Religious Education

15th August- Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On Sunday 15th August, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (to use the fancy name for this day), we remember when Mary was taken (“assumed”) into heaven, body and soul, after she died. You will not find this story in the Bible. However, a tradition handed down from the earliest days of the Church says that Mary died in Jerusalem and was buried in a tomb. But when the apostles opened the tomb again, her body was gone. Why would God take Mary’s body and soul into heaven? In part because Mary is special to God: she said “yes” to becoming the mother of Jesus. But God also wanted to show us that one day, all of us will share in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Mary is the first person in the Church to experience the resurrection in its fullness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Olympics provided many people with a release from the hardships of dealing with the world’s health pandemic. It became a very nationalistic event and the level of comradery and fellowship was inspirational. Yes, perhaps the games promote an unhealthy level of competition, but there is no denying that the Olympic Games carry some very dramatic images. When the top three Olympians in an event stand on the podium and their countries’ flags are raised, with the winning one above the other two as their national anthem is being played, it can truly be a special moment, a wonderful symbol of an athlete rising above others in the quest for success and victory. Remember the 1980 Australian hockey team and the chant “Australia” and the cry, “Do you believe in miracles?  I'm sure the  Aussie Basketball Team did, finally winning an Olympic medal. 

The feast of the Assumption of Mary should elicit the same sort of intuitive response from us. Mary literally rises above us as a symbol of victory - victory over sin, victory over death, victory brought about by an uncompromising faith. Mary’s faith saw her through the conception and birth of her son, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, to her sharing in the fire of the Holy Spirit.

 

What happened to her later in her life is not recorded. But she probably did not just wait to die. More likely, she preached and told stories and quoted her son. She probably gave comfort and hope to those who believed in Him while continually rising above all that was happening around her.  

So, let us set aside some time this week to commemorate Mary’s life on earth and in heaven. In the process we find ourselves wondering how available we’ve been for God’s work in the past year. Have we called on Christ when we needed him and pointed others the way to Jesus, just as Mary did at the wedding of Cana when she asked for Jesus’ assistance and said to the servants: “Do whatever he tells you?” Perhaps we don’t quite measure up to Mary. But Mary deserves our praise, nevertheless, for she not only played a role in shaping our lives as Christians, but she was such a worthy Christian herself.