August 15, 2010 SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION
15 AUGUST, 2010, 5:15, 8:00, 10:00
READINGS: Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56
SAINT MARY PARISH, VIROQUA
Introduction: Each year on this date the Church celebrates this Solemnity honoring Mary who was assumed bodily into heaven. It is such an important feast that it replaces the Sunday liturgy.
1. One writer comments about this feast by saying this. “Bodies are good, not bad. Some philosophies teach that the body is evil and only the spirit is good. But, flesh is not intrinsically evil. Mary’s resurrection and her assumption into heaven are the Church’s affirmation that the body is good – even worthy of a seat on the thrones of the blessed.” He is right.
One of the great spiritual phrases of the last century was by a Catholic writer, Joseph Goldbrunner. He wrote, “Holiness is wholeness.” We talk about being well-rounded. We should not limit ourselves only to work, or only to recreation, or only to study, or only to play, or only to pray! We should be well rounded human beings. All things human are good, but sin! This too is a lesson of the Assumption.
2. Now, think for a moment about what Mary saw in her lifetime. She saw an angel; she saw kindness in the heart of Joseph; she saw the face of the newly born Redeemer. She saw him grow up; she saw him teach; she saw him work miracles. She saw him carry his cross. And, she saw him risen from the dead. Think of what she saw. And we too have visions not unlike hers. We see kindness in the hearts of others; we see children born with potential to be saints; we see people we admire as teachers, as workers and leaders. We see suffering and we see the overcoming of suffering. We may not see angels face to face, but last Friday during the rainstorm someone told me the rain was the tears of angels! (I’m not so sure! What do they have to cry about?)
We see much of what Mary saw! Like her we should carry awe in our hearts. A psychologist (Abraham Maslow) writes “When others take them for granted the fully mature adult has the ability to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life with awe, pleasure, wonder and ecstasy.” Awe and wonder should be constant attitudes in our hearts.
3. Now, think for a moment about Mary’s appearance. The artists of the Renaissance portrayed her as a beautiful young woman. Why wouldn’t God select a lovely woman to be the mother of his Son? Still, we can only assume that! There are, of course, different kinds of beauty. Once Mother Teresa did a television interview for an American variety program. One of guys on the camera crew saw her and whispered, "Wow, she is so ugly!" As she talked with the host, the studio grew quiet. When they finished, the same guy said, "Wow, she is so beautiful!" Mother Teresa gives us an idea of the kind of beauty Mary had: A wrinkled face, perhaps, but a glorious smile and steady eyes. Above all, the humility to focus not on herself, but on the other person - and ultimately on God. Mother Teresa got that beauty by imitating Our Lady. We know for sure Mary had that kind of beauty.
Conclusion: We do not worship Mary. She is not the “way.” Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He shows us the way; he is the Way to the Father. But Mary has already taken the Way to the Father…all the way. She invites us to follow her there!