cooperate with him to fulfil the salvific plan of salvation. This is the reward of Mary for her faithfulness to the will of God.