August 15, 2012
Assumption
The “Hail Mary†gives us insight into our belief in the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. The Angel Gabriel greets Mary: “Hail Mary full of grace. The Lord is with you.†And then later, in the Gospel according to Luke, Elizabeth greets Mary: “Blessed are you among women.†Mary is blessed by God from the very first moment of her earthly existence (Immaculate Conception) and the very last (Assumption.) The feast of the Assumption was originally called the “Dormition†or “Sleeping†of Mary. It recalls the phrase of St. Paul that in death we fall asleep to awaken to fullness of life. Mary being assumed into heaven body and soul is a hope for all of us to enjoy the resurrected life of her Son, Jesus Christ. Without hope one dies. Mary is a model of fidelity and discipleship. We follow her example of listening to and living God’s Word. Mary has a special place in our devotion. Pope Benedict says since Mary is with God and God is always with us then Mary is with us. She knows our heart and conveys our prayers to God through her Son Jesus Christ.
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