15th August 2008 - Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady
Some of you may have remembered during the Holy Year of 1950 the proclamation of a new Dogma by the Vicar of Christ on earth. In that year Pope Pius XII proclaimed that when the course of her earthly life was over that Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven. Even though this Dogma of faith is fairly recent it has been held by the Disciples of Christ from the earliest years by the Churches of both East and West. In the Eastern Church this feast is known as the Dormition of the Virgin, or her falling asleep in the Lord. The Scene of the Assumption of Our Lady has given rise to much wonderful art down the centuries. The Artists often depict the Angels bearing Mary body and soul to heaven to be reunited with her Son and to enter into the glory of God.
This feast is important also for us because where Mary has gone we hope one day to follow. Many people wrongly often divinize her; they show such awe towards Mary that they feel they can never imitate her. Apart from her conception and the fact she never sinned Mary lived the life that we do each day. She had to often live through difficult and dark days, the birth of her Son in a Stable, the Flight into Egypt, the death of Joseph, her Son beginning his public ministry, the opposition he was to face, his betrayal and arrest, his horrendous agony and death on the Cross, holding him one last time bloodied and bruised, watching him being placed in the grave, the hours of separation between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Yes she shared every emotion imaginable. She too must have shuddered when she heard the dying words of her Son, 'my God, my God, why have you deserted me'? But throughout it all she was faithful to God; she never allowed sin to rupture her relationship with him despite everything she went through. And God rewarded her for her fidelity. He drew her body and soul to himself; as a needle is drawn to a magnet.
The Statue in our Church draws us to contemplate the Virgin holding her child close to her. It depicts her as she would have been in first century Palestine, not as perhaps we are used to seeing her in statue form. Today's Feast of her Assumption asks us to follow her example to say no to sin and to carry her Son close to our own hearts. If we do that then we too one day will share her glory and will be able to repeat with her 'the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name. Amen.
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Homilies Archive
2009 HOMILIES
25th December 2008
Christmas
21st December 2008
14th December 2008
8th December 2008
Immaculate Conception
7th December 2008
2nd Sunday of Advent
30th November 2008
1st Sunday of Advent
23rd November 2008
Christ the King
16th November 2008
2nd November 2008
All Souls
1st November 2008
All Saints
26th October 2008
12th October 2008
5th October 2008
28th September 2008
21st September 2008
14th September 2008
7th September 2008
31st August 2008
24th August 2008
17th August 2008
15th August 2008
Assumption
10th August 2008
Assumption
3rd August 2008
20th July 2008
13th July 2008
29th June 2008
22nd June 2008
1st June 2008
23rd March 2008
Easter Sunday
22nd March 2008
Easter Vigil
2nd March 2008
24th February 2008
17th February 2008
10th February 2008
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