On August 20th about 300 faithful celebrated Mary, as Queen Assumed into Heaven as the patroness of South Africa in the presence of our Cardinal-elect, Archbishop Stephen Brislin, and Auxiliary Bishop Sylvester. Our hearts were filled with joyful hope and ever-resilient since we knew that we were not alone – Mary cares for each one of us!
Celebrating Together
We began our liturgical celebration with a fitting entrance hymn “Hail Queen of Heaven’ lead by the Gospel Group Choir of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish.
Flag bearers, altar servers, Knights of Da Gama carrying the statue of Our Lady followed by the Cardinal-elect, Auxiliary Bishop and priests processed to the altar. The devotion began after a warm welcome and an introduction to the “Rosary of Hope”. Readers read a short meaningful reflection before each glorious mystery. The Knights of da Gama carried Our Lady in procession around the church stopping after each mystery of the rosary so that a small group of liturgical dancers could pay homage to Our Queen through dance. They danced to the verses of “Look down O Mother Mary’’ which the choir led. Thus, the entire congregation were lifted up through this “Rosary of Hope” with its glorious mysteries, reflections and dance. All our readers spoke slowly, loudly and clearly. The following reflections preceded each decade of the glorious mysteries:
The Resurrection of our Lord.
We know that our faith would be in vain if our Lord did not rise from the dead and that this is the ultimate source of our invincible hope even in our darkest moments! Thus, we know that we too will rise again from the challenges that assail us! We pray for our Holy Father, for our Cardinal-Elect, our Bishop, priests and religious that they continue to guide the faithful through these turbulent times. We thank our Risen Lord for the gift of His Mother, who is also Patroness of our Country which is so desperately in need of her aid. We entrust to her all our political leaders and pray that they prioritise the needs of those placed in their care over their own interests.
The Ascension of Our Lord.
Our Lord said He will not leave us orphans but would send us His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us on our pilgrim journey. Christ’s promise extends to all those searching for peace, those who have been displaced, our refugees, the homeless and the many in need of consolation and comfort. We know too that Mary’s maternal heart is constantly interceding for all those in need.
The descent of the Holy Spirit.
How much fear and anxiety abounds today. There is concern for the future of our planet, our country and our families. Not many couples want to say a YES to new life. There are so many single parents struggling to care for their children and the ideals of motherhood and fatherhood appear to be corrupted by modern trends. Now more than ever we need the Holy Spirit to help us discern God’s will in these confusing times and to give us the courage to act according to our Catholic teachings.
The Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven.
Our Lady epitomises the fullness of all human dignity! She is such an example for all men and women but also for our youth who are searching for their ‘authentic selves’. Mary’s authenticity lies in the fact that she knew and understood herself as the beloved creation of God. We can only know our true selves in and through God and not outside of the One who created us! We pray for that the World Youth Day opened many hearts for the treasures of our faith and that many find their true identities and dignity in Christ.
The Coronation of Our Lady.
Our Patroness who is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth is intimately ‘tuned in’ to the heart of the Triune God. She is constantly turning to her Son telling Him ‘they have run out of wine’ and Our Lord does not reject her petitions on our behalf. We present all those suffering from addictions, mental health problems, those unborn babies whose lives are in balance, those who are terminally ill or suffering from serious illnesses – we entrust them into Mary’s merciful heart knowing that she takes all our concerns to the throne of grace!
Praying for South Africa
After praying the SACBC prayer we listened to the beautiful readings for the Feast of the Assumption. Our Cardinal -elect, Archbishop Stephen Brislin gave an inspiring homily on the ‘Magnificat’. This was followed by a beautifully choreographed dance to the words/music of “Tell out my soul!” The dancers were dressed in blue and white to honour Our Queen.
We then prayed our Patronal prayer which was followed by benediction. As we do annually, we rose to sing our national anthem with hearts filled with greater courage and hope. A final ‘thank you’ was expressed to all and we ended our devotion with “We are walking in the light!” This is really how all felt after such an inspirational afternoon!