Fr Joshan Rodrigues –
On August 15, 2020, India will celebrate 73 years of freedom. Catholics living in India, though, have always had a double reason to celebrate; while we celebrate our liberation from oppression and slavery with the birth of our nation as a sovereign state, the Assumption of Mary is a celebration of the “freedom of spirit”, an unfettering of the mind, body and soul from the trappings of materialism, worldliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and a life of sin that are the deceptions of the evil one. However, these freedoms can slowly pull away from us, if we do not pay careful heed to sustaining and nurturing the foundations that fortify these freedoms.
In recent times, concerns have been raised by intelligentsia, watchdogs and activists in debates, about the manner in which public institutions are being run. Some are of the opinion that if this is true, then that would be tantamount to the covert diminution of the checks and balances of democracy which in turn will prove detrimental to the progress of this nation.
A particular area of concern is the anaemic state of the fourth pillar of democracy—the media. An appraisal of the functioning of current newspapers and electronic media make it appear that in many cases there is an obfuscation of objectivity, selective narration, a quasi-judicial approach towards issues, noise over seasoned debate, widening the cracks in polity, religion and ideology and a rush to be “first” rather than to be credible and true. In short, an ‘infotainment’ approach has become the order of the day for many electronic news media, thus irreparably damaging the lofty place that media has always held in public discourse. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a number of people no longer consider the media to be objective and impartial to the facts. Those news media that do persevere in the noble task of impartial and truth-seeking reporting often face persecution.
A look at the world map throws up an alarming picture of large-scale public protests happening in dozens of countries across the world. France, Hong Kong, Russia, the United States, Lebanon, Belarus, Venezuela are just some of the countries where people’s anger has reached boiling point. While some may say that we live in the ‘free world’, the fact of the matter is that many basic freedoms which are due to the very dignity of human beings are being steadily throttled using internal mechanisms, under the guise of democratic process. In reality today, there is a widening gulf between the true nature of democracy and the reality in which it is lived out.
However, lived realities should never lead us down the road of an infinite pessimism. Change comes about only when every individual conforms his/her own life to the valuable tenets of enlightened social responsibility and strives for authentic and true “independence”. It is here that the Assumption of Mary gives us a stellar foresight into the “fruits of freedom” that the Risen Christ has won for each one of us. In spite of being situated in an extremely patriarchal society with many constricting challenges to deal with, Mary refused to be ‘locked down’. Her courageous YES was the result of an authentic freedom of heart and mind which she had cultivated by being nailed to the Word of God. Her ‘freedom’ is explicitly and joyfully manifested in the words of the Magnificat.
Mary’s Assumption is pregnant with meaning. It is also a sign and confirmation of who she was. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, St Paul speaks of Jesus’ Resurrection as the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Jesus’ Resurrection is not an isolated event, but one that includes all of humanity, and extends through time. Seen through that lens, Mary’s Assumption is the “second fruits”, when she partook of the divine gift unleashed at Easter. This is the same hope and promise that we look forward to. The Assumption is Mary’s privilege, but it is also our promise.
In the context of locked freedoms that we are living today, the Assumption of Mary gives us a brilliant insight into how we can raise ourselves from the gloom, insecurity, uncertainty, anxiety and a feeling of hopelessness that has permeated our lives today. Mary was lifted up from the corruption of this world, due to her fidelity to the will of God, humble faith and quiet discipleship. A tree that is planted by streams of living water (Psalm 1), a branch that remains firmly in the Vine (Jn 15) can never wither. Mary perfectly shared in Christ’s Resurrection, because she perfectly shared in the Incarnation, life and death of her Son.
The Assumption of Mary reminds us that we may be ‘locked in’, but we are not ‘locked out’.
Fr Joshan Rodrigues is currently the Managing Editor of The Examiner, Catholic Newsweekly of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He is an alumnus of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome in Institutional and Social Communications. He has done brief stints with the DeSales Media Group in Brooklyn, New York and Communications Office of the Episcopal Conference of England and Wales, London. He frequently blogs on faith and culture in ‘Musings in Catholic Land’