Today marks the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in the traditional Catholic reckoning. The ELCA observes it simply as the festival of Mary, Mother of Our Lord, while the Episcopal Church has it as St. Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord. The Orthodox Church, meanwhile, celebrates the Dormition (“falling asleep”) of Our Most Holy Lady, The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

I blogged last week about the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception. See also “Mary as Paradigm and Agent of Faith” and “Can Protestants Pray the Rosary?” for more evidence of my crypto-catholic tendencies.

Today’s prayer from Oremus:

Redeeming God, whose daughter Mary trusted angelic voices, rejoiced with a song of praise, and wept at the foot of the cross:Give us such courage, faith and hope as hers, that we, too, may praise you, trust you and receive you through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.