assumption sunday
Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When human life ends it is taken down six feet below the ground, however in the case of Mary she was taken up to heaven body and soul. When human life ends the soul goes back to God and the body goes the way of all mortal flesh to rot in the grave and turn back to dust, however in the case of Mary it was not just her soul that found its way back to God, for her flesh, her body was also taken up to heaven with her soul. Her body did not the way of all flesh. It did not undergo corruption.
How did it come to this? There are several reasons.
In our introduction this morning we find the first reason. It is said that the feast is closely related with the Immaculate Conception. Mary was immaculately conceived so as to prepare her womb to be a fit dwelling place for at least 9 months for Jesus her Son. Mary was without any stain of sin for she was going to provide flesh for the Son of God. Since Mary was immaculately conceived, since she was conceived in the womb of St. Anne without any stain of sin, and since her flesh became the fit dwelling place of the Son, it was only proper that the same flesh should not undergo corruption. It was this flesh that was taken up to heaven.
This is the official catechism, the official teachings of the church on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But I would like to go beyond that now. I would like to give my own reflection on why Mary was taken up to heaven body and soul.
I would like to start for my premise with this statement: Mary whether in life or in death had always defied gravity; Mary whether in life or in death had defied the natural downward pull of life.
Mary defied the downward pull of life when she followed even though she did not understand what was taking place many times in her relationship with her Son. Mary in our gospel today instinctively re-directed Elizabeth’s attention of praise to God who did the mighty things in her life, when she could have basked in the honor and praise rendered by Elizabeth’s “blessed are you among women”. Mary in the wedding in Cana defied once more the seeming affront of her Son when she was told right on her face, woman what is that to you and to me - kon sa bisaya pa babayi ano labot mo kon nawad-an sila sing bino, instead sulking, instead of brooding like an over acting teenager kay baw na hurt gid ako, Mary bounced up from that seeming affront and orders the waiters to do what his Son would tell them to do. Again in another instance Mary defied the natural downward pull of life when she bravely stood beneath the cross instead of cowering in fear and prostrating in sorrow for the death of her son. That was the pattern of Mary’s life, now wouldn’t it be only proper then that that should also be the pattern of her death, that when our mortal destiny condemns us to move down to rot in our grave, she moved up to live in the bosom of God. The pattern of her life became too the pattern of her death. When her feelings pulled her leftward she pulled them rightward. When her situation pulled her downward she would provide the opposite pull to bring herself upward. That was the life of Mary, so no wonder, when her time came instead of naturally falling downward to earth by death, she was snatched as it where upward to heaven by God.
The Assumption is not just the manner of dying and death attributed as a privilege to Mary. The assumption is also a manner and pattern of living for every Christian.
How do I live the manner and pattern of assumption?
When my feeling pulls me leftward, I should expend the necessary strength to pull myself rightward. When my situation pulls me downward I should provide the opposite pull to bring myself upward. When my feelings for revenge and getting even pull me leftward, I shall struggle to bring myself to forgive - to provide the opposite pull when called for. When the situation pulls me down in despair and hopelessness, then I must provide the opposite force to propel myself once more to persevere and fight on.
What is wrong with the world today?
Most often we no longer provide the opposite pull and the opposite force to keep ourselves rightward and upward. One famous advertisement says it all - obey your thirst. But do you always have to obey your thirst? Do we always have to obey our lust? Do we always have to obey our feelings, our greed, our desires, our caprice? Can we not prod ourselves to fight our thirst rather than obey it? Can we not provide the opposite force to discipline our desires, to cut our greed, to moderate our wants, to restrain our lust? Do we always have to obey our thirsts?
The problems of this world starts when could no longer provide the opposite force to the natural pull; when we become permissive not just to others but also to ourselves. We are not living the pattern of the assumption.
In our prayer today in the preface of the mass we acknowledge that Mary assumption to heaven is the beginning and pattern of the church in its perfection. In other words what Mary attained we can attain. If she was brought to heaven body and soul, we too, one day, will be brought to heaven, our true home, body and soul, not just soul, but one day, in body and soul.
Indeed we can attain what Mary attained, but first we have to do what Mary did, she is after all the pattern not just of our end but also of our journey towards the end. She has shown us the way, the way of the assumption - defying gravity in our lives, defying the natural pull of our desires and our situation by providing the opposite force.
How did it come to this? There are several reasons.
In our introduction this morning we find the first reason. It is said that the feast is closely related with the Immaculate Conception. Mary was immaculately conceived so as to prepare her womb to be a fit dwelling place for at least 9 months for Jesus her Son. Mary was without any stain of sin for she was going to provide flesh for the Son of God. Since Mary was immaculately conceived, since she was conceived in the womb of St. Anne without any stain of sin, and since her flesh became the fit dwelling place of the Son, it was only proper that the same flesh should not undergo corruption. It was this flesh that was taken up to heaven.
This is the official catechism, the official teachings of the church on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But I would like to go beyond that now. I would like to give my own reflection on why Mary was taken up to heaven body and soul.
I would like to start for my premise with this statement: Mary whether in life or in death had always defied gravity; Mary whether in life or in death had defied the natural downward pull of life.
Mary defied the downward pull of life when she followed even though she did not understand what was taking place many times in her relationship with her Son. Mary in our gospel today instinctively re-directed Elizabeth’s attention of praise to God who did the mighty things in her life, when she could have basked in the honor and praise rendered by Elizabeth’s “blessed are you among women”. Mary in the wedding in Cana defied once more the seeming affront of her Son when she was told right on her face, woman what is that to you and to me - kon sa bisaya pa babayi ano labot mo kon nawad-an sila sing bino, instead sulking, instead of brooding like an over acting teenager kay baw na hurt gid ako, Mary bounced up from that seeming affront and orders the waiters to do what his Son would tell them to do. Again in another instance Mary defied the natural downward pull of life when she bravely stood beneath the cross instead of cowering in fear and prostrating in sorrow for the death of her son. That was the pattern of Mary’s life, now wouldn’t it be only proper then that that should also be the pattern of her death, that when our mortal destiny condemns us to move down to rot in our grave, she moved up to live in the bosom of God. The pattern of her life became too the pattern of her death. When her feelings pulled her leftward she pulled them rightward. When her situation pulled her downward she would provide the opposite pull to bring herself upward. That was the life of Mary, so no wonder, when her time came instead of naturally falling downward to earth by death, she was snatched as it where upward to heaven by God.
The Assumption is not just the manner of dying and death attributed as a privilege to Mary. The assumption is also a manner and pattern of living for every Christian.
How do I live the manner and pattern of assumption?
When my feeling pulls me leftward, I should expend the necessary strength to pull myself rightward. When my situation pulls me downward I should provide the opposite pull to bring myself upward. When my feelings for revenge and getting even pull me leftward, I shall struggle to bring myself to forgive - to provide the opposite pull when called for. When the situation pulls me down in despair and hopelessness, then I must provide the opposite force to propel myself once more to persevere and fight on.
What is wrong with the world today?
Most often we no longer provide the opposite pull and the opposite force to keep ourselves rightward and upward. One famous advertisement says it all - obey your thirst. But do you always have to obey your thirst? Do we always have to obey our lust? Do we always have to obey our feelings, our greed, our desires, our caprice? Can we not prod ourselves to fight our thirst rather than obey it? Can we not provide the opposite force to discipline our desires, to cut our greed, to moderate our wants, to restrain our lust? Do we always have to obey our thirsts?
The problems of this world starts when could no longer provide the opposite force to the natural pull; when we become permissive not just to others but also to ourselves. We are not living the pattern of the assumption.
In our prayer today in the preface of the mass we acknowledge that Mary assumption to heaven is the beginning and pattern of the church in its perfection. In other words what Mary attained we can attain. If she was brought to heaven body and soul, we too, one day, will be brought to heaven, our true home, body and soul, not just soul, but one day, in body and soul.
Indeed we can attain what Mary attained, but first we have to do what Mary did, she is after all the pattern not just of our end but also of our journey towards the end. She has shown us the way, the way of the assumption - defying gravity in our lives, defying the natural pull of our desires and our situation by providing the opposite force.
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