His Excellency,
The Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D.
Diocese of Belleville
Sermon:
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
August 15, 2021,
St. Teresa Parish, Belleville
(This is the text as originally written. During the actual delivery, some passages were omitted and other comments were added spontaneously. Nota bene: This text has not been thoroughly proofread. Therefore, there may be errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.)
“The Assumption of Mary”
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
How much do you know about Mary? How well do you know her? Are you aware that she was never called Mary but that she was addressed by her Hebrew name, Myriam of Nazareth? There is much more to the woman whose assumption we celebrate today than an image in a church window or a rosy-cheeked maiden on a holy card.
Where in the Bible does it say that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was miraculously assumed into heaven? This is the first question that many Bible believing Protestants will ask Catholics about today’s feast. The simple, honest answer is: Nowhere. Like Mary’s Immaculate Conception, her Assumption is NOT explicitly mentioned in Scripture. Catholic tradition has always taught that these two uniquely Marian realities are implicit and derived from Mary’s unique position as the mother of Jesus Christ. (Her “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word!”) This is why today’s gospel does not describe or even mention the Assumption. Instead, Luke places the words of a great hymn of praise on Mary’s lips, “Magnificat anima mea.” “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Many Christians listen to this hymn and ignore its bold, challenging message.
Some commentators say Mary’s Prayer is a revolutionary song of salvation whose political, economic, and social dimensions should not be overlooked. People in need in every society hear a plea for them in Mary’s song. The battered woman, the single mother without resources, those without food on the table or without even a table, the homeless family, the young abandoned to their own devices, the old who are discarded: all are encompassed in the hope of Mary’s proclamation. Did you know this hymn is so challenging that it was banned from being sung or read in India under the British Empire? Did you know, in the 1980’s, the Magnificat was banned in strife torn Guatemala. Did you know, in Argentina, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo—whose children all disappeared during the Dirty War (1976-1983)—placed the words of the Magnificat on posters throughout the country? So, the military junta of Argentina outlawed any public display of Mary’s song.
Recall Mary’s words: “The Lord has scattered the proud in the conceit of their hearts. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” You can see why certain governments might find Mary’s words a challenge to their power. Some scripture scholars suggest that Mary’s Magnificat gives us a preview of the justice and peace message that Jesus Himself would proclaim.
* * * * * *
Mary sings, “From this day all generations will call me blessed.” In American culture, some people speak of being “blessed” when the really mean they feel fortunate because things are going well in their lives. They share pictures of themselves enjoying a delicious meal, on vacation in a tropical paradise, or shopping for new clothes, saying, “I feel so blessed!” But, what they are really saying is they are enjoying the comforts of life and all seems right with the world, or at least in their little corner of the world. (They may or may not be “blessed” in the way that Mary was.)
The blessedness that Mary celebrates stands in stark contrast to our culture’s attitude. By our standards, Mary does not look at all blessed. It’s true that God has chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah, but in practical terms what does that mean for Mary? She is not from a family that can afford to dine in a gourmet restaurant, go on a shopping spree, or plan a dream vacation. Mary is quite insignificant in her culture, an unmarried peasant girl from a small village, expecting a child.
Her friends and neighbors may well see her as a disgrace because she is on the way to becoming an unwed mother. Even Joseph is initially disturbed by Mary’s condition. And, as Simeon later tells her, being the mother of the Jesus will pierce her heart with sorrow. She will endure the unspeakable grief of watching as her son is rejected, shamed, tortured, and crucified. Nevertheless, Mary insists that she is “blessed.” I doubt most American would consider such a life a blessing. But Mary’s kinswoman, Elizabeth, whose infant, John the Baptist, leapt for joy in her womb when she heard Mary’s greeting said, “Blessed are you among women.” And “Blessed are you who believed.”
It is Mary’s graced state that makes her “blessed,” not any personal good fortune. The favor she has with God, as the mother of Jesus, makes the great mystery of the Assumption possible. Mary was the first and best disciple of Christ. The Church believes this perfect discipleship is the reason why Christ gathers her with Him, body and soul, to the glory that Christ attained through his passion and death. The mystery of the Assumption is Mary’s immediate and total participation in the life of the Risen Lord. But this does not mean that the Assumption is the SAME thing as the resurrection of Christ. St. John Paul II teaches clearly that, while Mary surely died, she was not raised from the dead, but assumed body and soul into heaven.
* * * * * *
When I was teaching theology at Harvard Divinity School, Claude Rains, a brilliant and faith-filled Baptist student, was considering becoming a Catholic, over the objections of his family. Talking with me about the Catholic Church’s veneration of Mary, Claude asked, “What about the body?” What happened to Mary’s body? How could a physical body be assumed into heaven? This is not a simple question. Nor does it have simple answers. The first part of the answer is to make clear that to be “assumed into heaven” or to “ascend into heaven” does NOT mean taking off from the earth like Richard Branson in Virgin Galactic or Jeff Bezos in Blue Origins to land in a physical place above the clouds called “heaven.” Heaven is the absolute joy of being eternally with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While the God who is God is EVERYWHERE, heaven is NOT a golden throne room in outer space where we sit quietly and worship God throughout eternity.
Many people of different religions seem open to the idea there may be a spiritual dimension of every human person, often called the soul, that survives death. They are comfortable with the thought that the souls of the faithful departed have a destiny in heaven. But they find it difficult to believe that after death the human body, in some way, participates in eternal life. Sadly, most of us have all seen death. When the silver flow of life withdraws, the body grows cold and begins to become undone. How can this body be raised from the dead? How could Mary’s body be assumed into heaven?
Yet we only know ourselves in our bodies. We define our being as embodied spirits. If we are to be ourselves must not our bodies participate, in some way, in the joy of eternal life? Our bodies are not mere vessels for our souls. Our bodies, like our souls, are a vital part of what makes each one of us who we are.
In proclaiming the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, the Church is affirming the intrinsic unity of spirit and flesh, body and soul. The Church does not attempt to say how Mary’s Assumption is possible. Nor does the Church attempt to say how the resurrection of the dead is possible. Nevertheless, the Church affirms the impenetrable mystery.
* * * * * *
In a moment, when we proclaim our faith, we will not pray, “I believe in the immortality of the soul.” We will pray, “I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come!” How well do you know Mary, whose name is actually Myriam of Nazareth? There is much more to the woman whose assumption we celebrate today than an image in a church window or a rosy-cheeked maiden on a holy card.
Hail! Hail, Mary! FULL OF GRACE!
The Lord IS with thee.
How blessed, how blessed art thou among women.
And blessed, too, is the fruit of thy womb… Jesus.
Holy Mary, Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus in His humanity and His divinity
(Theotokos – God-bearer).
Pray for us redeemed sinners, now
and at the hour of our death.
Praise be Jesus Christ. Both now and forever. AMEN!