Assumption of the Virgin Mary
15/08/2010
Luke 1, 39-56 (p. 1173)
In his paper on the mystery of the Church which the Second Vatican Council speaks of the place of the Virgin Mary in the life of Christians. At the end of this long reflection on the nature of the Church Chapter VIII of Lumen Gentium refers to "the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church." If we really want to know Mary, his vocation, mission and its place in our Christian life, we must always look "in the mystery of Christ and the Church." That's because she is the mother of Christ it is also the mother of the Church and of every baptized in it. Mother of the Church, it is also, after the Council, "one member absolutely preeminent and unique Church." "She became for us in the order of grace, our Mother ". The Council speaks of the Virgin Mary in the mystery of her Assumption, and let me quote it here to introduce us to the true meaning of this feast: "After her Assumption into heaven, the role of Mary in salvation does s' interrupts not: through her intercession she continues to repeat the gifts we provide our eternal salvation. Her maternal charity she cares for the brethren of her Son, whose pilgrimage is not completed, or are engaged in the perils and hardships, until they reach the heavenly homeland. "
I will return later in the text of the Council. I would now like from the word of God contemplate Mary in her person and in his mission. The book of the Apocalypse makes us see this striking mural, located at the end of time, where two signs confront and fight: The Woman and the Dragon. The Catholic Tradition has seen this woman in the image of Mary. Curiously, while the scene is at the end of time, this woman is shown to give birth. And it is against the child of this woman that the dragon is unleashed. A bit like the mystery of Christmas was to be repeated at the end of time, during the final battle between God and the powers of evil. After the Nativity this dragon had to name King Herod. Remember the massacre of the Innocents for killing the son of Mary, the newborn Jesus. Eschatology in this dragon is probably an image of Satan. The evil spirit has a horror of the incarnation. The fact that God become man in Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, this reduction in our divine favor, the union with the divine flesh and sensitive, put Satan in a rage. For the incarnation reflects not only the immense goodness of God, his mercy, but also his humility and willingness to unite the poor and imperfect creatures that we are mortal. And if the Virgin Mary was chosen from eternity by the Father to be the Mother of the Saviour, in large part because of his humility. It is somehow anti-Satan. And if we first read in conjunction with the second, we understand even better. Mary's Assumption by already fully involved in the resurrection of his Son. She is perfectly united in its victory over the powers of evil and death. With Christ she continues to fight against the machinations of the devil who wants to frustrate the divine plan of salvation for humanity. Mary is the first creature to be completely saved. It is the living sign of what union between God and human creatures is again possible by and in Christ. The Gospel account of the Visitation highlights the virtues of Mary, "blessed among women". If Mary is not happy at first because she is the Mother of the Saviour. That's because she answered "yes" in a perfect way to God's call. These are virtues that have enabled this to say "yes" total and definitive to the Lord. In the Gospel of this feast of Mary two virtues are highlighted. His first great faith: "Blessed are you who believed in the fulfillment of the words which were spoken by the Lord. " And then his humility: "He leaned on his lowly servant ... He lifted up the lowly." Yes, in her Assumption, Mary was taken up body and soul to heavenly glory because her whole life she has continued to live humbly in the sight of God, and his body was the tabernacle of the Word of God. In this context Marian of virtues that Vatican II may help us understand what true Christian devotion to Mary: "Let the faithful remember that true devotion consists neither in sterile and ephemeral sensitivity, nor in a vain credulity, true devotion proceeds from true faith, which leads us to recognize the excellence of the Mother of God, and we grow to love this Mother of filial love, and continue to imitate her virtues. " In this holiday ask Mary, fully united with the Triune God, make us grow in the virtues of faith and humility. May we truly love imitating and giving day after day the joy of the Risen Christ in our world.
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