The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (14.08.16)

Today, the whole Church honours Mary, the humble maid of Nazareth, through whom the world received its Saviour.  We rejoice that she shares in the glory of her Son in heaven.

Honouring Mary however had a late start in the life of the Church.   In the first four  centuries there was no devotion to Our Lady.  At that time the pressing question was the true identity of Jesus, and the Church was fully absorbed in finding an answer to the complex questions surrounding the humanity and divinity of Jesus.

Only after the divinity of Jesus was proclaimed in the early councils of the Church did attention turn to Mary.   The Fathers at the council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed that Mary bore Him in her womb and  gave birth to Him like any other mother did a child, but it was not until Vatican 11 in 1964 that a council of the Church referred to Mary as “Mother of God”.

She – the perfect Mother – cared for Him during all His hidden years in Nazareth, when He remained – like she did – in the shadows, unknown and unrecognised.  How she must have suffered with and for her precious Child from the moment He came into public view!   From that moment He met with suspicion, and opposition, being declared an imposter, and a criminal, and eventually being put to an ignominious death on the Cross.

All the while, in spite of darkness and difficulty Mary continued to believe in Him, and stood by Him through thick and thin right up to and through His hour of humiliation.
Then, when her beloved Son had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, Mary, Mother of God exercised her role as our Mother too by “being there” for the frightened and disillusioned apostles – consoling, inspiring, guiding and encouraging them along the Way forward– as she is for any of us who call on her intercession during our sojourn on this earth.

Mary was meek and humble of heart, full of grace and truth – never seeking her own glory, but attributing all her greatness to the love and mercy of God.
She was the first “little one – the “lowly, servant” made great by the choice of God.
The same choice is extended to all the lowly.   She is our Mother – showing us the way.

Mary is the Mother especially of the poor, the oppressed, those overlooked and scorned. Each of us is made in the image of God. With her help we can come to believe in our dignity as human beings, and try to be faithful to our calling to follow Him, thus giving good example to others who are struggling; and hopefully one day we will all share in her glory, which is the glory of her Son Jesus Christ in heaven, remembering that victory does not lie at some high point along the way, but in having made the journey stage by stage, trusting in His Mercy – through her intercession.

It is right and fitting then that we rejoice and are glad as we commemorate this wonderful feast of the Assumption into heaven of Mary – Mother of God and our Mother also.