On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined
the bodily assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven to be a dogma of
the Catholic Church. It was a cause of
great joy throughout the Catholic world.
The feast of the Assumption tells us that
Mary has completed her earthly pilgrimage, and she was assumed - her body and
soul went into heaven. It was the crowning grace of Mary’s friendship with God.
She was free from sin ever since her conception and she too was free
from all other sins. Mary’s glorification reminds us that on the last day we
too shall rise from the dead and our souls will not decay but will be united
with the Lord. Where she has gone we hope to follow. For this glory to come
true, we need to try to live now, a life soaked in the values that Mary
cherished in her life.
As Paul says, “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we
persevere, we shall also reign with him,”(2 Tim. 3:11,12). Through her
glorious Assumption, the Blessed Virgin Mary has begun to reign with Christ as
all Christians shall, at the Resurrection of the dead.
Her Assumption into heaven should inspire
us to see the worth of making every effort to live life properly. Today’s feast
gives us an opportunity to reflect on Mary who was a great figure in the life
of Christ. She was always cooperating with her Son, Jesus. It should not be so difficult to apply the
message of Mary's life to our own because like us she is not far-off from real
life. She lived with the same ups and downs as we do everyday. She is a living symbol in our lives. We too
are called to live for the same values for which Mary lived, so that we can
share in her heavenly glory. We are not born for this earth but for heaven. One
day we shall enjoy the vision of God in heaven.
In Mary’s glorious Assumption we celebrate
the fulfilment of our Christian destiny, and with her we proclaim the greatness
of the Lord. Let us ask the Lord to give
us the heart and strength for the most difficult tasks that have to be done.
May we too walk in faith and love like Mary in this life and one day we may
join Mary in the company of Jesus her Son.
This feast of the Assumption is proof that
God literally lifts up the lowly. Like her Son and his Ascension, Mary is
lifted up by God into the Kingdom of eternal life.
We are urged today not just honour Mary but
to learn from her. Sometimes we cling to our pride but Mary’s humility is a
lesson for us. Let’s ask Mary to help us to live more like her and experience
the true joy – the lifting up – that there is in humility. Lord, help us to be
humble.
We thank God for giving us such a wonderful
Mother. She helps us to stay on the way of fulfilling His will. Help us to be
able to sing a Magnificat in our own soul, “The Almighty has done great things
for me!”
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