Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration – Saint Joseph Monastery
Many people are amazed to discover that in the entire history of the Church
there have been only two ex cathedra teachings…
official teachings by the Pope exercising his authority as supreme pontiff…
(Most Church teachings have been defined by councils of bishops.)
and both of them had to do with Mary:
the Immaculate Conception in 1854
and the Assumption in 1950.
Mary’s earthly beginning and Mary’s earthly end,
which is the beginning of her eternal life.
Although the Assumption was not dogmatically defined until somewhat recently… the Church has believed in it for centuries.
Tradition holds that St. Thomas was absent when Mary died,
and once again he doubted, as He doubted the resurrection…
so the Apostles took him to Mary’s tomb.
There he witnessed her being assumed into heaven…
body and soul…into glory.
Some accounts even describe Mary dropping her girdle to him
as she passes up into heaven.
God, in his wisdom, chose Mary from eternity to be the mother of Jesus.
Because of the singular role she would play in the plan of salvation…
she was immaculately conceived…
preserved from all stain of original sin.
And so it was fitting that she was freed from the corruption of death,
which is the effect of sin.
Of course there is no Gospel text that records the moment of Mary’s Assumption.
For today the Church gives us the Gospel of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth,
and Mary’s famous song of praise: the Magnificat.
As Mary experiences and reflects on the greatest moment of her life…
the moment when she is visited by an angel
who tells her she will conceive the Son of God…
she does two very human…natural…things:
First, she runs in haste to share her joyful news with her dear cousin Elizabeth.
How often we want to share our news with those we love.
And second, as she reflects upon her what has happened to her…
she produces a beautiful work of art…an exquisite poem of praise.
As the Holy Father Pope Benedict once wrote about the Magnificat…
"This marvelous canticle mirrors the entire soul, the entire personality of Mary."
The Magnificat shows us what a beautiful person Mary was…
how she rejoiced in God’s presence in her life…
how she trusted completely in His providential care.
Mary is the perfect woman of faith.
She is also the perfect mother…
and the perfect disciple.
Mary is the living example of the promises that clergy and religious make.
You take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
I promise chastity and obedience to my bishop.
Mary is poor in spirit…a truly humble servant.
She is a pure, chaste, virgin.
She is obedient to God always.
Mary is everything for us!
The Feast of the Assumption is a sign of hope for the world!
If we hope to go where she has gone…
we must live as she lived!
As she received the joyful news of Christ’s presence in her life…
and took that news in haste to one she loved…
so we are to rejoice that Christ has come to us…
and bring His love and truth to the whole world.
Mary teaches us to take the love of Christ to others…
and to live our lives in constant praise of God.
Of all the lessons Mary’s life offers us…
I believe most profoundly of all she teaches us to trust!
As she replies to the angel at the moment of the Annunciation:
"Let it be done to me according to your word."
In the Magnificat she declares her trust in the great things the Lord has done…
in her life…
and in the lives of her family and her ancestors.
And of course it was not all good either.
As she saw her only son being ridiculed…tortured…and crucified…
she had to trust…somehow…someway.
In the midst of horror that made no sense.
In the midst of unimaginable sorrow for a mother to bear…
and excruciating pain for her son…
somehow she had to trust in the promise of the Resurrection.
And trust she did!
Mary never wavered in her fidelity to Christ.
Life is filled with challenges and difficulties.
Mary shows us that when nothing makes sense…
when all seems lost…
God is still with us!
When the cross seemed to be the death of her son…and our savior…
when it seemed everything was over and their lives meant nothing…
she trusted in the promise that He would rise and live again!
So must we trust…and hope…
that God does not ever abandon those who live for Him.
and that a life of eternal happiness awaits those who remain faithful servants.
That life is the joy of heaven…
where Mary already resides…
waiting for us to join her at the feet of her son Jesus.
In the meantime, she is right now by our side…
eager to share our joys and our sorrows.
As we come now to receive the body of the same Jesus
whom she once held in her loving arms…
may we love him as she did.
May we share Him with the world
and never fail to trust in His truth and love!
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