Yesterday, the Church celebrated the great feast of Our Blessed Lady’s Assumption into Heaven, a very important event for all of us, but especially for Leyland St. Mary’s, as this is our very own patronal feastday. Promulgated by Pope Pius XII in 1950 as an Article of Faith, this ‘new’ dogma of the Assumption was simply confirming what Western Christianities and Eastern Orthodoxies had believed for many hundreds of years.  Below is a beautiful example of what belief and faith in God and Our Blessed Lady is all about.

Father Jonathan

 Olympic Faith:

During the past two weeks, I have been fascinated by the Olympic Games.  For most of my life, I have always very much enjoyed watching the games, from the many venues overseas, but it has been a privilege to have been able to watch the games played out on home turf.  I hope that you, similarly, have been able to enjoy the daily specatacle of athletes giving everything they have in the many competitions.  And, although it may be seen as patriotic favouritism, the British Team have done remarkably well in many aspects of the Games, winning medals in more events than ever before. 

On Friday 10 August, I was watching the Olympics on TV.  Much of what I was seeing did not really interest me, and I had other more important things on my mind; quite a lot was simply repetative of earlier events of the day, and there were many events that did not appeal to my taste in sport.  But then, the announcers revealed what everyone was thinking would be an important event – the 5,000 metres race for women – and, very much in line with today’s experience of the strongest runners in long distance races, the favourites were thought to be certain to come from a select group of nations of Africa – Ethiopia, or Kenya, perhaps chief among them. 

The race began and there was a large field of competitors – all facing a lung-wrenching, muscle-binding, 12.5 laps of the 400 metres track. In the early part of the race, two runners from TeamGB took the lead as ‘pace-makers’, but then, with around a lap to go, the Africans took the lead, and, in a most exciting finish, an Ethiopian lady named Mesaret Defar won the event, throwing her arms wide in exultation as she crossed the winning line.  She was followed closely by a fellow Ethiopian and ladies from Kenya.

Ethopian, Defar, wins the Ladies’ 5000 metres

She then proceeded to do something I have never witnessed before.  Breathing hard on her knees after her exertions, she took out a piece of cloth on which there was an icon of the Madonna and Child.  This she showed to the cheering crowd of 80,000 people, kissed it, and then draped the icon over her face for everyone to see. The pictures below speak better than any words.

Mesaret Defar Takes Out the Icon of the Madonna and Child and Kisses It

As she did this, I could not doubt the devotion that was shining on her face. It had been a thrilling finish to the race, and one could not help but applaud the exertions of those who had carried the race through to the winning post; the crowd were going ‘wild’, but for me, the magnificent moment in all this excitement was to see this lady, in all humility, kiss the image of the Madonna and Child.

A day or so earlier, I had watched the Jamaican, Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, win the 200 metres sprint, thereby retaining his ‘crown’ as Olpympic Champion in this event; only a week ago, he had similarly retained his Gold medal position in the 100 metres.  On winning the 200 metres, Usain made the Sign of the Cross on his chest and then, raising his eyes to heaven, gave out a very public sign that he was sending this prayer to God above.  On another occasion, a British lady judo contestant, having performed well in front of the home crowd, won a silver medal.  At the end of her bout, her face filled with tears and she looked heavenwards and spoke.  Against the loud and supportive applause of the crowd, it was not possible to hear the words, but they were easy to lip-read.  She said, “I love you mum.”  It transpires that her mother had died some years ago with cancer.  What wonderful faith in God’s mercy and the hereafter!

 I have on many occasions in sport seen participants speak to heaven above and make the Sign of the Cross on their chests. Such actions by many of the athletes have been even more apparent in these Olympics,.  However, the actions of the Ethiopian lady, Mesaret Defar, made a very big impression on my mind – one that I hope I shall never forget. What an act of faith!  And, how wonderful it was to see a world-class athlete acknowledge that, in her victory, she owed everything to her heavenly Mother and to Jesus.

Socius

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