Homily: August 15, 2024, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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 “For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed.”

Indeed, two thousand years since then, over a billion Catholics and millions of Orthodox Christians continue to call her blessed. Blessed is she who said yes to God to be the mother of God’s Son, blessed is she who conceived and birthed the Savior into the world, blessed is she who cared for and raised the Messiah for all of us, blessed is she who watched in pain and stayed with her son as He died on the cross, blessed is she who accepted to be the mother of the church.

Today, the whole Catholic church, every diocese in the world, is celebrating the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrate this feast every year, and we already know it is to commemorate the belief that Mary was taken straight up to heaven, body and soul, because she lived and died sinless.

What makes Mary so important to the Church?

The Church honors her with many titles, because she is the lady, the mother, the virgin who knows every one of her children in all different areas and situations of life. She knows and she is there with us in every aspect of our earthly life, assisting us, protecting us and interceding for us.

None of the apostles and none of the saints of the Church, has been known to have such a privilege, Mary is the only one assumed into heaven.

In Matthew 10:40, Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Our Lord is also saying that whoever receives Mary, receives Jesus, and receives God the Father too.

When we celebrate Mary, we are celebrating what God has done, is doing and will do for the whole of humanity.

“For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant…”

Mary, who is constantly and completely faithful to God’s will, God’s Law and God’s work considered herself a lowly servant. Yes, this shows that she is truly humble, not even a mention of her pride and esteem as the chosen Mother of the Savior.

But beyond that, what Mary is declaring in her fiat, is that God is greater than great, more merciful than mercy, more generous than generosity.

For the Creator of the Universe to take favor on a mere human, to yearn love from His created beings, to go through sacrifice for the redemption of His sinful, unfaithful people is beyond understanding. His mercy and love are worthy beyond our praise and worship and thanksgiving.

Mary knows and understands it so plainly and simply. Her fiat expresses it fully for us.

So, what does this all mean for us?

How do we think this great Almighty looks at us? Every single one of us?

“For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant…”

God created every single one of us unique; there is not one other person who is like us, and not one life is duplicated. God looks at every single one of us with favor, even as lowly and sinful, disobedient and unfaithful, rebellious and prideful as we are. Mary is telling us plainly and simply in her fiat.

She is not declaring her faithfulness, nor her humility; she is declaring God’s faithfulness and mercy on her and the whole of humanity.

What matters to God is that each and every one of us is saved. What should matter to each and every one of us is that we are loved.

Mary, assumed into heaven to be united with God, body and soul, is an assurance and promise to us that all of us will one day be in heaven with God, new body and sinless soul.

Mary, assumed into heaven to be our Mother, assisting us, protecting us, and interceding for us, from heaven.

Indeed, all generations will call her blessed, and all generations will be blessed because of her fiat, her yes to God.

Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed into heaven, pray for us. Amen.


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Homily, Wednesday,January 5, 2022, Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

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