Today is the Solemnity of our Lady of Lanka and we celebrate Independence Day of Sri Lanka. The Portuguese entered Sri Lanka in the year 1505 and were dominating from about 1505 to 1658 and then came the Dutch (1658 – 1796) and finally the British ruled Sri Lanka from 1815 to 1948. How does the Solemnity of our Lady of Lanka coincide with the Independence Day of Sri Lanka?

During the malevolent second World War II Sri Lanka was under the regime of the British and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was acting as a base for the operations of the British soldiers against Japan. Therefore Ceylon was a target. In 1939 at the beginning of World War II, Msgr. Jean Marie Masson, Archbishop of Colombo, made a vow to Our Lady promising that if Sri Lanka was spared the horrors of war, he would build a votive sanctuary in her honour and would have it dedicated to Our Lady of Lanka. The county was only marginally touched. In 1946 Msgr. Masson obtained the Vatican’s permission to build a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and in 1948 Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Blessed Virgin Mary as patron of Sri Lanka. Hence the National Ba-silica was built. The faithfulness of our God is reflected in and through these events of our history. During the Dutch persecution God sent St. Joseph Vaz to restore the Catholic Church. God’s love and faith-fulness to His people and to His promises are strong and constant.

The promises given in the first proclamation have become true to us. Our God spared and delivered Sri Lanka. When we are in the hands of our loving God we need not fear. God has redeemed us and called us by name. We as a nation could be comforted when we turn to our history and recognize the faithfulness of God to His people.

The event in the second proclamation, which is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples while many nations were gathered in Jerusalem, is another expression of God’s love and faithfulness. When the Holy Spirit comes; unity and clarity takes over. Heaven invades earth and God dwells in the depths of people.

In the Gospel proclamation the birth of the Lord Jesus and the visit of the Magi’s denote God’s love and faithfulness to the entire world.

Prayer: Abba Father, Oh! Faithful God! I’m yours and you are mine. Amen.