Homily for the The Solemnity of the Assumption August 15, 2018
Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia
Why are we here? Why do we make such a big deal about celebrating Mary? In addition to today’s feast, we have so many others all dedicated to Mary. We are often accused of idol worship and neo-paganism because of this devotion. But we are unashamed because we know we do not worship Mary.
Indeed, the fact is that everything we celebrate about Mary always points back to Jesus Christ. Mary is called the Mother of God because it makes the point that Jesus, her son, is in fact God. Mary is the queen of heaven because Jesus is the King who, like the ancient Jewish Kings, gives royal authority to his mother as queen. We pray to Mary because it proves the point that God likes us to cooperate with Him in our own salvation. Jesus Christ – God – in His humility and love wants human beings to work with Him, to share in his mission. So, He gives us the ability to pray for each other not just while we are on earth, but while we are in heaven. And we honor Mary’s ability to intercede in a special way because it’s proof that Jesus is fully human and, like other human beings, has a deep respect for his Mother and what his Mother wants.
But what about the Assumption? Why celebrate the fact that Mary’s body was brought into heaven? Because it points to Jesus Christ; It points to the fact that Jesus Christ fully redeemed humanity, that he restored our fallen human nature. Jesus Christ did not just save our souls; He also opened the way to resurrection where each and every one of us now has the potential to live forever, soul and body in heaven. Jesus Christ proved this when he rose from the dead with a body. He made the point even clearer when he, with his body, ascended into heaven where He now reigns as king and redeemer.
But Jesus is only a man. Human nature is both male and female. Genesis makes it clear that man and woman are equal and that both of them together reflect the divine image. Jesus Christ redeemed our whole human nature, so it would be like stopping short if he only brought half of the equation into heaven with him. Which is one reason why we are celebrating the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into heaven.
Jesus Christ is the one who redeems us, but in his humility, in his wisdom, in his desire for us to share in our own redemption, he included Mary. He took flesh from Mary. She was always among his disciples. Mary was there at the foot of the cross when Jesus redeemed humanity. In a profound way, Mary shared in the suffering of Jesus on the cross. His offering of love in the crucifixion was for all of humanity, for our whole human nature. Although he did not have to, he chose to make that clear to us by uniting Mary’s maternal suffering to his own, representing the feminine aspect of humanity being included in the one sacrifice.
So, when it came time for Mary’s time on earth to end, God decided it was fitting that the woman who shared in a unique way in Christ’s sacrifice should also share in a unique way in his glory in heaven. When we celebrate the Assumption of Mary, it is true that we honor Mary for her example and that we thank God for doing such great things for her. Yet, we are also ultimately honoring the fact that God has redeemed all of humanity. That man and woman equally share in the one victory of Jesus Christ. That man and woman both look forward to living forever, body and soul, in the rapturous joy of heaven.
So why are we here? Because we love Mary, and we love Mary because Mary always, always points us to her Son, to Jesus Christ, our true king, our great redeemer, our God, and the greatest desire of our souls.
Our Lady of the Assumption, patron of the Acadians, pray for us.