FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION

The last dogma of faith solemnly proclaimed by the Catholic Church is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heavenly glory. To establish this definition, the Magisterium took into account the consensus of the faithful, verifiable in the most diverse times and places; the abundance of temples and images that early honored this mystery; the dioceses and cities that bear it as their patronal name; the liturgical feast celebrated, since ancient times, in both the East and the West; the constant and uniform teaching of the Holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church; and the doctrine of proven theologians.

Sacred Scripture, although silent about Mary's death and resurrection, shows the Mother of the Lord always united to the person and destiny of her divine Son.  Already victorious over the empire of sin through her Immaculate Conception (a privilege that the Son won for her through the blood of his cross), the faith of the Church did not hesitate to extend this solidarity of destinies between the two, affirming that she too, like Jesus, overcame the power of death and the corruption of the tomb.

By virtue of this fact, not only does Mary's soul now enjoy the full vision of God: her body, formerly the abode of divinity, after a momentary slumber, has been clothed in the properties of the glorious body of the risen Christ. It is Mary's entire person, soul and body, spirit and heart, who has made her triumphant entry into heaven, anticipating what the common elect await to enjoy on the Final Day.

Popular devotion often refers to this feast as the "Transition." It is, indeed, a passage, a Passover, a victorious progress.  The mere enunciation of the mystery reminds us that life never stops: its immanent law is to grow, to bear fruit, to perfect itself. The other name, "Assumption," brings two powerful ideas: our journey is upward, with no other limit or destination than heaven; and our ascension is possible because One, stronger than ourselves, draws us upward.

The Virgin Assumed body and soul into heaven thus becomes an Icon of the Church, which journeys in hope and unwavering nostalgia toward joyful reunification with her Spouse. Gazing at her, invoking her, celebrating her means passing victoriously from anguish to hope, from solitude to communion, from confusion to peace, from boredom and nausea to joy and beauty, from temporal perspectives to eternal certainties and possessions: from death to life.

A first level on which this paschal transition should be realized is that of our conversations.  In the family, in education, and in social communications, opportunities for elevating the soul toward those themes and values that, like it, neither want nor can die must be opened and strengthened. Man is much more than a concatenation of miseries, servitudes, and frivolities of daily life. He hungers for God, thirsts for the Infinite. He is a seeker of the Ultimate Meaning. Teachers, preachers, and communicators who succeed in opening these spaces and enabling such opportunities for elevating the soul provide an invaluable service and honor the dignity of the human being.

A second level of elevation is found in the realm of our aspirations. We tend to settle for what is, rather than risk what is to come and will be better. Celebrating the Assumption, not only on August 15th but in every fourth glorious mystery of the Rosary, signifies a continued commitment to excellence and spiritual aristocracy. It is a leveling up, a becoming accustomed to persevering on the upward path.  It is the law of inertia of love, which, once initiated, always desires more.

And a third level of elevation is that of our depressions. Devotees of the Assumption rejoice in knowing they are gifted and called to inject a vital tone of joy and optimism into our lives. Contemplating Mary, they see themselves singing the Magnificat, which announces God's victories. They rest and delight in the certainty that there is a Mother in heaven who calls them by name and covers them with her mantle.

Father Raúl Hasbún