Assumption (2015-08-15)

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 Homily for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—a dogma of our Catholic faith: that at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken, body and soul, into heaven.

 Our Orthodox brothers and sisters observe this same mystery on August 15 but call it the *Dormition of Mary*. “Dormition” comes from the Latin and Romance languages meaning “to fall asleep.” They describe Mary’s passing as falling asleep in the Lord.

 

Whether we speak of Assumption or Dormition, the truth is the same: Mary now dwells fully with her Son. As Jesus promised in the Gospel of John, *“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places… I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, you also may be.”*

 

This is not about some great celestial dormitory in the clouds. Heaven is not primarily a place—it is a relationship with God. In Scripture, when Mary and Joseph searched for a room at the inn in Bethlehem before Jesus was born, they were not seeking just a physical space, but a place where God’s promise could enter human life. The Assumption reminds us: our destiny is not to float away into the clouds, but to live forever in communion with God—a communion that can begin even now.

 

### Body and Soul: A Unity

Pope Benedict XVI offered a touching reflection on death. Many of us were taught that death happens when the soul leaves the body—as though the soul is a child rushing out of a classroom, eager for freedom. But Benedict reverses the image: it is not the soul fleeing the body; rather, it is the body that can no longer sustain the soul. The soul, still living, must move on.

 

This perspective reminds us that from our conception, God has given us a unity of body and soul that is never meant to be fragmented. In this life, the body may grow weak, but the soul remains alive—awaiting reunion with the body in the resurrection at the end of time.

 

### True Health and Wholeness

We often measure well-being by physical traits: our appearance, our sleep patterns, diet, exercise, and medicine. These matter, but they are not the deepest measure. We are made whole by love, forgiveness, and virtue—by refusing to treat others as objects, by seeking and granting forgiveness, by giving and receiving love. These choices shape our true health far more than any medical chart can record, and they prepare us for eternal life.

 

### A Glimpse of the End

The circumstances of our earthly death will be different for each of us—different ages, conditions, and health profiles. Sometimes, even in weakness, God grants flashes of clarity.

 

I saw this in a recent conversation with my mother. She has trouble remembering certain things, yet the other day I told her, “Today would have been Grandpa’s birthday. He would be 119.” Without missing a beat, she said, “That’s old.” I reminded her he lived to be 101, and instantly she replied, “So he’s been dead 18 years.” She did the math perfectly—without a calculator. Even with memory struggles, she grasped the moment.

 

We all hope for a long, fruitful life, perhaps to see our children’s children. But whether long or short, our lives end in one great meeting with God—the final judgment.

### The Transformative Nature of Death

 

Pope Benedict XVI wrote that death is a breaking—not to destroy us, but to form something new. It is like a cocoon breaking so a butterfly can emerge. For Christians, life is not a march toward death, but a daily rising toward new life.

 

Our humiliations, difficulties, and rejections—if endured in Christ—become steps toward transformation. Even the good things we achieve are meant to be offered back to God as part of our preparation for eternity.

 

Even the saints struggled to embrace this. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, though holy and close to death, once said, “Never will I learn to die.” And Jesus Himself, in His Passion, prayed, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” In His humanity, He faced death with both fear and trust.

 

### Mary’s Witness

In the Assumption, Mary shows us what awaits those who love God. She is the first to share fully in her Son’s victory over death, body and soul united forever in His presence. Her destiny is our hope.

 

And so today we ask:

• How can we see both our humiliations and our victories as part of rising to new life?

• How can we live now in a way that honors the unity of body and soul?

• How can Mary’s Assumption draw us closer to her Son, who desires us to be where He is?

 

Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us—now and at the hour of our death. Amen.