Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary August 15, 2019
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
Victory! We are here to celebrate victory over sin, death, and decay.. That’s why Mary’s Assumption matters. By being taken body and soul into heaven, she is a sign to all of us what awaits us in heaven. It may be the last enemy to be destroyed, but death is defeated so completely that even our bodies will last forever one day.
It’s true that this isn’t explicitly in scripture. Then again, neither is the word Trinity or the phrase “accept Jesus as your personal lord and savior,” yet we believe in those. But Scripture does say more about the Assumption than people realize. It has everything to do with the Ark of the Covenant. For the ancient Israelites, the Ark of the Lord was God’s presence. It contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, the staff of Aaron, and some of the Manna from the desert. The Ark of the Covenant was always kept in the sanctuary, the sacred place in the tent, what they called the Tabernacle. When Solomon built the temple, the ark was placed in the sanctuary there, called the Holy of Holies. It made sense that this special vessel, this container of God’ covenant should be kept in a special, sacred place.
And it still makes sense. The Ark of the Covenant was eventually hidden away by God in anticipation of a newer and better covenant, the one of Jesus Christ. Unlike the tablets or the staff or the Manna, Jesus Christ is the Truth itself, the only True High Priest, and the Bread of Life. And who had the special privilege of carrying God himself? Mary. By the incarnation, Mary became the new Ark of the Covenant. It is no coincidence that the book of Revelation describes a woman immediately after it says the Ark of the Covenant was seen in the heavenly temple.
Like the old Ark of the Covenant, Mary the new ark ought to be given special reverence and kept in a sacred place. The sanctuary of our Church is just a symbol, the true sanctuary is heaven itself. So, the doctrine of Mary’s Assumption is seen in the fact that she is the true ark of the covenant and has been brought into the true sanctuary.
Yet, she’s not an inanimate object like the ark. She is also the first disciple of Jesus, the one to hear God’s word and keep it. She faithfully followed her son throughout this life and was more present to Christ on the Cross than any other human being could possibly hope to be. So, it is fitting that Mary, the first disciple and first one to share Christ’s Cross, should also be the first victor, the first one to share in the final victory over death and decay.
Though living body and soul in heaven, her heart remains with us on earth. She never ceases to pray for us and to use the special favor given to her to serve us. Immortal Queen of heaven though she is, she is the humblest and most reliable of all servants. I myself would not be standing here, and might not even be alive, were it not for Mary’s intervention in my life and the enduring power of the Rosary.
So, do not be afraid of this victory. Do not be afraid to be a little triumphant about the honors bestowed on Mary. Her glory is our joy, her victory is our hope. Assumed into heaven, she wants nothing more than to draw us, her dear children to her bosom, that one day all of us, body and soul, might rejoice in the fact that God has remembered his promise of mercy to Abraham and his children forever.