Download August 15 Solemnity of the Assumption Birthday of Our

August 15th Solemnity of the Assumption
Birthday of Our Lady into Eternal Life
With great joy we celebrate this morning the solemn feast of
Mary’s Assumption into heaven. It is not only a glorious mystery of
Mary’s life but a significant truth of our Catholic faith. In a basic way
what we celebrate today is the birthday of Our Lady, not her temporal
birth, which we will celebrate on September 8th but her glorious birth
into heaven, into the fullness of sharing in the very life of the Trinity.
The Church, as you know, in celebrating her great saints recalls and
honors them as much as possible on the day of their death, on the day of
their passage from this life into the life of perfect communion with God.
In a similar manner we honor and celebrate today the transition and
passage of Mary, the greatest of the saints, from her life her on earth to
her glorious life in the fullness of God’s kingdom.
As you may recall, this great mystery and truth of Our Lady was
solemnly defined on November 1st some sixty years ago, on All Saints’
Day in 1950. Pius XII, after consulting all the bishops of the world and
numerous theologians and laity solemnly announced in his apostolic
constitution: “We pronounce, declare, and define to be revealed the
dogma that the Immaculate Mother of God, the Ever-Virgin Mary, was
on the completion of her earthly life assumed body and soul into the
glory of heaven.”
In my homily today I would like to reflect with you on three
questions regarding Mary’s Assumption: first, what is the theological
meaning of the Assumption; secondly, what can be said concerning the
death of Our Lady; and, finally, what is the meaning and significance of
the Assumption as it applies to our daily Christian lives?
Let us begin, then, with our first question: what is the theological
meaning of Mary’s Assumption? Although I have already indicated this
in a basic way, it is helpful to reflect on it more thoroughly. First of all,
Mary’s Assumption signifies the important truth that she participates in
the supreme gift of the beatific vision; in the words of St. Paul she no
longer sees or knows God indistinctly as in a mirror but rather face to
face. She no longer knows God partially but fully. As wonderful and
extraordinary as the experience and knowledge Our Lady had of God in
this life, her ability to know the Lord, to contemplate his beauty and to
gaze upon the infinite glory of the Trinity was radically transformed in
heaven. Given the utter depth of Mary’s faith, given her total openness
and receptivity to the Spirit within her, given her profound experience of
God’s reality and presence shining through the face and life of Jesus,
Mary clearly even in this life experienced and knew God in a manner
that was special and unique. And yet Mary, the saint of saints, could not
know and grasp the glory and beauty of God directly as the angels and
heavenly spirits. With her entrance into heaven and the transformation
of her being into the divine glory, however, she knows, appreciates and
loves God beyond all human reckoning. Moreover, in accord with the
depth of her new sharing in the divine life and love she is able to share
in a joyous friendship and communion with the divine persons in a way
that surpasses all the heavenly choirs.
Mary’s Assumption into heaven, however, is not limited to the
wondrous sharing of her mind, heart, and soul in the divine life and
glory; it includes her body and corporeal dimension. As the apostolic
constitution clearly states: “the Immaculate Mother of God was assumed
soul and body into the glory of heaven.” In anticipation of the general
resurrection at the end of human history and as a unique exception to it,
Our Lady already shares fully in her son’s resurrection such that her
risen and glorious body, like her son’s is immortal, incorruptible, and
not bound by the limitations of time and space as mortal bodies are.
At this point let us turn to the question of Our Lady’s death in the
context of her Assumption. Did Mary undergo death or not? On first
hearing this may seem to be an odd question. Without pondering the
issue we might be tempted to respond simply: Of course, Mary died.
She was truly human like all of us; and, since human beings are subject
to death, there is no doubt she also died. This question, however, is not
as simple and stupid as it might seem; theologians have pondered it
through the ages. On the one hand death is a punishment for and
consequence of sin. Since Our Lady was sinless and filled with divine
grace, she wasn’t a suitable subject of death. It is instructive also to note
that the Eastern Church speaks of the Dormition of Mary, a word that
refers to her death as a falling asleep. On the other hand, since Jesus, the
all-holy one, took our death upon himself, it seems appropriate that
Mary, who shared so deeply in the life and mission of her son, would
have suffered death also. Interestingly, the Church has never officially
decided this question. Recall the instructive words of Pius XII in his
apostolic constitution: “on the completion of her earthly life the EverVirgin Mary was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven.” The
Holy Father bypassed the question of her death. The problem is in part
one of defining the nature of death. Our Lady’s departure from this life
was certainly unique. Mary’s body like the body of Jesus did not
undergo corruption. Moreover, we can safely say, I think, the
completion of Mary’s human life was an event filled with great peace
and joy. Having shared so painfully and sorrowfully in her son’s
agonizing death on the Cross, Mary’s dying and death, I strongly
suggest, were most gracious and glorious. I leave the question of
Mary’s death and its resolution to your prayerful reflection.
In conclusion, what is the meaning and significance of Mary’s
Assumption as it applies to our daily lives as Christians? Firstly, the
Assumption is a wonderful sign and foreshadowing of our ultimate
destiny as faithful disciples of Jesus and members of his body. Each of
us, if we remain faithful, will one day share fully in the glory and life of
God both in body and soul.
Secondly, Our Lady’s Assumption is an
encouraging reminder about the meaning of death in a positive context.
In God’s plan and providence death is not a final destruction of our lives
but an opening and transition to the fullness of life in God. Finally,
Mary’s Assumption is not a mystery which signifies a separation and
distancing of our spiritual mother from us. Rather in her Assumption
she becomes more present to our lives and more able to help and bless
us. As Pope Benedict states: “Precisely because Mary is with God and
in God, she is very close to each one of us. While she lived on earth she
could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is actively
within all of us, Mary shares in the closeness of God (to us).” What a
joy it is to celebrate the great feast of Mary’s Assumption today. Let us
continue to celebrate it during the coming days.