Join us on August 16, 2015 for Assumption (Transferred)

Feast of the Assumption (Transferred), 

Sunday, August 16th, 2015

I am sure each one of us has met someone who, despite all else, always seems to be joyful no matter what.  Have you ever met someone who, despite everything else, always seems to be happy?  Whether it be a close relative or loved one; a neighbor; a coworker; or someone who helps us at the store we shop in.  All of us have met someone who always seem to be joyful no matter what.  That is because joy is something that is found "inside" of us and not "outside" of us.  This distinction may seem somewhat strange but let me clarify what I mean.  So much of the world find their "joy" on things that are "outside" of us.  In other words, they find their joy in material possessions such as cars, or clothing, or electronics, or money, etc.  But these things that I just described can be taken away from us.  They can be stolen, or they can break,  or they can go out of style, etc.  Contrast this with joy that is deep within us.  This joy is inside of us.  This joy is found in our heart.  This joy can NEVER be taken away from us, no matter what.  It can not be stolen from us or taken away from us . . .  it will never break . . . . and it will never, ever go out of style.  A joyful person will not let the obstacles of the world get in the way of their joy and happiness.   

If we look back to the Old Testament book of Isaiah, we hear the following:  "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God" (Isaiah 61:7ff)  Our Blessed Mother is just such a person.  Despite all of the hardships she endured, despite all of the questions that she had, despite even the sorrow she had when she saw her Son beaten and killed, she still had the joy of God in her heart.  This is the lesson that Our Lady, and all of the wonderful saints, quite frankly, can teach us :  that joy is a condition that is found  inside of us and can never be taken away.  When we have the joy of God in our hearts, it can never be stolen; it will never rust away; it will never wear out.  The joy that God gives to us grows stronger and stronger as we mature, (mature physically, yes, but more importantly, mature spiritually!)  And true joy in God becomes a strong foundation that will never be shaken no matter what befalls us.  Thus, even when bad things happen (e.g., we get sick, we have stacks of bills, we lose our job, etc), our foundation of joy in God will always overshadow everything else that may befall us.  The love of God that we have in our hearts is something that comes from within us and "spills out" over into the rest of our life and this is what people describe as "joy!" 

Two opportunities to hear Mass on Sunday, August 16, 2015 for the Transferred Feast of the Assumption:

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church celebrates Mass at the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit celebrates Mass at the First Presbyterian Church, which is located at the corner of Pennsylvania and South Streets near downtown Greenfield.  Mass begins at 1:00 PM on Sunday.

 Join us as we listen to Holy Scripture, hear the Word of God preached, and receive Our Precious Lord in Holy Communion.  A Coffee Hour follows Mass.