JOURNEY OF FAITH

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been constantly on the move—traveling from New York to Chicago and Racine, then to Canada and Armenia. As I was flying back from Armenia, I found myself with ample time—16 hours, to be exact—to reflect on the journey of life. Isn’t life itself a journey? We’re constantly moving, going from one stage to the next, often unsure of what lies ahead. Yet, we trust that every step is part of a greater purpose.

Today’s Gospel reading gives us a beautiful example of someone also on a journey—Mary, the Mother of our Lord. The scripture tells us, “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste” (Luke 1:39). While we often picture the Holy Virgin Mary as calm and serene, she was a woman of action, always on a mission. She didn’t sit back and wait for things to happen—she stepped out in faith, going where God called her.

When the angel announced she would be the Mother of God, Mary didn’t keep this news to herself. She got up and journeyed to visit her cousin Elizabeth in haste. And that was just the beginning. Mary’s life was a series of journeys—traveling to Bethlehem, fleeing to Egypt, searching for Jesus in Jerusalem, and then returning to Nazareth.

Her life was one journey after another, each step ordained by God. We can only imagine what other travels she took, but we cannot forget the most difficult journey of all—walking with her son to Calvary…. Today, we celebrate her ultimate journey—her Assumption into heaven. The woman who spent so much of her life in motion — setting out in haste, searching, fleeing – finally finds a place of rest, a place where God Himself has prepared a sanctuary for her.

Friends, we are all on a journey. Every step we take is part of the path God has set before us. Like Mary, the Mother of God, we may not always know where the road will lead, but we can trust that God is guiding us to a place of rest and peace. Let’s follow her example, stepping out in faith and trusting that our journey, no matter how long or difficult, leads to unimaginable blessings.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
August 18, 2024