Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
How do we know that Mary was taken up, body and soul into heaven? Well, it’s an Assumption. <Brian pauses, while reader gives an eye roll, followed promptly by a chuckle.> Side note, I bet St. Joseph had some great “dad jokes”. Mary was “assumed”, body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. She didn’t even have the stain of original sin, let alone any personal sin, so her body and soul weren’t separated in death like the rest of us.
If we’re looking for a model of living out our faith well in this life, we need look no further than Mary, the mother of God and our mother. She models for us what it looks like to worship God, to respond to his call, to put the needs of others first in love and charity, and with body and soul still united in heaven, even models what our ultimate heavenly life will be like, when we are reunited with our glorified bodies in the Resurrection on the last day. Mary is a big deal! Of course, we only make a big deal about Mary because she leads us to Jesus, the true focus of our lives of faith. And Mary would have it no other way.
The Readings this Sunday are jam-packed, like a collection of “greatest hits” involving Mary (and it’s not even all of them)! Let’s focus on the Gospel. Before this passage, the angel Gabriel has asked Mary to be the mother of God, to which she responded with a big “YES.” out of trust in God, and Gabriel also tells her about Elizabeth, her cousin who is also expecting a child even in her old age. Mary wastes no time and travels to be with Elizabeth. She puts Elizabeth’s needs first and responds quickly where God is leading her. I hope you’re taking notes; this is a page out of Mary’s playbook we should hang onto.
When she arrives, not only does Elizabeth cry out in a loud voice and say, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” but even John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy at the sound of Mary’s greeting. I’m sure Elizabeth was happy to see Mary, maybe it had been a while since the last family summer BBQ, but the reason they are so ecstatic is because Mary is bringing Jesus to them. Again, for us, this is why Mary is such a big deal, as she brings Jesus to us. Mary is also quick to double down on making it all about God and not herself, as she “sings” a great song of praise to God for what he has done, which we call the “Magnificat”.
So, for us this Assumption, as we celebrate Mary and reflect on her role in the unfolding of Salvation History and what it means for us, let’s get practical and think perhaps about the next few weeks. Are we worshipping God as well as we can, as Mary did? Do we take time every day to pray? Have we been going to Mass regularly this summer? How about our love and charity toward others, when’s the last time we made sandwiches for the homeless, for example? Or even in our own homes, when’s the last time we took it upon ourselves to straighten up the house, clean the kitchen, or make dinner for our family? If we love God and love one another as Mary did in this life, we’ll be prepared for that eternal heavenly love we’ll experience with all the saints and angels gathered around the throne of God. And Mary will be right there next to Jesus, as the Psalm response says this weekend, “The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold”!