I hope you listened carefully to this evening’s first reading. It recalls a very important event in the history of Israel. King David has established Jerusalem as the new capital of this new nation, Israel. And, he has ordered the construction of a tent to house the Ark of the Covenant. Finally, their God would be in their midst. You can imagine the festival that surrounded this event. This evening’s reading speaks of chanters, harps, lyres and cymbals, all making “a loud sound of rejoicing.” What an great image!
But, what does this have to do with tonight’s feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary? Pay attention. Just as God came into the midst of his people when the Ark of the Covenant came to dwell in the tent that David had prepared for it, so God came into the midst of his people when Mary, the new Ark of the Covenant, gave birth to her son. And, just as Jerusalem was considered a sacred city because God dwelt there, so on this holy Solemnity, we rejoice because Mary was assumed to dwell in the new and heavenly Jerusalem. We celebrate this event both to honor the Blessed Mother of God and to encourage ourselves since her assumption is the foundation and model of our own future resurrection. We hear our Lord Jesus confirm this in tonight’s gospel passage where he proclaims: “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” Our most blessed hope is to join Mary and all the saints in heaven.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it this way: “when the course of her earthly life was finished, [she] was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things . . .” The Catechism goes on to say that Mary’s Assumption was a “singular participation in her Son’s resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (966).
This singular participation in Christ’s resurrection, and anticipation of our resurrection, says something very important about our holy Mother, and her relationship with us. Remember, she is not a mother who is disengaged from her children. She is a mother who understands our pain and suffering because she, too, endured great pain and suffering in her life, especially as she watched her only son crucified. She is a mother to whom we can turn in our time of need. As “Queen over all things,” our holy Mother continues to be our advocate at the side of Christ.
Set apart by God, Mary’s everlasting love for her children continues to help in the unfolding of God’s presence in our own earthly lives, as she inspires us to consecrate our lives to God, just as she did.
It is more than just a comfort for us to ponder Mary’s role in salvation history. It is not simply a nice idea that Mary, due to her special grace, was assumed into heaven. It is a powerful truth. We can speak of it as an imitation of Christ’s ascension, but even more so, we enjoy the benefit of the relationship between Mary and her son, Jesus. We recall that, as he hung on the cross, Jesus turned to his beloved disciple and said, “Behold, your mother.” And to Mary, he said, “Behold your son.” Through this interaction, we can see that Mary, our Blessed Mother, the holy Virgin, is a gift of Christ given to each of us, Today’s celebration is an encouragement for us every day as we, too, prepare to join with Mary and all the saints in the eternal presence of God. Where she has gone, we hope to follow!