Mary's Triumph over Death: The Feast of the Assumption

Today we celebrate the Assumption of our Blessed Mother into heaven.  Imagine going to heaven body and soul, not just soul!  Our bodies will join our souls/spirits at the end of the world, when Jesus comes in His second coming and all is restored to the Father.  The fullness of redemption will occur at that time.  However, today we celebrate the face that, at the end of her life here on earth, Mary was taken up to heaven body and soul. No way would God allow the body of the mother of His Son to undergo corruption.   Imagine the rejoicing in heaven when Mary comes through the eternal gates, so to speak. Imagine Mary’s joy as well as Jesus’  and that of the entire Trinity and all of the angels and saints. What a celebration!  But you know what, the Trinity and Mary and all the angels and saints in heaven rejoice, also,  when  our spirits/souls enter  heaven.  

Though I am here on earth right now enjoying the many ways in which God reveals Himself to me, I am eager for that moment when I will be born into eternal life. What a glorious day that will be for me, for those of my family—both my family of origin and my religious community family—when Jesus leads me through those “gates!”  Of course, I know that I have a lot of work to do in cooperation with grace before that great day of rejoicing. I also know that God is at work in me, in you,  every day to bring about the fullness of redemption in us, transforming sin in us into holiness, selfishness into generosity, deceit into honesty, pride into humility.

With Mary, we pray: “M soul proclaims the greatness of th4e Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant” (cf Luke 1: 39-56).

HAPPY EASTER: A BLESSED RESURRECTION IN THE RISEN LORD

Host of Heaven exult in celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Angels minister to the Resurrected Christ, loudly proclaiming His triumph over death.

Peoples everywhere throughout the world  rejoice and are glad: Jesus has broken the bo bonds of death.
Peoples everywhere raise mighty voices, singing Alleluia the darkness of sin has been banished!
Yesterday and today, Christ the Beginning the  End, the Alpha and the Omega. All time belongs to him and all the ages To him be glory and power through every age and forever.Amen.

 

Every age is protected and guarded by the glorious wounds of the Lord, washed clean in His blood poured out on the cross.

All time belongs to Christ, our Risen Savior, who shines over all, glorifies all in His  destruction of sin upon the cross.
Standing in the awesome glory of the holy light that dispels the darkness, we sing alleluia the King of kings, Christ the Lord.
Though unworthy, we are, through the mercy of God, redeemed and reconciled with the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit.
Even now, throughout the world, Christian believers are set apart from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin by the power of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  That resurrected power transforms our sin into grace, our darkness into light.
Rise up with Christ, the Morning Star that never sets. May the light of your baptism and mine never be undimmed  as we walk through this Valley of tears hand in hand with the Lord.

Source: The opening liturgy of the Easter Vigil.