Every event in life means an ending of some sort. The middle of August seems to have lots of endings. Already we are aware that the days are getting shorter and there is a hint of Autumn creeping in. The All Ireland camogie, hurling and football finals are upon us. In conversations you will hear talk about “back to school” and how quickly the summer is going! Our gardens have reached their peak of summer colour. Last Monday was the feast of the Assumption of Mary and her feast day gives us a little nudge to make the most of the remainder of this month.

The greatest disservice we have done to Mary down through the years is to have put her on a pedestal as if she is far removed from our world and lives. It is our loss if we see her as distant or irrelevant. Mary is especially close to our every experience. She is a truly great friend to have as we journey through life. Mary is close not just to the good stuff in our lives but especially close to our own struggles, setbacks and disappointments. She experienced many in her life and even during the darkest of moments she still put her trust in God. Mary’s feast day reminds us that we can learn to trust even when all hope seems lost.

If we see lots of endings only, we can redirect our thoughts to search for new beginnings. The most immediate beginning is the gift of today and it is our blank canvas to add what colours we want. We ask for Mary’s guidance, direction and many blessings on each of us today. We look forward to the rest of this month of August and for the chance to embrace every new beginning.