Happy Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! Today, we celebrate the fact that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into Heavenly glory. It is truly fitting that Mary, conceived without sin, and chosen to be the Mother of Jesus, the Word made Flesh, would not have to suffer the corruption of her body at the end of her life, and instead, would immediately share in the bodily resurrection in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Even though the Scriptures do not explicitly attest to Mary’s Assumption, and even though the Dogma of the Assumption was not solemnly defined until 1950, belief in Mary’s bodily Assumption has been longstanding in the Church. Our own Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption, and the Mission that came before it, has borne this name for close to 300 years. So what is it about Mary’s Assumption that captivates Catholic thought?
I think one of the reasons we are so drawn to the Assumption is because it is a symbol of Hope. In Mary, we see a foretaste of our own promised resurrection, and our own eternal life with God. When we consider the readings the Church gives us for today, we also see a woman who has great faith and trust in God’s promises, and who recognizes that she does not do the great things that Elizabeth praises her for on her own- rather, it is God who does them through her, because of her yes to God’s plan.
Inspired by Mary’s example, may we continue to seek to say “yes” to God’s will for our lives, so that we may inherit the promised reward of eternal life, just as Mary has.
In Christ,
Fr. Steven Huber, CSB