15.08.2004 The Ascension of Mary in Heaven
First Reading: Revelations 11,19; 12,1-6.10 Psalm
44
Second Reading: I Corinthians 15,20-26 Gospel Reading: Luke 1,39-56
"Then God's temple in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was
seen within his temple"! Today's first reading opens with this image. In
the first temple, Solomon's temple, a wooden chest overlaid in gold contained
the tables of the Commandments which God gave to Moses, a vase with some manna
from the desert after the exodus from Egypt and some other sacred objects. When
the people of Israel had the ark of the covenant near them, they felt safe,
as if God were present. It was kept in the Holy of Holies: and nobody could
see it other than the High Priest. Now with the opening of the Sanctuary, everybody
can see it, everybody can enjoy this sign of the presence of God Most High.
One could say that God no longer hides his presence from us, that everyone can
now approach him.
The ark of the covenant is one of the names that the earliest Christians attributed
to Mary. It is she, when the Heavens bent over the earth, who carried within
herself the body - that is, the physical presence - of the Son of the Highest,
the Son of David, the Son of man, the Son of God! The presence of God Himself
in Mary's body. Indeed the ark that contains the fulfilment of the covenant
of God with humanity, that is, of His love! Jesus is the love with which our
father "loved the world"! He Himself called His blood "the blood
of my covenant". He was enclosed in Mary's body and she, thus, participated
in his holiness and we might dare to say, in his divinity!
The reference to the ark is accompanied by an image of a woman about to give
birth, fleeing. With this image the Lord is revealing the history of the Church,
but our thoughts go first to her who gave life to the Son who was to govern
all the nations! Of course it is her Son who is at the centre of attention and
is the reason for which she was chosen by God. Her life's purpose was her Son,
the Son of God, the saviour of mankind, King of the Kingdom of God upon earth!
To those who serve Him with love, God gives a reward, as Jesus tells us in various
parables and, furthermore, he says that those who serve the Father will be honoured.
The origins of today's celebration are founded on this promise.
The Father honours His Son's mother who has been an obedient and faithful servant
with something more than a medal, with something concrete, complete, eternal,
worthy of God.
Mary, as with the ark of the covenant receives all the honours and the same
destiny of the one she carries within her! It is not, therefore, difficult to
understand that Mary shares with Jesus the grace that her body will not decay
in the sepulchre. This gift of God's to Mary, we, in the Latin Church call Ascension
into heaven; in the east they give this mystery another name: the Dormition
of Mary! This privilege given to her, is a gift for us, for all Christians and
for all mankind. We delight in seeing the glorification of the Mother who is
also our Mother! We receive the strength of perseverance for our hope, for what
brings joy to the mother, is the wealth and consolation and honour of her children.
So today, we celebrate, we sing to her whom our Father has honoured. She carried
within her body the fullness of divinity! We sing with her for the mercy of
the Father, the beauty of her faithfulness and her love for the poor and the
sinners, we sing with her our gratitude to God who sees the humility of his
servants. We sing with her for we too have been chosen to carry within us the
person of her Son: we are nourished today by his body and hence become in a
true sense arks of the new covenant of God with mankind!
From Mary we learn to live this grace with joy and faithfulness rather than
as some heavy commitment, and with cheerful and constant gratitude.