Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Luke 1:39-56
Mary’s Glory, Our Future: A Feast of Joy and Promise

Today we celebrate a feast of hope, joy, and tenderness—the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a celebration that speaks to the deepest longings of the human heart: to be loved, to be remembered, and to find a home in God.

On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly declared that Mary, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” This dogma was not invented out of thin air. It flowed from centuries of faith, of the love and devotion of God’s people. The faithful had long believed and sung of Mary’s glory, and the Church, in its wisdom, listened to this voice of the People of God. That is how dogma matures—from the heart of the Church that prays.

Mary’s Assumption is not just about her; it is about us. It tells us something beautiful: in God, there is room for humanity. Mary, fully human, now shares fully in divine glory. Her body—so small, so vulnerable, the same body that carried Jesus—is now in Heaven. God does not discard what is weak; He lifts it up.

Mary is not far away. She is not lost in the stars. No, she is close—very close to us. Being united with God does not distance her from us; it brings her nearer. She listens to us. She accompanies us. She embraces us with a heart that reflects the very heart of God.

The Gospel today reminds us of her secret: “Blessed is she who believed.” Mary believed in God’s promises. Her Magnificat—her song of joy—sprang from her trust that God acts in history, that He remembers the lowly, that His mercy is forever. She opened her life completely to God’s plan. And in doing so, she became the Ark of the New Covenant—the true dwelling of God among us.

Mary’s Assumption tells us: where she has gone, we too are called to go. It is a sign of hope for all of us. She reminds us that our lives are not meaningless journeys, but pilgrimages toward a home—a home where we are already expected, already loved. God waits for us. He is not a distant judge, but a loving Father who has prepared a place for His children.

But there is more. If in God there is room for humanity, then in us there must also be room for God. Mary shows us how to make space in our lives: through faith, through listening, through saying, “Let it be done to me.” She teaches us that opening ourselves to God makes our lives larger, not smaller.

So today, let us entrust ourselves to her maternal intercession. Let her teach us to hope. Let her lead us closer to Jesus. And may our hearts, like hers, become dwelling places for God—a God who loves, who saves, and who waits for us.
Amen.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025