THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Dear friends in Christ, 

Today we celebrate the feast of the assumption of Mary into heaven, a dogma defined in 1950 by Pope Pius XII which states ‘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.’  It is a dogma deeply connected with Marys beginnings, her immaculate conception, which is our belief that Mary was conceived without original sin.  The profound reason for these beliefs in the church is rooted in Mary’s unique mission as the Theotokos the mother of God, Jesus.  A role which allows us to learn from her how to allow God to act in our own lives. 

The essence of Marys mission has always been to lead us into a loving relationship with Jesus.  She teaches us this through her life.  The Gospel reading today comes after Mary has been visited by the Angel, we see Mary’s trust in the word of God of the unimaginable way that God wants to work through lives.  In faith she responds to this word of God in the humble acceptance of Gods plan, affirmed by her visit to her cousin Elizabeth.  This visit confirmed through the extraordinary experience these women share at their greeting where each person takes up their role in the plan of salvation of God.  And even John from the womb is able to recognise and announce the presence of Jesus, from such an early age taking up his own role as prophet.

Marys responds to this encounter with her family and God with her song of praise, the Magnificat.  It reveals her humble openness to allow God to work through her life and bring salvations to all people.  Something that also allows her to comprehend how He has worked great things not only in her own life but also for His people.  We see a shake up of the value system that will continue to be echoed in the beatitudes and in the gospels as she announces that the proud will be routed, those with power falling while the lowly exalted and those without, receiving while those with much, losing.

Her experience of God in her own life allows her to make this bold statement of how He works to challenge and reverse the structures of oppression.  It was Mary’s relationship with God, her faith and trust in Him that allowed her to be open to His plan for her life.  This same relationship also allowed her to be sensitive to His word and enables her to see His work in the lives and history of her people.  Because of this relationship God was able to work through Mary’s life to bring salvation into the world.  He desires the same for us too. We can learn from Mary to have the same quality of relationship with God, one of

faith and trust, where we are sensitive and open to His word and his will for our lives and so are able to take up our own role and cooperate in His plan of salvation today in the people we encounter and the situations we live in our lives. 

Have a blessed Sunday and week ahead.

Ann Marie