Homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2024. Gospel of St. Luke 1:39-56. Theme: Jesus Living in Mary!
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven is tied intimately to the fact that when the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became flesh it was Mary’s ”yes” to God that made this event possible. She was totally free to say “no” but she didn’t and we are literally infinitely better off because of it! Since Mary was so intimately associated with Jesus in his mission upon earth, it makes sense to us that she should also be raised up body and soul into heaven as he was, but in a very different way of course. In addition, we can see how it makes sense that her resurrection from the dead should happen ahead of our own, for she was full of grace, the sinless temple and dwelling place for the Sinless God. All these things would be what we call the “theological reasons” for Mary’s Assumption into Heaven.
But modern science now offers us a different but complementary way to ponder the mystery of her Assumption. You see, genetic research has shown that from the first days of life in the womb mother and child share each other’s cells. As early as the second week of pregnancy there is a two-way flow of DNA between the child and the mother, and a good number of the baby’s cells persist, thrive, and actually become a permanent part of the mother. This throws a whole new light on our understanding of the maternal relationship. It shows us that in a certain sense a mother carries a part of her child within her for a whole lifetime and not just for 9 months!
Now, let’s see what this scientific finding might look like when applied to the relationship between Mary and Jesus. It means that the Blessed Mother continued to have Jesus truly physically present within her by means of the cells of his Divine Humanity for her entire life! She was literally a living Tabernacle of the Lord’s Body and Blood. Now, it seems to me that since Jesus did not remain in the grave and undergo corruption, but was raised up, so it also makes sense that Mary, having the Presence of her Divine Son always within her at the cellular level, should also be raised up body and soul in the experience of her Assumption. It’s really Jesus-living-in-her that makes this wondrous event possible!
And as I see it, this leads to an awesome conclusion for each one of us. Science has proven the truth of the saying, “we become what we eat”. This affirms our belief that through our faithful and intentional reception of the Eucharist we, too, become part of the Risen Lord Jesus. By means of this holy Sacrament, his Body and Blood enter into us and remain with us. The more we receive the Eucharistic Christ the more we become assimilated into him. And so like Mary, this will lead us to our own resurrection from the dead. Jesus himself actually told us about this connection between Eucharist and Resurrection in the 6th chapter of St John’s Gospel that we have been reading from over the past few Sundays. He declared, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn 6:54)
So you see, the Assumption of Mary has something to say both to us and about us. It reminds us that there is a seed of immortality growing within us just as Jesus was once growing in her. This seed is planted by the Eucharist and waiting to blossom at the proper time in the story of our lives. The Assumption assures us that this immortality will be a physical reality and not just a ghostly life, so to speak, where we exist as disembodied spirits floating around for eternity. But it will be a glorious life in a real place called Heaven where we will live forever, in both body and soul, along with Mary and all our loved ones who have gone before us marked with the Sign of Faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment