The Educative Pastoral Community (EPC) of Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) of Makati celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15. The celebration begins with Kumpisalang Bayan and follows with a Eucharistic celebration presided by Rev. Fr. Ariel Macatangay, SDB.
The feast is too close to the heart of Don Bosco, father, and teacher of the community. Likewise, the EPC anticipates and prepares this great celebration through Novena masses presided by the Salesian Fathers at Our Lady’s Chapel and via Facebook Livestreaming from August 06 to 14. Holy Mass servers come from volunteers from the EPC. The Eucharistic celebration of the solemnity is also concelebrated with Rev. Fr. Ulysses Rimbawa, SDB, Director for Administration. The Senior High School Department through the principal Mr. Alfredo A. Lozanta Jr. sponsors the Holy Mass. The event was spearheaded by the Pastoral Ministry Office of the Senior High School Department with the collaboration of the Institutional Pastoral Ministry.
Fr. Ariel in his homily differentiates the Assumption of Mary from the Ascension of Jesus. He emphasizes, that Mary on her own, cannot assume herself into heaven, but she was assumed body and soul through the power of God. He adds that true devotion to Mary is not only admiring her but especially imitating her virtue. Fr. Ariel laid out three virtues of Mary which are worth emulating: humility, purity, and obedience. He also expounds on the preventive system of Don Bosco Educational Centers in relation to the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He ends his homily by quoting a Marian Pope, St. John Paul II, “taken up to heaven Mary shows us the way to God, the way to heaven, the way to life.” The way to God, Mary surrendered to God’s will; the way to heaven because She is our mother and queen who help us to go to heaven and the way to life because She showed us the fullness of life through the sword, through the cross.