A Homily to be Preached on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the BVM

Today we celebrate the Glory of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast expresses our joy that “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” (Pius XII – Munificentissimus Deus) She did not experience death as the rest of the human race does, but has been welcomed, body and soul, into Heaven, where she reigns as Our Queen and intercedes for us as Our Mother. And so, we rejoice because of the great privilege that has been shown to Our Mother Mary, and we also see in this mystery a reason for our own hope.

You see, the Church teaches us that Mary is the perfect example of the Christian life, and in the mysteries and events of her life, we recognise the right path for our own lives.

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. First of all, we recognise Mary as one called and chosen by the Lord. The Lord has great plans for all of us, but just as Mary was addressed by an Angel, and asked to participate in God’s saving plan, so too we must recognise that God does not force Himself into our lives, but humbly invites us to make a home for Him in our hearts.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy Word. The great response of Mary! A response that we are asked to make our own. Mary is our example of humble obedience. Great things were accomplished through this simple statement. The Glory of God shone out throughout the world, because of the “yes” that Mary made to God’s call. We too are invited to let God’s glory shine out in our lives by being faithful to whatever way of life he has called us to.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us. Because of Mary’s ‘Yes’, Jesus, the Son of God, walked amongst us. He is Truth and Goodness in person, and the one through whom the universe was made, but His entrance into the world as Man required the co-operation of Mary. We too are called to a similar co-operation. As members of the Church, by our words and actions, we are asked to make Him present to all mankind. This we can only do if we make the effort to listen to His Word and follow him in the great and little events of our lives. St Augustine put it well, when he told people that just as Mary was the physical Mother of God, every faithful soul that does the will of God is spiritually the Mother of God because it makes His image present to the world.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. And here, perhaps, we encounter the great meaning of today’s feast. Mary is present, body and soul, in heaven praying for us. But what is she praying? She is praying that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. What are those promises? Why, they are nothing less than the total victory over sin and death. By her Immaculate Conception and her sinless life, Mary teaches us that the power of Christ has defeated sin. By her being taken body and soul into heaven, she shows us that Christ has defeated death. The preface of today’s Mass describes her as the beginning and the pattern of the Church in its perfection, and a sign of hope and comfort for your people on their pilgrim way. As Mary is now, body and soul, in heaven, so we hope to be one day. After all the stuggles and difficulties of the Church on Earth, when the Resurrection of the Dead comes, we will be like her. Just as her life of perfection is the model for all believers, so her heavenly glory today is sign of Christ’s victory and a promise of the glories of the world to come.

Pray for us, o Holy Mother of God, that like you, we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.