THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (SOLEMNITY)

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

There is so much to celebrate on this special day. We celebrate the fact that Mary’s life, which had been filled with so many challenges and so much suffering, ended so gloriously. We rejoice in her coronation as Queen of Heaven. And we cherish her role as a mother who promises to “pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” But St. Paul’s words in today’s second reading point to another very important truth that flows from Mary’s assumption: death has been defeated.

Of course, Jesus’ resurrection tells us the same thing, but with Mary’s assumption, the truth is driven home even more powerfully. Naturally, the news about the eternal Son of God rising from the dead is marvelous. But a human being like Mary? That only proves that Jesus’ resurrection has altered the shape of our lives as well as his. For all who believe in the Lord, “life” is no longer limited to the few decades we have on this earth. It now stretches out infinitely toward an unlimited, glorious horizon where all pain, suffering, and sin will be no more.

Yes, death has been defeated. It’s over. Done. Destroyed. We still experience the end of our earthly existence, but it’s not like the snuffing out of a candle. It’s more like “falling asleep” and waking up in the loving embrace of the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 15:6). Mary’s assumption shows us that Jesus will keep the promise he made at the Last Supper: “I will . . . take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be” (John 14:3).

Today, as you join the Church in honoring Mary, try to imagine what heaven will be like. Let any fear of death fall away as you picture yourself joining her, the angels and saints, and your own loved ones. Try to capture a sense of the beauty, the awe, and the love that will envelop you when you finally see the Lord face-to-face. Forever.

“All praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for your victory over the power of death itself!”

Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10
Psalm 45:10-12, 16
1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Luke 1:39-56