Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary
Luke 1:39-56
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary's Assumption, that Mary did
not suffer physical corruption after her death and was taken body and
soul upon her death into heaven. What is the significance of this
feast?
In our technological age, we have advanced so much in our scientific
knowledge. We have explored the outer space of the galaxies, and the
inner space of atoms, electrons, neutrons and so on. We have made so
much advances in genetic engineering that we can clone and alter
natural offspring. We have made great advances in psychological and
human sciences that we can brainwash and make people crazy.
But when it comes to living our lives, our chief need is to find
somebody who will inspire us to do what we know we should do, a role
model. And that is the role of a friend, a spouse, or a parent. As
Christians we might add that this is also the role of Mary.
As we look on the life of Mary, the first thing we find in Mary's life
is suffering. Mary's suffering began when she was asked to bear a son
before being married to Joseph, her fiancé. In other words, she was
asked to be an unwed mother. The anxieties in her heart - would Joseph
still accept her, when he finds out that she's already pregnant? If the
public finds out, will she be stoned to death in public?
Later, when she and Joseph took the child
Jesus to the
the holy man Simeon said of Jesus: "Behold, this child is destined for
the fall and the rise of many in
contradicted." Turning to Mary he said, "And sorrow, like a sharp
sword, will pierce your own heart."
Suffering continued in Mary's life when in later years she saw the
opposition grow against Jesus.
Finally, her suffering reached its peak when she stood beneath the
crucified body of her son on
courage and with patience. And that's where she becomes a source of
inspiration to us. She inspires us to bear our suffering as
courageously and patiently as she did.
This brings us to the second thing that we find in Mary's life. It's
the spirit of service to others. The spirit manifested itself when the
angel Gabriel announced that she was to be the mother of the Son of
God. Her answer was short and to the point: "Behold, I am the handmaid
of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
Mary's spirit of service continued to manifest itself when she learned
of her cousin Elizabeth's pregnancy and went to help. Finally, that
spirit of service continued to manifest itself when Mary asked help
from Jesus for the young married
couple at
to help at the reception in the first place.
Someone once said, "My life turned around when I stopped asking God to
do things for me and asked God what I could do for him." It is this
kind of spirit of service in Mary that inspires us to want to try to
serve as she did.
This brings us to the third thing that we find in Mary's life. It is a
spirit of profound prayerfulness. This spirit of prayerfulness is seen
in her prayer of praise to God. Mary offered this prayer called the
Magnificat right after learning
that
womb when she approached
Mary's spirit of prayerfulness continued at the birth of Jesus, when
the Gospel tells us that Mary "kept all these things [connected with
Jesus' birth] reflecting on them in her heart."
And it reached a special peak when the Acts of the Apostles relates
that she "devoted" herself "to prayer" with the Apostles in preparation
for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Because of her prayerfulness, she was always ready to do the will of
God. That's why she was sinless, that's why she was taken body and soul
to heaven upon her death to be with God forever.
Mother Teresa of
it is capable of containing God's gift of himself." This is what prayer
did for Mary. And this is what it can also do for us.
Mary inspires us to want to carry our cross patiently as she carried
hers. She inspires us to want to serve others generously and joyfully,
as she served them. Finally, she inspires us to pray regularly as she
did.
It is in this regard we can confidently look to Mary as our
intercessor. We often ask friends, especially those we believe, who are
close to God to pray for us and for our intentions. Jesus himself
declared: "...If two of you join your voices on earth to pray for
anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven."
(Matt. 18: 19) Mary is the person most pleasing to God, a person who is
always ready to help us. Her prayers and intercessions will be most
pleasing to God. Who can be a better Advocate than Mary Our Mother?
And if we imitate Mary in these three things, of patiently carrying the
cross, of generous service, and of living a life of prayer, then we too
will rejoice with her someday in heaven in the presence of the Holy
Trinity, as she rejoices there now.
This is the message contained in today's feast. This is the good news
we celebrate together. This is the invitation that God extends to each
one of us in this liturgy.
By Fr. Rick