To the Band of Brothers: August 26, 2025

In August, we have been blessed to celebrate two very beautiful Marian feast days: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15th and the Queenship of Mary on August 22nd. Both of these celebrations are evidence of the beautiful marriage between scriptural references found both in the Old and New Testaments and the sacred tradition of the Church. I can spend various editions of the “To the Band of Brothers” to expand on the significance of these celebrations, but there is one I want to highlight here.

Let me begin this particular reflection by stating there is no question I love Mary. She has been a constant presence in my spiritual and religious life for as long as I can remember. I remember the day I knelt in front of her image in the chapel and purposely placed myself in her care. I also know she is one of the main reasons why I discovered my vocation, was able to thrive throughout all my years of religious formation, and arrived at the moment of my ordination. To this day, she continues to be a strong presence and helps sustain me.

That being said, what has been at the center of my prayer as I reflected on these feast days was not so much the holy attributes of the Virgin Mary, but the infinite goodness and generosity of God.

Oftentimes, I think we credit the assumption of Mary and her being crowned queen of heaven and earth as a rightful recompense for her faithful service to the Kingdom and not so much as an expression of the greatness of God. These feast days are not so much a result of a successful transaction between God and Mary, but evidence of a loving God who gifts Mary, and ultimately us, these graces. Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven, not because it was contractually negotiated when God first proposed to her to be the mother of His Son. Mary didn’t agree to God’s proposal until He assured her a crown. Those things were never explicitly part of the deal.

Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven and crowned because God is generous. Look at her response to Elizabeth in the first chapter of Luke when she visits her cousin in the hill country of Judea. After Elizabeth claims Mary is blessed because she believed what was told to her would be fulfilled, Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For He has looked upon His handmaid’s lowliness… The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name” (vs. 46-49). Without being promised anything for herself, Mary said “yes” to God and recognized the mere blessing of having been considered. She doesn’t say “holy is my name,” she says, “holy is His name.”

Being assumed and crowned was something God gave to her because He is infinitely generous. To think otherwise would reduce Mary’s “yes” to an act motivated by what was in it for her. The awesomeness of Mary was her willingness to do whatever God asked of her, even if there was no remuneration for her services. While there is no doubt that in comparison to the rest of humanity, Mary is holier than any of us, the gifts of the assumption and coronation are more an expression of God’s generosity and not so much of Mary’s worthiness.

This, I think, is the key to unlocking the beauty of these two feast days. They emphasize our belonging to a God who is so generous with His love and grace that it is not dependent on whether we deserve it or not. For many of us, this concept is difficult not only to understand, but accept. The reason, I believe, is we are raised in a society that tells us we have to work for everything we get. Don’t get me wrong, there is something to be said about that. I often preach we cannot live entitled lives. We cannot go around thinking the world owes us anything. But when it comes to the love of God, it is a grace given to us, no matter what we do or fail to do. We don’t have to earn it, we don’t have to negotiate it, we don’t have to deserve it. From the moment of our conception, we have been loved unconditionally by God. As a matter of fact, St. Augustine said that even before we were conceived, God already loved us as an idea in His mind.

The Church celebrates the Assumption and the Queenship of Mary not to simply highlight the life of the Blessed Mother; the Church encourages us to celebrate these days to highlight the grace of God. These feast days should motivate us to pause and give thanks to God for His unbridled love. This, in turn, should motivate us to be grateful. Grateful that we are children of a God who does such extraordinary things for us, no matter what. Independent of our situation, no matter how challenging the day, week, or year, we need to give thanks.

Auspice Maria.