Homily For Thursday Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 15th August, 2024 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Readings:  Rev .11:19;12:1-6.10, Ps. 45, 1Cor. 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56

Fr. Emmanuel Onyia.

 

THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY A PROOF THAT DEATH IS NOT THE END OF HUMAN LIFE

 

Reflecting on ugly events we hear and experience in our world today there is no doubt in my mind that the world is a battlefield between the forces of life and death, good and evil. And forces of death and evil seem to have the upper hand, as we can see in cases of killings, hatred, betrayals, greed, and social and economic injustice all over the world. Thus, there is this constant fear of what becomes of us when we die. Where are we going when we die? Is death the end of life? Is there another life after death?

 

The answer to these questions is found in today’s solemnity: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The solemnity is where we celebrate the mystery of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary's body and soul into heaven. An event which shows the triumph of life over death and good over evil. For since Christ’s divine body did not undergo corruption, it follows that his mother’s body, which forever contains a cell component of his Divinity, would not be allowed to experience corruption but would be taken into heaven and be reunited with Christ. For as we know, a particle of God is God's entirety. And the Psalmist says: that you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your Holy one know decay (Ps. 16.10).

So, according to the tradition of the Orthodox Church regarding the Assumption of Mary, it was said in a writing attributed to Joseph of Arimathea, that when Mary was about to die, all the Apostles except Thomas were miraculously transported to Jerusalem to witness her death. However, Thomas who was in India, witnessed the assumption of Mary into heaven and he received the girdle of Mary as a proof. So, when Thomas arrived on the third day after burial, he narrated the story to the other apostles, they were skeptical. So, they opened the grave of Mary and found it empty and they glorified God. This of course, becomes part of the historical revelations among the Apostle and the early Church.

Thus, on 1 November 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed as Dogma that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”. This truth of faith, as known by Tradition, was affirmed by the Fathers of the Church and was an important aspect in the veneration of the Mother of Christ. This Dogma appears as an act of praise and exaltation of God’s grace in the life of the Blessed Virgin. It also emerges for the honour of her Son Jesus and the joy and exultation of the entire Church.

 

Little wonder, our readings today help us to understand better this mystery. In our first reading, we heard of the revelation of the victorious power of God, who,o, through a woman, has overcome the evil that threatened to destroy humanity. Telling us that salvation, victory, power and kingdom have now been won for us by our God, for the authority of his Christ has come.

 

And St. Paul, in our first reading, made us know that Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of all who have fallen asleep. For death came through one man, and in the same way, the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ. Meanwhile, in our Gospel passage, we heard Mary’s glorification of God’s power and victory, for God through Christ has remembered his mercy for humanity as he had promised to Abraham and all his descendants forever.

 

Therefore, through Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, we understand better that even though our daily lives may be marked by trials, persecutions and difficulties, our death is not the end but the entrance into a life that knows no death, for we are made to share in God’s Heavenly Kingdom. So, the Assumption reminds us that Mary’s life, like that of every Christian, is a journey of following, following Jesus, a journey that has a very precise destination, a future already marked out, for the definite victory over sin and death, in order for us to be in full communion with God.

 

Dear friends, how can this solemnity of the Assumption of Mary help us on our journey towards our heavenly kingdom? What message is God passing to us in this solemnity? In this solemnity of Assumption, we find the message of faith and hope that in God, there is room for humanity, God is humanity’s true home, and in us, there is also room for God. Hence, Pope Benedict XVI says that One thing is certain, that is, our hope in God: that God expects us, God waits for us, we do not go out into a void, we are expected.

 

God is expecting humanity, for as we pass to the other side of life, we will find the goodness of our Blessed Mother, we will find our loved ones, we will find eternal Love Christ our Saviour.  For he is waiting for us since we are made to share in his glory. And this is our greatest joy and the great hope that is born from this solemnity.

 

This reality makes us victorious over death and the evil of this world. Therefore, we should not be afraid, for God has made us victorious over sin and death in order to share in Christ's glory. Let us then entrust our Christian journey to Mary's Motherly intercession since she is the consolation and hope of the people still on this journey of faith.

 

LET US PRAY, Heavenly Father, we thank you for knowing how fragile our lives are in this passing world; you gave us the message of faith and hope through the mystery of the Assumption of Mary. As we celebrate this mystery, may we be filled with the joy of your kingdom? We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.