Solemnity of the Assumption, Cycle B

Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
Ps 45:10, 11, 12, 16
1 Cor 15:20-27
Lk 1:39-56

The Chinese have a traditional celebration next month called the mid-autumn festival.  I guess it would be similar to an Oktoberfest or some other fall festival dealing with the harvest.  It is based off the lunar calendar and growing up here in the United States, I don’t think I get the full effect.  There are many stories and legends of the origin of the festival but its main focus is on the moon.  As I understand it, the moon is at its fullest and roundest all year long.  And when you look at the moon at the time of the festival you will see it really is bigger and rounder than any other full moons.  The day of the celebration of the full moon is coincidently the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the year or August 15.  Again this is based off the lunar calendar so the celebration is always in September.  But I find it fascinating that there is a happy coincidence of August 15 being a Chinese celebration of the moon and for Catholics a celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

She is often compared to the moon as Christ is compared with the sun.  Why?  We see in Luke’s gospel: My soul magnifies the Lord. Magnificat. …my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… From this day all generations will call me blessed.  Her glory is not her own, but rather comes from God who has blessed her.  Just like the moon – the light does not come from itself but rather it comes from the Sun.  Our lives too must reflect that analogy.  We are his instruments, we are to be His light in the darkness of the world.  We should follow the example of Mary as she leads the way for us.  To be God’s light to the world.

The reason we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption is because it is our destiny.  Because God has conquered death and sin, we have salvation. Mary is no less in need of a Savior and it is by special favor and grace that God has allowed her to be assumed body and soul into heaven.  It is not by her own volition and complete merit, but rather because of God’s favor it is only fitting that she is given this privilege.

An early Christian father, Saint John Damascene once wrote:

“It was necessary that she who preserved her virginity inviolate in childbirth should also have her body kept free from corruption after death. It was necessary that she who carried the Creator as a child on her breast should dwell in the tabernacles of God. It was necessary that the bride espoused by the Father should make her home in the bridal chambers of heaven. It was necessary that she, who had gazed on her crucified Son and been pierced in the heart by the sword of sorrow which she had escaped in giving him birth, should contemplate him seated with the Father. It was necessary that the Mother of God should share the possessions her Son, and be venerated by every creature as the Mother and handmaid of God.”

She has done what we will hope to one day do.  Why should we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary?  Why is it a day of obligation?  It is because we are obliged to discover the rewards of eternal life – a sneak peek into the resurrection.  We will all one day die, but it is our belief that we will have eternal life with Him, that we will be raised on the Last Day.  If we have any doubts that this will happen, we only have to look to our Lady, Our Blessed Mother, who has shown us the way that we will one day go.  Where there will be a new heavens and a new earth – as St. Paul writes, When this mortal body has clothed itself in immortality, then will be fulfilled the word of Scripture: Death is swallowed up in victory.  We celebrate this victory, where the evil one has struck at His Heel but she has struck at his head.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for "he subjected everything under his feet."  

Let us celebrate the queen that stands at our Lord’s right hand, let us remember that we will one day join Our Lord with the Blessed Mother and all the saints in heaven.  Until that day, we will have to “settle” for heaven on earth with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.