Aug 15, 2023: The Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary:
Lk 1:39-56: Three Questions answered: Q 1: Do Catholics worship Mary? Fact 1: Catholics don’t worship or adore Mary because we worship only God, and Mary is not God. Fact 2: We venerate her, honor her, and love her as Jesus’ mother and our Heavenly Mother.
Q 2: Why do Catholics venerate Mary? Mary herself gives the reason in her “Magnificat” recorded in Luke (1:48-49): 48: “For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. 49: The Mighty One has done great things for me, and Holy is his Name.”
1) God has honored Mary in four ways, and we honor her because God honored her:
a) He chose her as the mother of His Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah.
b) In preparation for this role, God made her “Full of grace” by her Immaculate Conception.
c) He anointed her twice with His Holy Spirit: at the Annunciation and at Pentecost, making her the most Spirit -filled of all women.
d) God allowed her to participate actively in Christ’s suffering and death, suffering in soul all Jesus suffered in body.
2) Mary is our Heavenly Mother, given to us by Jesus from the cross.
3) Mary is our role model for all virtues, particularly, love, fidelity, humility, obedience, surrender to the will of God, and patience.
Q 3: Why do we believe that Mary was taken to Heaven after her death and burial? (“Assumption” means, after her death, Mary was taken into Heaven, both body and soul. The word Assumption comes from the Latin verb “assumere”, meaning “to take to oneself.” Our Lord, Jesus Christ took Mary home to himself where he is. It was on November 1, 1950, that, through the Apostolic Constitution Munificentimus Deus, Pope Pius XII officially declared the Assumption as a Dogma of Catholic Faith, giving the following reasons:
1) Uninterrupted tradition in the Catholic Church starting from the first century AD. (The first trace of belief in the Virgin’s Assumption can be found in the apocryphal second-to-third century AD accounts entitled Transitus Mariae [Latin: “The
Crossing Over of Mary”].
2) The feast is found in all the ancient liturgies
3) The belief in the assumption of Mary is taught by all early Fathers of the Church, e.g., Origen (died AD 253), St. Jerome (died AD 419) and St. Augustine (died AD 430).
4) Negative evidence: Mary’s tomb was never reported or venerated.
5) Old Testament evidence of corporal assumption of Enoch (Gn 5: 24) and Elijah (2 Kgs 2:1).
6) Theological reasons: her Immaculate Conception and sinless life.
Life messages: 1) We are challenged to keep ourselves pure and holy children of a Holy Mother. 2) We are challenged to accept total liberation from all our bondages. 3) We are assured of our resurrection and given the inspiration to face pain, suffering, despair, disappointment and temptations as Mary did.
FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
(Vigil Mass: 1 Chr 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2; 1 Cor 15:54b-57; Lk 11:27-28 (621)
Daytime Mass: Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; 1 Cor 15:20-27; Lk 1:39-56)
Homily starter anecdote: # 1: Taj Mahal: The Taj Mahal has been described as a “love song in marble.” Completed in 1645, the magnificent marble mausoleum was built by Shah Jahan, India’s Mogul emperor, in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal (= “the chosen one of the palace”). Her maiden name was Princess Arjumand. Shah Jahan loved her deeply, calling her his “Taj Mahal,” meaning “The Pearl of the Palace.” But Princess Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to their fourteenth child, and the emperor was inconsolable. So, he summoned a great architect from Persia to build the Taj Mahal, telling him that it must be “the one perfect memorial in the world.” Seventeen years were needed to build this enchanting edifice of gleaming white marble embroidered with flashing jewels. It is an enduring monument to love that still inspires tourists, artists, and writers from all over the world. This beautiful love story gives us some idea of how much God must have loved Mary, the mother of Jesus. Today’s feast of her Assumption into Heaven is proof of this. By raising her from the dead and taking her into Heaven – body and soul – God demonstrated His undying love for Mary. Like Shah Jahan, God could not bear the death of His beloved. However, God could do what no Indian emperor could do – raise His beloved from the dead and restore her to life even more beautiful than before. Moreover, God didn’t have to build a Taj Mahal to memorialize Mary. Her glorified body is itself a magnificent temple of the Holy Spirit. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds). Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 2: Carl Jung on the Assumption: It was in 1950, that the famed Lutheran Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, an influential thinker and the founder of Analytical Psychology, remarked that the Papal announcement of the dogma of the Assumption of Mary, in 1950, was “the most important religious event since the Reformation.” (Storr, p. 324). The Assumption means that, along with the glorified masculine body of Jesus in Heaven, there is also a glorified feminine body of Jesus’ mother, Mary. According to Jung, “bodily reception of the Virgin into Heaven” (Ibid.) meant that “the Heavenly bride was united with the Bridegroom,” (Ibid., p. 322) which union “signifies the hieros gamos” [the sacred marriage], (Ibid.) Acknowledging that the Assumption “is vouched for neither in Scripture nor in the tradition of the first five centuries of the Christian Church,” Jung observes that: “the Papal declaration made a reality of what had long been condoned. This irrevocable step beyond the confines of historical Christianity is the strongest proof of the autonomy of archetypal images.” (Storr, p. 297). Jung remarks that “the Protestant standpoint . . . is obviously out of touch with the tremendous archetypal happenings in the psyche of the individual and the masses, and with the symbols which are intended to compensate the truly apocalyptic world situation today.” (Ibid., pp. 322-323) Jung added: “Protestantism has obviously not given sufficient attention to the signs of the times which point to the equality of women. But this equality requires to be metaphysically anchored in the figure of a ‘divine’ woman. . .. The feminine, like the masculine, demands an equally personal representation.” (Ibid., p. 325) [Quotes from : Jung, C. G. Modern Man in Search of a Soul; translated by W. S. Dell and C. F. Baynes. (Princeton, New Jersey: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers, San Diego. 1933); and Storr, Anthony (Ed.). The Essential Jung. (Princeton University Press, 1983).] Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 3: There is a legend about the Assumption of the Virgin Mary – The tradition holds that Blessed Virgin Mary died in Jerusalem (or Ephesus?) and during the last moments of her earthly life all surviving Apostles were present there except St. Thomas, who was then preaching in India. He then was miraculously brought there, and he insisted on seeing the dead body of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But to everyone’s surprise, her tomb was found empty, excepting her clothes. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 4: The Syrian tradition on the Assumption: The virgin longed to ascend to heaven to join her son Jesus. Her dormition was in peace. The date of her death and how old she was, have always been a controversial issue among historians. Most probably that was in AD 56 when she was seventy. Her Assumption in the flesh and soul was not instituted by the Syrian Church as a doctrine. The Virgin’s Assumption is a confessional patristic tradition based on the Syriac narrative of Apostle Thomas. In this narrative we read about the gathering of the Apostles in spirit in Jerusalem for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, and about the late arrival of Tom, his encounter with the Virgin up in the sky on the way up to heaven, and his acquisition of her girdle, which he brought to the Apostles and his request to them to reopen her grave. When the Apostles did that they did not find her holy body. Thomas declared to them the truth of her ascension to heaven in her glorified flesh and that he witnessed her procession and received the girdle from her in testimony whereof. The Apostles believed him. Syriac tradition reports that Thomas took the girdle with him to India where he was martyred at the hands of pagan priests. When Thomas’ relics were taken to Edessa in the fourth century the girdle was brought with them. Finally the girdle reached the Church of the Virgin in Homs, which has been called the Church of the Virgin’s Girdle ever since. The girdle was discovered in 1852 during the time of Archbishop Mar Julius Peter (Later Patriarch Mar Ignatius Peter 4th.). The girdle was placed in the altar. Late Patriarch Ephrem I Barsoum, of blessed memory, rediscovered the girdle in 1953. The shrine of the girdle in the church in Homs has become a source of blessing for the faithful. (http://www.malankaraworld.com/Library/shunoyo/shunoyo-Virgin-Mary-in-Syrian-Orthodox-Church-11.htm)n
Introduction: The Feast of the Assumption is one of the most important feasts of our Lady. Catholics believe in the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven. We believe that when her earthly life was finished, Mary was taken up, body and soul, into Heavenly glory, where the Lord exalted her as Queen of Heaven. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 966). The Assumption is the feast of Mary’s total liberation from death and decay, the consequences of original sin. It is also the remembrance of the day when the Church gave official recognition to the centuries-old belief of Christians about the Assumption of their Heavenly Mother. In the Orthodox Church, the koimesis, or dormitio (“falling asleep”), of the Virgin began to be commemorated on August 15 in the 6th century. The observance gradually spread to the West, where it became known as the feast of the Assumption. By the 13th century, the belief had been accepted by most Catholic theologians, and it was a popular subject with Renaissance and Baroque painters. It was on November 1, 1950, that, through the Apostolic Constitution Munificentimus Deus, Pope Pius XII officially declared the Assumption as a Dogma of Catholic Faith. On this important feast day, we try to answer two questions: 1) What is meant by “Assumption?” 2) Why do we believe in Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, despite the fact that there is no reference to it in the Bible? “Assumption” means that after her death, Mary was taken into Heaven, both body and soul, as a reward for her sacrificial cooperation in the Divine plan of Salvation. “On this feast day, let us thank the Lord for the gift of the Mother, and let us pray to Mary to help us find the right path every day” (Pope Benedict XVI).
(B)Tradition on Mary’s Assumption: The first trace of belief in the Virgin’s Assumption can be found in the apocryphal accounts entitled Transitus Mariae [Latin; translated, “The Crossing Over of Mary”], whose origin dates to the second and third centuries. These are popular and sometimes romanticized depictions, which in this case, however, pick up an intuition of Faith on the part of God’s People. (Pope St. John Paul II). The fact of Mary’s death is generally accepted by the Church Fathers and theologians and is expressly affirmed in the liturgy of the Church. Origen (died AD 253), St. Jerome (died AD 419) and St. Augustine (died AD 430), among others, argue that Mary’s death was not a punishment for sin, but only the result of her being a descendant of Adam and Eve.
(C) Papal teaching: In May 1946, with the Encyclical Deiparae Virginis Mariae, Pius XII called for a broad consultation, inquiring among the Bishops and, through them, among the clergy and the People of God as to the possibility and opportuneness of defining the bodily assumption of Mary as a dogma of Faith. The result was extremely positive: only six answers out of 1,181 showed any reservations about the revealed character of this truth. (Pope St. John Paul II). When Pope Pius XII made the proclamation on November 1, 1950, he put into words a belief held by the faithful for over 1500 years. In AD 325, the Council of Nicaea spoke of the Assumption of Mary. Writing in AD 457, the Bishop of Jerusalem said that when Mary’s tomb was opened, it was “found empty. The apostles judged her body had been taken into Heaven.” Pope Pius XII based his declaration of the Assumption on both tradition and theology. The uninterrupted tradition in the Eastern Churches starting from the first century, the apocryphal first-century book, Transitus Mariae, and the writings of the early Fathers of the Church, such as St. Gregory and St. John Damascene, supported and promoted the popular belief in the Assumption of Mary. There is a tomb at the foot of the Mt. of Olives where ancient tradition says that Mary was laid. But there is nothing inside. There are no relics, as with the other saints. This is acceptable negative evidence of Mary’s Assumption. Besides, credible apparitions of Mary, though not recorded in the New Testament, have been recorded from the 3rd century till today.
In his decree on the Dogma of the Assumption, Pope Pius XII gives four theological reasons to support this traditional belief.
#1: The degeneration or decay of the body after death is the result of Original Sin. However, since, through a special intervention of God, Mary was born without Original Sin, it is not proper that God would permit her body to degenerate in the tomb.
#2: Since Mary was given the fullness of grace, Heaven is the proper place for this sinless mother of Jesus.
#3: Mary was our co-redeemer, or fellow redeemer, with Christ in a unique sense. Hence, her rightful place is with Christ our Redeemer in Heavenly glory. (The term co-Redeemer or co-r
Redemptrix means “cooperator with the Redeemer.” This is what St. Paul meant when he said “We are God’s co-workers” I Cor. 3:9.). Hence, it is “fitting” that she should be given the full effects of the Redemption, the glorification of the soul and the body.
#4: In the Old Testament, we read that the prophet Elijah was taken into heaven in a fiery chariot. Thus, it appears natural and possible that the mother of Jesus would also be taken into Heaven.
(Note: The Catechism teaches that Mary was taken to heaven when the course of her earthly life was finished. The Church does not declare whether Mary died and then was assumed into heaven or whether she was assumed before she died. It leaves open both possibilities. However, most theologians and saints throughout the centuries have affirmed that Mary did experience death—not as a penalty for sin but in conformity to her son, who willingly experienced death on our behalf. In support of this latter view, John Paul II said, “The Mother is not superior to the Son who underwent death, giving it a new meaning and changing it into a means of salvation.”)
Scripture readings of the Daytime Mass explained: The first and third readings are about women and God’s creative, redemptive, and salvific action through them. The Book of Revelation, written in symbolic language familiar to the early Christians, was meant to encourage them and bolster their Faith during times of persecution. In the first reading, the author of Revelationprobably did not have Mary of Nazareth in mind when he described the “woman” in this narrative. He sees the “woman” as a symbol for the nation and people, Israel. She is pictured as giving birth, as Israel brought forth the Messiah through its pains. The woman is also symbolic of the Church, and the woman’s offspring represents the way the Church brings Christ into the world. The dragon represents the world’s resistance to Christ and the truths that the Church proclaims. As Mary is the mother of Christ and of the Church, the passage has indirect reference to Mary.
A) Dr. Bryant Pitre: According to the first century BC Jewish belief, just before the Babylonians destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem, Prophet Jeremiah appeared and took the Ark of the Covenant to Mount Nebo and hid in a cave which miraculously disappeared. John, in the reading from the Book of Revelation finds the Ark of the Covenant in Heaven. As soon as John sees the Ark in the Temple in Heaven, suddenly, the image switches and now he sees a woman in Heaven, almost as if the two images are superimposed on one another. “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.” Why is this the first reading for the feast of the Solemnity of the Assumption? And the answer is simple. If Mary is the true Ark of the Covenant on Earth — at the Annunciation, the Holy Spirit overshadows her like it overshadowed the Ark and God begins to dwell in her in Christ — then when John sees this mysterious apocalyptic vision of the Ark in Heaven and of a woman in Heaven who is the mother of the Messiah and who’s wearing a crown of twelves stars as she is a heavenly queen. Since ancient times, this vision has been interpreted as a vision of Mary in Heaven as mother of the Messiah … and not just as the mother but as the heavenly Ark of the Covenant. If Mary’s body is the dwelling place of God on Earth —the true Ark of the Covenant, then it’s fitting that at the end of her life, that body, that sacred Ark, would not remain on Earth in a human grave or a human tomb, but that it would be taken up to its rightful place in the heavenly Holy of Holies in the Heavenly Temple of God. That’s the logic of choosing this vision of the heavenly Ark of the Covenant on the feast of the Assumption of Mary. Because her body was the Ark of the Covenant on Earth, it’s fitting that her body and her soul would be caught up into Heaven to dwell in the heavenly Holy of Holies in the heavenly Temple with Christ for all eternity.
B) According to Fr. Reginald Fuller (Center for Liturgy) there are three possibilities: 1. She is the old Israel, the nation from whom the Messiah came. Much in this passage suggests the old Israel waiting for the birth of the Messiah. The Old Testament background suggests this (see Isaiah 66:7). According to this view, the seer is taking up and partly Christianizing earlier pictures of Israel waiting for the coming of the Messiah. 2. The woman is the Church, the new Israel, the mother of the faithful. This is supported by Rv 12:17, which speaks of other children belonging to the woman who “keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus.” 3. The woman with the Blessed Virgin Mary: An interpretation popular among medieval expositors and revived in a somewhat more sophisticated form in recent Catholic exegesis (and clearly accepted by the choice of this passage for this feast), equates the woman with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Probably there is no need to choose among these three interpretations. For Mary is the daughter of Zion, the quintessential expression of the old Israel as the community of Faith and obedience awaiting the coming of the Messiah, the community in which the Messiah is born. But she is also the quintessential expression of the new Israel (the Church), of those who “believe” and are justified on the grounds of their faith, of those who obey his word and who suffer for the testimony of Jesus,
C)Navarre Bible Commentary: The description of the woman indicates her heavenly glory, and the twelve stars of her victorious crown symbolize the people of God—the twelve patriarchs (cf. Gn 37:9) and the twelve apostles. And so, independently of the chronological aspects of the text, the Church sees in this Heavenly woman the Blessed Virgin, “taken up body and soul into Heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords (cf. Rv 19:16) and conqueror of sin and death” (Lumen Gentium 59)
The second reading, taken from I Corinthians, is Paul’s defense of the resurrection of the dead, an apt selection on the feast of our Heavenly Mother’s Assumption into Heaven. According to Dr. Bryant Pitre, what Paul is saying here is just as everyone who is in Adam (part of the mystical body of Adam) dies because of Adam’s sin, so too in Christ everyone who is part of the Mystical Body of Christ will be made alive through the power of His Resurrection. And Christ is the first fruits of that resurrection. Just like the Jews in the temple in the spring would chop down the first sheaf of grain and they’d bring it and offer it up to God as the first fruits of the harvest, but then later on they go and gather the rest of the grain in the fullness of the harvest, so too Christ is the first fruits of the Resurrection of the dead. In Genesis 3:15, there’s this famous prophecy called the Protoevangelium, or the First Gospel. It’s in the words of God to the serpent, which He curses after the first transgression of Adam, when He says these words. He says in verse 15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed.” Just as Christ is the one man, the new Adam through whom salvation comes into the world, so too Mary is the new Eve, the one woman who is in herself the beginning of the new creation. If Christ is the new Adam and Mary is the new Eve, then just as Christ tastes the gift of the Resurrection and the glory of the life to come before everyone else in advance, as a sign of the beginning of the new creation, so too in Mary’s bodily Assumption, in the fact that her body and soul are incorruptible and assumed into Heaven, it means that Mary as the new Eve gets to experience now what we will all experience in the Resurrection at the end of time. She’s an eschatological sign of the fact that resurrection of the body isn’t just for Jesus; it’s also for other human beings. It isn’t just for the God Man; it’s for ordinary human beings.
Today’s gospel: In the Magnificat, the song of Mary given in today’s Gospel, Mary acknowledges that “the Almighty has done great things” for her. Besides honoring her as Jesus’ mother, God has blessed her with the gift of bodily Assumption. God, who has “lifted up” His “lowly servant” Mary, lifts up all the lowly, not only because they are faithful, but also because God is faithful to the promise of Divine mercy. Thus, the feast of the Assumption celebrates the mercy of God, or the victory of God’s mercy as expressed in Mary’s Magnificat. As the new Eve, Mary shares intimately in the fruit of the redemption and so is assumed body and soul into Heaven.
Life messages: #1: Mary’s Assumption gives us the assurance and hope of our own resurrection and assumption into Heaven on the day of our Last Judgment. It is a sign to us that someday, through God’s grace and our good life, we, too, will join the Blessed Mother in giving glory to God. It points the way for all followers of Christ who imitate Mary’s fidelity and obedience to God’s will.
#2: Since Mary’s Assumption was a reward for her saintly life, this feast reminds us that we, too, must be pure and holy in body and soul, since our bodies will be glorified on the day of our resurrection. St. Paul tells us that our bodies are the temples of God because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. He also reminds us that our bodies are members (parts) of the Body of Christ.
#3: This feast also gives us the message of total liberation. Jesus tells us in John 8:34 that everyone who sins is a slave of sin, and St. Paul reminds us (Gal 5:1), that, since Christ has set us free, we should be slaves of sin no more. Thus, the Assumption encourages us to work with God to be liberated from the bondage of evil: from impure, unjust and uncharitable thoughts and habits, and from the bonds of jealousy, envy, and hatred.
#4: Finally, it is always an inspiring thought in our moments of temptation and despair to remember that we have a powerful heavenly Mother, constantly interceding for us before her Son, Jesus, in Heaven. The feast of Mary’s Assumption challenges us to imitate her self-sacrificing love, her indestructible Faith and her perfect obedience. Therefore, on this feast day of our heavenly Mother, let us offer ourselves on the altar and pray for her special care and loving protection in helping us lead a purer and holier life.
JOKES OF THE WEEK 1) Miss Holycheek, the Catholic Sunday school teacher, had just finished explaining the feast of the Assumption to her class. “Now,” she said, “let all those children who want to go to Heaven to see their Heavenly Mother raise their hands.” All the children raised their hands except little Marie in the front row. “Don’t you want to go to Heaven, Marie?” asked Miss Holycheek. “I can’t,” said Marie tearfully. “My mother told me to come straight home after Sunday school.
2) God is walking around Heaven one day and notices a number of people on the heavenly streets who shouldn’t be there. He finds St. Peter at the gate and says to him, “Peter, you’ve been remiss in your duties. You’re letting in the wrong sort of people.” “Don’t blame me, Lord,” replies Peter. “I turn them away just like You said to. Then they go around to the back door and Jesus’ mother lets them in.”
Spiritual practices dedicated to Mary: Mary Ford-Grabowsky in Spiritual Writings on Mary: Annotated and Explained offers these spiritual practices dedicated to Mary:
• “Begin any kind of activity with a prayer to Jesus through Mary: a meal, a task of work, an exam, an athletic event, a doctor’s appointment, a difficult meeting, and each time you leave the house or return.
• “Set time aside to listen to songs, chants, or classical compositions written about Mary. Try chanting yourself.
• “Create your own Mary mantra, a Mary prayer composed of only a few words, such as ‘Mary, Mother of us all, give me strength’ (or wisdom, patience, generosity — whatever spiritual gift you need in the moment.) Also, ‘Mary, be with my friend (add name). Or simply, ‘I love you,’ or ‘Thank you.’ The possibilities are endless.
• “Honor Mary as the Mother of God by meditating on her words, virtues, and actions; and by contemplating what is great about her.
• “Perform acts of love for her without expectations of praise or a reward.”
Websites of the week
1) http://ncronline.org/(National Catholic Reporter)
2) http://www.liguorian.org/ (Ligurian magazine online)
3) http://www.catholicdigest.com/current_issue.html (Catholic Digest)
4)Pope Francis on Assumption: http://www.stbridgeteastfalls.org/pope-francis-homily-for-the-assumption/
5) IS THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY HISTORICAL? ( By Tim Staples-apologist, EWTN) https://timstaples.com/2019/is-the-assumption-of-mary-historical/)
6) Pop Up catechesis on Assumption: https://youtu.be/ooAcNNWSVVo
7) Life Teen Blog: https://lifeteen.com/blog/missing-jesus-mom-the-assumption-explained/ 8) Beautiful Assumption homilies & articles: a) Fr. Rufus Pereira: http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/columns/rufuspereira/ledbythespirit/27.aspb) Fr. Sebastian R. Fama: http://www.staycatholic.com/the_assumption.htm c) Apologist William Sanders: http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/maryc3c.htm d) Assumptions about Mary by T.L. Frazier, convert from Evangelism: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/assumptions-about-mary
8) Assumption of Mary church in Jerusalem, video: https://youtu.be/pF-8v4fx-9s
9) Scott Hahn on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
10) Assumption- Apologetics for beginners: https://youtu.be/l-xxdoHw1SI
11) Fr. Bing Arellano’s beautiful video homily on the Assumption of BVM
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For bird lovers: BlueTit bird nest box live camera highlights 2021- empty nest to flying chicks: https://youtu.be/7EPJEg6R3SM & https://youtu.be/txCB6REY-1w (Views through a built-in video camera)
1) Like is attracted to like. Such attraction continues to take place every day, even though we may not always be aware of it. People who have similar likes, interests, and goals are drawn to one another. This is the reason why there are fraternities and sororities, why there are country club people, Rotarians, Masons, Knights of Columbus, Knights of Peter Claver, and Daughters of the American Revolution, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Legion of Mary, and the like. The members all have things in common which draw them together. That is why we also have the Ku Klux Klan, street gangs and the Mafia. Like is attracted to like. Ever notice how children follow along after their mothers? From one room to another, they tag along. And the more they are near their mothers, the more they become like them. They begin thinking, acting, and being like their mothers. We all have in common a very special mother we are honoring today. We have been drawn here together to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus, and our mother too, as we recall Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. If like is attracted to like, does that mean we try to emulate her virtues and imitate her by learning more about her, by honoring her and by celebrating her feasts? (Fr. Jack Dorsel). Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12 Additional anecdotes
2) “Why do they minimize your beauty?” A charming story is told of the nineteenth century Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes fame. Contemporary artists were anxious for her to describe the woman she had seen in the grotto. So, one after the other, they showed her the most famous pictures of Mary. The young Bernadette was shown the beautiful Madonnas done by Murillo, Da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, El Greco, etc. To each she shook her head in disappointment. To their surprise, she said, “The lady looks like none of these paintings.” To herself she said, “My mother, why do they minimize your beauty?” (Fr. James). Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) The “bowing Procession:” In a small town in the hills surrounding Rome, the Feast of the Assumption is celebrated with what’s called the “bowing procession.” From one end of the town, the townspeople process, carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary. From the other end of the town, another group of townspeople march into town, carrying a statue of Jesus. Mary’s Son comes to rendezvous with His Mother. In front of the parish Church, the two groups meet. A ton of flowers decorates the church. Jesus and His Mother solemnly bow to each other. The villagers carry the statues of Mary and her Son side by side into the Church. It’s God the Son leading His Mother to her throne in heaven. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) Body, soul, or both? Today’s feast also shows us that God values our bodies. They are not only important to Him – they are sacred! There are two extremes of thought in regard to our bodies. One considers the body as our number one treasure. Ads and commercials usually feature people with exceptional looks. To be successful, accepted, and loved, they tell us, depends upon how we look. We are to watch our weight, keep in shape, and smell just right. If we don’t pamper our bodies and treat them royally, we’ll be social, business, and sexual flops. Nobody will want us around. As for the importance of our soul and our spiritual life? Forget it! They consider such things nonexistent and absurd. The other extreme of thought about the body is to look upon it as merely a machine for us to operate in this world. Its value is only its usefulness. To enhance it with cosmetics and perfume, to dress it up and make it look attractive, to diet, exercise, and look at it in the mirror – all that is not only a waste of time, but sinful. The soul and its spiritual condition are all that is important for us. We are to think of our body only when necessity requires. — But God is telling us on this feast of the Assumption that to Him, both are important – our body and our soul. They are both to be valued, and they are to be given the attention and honor due them. (Fr. Jack Dorsel) Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
5) “God helps those who help themselves.” If you are watching television and want a dish of ice cream, you aren’t going to have any unless you get up, go to the kitchen and scoop it up yourself. If you are in a movie theater and decide you want some popcorn, you aren’t going to get any unless you go to the lobby and buy it. Or are you one of those people who have someone waiting on them hand and foot? Are you one of those capable people, by that I mean one who is not an invalid, who expect to be waited on when they want something? Well, if you are, I’ve got some shocking news for you. That sort of thing is not going to work with God. I’m sure you’ve heard, “God helps those who help themselves.” However, these words do not praise the selfish and self-centered; rather, they refer to those who try to do their duty, who try to help others, who try to live the teachings of Christ, For those people, God will take it from there and perfect the results of their efforts, if not here, at least in the next life. — The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, spent her earthly life trying to carry out the will of God. Her Son crowned her efforts by drawing her into Heaven with Himself and perfecting her body into the likeness of His. Thus, we say, Mary was assumed into Heaven. (Fr. Jack Dorsel) Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
6) “Why did you go to Church today?” someone might have asked us in a year when the Assumption fell on a weekday. “This isn’t Sunday, its only Thursday.” “It’s a holy day of obligation. The feast of the Assumption,” we answer. “Oh,” the person says, and might add, “What’s that?” — Most Catholics won’t be questioned about today’s feast. Many Catholics might not even remember it. But you and I do. We have come to Mass to celebrate it. And we know why we are here. We are remembering the day on which Mary, the Mother of God, was assumed body and soul into Heaven by her Son Jesus Christ where she was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth. (Fr. Jack Dorsel) Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
7) “WHY ME?” Ever ask yourself that question? Or voice it to someone else. Why me? Why did this happen to me? If and when we ever do say “Why me?” is it not usually in regard to something very unpleasant that has happened to us? “Why is it that my car had to be the one to find the nail in the road? I’ve had my motel reservations for four months and when I get there, they can’t find my name in the computer. And why, after three weeks of dry, sunny, wonderful weather, did it have to pick my vacation week to rain? Why does the worst always happen to me?” Have you ever thought of saying “Why me?” when something really good happens to you? When the love of your life loves you back, when you get a raise in salary, when the bathing suit you bought five years ago still fits you perfectly, or when the cat goes outside to throw up instead of using your living room rug, do you say, “Why me? Why should such wonderful things happen to me? Why am I being treated so well?” — That is just what Mary is probably asking God today. “Why is it I am the one you have taken up into Heaven body and soul with such great glory?” (Fr. Jack Dorsel). Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
8) “I’m talking to your mother.” There is an old story about a workman on scaffolding high above the nave of a cathedral who looked down and saw a woman praying before a statue of Mary. As a joke, the workman whispered, “Woman, this is Jesus.” The woman ignored him. The workman whispered again, more loudly: “Woman, this is Jesus.” Again, the woman ignored him. Finally, he said aloud, “Woman, don’t you hear me? This is Jesus.” At this point the woman looked up at the crucifix and said, “Be still now, Jesus, I’m talking to your mother.” (Fr Munachi E. Ezeogu). — Why do Catholics treasure Marian devotions and doctrines that their non-Catholic brothers and sisters do not? It is because, I think, the Catholic Church is trying to tell the full story, to proclaim the full Gospel.
9) Chairlift to Eggstocke Mountain. In Braunwald, Switzerland, there is, or at least was, a chairlift that can make even the bravest person a bit weak-kneed. This lift is called the Sesselbahn. It is a system of overhead cables attached to high supports built into the rocky slopes of the Eggstocke Mountain. On these cables, chairs are hung which are electrically caused to slide up the cables carrying provisions and people to the Ortstock Haus on the top. Two chairs hang side by side. They are similar to ordinary metal ones with a kind of sunshade over them. There is no protection of any kind, just two chairs dangling in the air with only a narrow footrest, no sides or backs other than a couple of bars. The person with nerve enough to get into one of these chairs is, in the words of the article, “swung up over fearsome abysses and up the face of a mighty rock precipice by invisible power.” Sounds like a risky ride. Yet, many people have gotten into those chairs and made it safely to the top and down again. No accidents were ever reported. — But it seems to me that to ride the Sesselbahn chair-lift is to have great faith in a manmade device. Probably we trust manmade things more than we trust in God. What do you think? Today we celebrate the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. Mary allowed herself and her life to rest completely in the hands of God. She did what she thought He wanted her to do, and she trusted that He would take her through to the end and bring her out safe and sound. We could say she got into one of God’s chairs, let God accompany her in the one next to hers, and up they went – all the way over and through the dangers of life and into Heaven. That takes great Faith. (Fr. Jack Dorsel). Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) Stretch out your frying pan: Two men went fishing. One man was an experienced fisherman; the other wasn’t. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back. The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing this man waste good fish. “Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?” he asked. The inexperienced fisherman replied, “I only have a small frying pan.” Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big ideas, and big opportunities that God sends us, because our Faith is too small. — We laugh at that fisherman who didn’t figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan; yet how ready are we to increase the size of our Faith? God has big hopes for us – Assumption-sized hopes. Seeing how His hopes for the Blessed Virgin Mary were so wonderfully fulfilled should help increase our Faith. It should stretch out our frying pan. As the angel Gabriel said to Mary long before her glorious Assumption, “nothing is impossible to God” (Lk 1:37). [Frying pan story adapted from Hot Illustrations, copyright 2001, Youth Specialties, Inc.] (E- Priest). Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11) Mary Is Our Star of Hope: In pre-Christian times, the pagan religions of ancient Greece and Rome had a very interesting insight into the human soul. Some of their myths described how great heroes from past ages used to do battle with the gods, either physically or through a contest of wits. And when a human being won such a battle, one’s reward would be to avoid death and hell (there was no belief in heaven) by being turned into a constellation of stars in the night sky. By becoming a constellation, one achieved a kind of immortality, because the divine stars, so they thought, never change. In that way, one would also inspire and guide future generations, because the stars were used to guide ocean navigation before the invention of the compass. This charming ancient sentiment was purely mythological and legendary, but it appealed to artists and poets for many centuries. It seemed to be in harmony with a basic human instinct: the instinct for Heaven, and they felt the need for help to get there. — When Christianity came around, this image from pagan poetry found its true fulfillment. The Blessed Virgin Mary, a human being just like you and me, conquered evil, with the help of God’s grace, through her humility and obedience undoing the ancient sin of Eve. And God rewarded her by assuming her, lifting her, into Heaven. And from Heaven, she is an inspiration and guide for us who are still traveling through the troubled waters of life on earth. And so, from very early times, the Church began to call Mary, the “Star of the Sea”, “Stella Maris” [in Latin]. (Adapted from Pope Benedict XVI). (E- Priest). Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) Call no man worthless: A story is told of a wandering university student in the Middle Ages. As with many university students in those times when universities were being founded, he traveled to wherever he heard that good teachers were. Also as with many of his fellow students, he was dirty, ill-fed, and ill-clothed. He fell seriously ill and was taken to hospital almost dead. The doctors consulted around his bed. They said his life appeared worthless, and the best use they could put his body to would be medical experimentation. They spoke in Latin not realizing that he was a university student whose classes were in that language. — Hearing them, he opened his eyes and said to them in Latin, “Call no man worthless for whom Jesus has died.” (Harold Buetow in God Still Speaks: Listen!) Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
13) “That is when the Church assumes that Mary is in heaven.” Once when visiting a grade school, I asked: “What is the Solemnity of the Assumption?” One student responded, “That is when the Church assumes that Mary is in heaven.” Well, I gave partial credit for the answer but had to explain that the Church is not merely “assuming,” The doctrine of Mary’s Assumption is firmly rooted in Sacred Scripture and Tradition and this constant teaching was infallibly defined as a dogma of the Catholic Faith by Pope Pius XII as follows: “The Immaculate Mother Of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. (Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington) (L/22)
“Scriptural Homilies” by Fr. Tony (akadavil@gmail.com)
Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies of Fr. Nick’s collection of homilies or Resources in the CBCI website: https://www.cbci.in. (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020) Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Chaplain, Sacred Heart Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor, 1655 McGill Ave, Mobile, AL 36604
The Assumption of Mary: 12 Things to Know and Share
(Jimmy Akin Blogs,August 15, 2020) https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-assumption-of-mary-12-things-to-know-and-share-27jd571n
Aug. 15 is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here are 12 things to know and share…
In the United States, it is a holy day of obligation (in years when it does not fall on a Saturday or Monday).What is the Assumption of Mary, how did it come to be defined, and what relevance does it have for our lives? Here are 12 things to know and share… 1) What is the Assumption of Mary? The Assumption of Mary is the teaching that: The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory [Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus 44].
2) What level of authority does this teaching have? This teaching was infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII on Nov. 1, 1950 in the bull Munificentissimus Deus (Latin, “Most Bountiful God”). As Pius XII explained, this is “a divinely revealed dogma” (ibid.). This means that it is a dogma in the proper sense. It is thus a matter of Faith that has been divinely revealed by God and that has been infallibly proposed by the Magisterium of the Church as such.
3) Does that mean it is an “ex cathedra” statement and that we have to believe it? Yes. Since it is a dogma defined by the pope (rather than by an ecumenical council, for example), it is also an “ex cathedra” statement (one delivered “from the chair” of Peter).Because it is infallibly defined, it calls for the definitive assent of the faithful. Pope John Paul II explained: The definition of the dogma, in conformity with the universal Faith of the People of God, definitively excludes every doubt and calls for the express assent of all Christians [General Audience, July 2, 1997]. Note that all infallibly defined teachings are things we are obliged to believe, even if they aren’t defined “ex cathedra” (by the pope acting on his own). The bishops of the world teaching in union with the pope (either in an ecumenical council or otherwise), can also infallibly define matters, but these aren’t called “ex cathedra” since that term refers specifically to the exercise of the Pope’s authority as the successor of St. Peter. (It’s Peter’s cathedra or “chair” that symbolizes the Pope’s authority.)
4) Does the dogma require us to believe that Mary died? It is the common teaching that Mary did die. In his work, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Ludwig Ott lists this teaching as sententia communior (Latin, “the more common opinion”). Although it is the common understanding of that Mary did die, and although her death is referred to in some of the sources Pius XII cited in Munificentissimus Deus, he deliberately refrained from defining this as a truth of the Faith. John Paul II noted: On 1 November 1950, in defining the dogma of the Assumption, Pius XII avoided using the term “resurrection” and did not take a position on the question of the Blessed Virgin’s death as a truth of faith. The Bull Munificentissimus Deus limits itself to affirming the elevation of Mary’s body to heavenly glory, declaring this truth a “divinely revealed dogma.”
5) Why should Mary die if she was free from Original Sin and its stain? Being free of Original Sin and its stain is not the same thing as being in a glorified, deathless condition. Jesus was also free of Original Sin and its stain, but he could—and did—die. Expressing a common view among theologians, Ludwig Ott writes: For Mary, death, in consequence of her freedom from original sin and from personal sin, was not a consequence of punishment of sin. However, it seems fitting that Mary’s body, which was by nature mortal, should be, in conformity with that of her Divine Son, subject to the general law of death.
6) What are the earliest surviving references to Mary’s Assumption? John Paul II noted: The first trace of belief in the Virgin’s Assumption can be found in the apocryphal accounts entitled Transitus Mariae [Latin, “The Crossing Over of Mary”], whose origin dates to the second and third centuries. These are popular and sometimes romanticized depictions, which in this case, however, pick up an intuition of faith on the part of God’s People.
7) How did the recognition of Mary’s Assumption develop in the East? John Paul II noted: There was a long period of growing reflection on Mary’s destiny in the next world. This gradually led the faithful to believe in the glorious raising of the Mother of Jesus, in body and soul, and to the institution in the East of the liturgical feasts of the Dormition [“falling asleep”—i.e., death] and Assumption of Mary.
8) How did Pius XII prepare for the definition of the Assumption? John Paul II noted: In May 1946, with the Encyclical Deiparae Virginis Mariae, Pius XII called for a broad consultation, inquiring among the Bishops and, through them, among the clergy and the People of God as to the possibility and opportuneness of defining the bodily assumption of Mary as a dogma of faith. The result was extremely positive: only six answers out of 1,181 showed any reservations about the revealed character of this truth.
9) What Scriptural basis is there for the teaching? John Paul II noted: Although the New Testament does not explicitly affirm Mary’s Assumption, it offers a basis for it because it strongly emphasized the Blessed Virgin’s perfect union with Jesus’ destiny. This union, which is manifested, from the time of the Savior’s miraculous conception, in the Mother’s participation in her Son’s mission and especially in her association with His redemptive sacrifice, cannot fail to require a continuation after death. Perfectly united with the life and saving work of Jesus, Mary shares His heavenly destiny in body and soul. There are, thus, passages in Scripture that resonate with the Assumption, even though they do not spell it out.
10) What are some specific Old Testament passages? Pope Pius XII pointed to several passages that have been legitimately used in a “rather free” manner to explain belief in the Assumption (meaning: these passages resonate with it in various ways, but they don’t provide explicit proof): Often, there are theologians and preachers who, following in the footsteps of the holy Fathers, have been rather free in their use of events and expressions taken from Sacred Scripture to explain their belief in the Assumption. Thus, to mention only a few of the texts rather frequently cited in this fashion, some have employed the words of the psalmist: “Arise, O Lord, into your resting place: you and the Ark, which you have sanctified” (Ps. 131:8); and have looked upon the Ark of the Covenant, built of incorruptible wood and placed in the Lord’s Temple, as a type of the most pure body of the Virgin Mary, preserved and exempt from all the corruption of the tomb and raised up to such glory in Heaven. Treating of this subject, they also describe her as the Queen entering triumphantly into the royal halls of heaven and sitting at the right hand of the Divine Redeemer (Ps. 44:10-14ff). Likewise they mention the Spouse of the Canticles “that goes up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh and frankincense” to be crowned (Song 3:6; cf. also 4:8, 6:9). These are proposed as depicting that Heavenly Queen and Heavenly Spouse who has been lifted up to the Courts of Heaven with the divine Bridegroom [Munificentissimus Deus 26].
11) What are some specific New Testament passages? Pius XII continued: Moreover, the scholastic Doctors have recognized the Assumption of the Virgin Mother of God as something signified, not only in various figures of the Old Testament, but also in that woman clothed with the sun whom John the Apostle contemplated on the Island of Patmos (Rev. 12:1ff). Similarly they have given special attention to these words of the New Testament: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:28), since they saw, in the mystery of the Assumption, the fulfillment of that most perfect grace granted to the Blessed Virgin and the special blessing that countered the curse of Eve [Munificentissimus Deus 27].
12) How can we apply this teaching to our everyday lives? According to Pope Benedict XVI: By contemplating Mary in Heavenly glory, we understand that the earth is not the definitive homeland for us either, and that if we live with our gaze fixed on eternal goods we will one day share in this same glory and the earth will become more beautiful. Consequently, we must not lose our serenity and peace even amid the thousands of daily difficulties. The luminous sign of Our Lady taken up into Heaven shines out even more brightly when sad shadows of suffering and violence seem to loom on the horizon. We may be sure of it: from on high, Mary follows our footsteps with gentle concern, dispels the gloom in moments of darkness and distress, reassures us with her motherly hand. Supported by awareness of this, let us continue confidently on our path of Christian commitment wherever Providence may lead us. Let us forge ahead in our lives under Mary’s guidance [General Audience, August 16, 2006].
Homily 20th Sunday A Feast of the Assumption 2020 Pope Francis:
Mary is the “Gate of Heaven” so let us look upward because, thanks to Mary’s Assumption: “Heaven is open” and we need no longer be afraid. We rejoice when something really beautiful happens, but it is not enough just to rejoice inside, in the soul, because we want to express this happiness with everyone around us. Mary rejoices because of God and she teaches us to rejoice in God, because God does “great things”. To magnify the Lord, which is what Mary does, means to praise the Lord for his greatness, for his beauty. Mary proclaims the greatness of the Lord and shows us that if we want to be happy, God must take first place in our lives because God alone is truly great. Don’t become lost in the petty obsessions of life by chasing after things of little importance: prejudices, grudges, rivalries, envy, and superfluous material goods. Mary invites us to look upward towards the ‘great things’ the Lord has accomplished in her. Mary, a human creature, one of us, reaches eternity in body and soul. This is why we invoke her as the “Gate of Heaven”. Mary awaits us as a mother waits for her children to come home. For, in paradise, together with Christ, the New Adam, Mary, the new Eve, gives us comfort and hope on our pilgrimage here on earth. For those who are afflicted with doubts and sadness, “and live with their eyes turned downwards”, the Feast of the Assumption is a call to “look upwards” and see that “Heaven is open”. Heaven is no longer distant so we need no longer be afraid: because on the threshold of Heaven there is a Mother waiting for us. Mary constantly reminds us that we are precious in the eyes of God, and that we are made for the great joys of Heaven. Every time we take the Rosary in our hands and pray to her, we take a step forward towards life’s great goal. Let us be attracted by true beauty. Let us not be drawn away by the petty things in life. Let us choose the greatness of Heaven. Blessed Virgin Mary, Gate of Heaven, help us fix our gaze with confidence and joy on the place where our true home lies!!
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS on Aug 15, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
At the end of its Constitution on the Church, the Second Vatican Council left us a very beautiful meditation on Mary Most Holy. Let me just recall the words referring to the mystery we celebrate today: “The Immaculate Virgin preserved free from all stain of original sin, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things” (no. 59). Then towards the end, there is: “the Mother of Jesus, in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in Heaven, is the image and the beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise, she shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come” (no. 68). In the light of this most beautiful image of our Mother, we are able to see the message of the Biblical readings that we have just heard. We can focus on three key words: struggle, resurrection, hope.
The passage from Revelation presents the vision of the struggle between the woman and the dragon. The figure of the woman, representing the Church, is, on the one hand, glorious and triumphant and yet, on the other, still in travail. And the Church is like that: if in Heaven she is already associated in some way with the glory of her Lord, in history she continually lives through the trials and challenges which the conflict between God and the evil one, the perennial enemy, brings. And in the struggle which the disciples must confront – all of us, all the disciples of Jesus, we must face this struggle – Mary does not leave them alone: the Mother of Christ and of the Church is always with us. She walks with us always; she is with us. And in a way, Mary shares this dual condition. She has of course already entered, once and for all, into Heavenly glory. But this does not mean that she is distant or detached from us; rather Mary accompanies us, struggles with us, sustains Christians in their fight against the forces of evil. Prayer with Mary, especially the Rosary – but listen carefully: The Rosary. Do you pray the Rosary every day? But I’m not sure you do [the people shout “Yes!”] … Really? Well, prayer with Mary, especially the Rosary, has this “suffering” dimension, that is of struggle, a sustaining prayer in the battle against the evil one and his accomplices. The Rosary also sustains us in the battle.
The second reading speaks to us of resurrection. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, insists that being Christian means believing that Christ is truly risen from the dead. Our whole Faith is based upon this fundamental truth which is not an idea but an event. Even the mystery of Mary’s Assumption body and soul is fully inscribed in the resurrection of Christ. The Mother’s humanity is “attracted” by the Son in his own passage from death to life. Once and for all, Jesus entered into eternal life with all the humanity He had drawn from Mary; and she, the Mother, who followed Him faithfully throughout her life, followed Him with her heart, and entered with Him into eternal life which we also call Heaven, paradise, the Father’s house.
Mary also experienced the martyrdom of the Cross: the martyrdom of her heart, the martyrdom of her soul. She lived her Son’s Passion to the depths of her soul. She was fully united to Him in His death, and so she was given the gift of resurrection. Christ is the first fruits from the dead and Mary is the first of the redeemed, the first of “those who are in Christ”. She is our Mother, but we can also say that she is our representative, our sister, our eldest sister, she is the first of the redeemed, who has arrived in Heaven.
The Gospel suggests to us the third word: hope. Hope is the virtue of those who, experiencing conflict – the struggle between life and death, good and evil – believe in the Resurrection of Christ, in the victory of love. We heard the Song of Mary, the Magnificat: it is the song of Hope, it is the song of the People of God walking through history. It is the song many saints, men and women, some famous, and very many others unknown to us but known to God: mums, dads, catechists, missionaries, priests, sisters, young people, even children and grandparents: these have faced the struggle of life while carrying in their heart the hope of the little and the humble. Mary says: “My soul glorifies the Lord” – today, the Church too sings this in every part of the world. This song is particularly strong in places where the Body of Christ is suffering the Passion. For us Christians, wherever the Cross is, there is Hope, always. If there is no Hope, we are not Christian. That is why I like to say: do not allow yourselves to be robbed of Hope. May we not be robbed of Hope, because this strength is a grace, a gift from God which carries us forward with our eyes fixed on Heaven. And Mary is always there, near those communities, our brothers and sisters, she accompanies them, suffers with them, and sings the Magnificat of hope with them.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, with all our heart let us, too, unite ourselves to this song of patience and victory, of struggle and joy, that unites the triumphant Church with the pilgrim one, earth with Heaven, and that joins our lives to the eternity towards which we journey. Amen.
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