Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Vigil Homily

1st Reading: 1 Chr 15:3-4,15-16;16:1-2

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 132:6-7,9-10,13-14

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:54-57

Gospel: Lk 11:27-28

There is a lot inside of this world that is holding us back from becoming what God desires us to be. We look around and see the despair of a world that has been touched by sin. We experience in our lives an outpouring of evil and question how we can ever come to conquer it. The vices of Greed, lust, pride, gluttony, envy, wrath, and sloth have all entered into the human experience and it seems that they cannot be put to death. Fear exists in our lives because we have lost our hope that anything can take hold within our lives and turn us away from our sins and struggles thus bringing us closer into union with Christ. Facing our own mortality we fear death because we have lost the sight of the resurrection of the body that has been promised to us. With all of these experiences we must question how we can ever expect to receive any hope in this dark world. As we walk about we listen intently to hear the cry that comes to us from the Lord as we walk the path of our faith.

From the crowd came the voice of a woman who cried out with great faith. She understood that the Mother of Christ was set apart from all women. She understood that she was the womb that brought the savior into the world. She believed that a possibility did exist where the sin found inside of the world could be conquered. Christ's response to this woman may seem a little harsh and even leave the impression that nothing is important about His Mother. Instead of leaving insult He was pointing towards the importance of the word of God. It is the word of God that Mary understood. She understood that "yes" to the angel Gabriel was a fulfillment of the word of God. She was obedient to the Holy Scripture to the point of obedience to God and to His Word. Mary is indeed the obedient conquer of sin and death. She was the womb that was obedient to Holy Scripture and was willing to live a life free of sin. She is the Mother of God who came to bring all people into relationship with Her Son.

On this day we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. On this day we join with the angels and saints of Heaven to celebrate with great joy that this woman has come to bring us into a greater relationship with her son. We join with joy as this woman, who was the New Eve, entered into Heavenly glory. It was Eve who brought destruction upon the human race and it was the New Eve who was able to overcome this sentence of death. This vessel who brought Christ into the world and raised Him into adulthood is our model to grow mature in our faith. Out of love for our Mother we celebrate this day of the Assumption. For Mary the Assumption was an event that all of Her obedience had led. On this day She was able to join Her Son in Heaven. From Heaven She ever dwells calling out to each one of us to draw closer to Her Son. May we hear Her voice from the bustle of the world and come to be comforted in all of our needs.

The Assumption brings hope for two realities into the world. She brings the reality of "love" and "life" to this world that has been touched by sin. Her life was that of obedience to the Father and therefore she gave up all that she had out of love. To have a relationship with God is the very thing that draws us closer to Him. The relationship between Mary and God was so great that this love for Him brought Her before His Heavenly throne. Her love was not directed to Herself alone, but was given entirely to God. The Assumption is also the event that has conquered death. Mary was a woman who never fell into the disconnect of sin. She instead lived a life that was free from its stain and thus she was able to overcome death. Due to Her faithful life here on this earth she was called to join Her Son in Heaven. From here She dwells to call us into communion with Her Son. We have much pessimism and despair inside of the world, but with the event of that Assumption all of that can be overcome.

In our lives may we draw ourselves closer to love and life. May the Assumption be the inspiration that we need for the importance of allowing love to conquer all of our anger and hate. May the Assumption give us the inspiration in order to trust in love instead of falling into the death of sin. Through the intercession of the Blessed Mother may we be able to conquer each of these struggles in our lives, so that we may draw ourselves closer to Christ. It is the direction of all devotion to Mary to lead us to Christ instead of away from Him. Mary reigns in Heaven to unite Herself to the compassion that is found inside of the mercy of Christ and hopes that we can all feel that same mercy come to life in our own lives. It is Her hope that She can draw each of us to that same level of obedience that she had for Her Son. With our obedience based upon Her Son we can truly free ourselves to be able to to possess "love" and "life."