Daily HOMILY for August 15, 2012: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cycle B -- Mother Mary: Model for Modern Time

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cycle B

St. Francis De Sales

August 15, 2012

Mother Mary: Model for Modern Time

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

 

 

Mother Mary

Four years ago, our Church celebrated the Year of Saint Paul.

It was the 2,000^th birthday of Saint Paul.  A priest friend and I had the wonderful opportunity of doing a tour of Turkey – a kind of footsteps of Saint Paul tour.

The guide for the group was a Turkish man named Izeet.  Izeet is a Muslim and we had a number of good conversations with him.

One of our stops was Ephesus.  As you know, in the New Testament one of Saint Paul’s letters is the Letter to the Ephesians, the people of ancient Ephesus.

Well, after touring Ephesus, our guide Izeet had the bus driver take us up a mountain next to Ephesus to the house of Mary.  Tradition says that Saint John brought the Blessed Mother here to Ephesus to live after the crucifixion and resurrection.

Tradition also says that it was here that Mary died and was assumed into heaven.  As we drew near to Mary’s house, Izeet – again, a Muslim man – very reverently spoke of the significance of this house and spoke of Mother Mary.

He referred to Mary very warmly and respectfully as Mother Mary.  It was so touching to hear him, a Muslim, speak so tenderly of Mary – Mother Mary – and of the great significance of this house.

Full of Grace

My thought is that even non-Christians recognize the absolute goodness of Mary.

Mary’s holiness and closeness to God is transparent.  I suggest this is what the angel Gabriel means at the moment of the Annunciation in telling Mary that she is “full of grace.”

Being “full of grace” means that Mary is full of God and God’s life.  It means that she is completely one with God.

And that is why from ancient times, tradition says that at the moment of her death, Mary was assumed into heaven.  She was taken body and soul into heaven to be with God for all eternity.

Hope for Us All

Mary’s Assumption into heaven is a great sign of hope for all of us.  It, or she calls us to allow God to fill us too with his life and to become as one with God as possible.

The, someday we too will be taken up into heaven at he moment of our death.  That is the hope that we celebrated today in Mary, in Mother Mary and in her being assumed into heaven.