The Queen: Editorial: Our Assumption Hope
Fr. J. Patrick Gaffney, SMM
Our Assumption Hope
Open the newspaper, turn on TV, surf the net, examine social media and it is so easy to slide down into a funk. Grizzly tales of murder, robbery, hostage taking, wars, government trickery – from all parts of the globe – are top headlines. Add to this the normal difficulties and disappointments intrinsic to life. And a sorry cynicism sets in which may become the permanent lens filtering every aspect of life.
Time for a change of glasses. The accent on troubles, failures, even within the Church, will not disappear any time soon. Rather, it’s the lens that needs a new prescription. A new way of coping with the heavy head-aches which the world, the Church, and all families face daily. And it is yours for the asking.
Yours For the Asking
It may sound unreal, but it is nonetheless true; the summer festival of Our Lady, the Feast of the Assumption, enables us to view world events and personal difficulties in a different light. There will of course still be tears and sleepless nights but the Spirit becomes uplifted and encouraged the more we let Our Lady of the Assumption take over our hearts.
The fundamental teaching of the dogma is clear: the Mother of God, in the fullness of her being – body and soul – is now and forever sharing in the Paschal victory of her Divine Son.
What has this to do with practical life? Pope John Paul II teaches, along with the entire Church, “Our Lady represents redeemed humanity.” Her Yes at the Annunciation, Thomas Aquinas tells us, is spoken “in the name of creation” yearning for healing. The ultimate purpose of the dogma of the Assumption, then, (as with all the Marian dogmas) is not to say something about Mary; rather, through her, the teaching explains what it means to be redeemed, to be chosen as son or daughter of God. Whenever we speak about Our Lady, we are ultimately talking about ourselves.
Infinite Devine Love Beyond Our Imagination
What then does God tell us about ourselves in this mystery? That we are loved beyond our wildest imagination. Loved with an infinite, divine love drawing all who surrender to it, to ultimate triumph. Her Assumption announces the final victory of creation in Christ Jesus Risen. Our Lady reigning in heaven tells us emphatically that we who now carry her Son’s Cross, will one day share in His Glory.
In the midst of the pessimism and division which followed on World War II, the Church in 1950 (the year of the dogma’s proclamation) could have told us that the antidote to the poison of cynicism is to open our bibles and meditate on first Corinthians, chapter fifteen. The verses proclaim the triumph of creation in Christ Jesus, summarized in 15:57. Thanks be to God who has given us the victor in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Assumption of Mary: Dutch Painter: Pieter Fransz. de Grebber: 1648
What then does God tell us about ourselves in this mystery? That we are loved beyond our wildest imagination. Loved with an infinite, divine love drawing all who surrender to it, to ultimate triumph. Her Assumption announces the final victory of creation in Christ Jesus Risen. Our Lady reigning in heaven tells us emphatically that we who now carry her Son’s Cross, will one day share in His Glory.
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However, because of the Assumption, we are asked to see this chapter come alive in this all holy little girl of the human race who is both our human sister and our spiritual mother. The Assumption is 1 Cor 15 personified. There is no doubt whatsoever that in principle we have won the war; battles may be lost, but the victory is ours in Christ Jesus. Creation is destined for glory. “She shines forth on earth,” says the Vatican Council II “until the day of the Lord shall come (cf. 2 Pet 3:10) as a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God.”
The Assumption Proclaims Our Destiny For Glory
The anxieties and fatigue of this earthly journey can at times be over-whelming. No one needs proof of that. It is the victorious goal which strengthens us to face whatever difficulties pop up on the road. The joyful aim of all who live in Christ Jesus is radiant in Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption.
It must be always from within this ultimate victory that we view the present. The Assumption loudly proclaims; “We are a people of certain hope, we are destined for glory in Christ Jesus”. ”That must be the authentic face of Christians even today as they make their way to their heavenly goal. It is this joyful image that all Catholics, no matter their vocation, must show to each other and to the world.
The celebration of Mary’s Assumption challenges us, therefore, to live our faith in Christ Jesus. Difficulties must be faced and with courage solved according to the mysterious will of Cod. But even the depressing evening news or our own problems are no excuse for pessimism which sees no exit, no triumphant goal, no victorious outcome. The great sign of certain hope, Our Lady of Glory, the Star of the Sea, draws us through the most turbulent oceans to the triumphant harbor, Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Queen:
Special Publication:
August 2021
