Today is one of the greatest Marian feasts of the Church. The others being her Immaculate Conception on the 8th of December and her Motherhood on New Year's Day. Today, we are celebrating our Lady's Assumption into heaven. This mystery is not in the Scriptures and is constantly been in the Oral Tradition of the Church. It is not Biblical however, we can understand that Mary must have been taken away just as God has taken away Enoch, Moses (whose tomb cannot be found) and Elijah. Mary is far greater than any of them. And besides the vision of St. John in the Book of Revelation 12:1 saying a story of a woman clothed with a sun, with a moon on her feet and a diadem of twelve stars, is commonly interpreted as Mary.
We read in St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians 15: 20-23: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Since Mary helped Christ in order to accomplish our redemption, and there is no other person aside from Christ who lived a holy and obedient life than her, she must be the first one to receive Christ's promise.
Today's celebration allows us to see how God loves Mary. God thought of Mary even before the creation began. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4) It was God who created Mary in her mother's womb without any stain of sin in order to prepare her for the coming of the Savior. At the annunciation, the angel greeted her with: Rejoice! You who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. (Luke 1:28) He has lavished Mary with spiritual grace above other creatures. He comforted her in her trials, he guided her in the darkness of her faith and has given her reward at the right time.
We can also see how Mary loves God. In today's Gospel, we can see how she constantly praise him who continuously makes wonders in her life. She treats herself as a mere vessel being filled with God's grace. (2 Corinthians 4:7) She never boasts of anything but she is filled with thanksgiving to God. Although she doesn't fully understood his plans, she remained faithful. It is difficult to understand how she will give birth that she is a virgin. In her culture, God is Almighty and will never undergo suffering. But she behold the helplessness of God in her very eyes--- how he as a small baby cried when hungry, how he seems to be human, falling after taking a few steps and later, full of wounds and dying in front of her. It is said that her life can be summarized with just one word: FIAT --- so be it. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”(Luke 1:38) Her life is a perpetual oblation to God.
If we look up our lives, do we see how much God loves us? Is our life a perpetual thanksgiving to him? Sad to say, we commonly grumble and complain and we fail to see God's wonders in our lives. We fail to thank God for guiding us and being with us as we suffer. We do not see his hand whose providence is revealed in our food, the clothes we wear and the house we live, in the problems that he helps us solve. We do not see ourselves as merely beggars and if there is anything good in our lives, it comes from God. We fail to imitate Mary, in seeing God's graciousness to his little ones.
If we see God's love, we understand it and we are impelled to love him more. We are impelled to thank him and rejoice with him at all times. We are impelled to see the world in his perspective and see everything as grace. We are impelled to love his creatures and our neighbor the way God loves them. It is inseparable.
If we love God the way Mary loves, we can be assured that like her, we will also be assumed in heaven. This is the hope that we hold on to. We will share the victory of Christ given to the faithful ones. Like Mary, we will have our bodies back--- at this time incorruptible and spiritual---- and we will be taken up to heaven in order to receive our crown and our heavenly inheritance.
We are heirs of the kingdom with Christ. May we look forward to the coming of that kingdom. May all we do be a preparation for that glorious day. And the only preparation that counts is when we love God above all things and of course it includes the love for the things and the persons that he loves. Mary, our Mother, the queen assumed into heaven is the best epitome of that love.
In Psalm 45, we say to Christ in glory: Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad. Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the queen in gold of Ophir.
The Solemnity of the Assumption is the celebration of Mary's reward after her earthly life. It is also a holy day in honor of Christ her Son. Christ in glory shares his joy with his Queen Mother. And it is also our feast day. Because, someday we will share in their glory as well.
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