The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
affirms something very important, not only about the dignity and destiny of
Mary but about the dignity and future destiny of every human being. Her
Assumption reminds us that God’s infinite desire is that we be with him for all
eternity. Jesus himself explicitly revealed this desire when he prayed:
“Father, I want those you have given me to be where I am.” Jn 17:24 This is
the God who loves our company.
Mary’s glorification in body and soul is a
sign that every aspect of our lives is important to God and is touched by God’s
saving Spirit. The salvation Jesus offers us is not just about our souls
getting to heaven in the future but about our whole multi-dimensional existence
being sanctified in the present in a way that leads to a future fulfillment.
Our entire existence has already been touched by the redemptive love of Christ
in the present, as we await its future fulfillment.
The Assumption proclaims loud and clear the
amazing inheritance that is ours as sons and daughters of God. An inheritance
that is enjoyed by us already in the present but awaits a future fulfillment
preserved and reserved for us by God. By our Baptism, we have all received
“confirmed reservations.” Such a confirmation does not deny any of our real
present-day responsibilities and challenges. Human dignity is ‘assumed’ and
lifted closer towards its future in company with Mary in whose life the seeds
of her Son’s resurrection have fully blossomed. Thus, Mary is a profound symbol
of hope and healing for body and soul in our very broken world.
Mary’s Assumption urges us never to forget
the destiny of the journey we are on together. And it functions as a window
into the beauty in which we see our entire existence transfigured and radiant
with God’s glory. The Assumption is an inspiration for us to protect and defend
human dignity, especially for those whose futures are being threatened through
violence or neglect. In every age and time, there are dark forces that try to
reduce the dignity of the human person. The Assumption of Mary holds before us
the awesome truth of what the Gospel teaches and the awesome dignity to which
God has raised humanity.
Fra Angelico, The Dormition and the Assumption of the Virgin, 1424-1434, (detail.) Tempera with oil glazes and gold on panel. The Gardner Museum. Excerpts from Abbot Damian's homily for Assumption Day.
