Heaven's Jubilee: the Assumption

Happy feast of the Assumption! It is indeed a Holy Day of Obligation, so yes, you have to go to mass. It is also a very important Marian feast day. Applying papal infallibility, on November 1st, 1950, in the Encyclical Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII stated that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a dogma of the Church. Within Holy Mother Church, there are doctrines and dogmas. While they sound alike, they actually differ. A doctrine would be an official Church teaching, such as transubstantiation or the Communion of Saints. On the other holy-hand, a dogma is an article of faith that has been revealed by God, which Holy Mother Church presents as obligatory to believe. There are four Marian dogmas; the Assumption is one the them, along with her Divine Motherhood, Perpetual Virginity and Immaculate Conception. Our Blessed Mother was blessed bearing the truths of these four dogmas, because as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception reveals, she was completely preserved from all stain of Original Sin. Therefore, Our Blessed Mother was perfectly pure and holy in every way. It is fitting that one so clean and undefiled would carry the Son of God, the Word made Flesh; Jesus Christ, in her sacred womb and also be graced to be taken, body and soul, to Heaven, where nothing unclean enters. (See Rev. 21:27)

"the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary,
having completed the course of her earthly life,
was assumed, body and soul, into heavenly glory."
-Munificentissimus Deus

This day should be a celebration of love for the Blessed Mother and awe at the mighty works of God Almighty. How good and loving is Our Lord to have protected Our Blessed Mother from the bodily corruption that naturally follows after death. One cannot fully fathom the joy of Mother and Son being reunited for all eternity, as their Hearts beat as one. Another subject to meditate on is the jubilee which followed Immaculate Mary's entrance into Heaven; my thought of it is all nine choirs of angels singing and flying everywhere, while the Son embraces His Mother. As she is now in Heaven with God the Father, Her Son, and her spouse the Holy Spirit, she became our powerful yet gentle Queen, Mother, Advocate and Intercessor. 24 hours is not long enough to give all of the praise and thanksgiving the Feast of the Assumption totally deserves. However, while the feast itself cannot be prolonged (August 15th doesn't last forever), it can still be kept alive in our hearts by daily honoring Our Blessed Mother and giving thanks and praise to Our mighty God. 

On a side note, I am at the beginning of my Marian consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows, which will end on the September 15th, her solemnity. I would greatly appreciate prayers for perseverance and a fruitful consecration!

I sincerely hope that you have a joyous feast day with an increase of love for Our Blessed Mother! Salve Regina!

                    


Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,
-Yvonne Gemma

Another One about Chastity

Happy feast of St. Dominic! Founder of the Dominican Order and patron of astronomers, pray for us! Our Lady gifted us with the Holy Rosary through him, so a wonderful way to celebrate his feast day would be to faithfully and devoutly pray one rosary, or two, or three. There's a huge difference between saying the rosary, and actually praying it. I have found that much more graces come from praying it, instead of flying through the beads. Concerning the rosary and Dominicans, Pope Pius XI said, "The Rosary of Mary is the principle and foundation on which the very Order of St. Dominic rests for making perfect the life of its members and obtaining the salvation of others."

St. Dominic, ora pro nobis!

Today's topic is emotional chastity. While we apply chastity to the flesh and our actions, it can also be applied to our emotions. Remember that chastity is not repression, nor is it the absence of carnal desires. Like I've said in my previous post about chastity, it is also not about being physically unattractive or having a neurotic outlook on the opposite gender. One of my favorite organizations, Made In His Image, defines chastity as, "the ordered approach to love." As the ordered approach to love, it calls for what it best for the beloved. I may have said it before, but chastity frees love to be authentic. To be physically chaste is one thing, but to be emotionally chaste is another. We all have emotions, and emotions are meant to be felt. However, we should not be entirely dictated by our emotions, because they are fleeting and can easily change from one way to another. This is where chastity comes in. Chastity allows us to control our emotions and desires, instead of letting them control us. 

Just as we use chastity to guard our most intimate beings, mind and heart, it can also be used to guard our emotions, which comes back around to guarding our hearts. One way of being emotionally chaste is to not begin fantasizing or imagining things about a person, whether it is sexual or not, because the bottom line is that the said person is being reduced to an object to be used. In plainer words, it is objectifying them. While some imaginings may be innocent, such as a handsome man bringing a single girl flowers or in more extreme cases, imagining what their children would look like, it is nonetheless objectifying the man, because whether she knows it or not, the woman is seeing him as a means to fulfill her emotional needs, and no longer as a whole person. Men can also fall into this trap, but in a different way, because they were created to be very visual. One solution is to remember/realize that every single person walking this earth has a soul, heart and mind, and they were not meant or created to be objectified, as if they were an inanimate object. Going back to our definition of love, objectifying the person is not what is best for them because it is depriving them of their humanity, so it is not chastely loving them. 

Emotional chastity also has relevance to our relationships with others. In a sense, to be chaste is to preserve a special part of ourselves that is only meant for one; either for your spouse, or for Christ, depending on what vocation you are called to. When we are emotionally unchaste, while we are not physically giving away ourselves, we are doing this emotionally. This is not healthy and can lead to heartaches, if we are unwise with the use of our emotions. Yes, we can have (chaste) relationships with others, because man is not meant to be alone, but we should go at it in a way that recognizes the dignity of ourselves and of the person next to us, as children of God.

Physical chastity demands discipline and the virtue of fortitude. Its emotional counterpart also requires these, but rather in the mind and thoughts. By practicing emotional chastity not only are we guarding our hearts, but also our souls. Through both physical, mental and emotional chastity; the virtue of chastity as a whole, we are opening the door for pure and authentic love to waltz in, of course in our Heavenly Father's time. Think about it; if nobody has regretted being chaste, why would anyone regret being emotionally chaste?
The ability to love is one of the sweetest gifts God has given us. Chastity is what trains and prepares us to give and receive the authentic love I have been speaking of. While practicing chastity may be difficult today or tomorrow, I can promise you that in His time, when your vocation is all figured out, and you are where you are meant to be, the struggles and triumphs will be worth it. Even in the now of things, it also greatly improves your relationships with others, both male and female. It's an armor of the mind. A perfect model of this virtue is St. Joseph, Our Blessed Mother's most chaste spouse. Through his example, we can draw inspiration and strength to fight the good fight, and come out victorious in Christ. 

I understand the struggle of remaining chaste in this modern society, but be rest assured that my prayers are with you. More importantly, all of Heaven is cheering you on. Go, be chaste and if you fall, get back up and try again! Remember that there is no such thing as too much perseverance. 

St. Joseph, pray for us,
Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,
-Yvonne Gemma

-End of actual post, other small tidbits here-

I'm preparing to begin school again very soon, (senior year, class of '14). Although I don't have senioritis, I'm looking forward to graduating high school. I'm hoping to keep busy without becoming stressed out this year, since idleness can be spiritually dangerous. Please pray for me!