Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother - August 15, 2018 (Deacon Jim Thill)

THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

HOW MIGHT WE RESPOND TO THIS AMAZING ACT OF GOD?

Here is the message we receive through the scriptures chosen for this celebration…

    -in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant people encountered the presence of God.

    -Mary becomes the Ark of the New Covenant as Jesus became present in her womb.

    -we hear, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” …Mary did.

    -therefore Mary shares in the victory promised to all who believe.

The Doctrine of the Assumption of Mary…short and sweet…

   “Finally the immaculate virgin, preserved from all stain of original sin,

        when the course of her life on earth was finished, was taken up body and soul,

           into heavenly glory.”

This was believed from early on in the church…grew in belief until it became universally believed.

So on All Saints Day, November 1, 1950, in a formal proclamation…

   proclaiming as infallible…Pope Pius XII issued the Doctrine of the Assumption.

      -we as Catholics are bound to believe in the Assumption.

 Many…but not all…non-Catholics…challenge our belief.

Here is my argument in favor of the Assumption…follow the trail.

   -we believe revelation comes to us in Scripture and Tradition.

   -John writes in concluding his gospel… “There are also many other things that Jesus

        did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world

           would contain the books that would be written.”

                  (an exaggeration…certainly)   (but truth also…not all is written about Jesus) 

   -John also tells us the Holy Spirit will be given to us…and He will lead us to all truth.

   -this leading us to all truth by the Holy Spirit is TRADITION.

        -tradition is how the Holy Spirit has led us through 2000+ years of salvation history.

   -and so in Scripture and Tradition we come to our belief in the Assumption.

 -Our Holy Days associated with Mary:

      (Jan 1… Mary the Mother of God // Aug 15…the Assumption // Dec 8…the Immaculate Conception)

      -profoundly proclaim one thing to us

             -thunder one thing to us

                 -that one thing is a person

                         -Jesus…Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

-Jesus is who He says He is:

      -He is the Son of God

            -He is the Messiah and Lord

                 -He is the Savior

                        -He is the Way, the Truth, the Life…the only way to the Father.

 

HOW MIGHT WE RESPOND TO THIS AMAZING ACT OF GOD?

   HOW MIGHT WE HONOR MARY?

1.  -If we enshrine sports heroes in halls of fame

 -If we lay wreaths at the tombs of generals

     -If we carve the heads of presidents into the side of a mountain

           -Then Mary should have a special place in the Church and in our lives.

2.  -we should pray to Mary.

         (Protestant Church…Catholics and Saints…Catholics and Mary)

             -Why do Catholics pray to Mary?

                -Why don’t Catholic just pray to Jesus?

                     -We do pray to Jesus…to the Father…to the Holy Spirit…to God.

                        -If I have a need I seek help from them.

                            -And if I need prayer I seek it from other Christian Brothers and Sisters.

              -and if I seek prayer from Christian Brothers and Sisters

                                                  am I being a fool not to seek it from Mary and Saints?

              -their response was, “that makes sense.”

3.  -we should take seriously the last recorded words of Mary in Scripture…

                            at the Wedding Feast of Cana… “Do whatever He tells you.”

         -taking these words seriously…the Mass is crucial for us…

             for we hear the Scriptures proclaimed…we hear a homily that fleshes those

                Scriptures out for our everyday life…have the opportunity to offer ourselves

                   to the Lord at the Offertory…we receive Jesus in Communion…and we are

                      charged in the Dismissal to go living as Missionary Disciples.

4.  -I have been struck lately by the Canticle…Magnificat of Mary as recorded in Luke’s Gospel.

           -Mary…a very, very young woman…is filled with such wisdom.

           -I ask myself this question.

                Is there a wealth of wisdom in our teens and young adults today that we should tap into?

HOW MIGHT WE RESPOND TO THIS AMAZING ACT OF GOD WE CALL THE ASSUMPTION?

HOW MIGHT WE HONOR MARY?

I am sure many of you could add to this list of 4.

But I think one of the four is a key…a key that would lead us to the other 3…

      and lead us to any additional ways you might be able to add to this list of 4.

 

That ONE is number 3

3.  -we should take seriously the last recorded words of Mary in Scripture…

                            at the Wedding Feast of Cana… “Do whatever He tells you.”

         -taking these words seriously…the Mass is crucial for us…

             for we hear the Scriptures proclaimed…we hear a homily that fleshes those

                Scriptures our for our everyday life…we have the opportunity to offer ourselves

                   to the Lord at the Offertory…we receive Jesus in Communion…and we are

                      charged in the Dismissal to go living as Missionary Disciples.

All that we are…all that we will become…all that we will do…

                                  flows from the source and summit of our Faith…The Eucharist

That NUMBER 3 is a key to all the ways we might respond to

    THIS AMAZING ACT OF GOD WE CALL THE ASSUMPTION…

                                                                              AND HOW WE HONOR MARY.

IT IS THE WEDDING FEAST OF CANA WHERE MARY SAYS

                   “DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.”