Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Readings: Revelation 11:19, 12:1-6,10; Psalm 45:10-12,16; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Luke 1:39-56
At her death, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was assumed body and soul into heaven. The feast of Assumption inspires us to reflect on a very important theme of Hope. We all need hope to sustain and invigorate us in our lives and faith journey.
The Preface of the Mass today says, “For today the Virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven, as the beginning and image of your Church’s coming to perfection and a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people…”. In the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis says that everyone knows what it is to hope and in the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring (Spes non Confundit 1).
We are faced with a lot of suffering in our world and in the face of suffering, hope can falter. When we look around us, we see many people who are discouraged, full of doubt and very pessimistic about the future. Most of our discouraged and hopeless young people have fallen into drug abuse and addiction. What could possibly bring us happiness, some ask? Can we find any reasons to bring hope in our hopeless world? Let us look up to Mary and learn what it means to hope. Let us contemplate Mary as the “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev. 12:1).
In Mary we see the victory of Christ over Satan, described in apocalyptic terms as the “great red dragon” (Rev. 12:3). The vision reminds us that we are pilgrims, and our destiny is the kingdom of heaven. By virtue of our baptism, we are pilgrims on a journey, hoping to achieve our final destiny to be in eternal communion with God for all of eternity. While on this journey, there will always be a struggle between grace and sin, between good and evil, between life and death. While on this pilgrimage, we must face trials and bear suffering on our earthly pilgrimage.
Hope is the virtue of those who, experiencing the struggle between life and death, good and evil continue to forge ahead because they believe in the resurrection of Christ and in the triumph of love. Jesus is risen from the dead in his human body. The Father did not allow his Son to undergo corruption. Mary, is the first, greatest and perfect disciple of her Son. Jesus associated with himself in glory the woman who said Yes to the Word becoming Flesh for our salvation. Mary assumed into heaven is the image of the future God intends for us. She is a sign of the Resurrection, a promise of the future glory we all hope to enjoy one day. She is the sign of hope, the proof of Christ’s merciful love, the first among the redeemed. Today we turn our eyes in that direction, where the one who preceded us on the path, reminds all of us that our life is also a continuous journey towards final union with the Lord. We also hope to follow her when our earthly life is over.
“Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or the sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35.37-39).” (Spes non Confundit 3)
In the Gospel we listened to the Song of Mary. Mary sings: “My soul glorifies the Lord”. This is a song of Hope. Hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom. 5:1-2.5). Mother Mary has walked the journey of faith and already entered the heavenly glory. She however continues to walk with us. She accompanies us on our journey and sustains us in our fight against the forces of evil.
We are “Pilgrims of Hope”. One of the signs of hope is faith and the desire for justice and peace in our world. In her song, Mary recounts God’s justice throughout history, and declares that God’s restoration is coming soon. Her song makes clear that this justice is not just for the few. It is also for the hungry and the lowly. The song also warns the powerful that God is going to bring about changes that will shake up the world order. The justice of God will bring restoration to feed the hungry, to liberate the oppressed, to rebuild the broken, and to bring peace among all people.
Pope Francis has called for the Year of the Jubilee to be an opportunity for us to be ‘tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind’. Together we pray,
“Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ”.
Mary Mother of Hope, pray for us.