The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the prayers of today’s Mass teach us that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved free of sin from the moment of her conception in the womb of her own mother. This is the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; that through the anticipated merits of her Son, Jesus, Mary was preserved from Original Sin at the moment of her own conception, and remained sinless throughout her life. This is why the Archangel Gabriel, in the Annunciation found in the Gospel of Luke, greeted her with the words: “Hail, full of grace.” At the end of her earthly life, she was taken up, body and soul, into Heaven. This act of divine favor is known as the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it allowed Mary to experience the first fruits of her Son’s Resurrection. In her glory, she gives us cause to hope that we, too, can one day share in Christ’s Resurrection.

We might wonder how today’s Scripture Readings relate to the Assumption since none of them refers to Mary being taken up bodily into Heaven. But we come to know the Blessed Mother better through today’s Gospel Reading, which is Luke’s account of the Visitation by Mary to Elizabeth. We can imagine Mary arriving at the house of Zechariah. The scene is one of intimacy between two very holy women. There is Elizabeth, who was favored by God to conceive in her old age; and the young Mary, who believed in the greatness of God and was chosen to bear His Son. Elizabeth carried within her womb the child that would be known as John the Baptizer. Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, carried within her womb Jesus, the Son of God.

The Gospel does not tell us what Mary said in her greeting to Elizabeth, but we are told of Elizabeth’s words: “How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Her words invite us to examine the importance our Blessed Mother can play in our spiritual lives. Mary’s life give us an unequaled example of what it means to live in humility and in perfect obedience to the will of God.

Today, let us be especially mindful of Mary’s desire, that we might one day come to share in eternal life in Heaven with her and all the Angels and Saints. Let us strive to follow her example and love God with our whole being, serving Him by pouring ourselves out in humble love and service to others. Let us also seek to grow in our devotion to our Blessed Mother, for her prayers help us to live more fully and faithfully as disciples of her Son, and her example of heroic virtue is an inspiration to us all.