This past week we celebrated the feast of the Assumption of Mary, a belief that traces back to the very early days of church history and is shared by both the Eastern and Western churches. The Assumption of Mary is known in the Orthodox Church as the Dormition of the Mother of God or the “falling asleep of the Mother of God. The common belief is that Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul.
Mary's assumption into heaven is an abiding sign for all generations that God's favor rests upon us; not just upon Mary, but for every person of faith. With the assumption, Mary remains a real woman of flesh and blood. She is the mother whose whole life was centered on her son. She is both the frightened girl who carried Jesus in her womb and the heartbroken woman who stood helplessly at the foot of the cross watching her son die at the hands of others.
We believe that Jesus ascended into heaven of his own power. Mary’s assumption, on the other hand, was of God’s doing; she was taken into heaven to be with her son, to continue to point us toward God. From her birth to her assumption into heaven, Mary proclaimed God’s goodness, and never stopped believing in the impossible. Her assumption is a foretaste of our resurrection at the end of time.
We celebrate the Assumption because of the unique role she holds in our faith. Mary stood by Jesus with pride, and never waivered in her belief in his saving power. While others fled, she stayed faithful. We call her blessed, because she is an abiding sign to all who have or ever will follow Jesus. She held Jesus as a newborn baby, taught him to walk, comforted him, raised him to be the mature and loving person he became, and she stood by him at the cross and cradled his beaten and bruised lifeless body after his death. Now, she continues to stand with her son, body and soul, to point others toward God, to celebrate her faith and love for the Almighty. Mary’s faith and courage is an inspiration to all who believe in Jesus.
May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forever more.