ASSUMPTION OF MARY
This feast of the Assumption of Mary has been celebrated for centuries in the Church, but was only declared a dogma of faith in 1950. The dogma professes our belief that Mary, at the end of her life, was assumed body and soul into heaven. If we want to appreciate the full significance of this feast we need to look at it against the background of God’s plan for the whole world, and the fulfilment of this plan in Jesus. Mary is caught up in this plan.
The gospel tells us of the beginning of Mary’s involvement in God’s plan. We heard of the events in Mary’s life immediately after she had been visited by the angel Gabriel to say that she would give birth to a son and that she was to name him Jesus. He would be great and would be called son of the most high, and his kingdom would have no end. We know that Mary consented to the angel’s message and accepted God’s will. In the passage we heard today Mary has travelled to meet Elizabeth, and Elizabeth greets her as the mother of the Lord. Elizabeth recognises the important place Mary has in God’s plan, and she declares that Mary is most blessed among women. We know that in time Jesus is born and Mary watches him grow and treasures in her heart all that she sees and hears.
During the ministry of Jesus we do not encounter Mary very often, but she is still there. At one important moment in Jesus’ ministry Mary is once again called blessed. This time Jesus announces that she is blessed because she listens to the word of God and keeps it. In saying this he points out that all who want to be disciples should be like his mother. She is the model of what a disciple is. Let’s think of what this means. Above all, she was open to the call that came to her from God and she responded to it. Her life then took shape in the light of God’s call and in the light of Jesus’ message about the kingdom. She visited Elizabeth out of a sense of joy and support for this woman who was soon to give birth to her own child. When Jesus began his earthly ministry Mary advised the stewards at the wedding
feast at Cana to do whatever he told them. Later on this call meant that she followed Jesus to his death and stood at the foot of the cross. At that moment she learnt the meaning of the prophecy given at the time of his birth, that a sword would pierce her own heart. As we watch Mary at the foot of the cross we see not just the love of a mother, but the love of a disciple. She gives us a lesson in what it means to be a disciple of Jesus; she demonstrates that to have faith is to be in relationship with God.
We all know that the story of Jesus does not end at his death; that he was raised from the dead. This is God’s plan for the salvation of the world. Today’s feast of the Assumption brings this out in a very personal way. While all of us are drawn into the new life of the risen Lord and we all have a well founded hope of participating in God’s life, we are reminded today that Mary, who was assumed into heaven, already shares in this in its fullness. This should be no surprise to us because her life, as we have noted, was lived out in the context of God’s plan. Her death too is seen in the context of God’s plan. It was only fitting that at the end of her life she should be taken into the realm of God.
This feast of the Assumption has two important lessons for us. The first is the lesson about discipleship. Mary is regarded as the first disciple and the model for all disciples. We can all imitate her in her faith: her attentive listening to the word of God and her positive response to God’s call. We should also imitate her in her actions. She lived a life that was shaped by the call of God. She literally brought Christ to the world. We, as followers of Jesus, are called to bring him into our world. We are able to do this for the very same reason that Mary could, namely we have received the Holy Spirit. This means that we need regularly to make time
to recognise where the Holy Spirit is prompting us to action. It doesn’t have to be anything grand; it has more to do with doing the ordinary things in life well, and doing them out of a sense of responding to God’s plan.
The second lesson of this feast is a reminder that the Christian life is lived with hope, and that we should always look positively to the future. The Assumption is an affirmation that God’s promise for every person is already realised in Mary. Elizabeth had called her blessed; Jesus called her blessed; at the Assumption we see the fulfilment of a blessed life. We too can allow the promise of a future where God’s plan is fulfilled to shape the way we live now.
On this feast let’s join with Mary in praising God, as she did when she visited Elizabeth: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. The Lord does great things for us; may we too be worthy to be called blessed.
Fr. Gerard Kelly
