Word to the Wise
Saturday, August 15, 2009 - 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 for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name......
The opening lines of the canticle we know as "The Magnificat" pretty much sum up the basis for the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From the very moment of her conception (which we celebrate as "the Immaculate Conception") to her "reunion" with her Son after her death (the "Assumption") God favored her and made her the model disciple for all of us. In the case of the Assumption, this means simply that she was immediately joined to God upon her death. There was no three-day waiting period or judgment! In general, that would be ideally what every single one of us would desire, but we will face that judgment no matter how favorable it might be. Tradition assigns the island of Ephesus as the place of Mary's death but we don't know that for certain. We don't know how old she was when she died, either. The feast of the Assumption is based on all that we know of her prior to her death, and this is what led the Church to proclaim her as one immediately joined to God upon death. What she received is what we all are destined to receive if we choose to live a life of discipleship and count on the mercy of God. God can do great things for us, too. Mary has become a symbol of that hope. AMEN