Assumption of Mary Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. 

It was in the year 1950 that Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary as an official dogma of the Church stating, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”

This does not mean that the Church created this teaching some 73 years ago. This is a teaching that had existed throughout the Church’s history. As early as the 8th century this feast was celebrated in the West. In the 5th or 6th century celebrated in the East. Even early texts only a few hundred years after Christ attest to this reality.

One of them stating, “And when the third day was ended, the voices were no longer heard; and from that time forth all knew that her spotless and precious body had been transferred to paradise.”

This concept of being “transferred to paradise” is not something unique to Mary. In Sacred Scripture we also hear of this concerning Enoch and Elijah. Of Enoch: “Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took him.” Of Elijah: “As they walked on still conversing, a fiery chariot and fiery horses came between the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”

Of these figures Mary is most important for she is without sin. Through her Immaculate Conception this includes original sin. Her whole life was lived in acceptance of God’s will. It was she who overcame the cunning of the serpent as she stepped on his cursed head. It is she who points us toward our ultimate goal of paradise where we will be with God forever.

Concerning the importance of establishing this feast Pope Pius XII stated, “while the illusory teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these teachings threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives of men by exciting discord among them, in this magnificent way all may see clearly to what a lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined. Finally it is our hope that belief in Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective.”

With this celebration we come to set our sight upon God and this goal of Heaven. So often we can get caught up in the here and now and forget about this ultimate goal. At the end of time the resurrection of the body will take place where our soul will be rejoined to our body. Mary already shares in this reality as she continues to point the way to her Son. Every minute of her life was lived for God and she did not get caught up in these worldly allures. Through her intercession may we to continue to run the race that leads to Everlasting Life.

Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.