THE QUEEN ASSUMED INTO HEAVEN

                                         

                                                Homily for the Solemnity of Assumption

Scriptural Texts: Revelation 11:9, 12:1-6,10, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, Luke 1:39-50

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

 

We celebrate today, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. The fact that the body of the Mother of God, who was never stained by original sin, had not been corrupted by death, and had been assumed into heaven had been accepted by Christians right from the earliest centuries. However, it was only in the 20^th century that it was made a dogma of the faith. On 1^st November, 1950, Pope Pius XII, in one of the outstanding events in the Church’s history, proclaimed Assumption, a dogma in the Church. The dogma of the Assumption of Mary into heaven is based on Sacred Tradition that having completed the course of her earthly life, the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. The formal declaration avoids the question of Mary’s death. The definition leaves us free to believe that she never died- that her body and soul were assumed into heaven at the same time.

Given that death is generally considered the normal end to an individual’s life on earth, entering heaven without dying first is considered exceptional and usually a sign of God’s recognition of the individual’s piety. In Christian religion, Mary is not the only one believed to have been taken up to heaven alive, without dying. In the Old Testament, both Enoch and the prophet Elijah were taken up to heaven alive (Genesis 5:21-24, 2 Kings 2:11). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ ascended into heaven alive, in his glorified body.

While both feasts, Ascension and Assumption denote going up into heaven, in reality, the ascension of Jesus into heaven differs from the assumption of Mary, Enoch and Elijah into heaven. The point of difference lies in who the active party is. While Jesus ascended into heaven by his own power and will, the other three were assumed into heaven by God’s power and will. Jesus as God, ascended into heaven on his own. But Mary was assumed into heaven by God. Since Jesus is Divine, He acts of His volition to ascend to the Father. Mary on the other hand does not raise herself- God raises her on high. Mary is not divine and the Church has never portrayed her as one. All that she is and all that we accord her is as a result of the merit of her position as the Mother of Jesus, the God-man.

That Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul is a sign that she was pure both in body and soul. Remember that according to the book of Apocalypse, nothing impure or uncleans can enter the kingdom of heaven (Revelation 21:27). Therefore, the first lesson we learn from the feast of Mary’s assumption into heaven is the lesson to keep our body and soul unstained, pure and uncontaminated. We care so much about the body while neglecting the soul.

Just like the Ascension of Jesus was a way of him going to prepare a place for us in heaven, the Assumption of Mary also reminds us that our final goal is not on this earth but in heaven. If we live our lives according to God’s commandments and keep ourselves pure and unstained, our body and soul will someday be reunited in heaven in the same way as the body and soul of Mary were assumed and reunited in heaven.

After her assumption into heaven, Mary was crowned by God with glory and honor, as the masterpiece of God’s love. As such, with her assumption into heaven and her coronation, she who was the most humble of all creatures on earth now becomes the most glorious of all creatures. Mary reigns as queen of both heaven and earth. If she is the queen, then, we are her subjects. Let us truly be her subjects and always turn to her intercession in moments of difficulties.