Mary's Assumption into Heaven

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, body and soul. Mary is the holy one, the Ark of the Covenant in which God dwelt, through whom the Son of God became man, whereby salvation and power, the Kingdom of our God, the authority of his Anointed has come into the world. Mary, our Mother, the one who believed “that what was spoken to you by the Lord, would be fulfilled” (LK 1 39-56) enters the place of her King, takes her place in eternity as queen of heaven and earth. This is the one of whom Jesus spoke when he said: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Lk 11: 27-28. Mary is Jesus’ first disciple, a woman of staunch faith, a woman who treasured extraordinary secrets of divine origin within her, beginning with the Annunciation on into the Visitation, the prophesy of Simeon, the Flight into Egypt, the quiet years at Nazareth, the loss of Jesus in the Temple, Jesus’ public ministry, His passion, death and resurrection; His ascension, Pentecost, and the spreading of the Good News both among her own people and the Gentiles. Mary says to us: “Blessed are you who believe the Word and keep it, the Kingdom of heaven is yours.” She testifies to the authenticity of her Son’s promise of an inheritance out of this world that shall not be taken from us, no more than it was denied her. At God’s right hand, she intercedes for us that we, too, like her, will hold fast to Jesus, our Savior and Lord, the Anointed of God, who is at our side day and night ministering to us, restoring us to grace when we fall, guiding us through the perils of this life and rejoicing with us in the rising to new life in big and small ways along our journey to “the Promised Land.” With Mary, let us magnify the Lord for all that He has done through Mary and does through us.