“If
there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And
if Christ has not been raised, then empty, too, is your faith.” (1 Cor
15:13-14) Paul goes on to explain why the resurrection of the dead is
constitutive of the Gospel. And so he refers to Jesus as “the first fruits of
those who have fallen asleep.” Our resurrection is essentially linked to his.
He is the first to be raised up. We will follow.
Because
Jesus has been raised up, Mary was also destined for a bodily resurrection. But
unlike us, Mary does not need to wait until the last day. Because of her unique
role in salvation history, by a special grace she has already been raised up
into the fullness of resurrected life. Mary’s glory is a
foretaste of our glory. Christ’s resurrection leads the way, and we will follow,
with Mary preceding us.
The
ordinary makes up most of our lives and often the most important part of our
lives. And most of our days are similar to Mary’s as she visits her cousin Elizabeth. They do not change the
course of history, but they bind us together into a fabric of friendship, care
and love. In other words, there really is no small matter because at the end of
our lives it will likely be the ordinary daily happenings and encounters that
determine who we are. Mary is our model, she shows us how to live our ordinary lives
filled with angels and angst, surprises and routines. It is not always easy
because we need to move beyond our own preoccupations and ask what action or
response on my part can be a blessing for someone else?
We
are called to follow Mary’s example - asking what people need and then acting
on the answer we receive. As simple and ordinary as this pattern is, the result
is often more than we can imagine. When we follow the pattern of the pregnant
Mary, we not only bring ourselves to others. We also carry Christ who is within
us to everyone we serve.
“Taken
up into heaven, she did not lay aside her salvific duty...By her maternal love
she cares for the brethren of her son who still journey on earth.” (Lumen
Gentium 62)
An icon written by Brother Terence, encirled with flowers and crabapples; photograped by Father Emmanuel. Excerpts from Dom Damian's homily for Assumption Day.
