The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Readings: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56.The Solemnity of the Assumption celebrates not only the glory of Mary but the victory of humanity in the saving work of God. In the woman clothed with the sun, the Church contemplates the triumph of God’s grace; in Saint Paul’s proclamation that Christ has risen as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep, we discover the foundation of our own hope; and in the Magnificat, Mary herself reveals the secret of her glory: “The Almighty has done great things for me.” Her Assumption is entirely God’s work in the woman who opened herself entirely to Him. Mary’s intimacy with the Holy Trinity is unparalleled: beloved daughter of the Father, Mother of the incarnate Son, and spouse and living temple of the Holy Spirit, her whole existence was drawn into the life of the Triune God. What began at the Annunciation, when she surrendered herself completely to God’s will, reaches its glorious fulfilment in the Assumption, when she is taken body and soul into heavenly glory. In her, we see what God’s grace intends ultimately to accomplish in redeemed humanity. The human body is not destined for destruction, nor the human person for oblivion; we are created for resurrection, communion, and glory. Mary has already arrived where the whole Church hopes to follow. Her Assumption therefore turns our eyes toward our own destiny: to live so intimately with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit now that our entire existence becomes a preparation for eternal communion with them. In Mary’s glory, humanity sees its hope fulfilled, the victory of grace over sin, life over death, and eternal communion with God over every form of separation. Let’s reflect: Does Mary’s Assumption inspire me to deepen my intimacy with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to live each day with the joyful certainty that I too am called to resurrection and eternal glory with God?
Don Giorgio