Word to the Wise
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
[Revelation 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56]My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
There are so many aspects of the life of Mary that the Church celebrates, I suppose it should not surprise us that we celebrate her "death." Now let me say right away, the quotation marks are not meant to question if she really died. She died as much as Jesus did and all the rest of us will. The roots of the feast day are in a celebration called The Dormition (literally, going to sleep). The point of the feast is to celebrate as a matter of faith her presence with God and her intercession on our behalf in prayer. The feast of the Assumption is not just a celebration of Mary's realization of her hope in God. It is a celebration of her witness of faith. As the Magnificat begins: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord...." Our hope is the same as hers. And our task is to try and imitate her faithful witness - a witness that could involve very painful experiences. The Assumption is a reminder that she never lost hope. We can use all the help she can give so as not to lose hope either. AMEN