Assumption 2021: Mary’s power is from God not from her workout routine

 Friends

Peace be with you. 

Today we fill in an important part of the story of what happened after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, namely, what happened to his mother. Now, in some ways, this may seem kind of insignificant and impossible given that we’re 2000 years away from all of it. There’s not much written in Sacred Scripture about what happened to Mary after pentecost. Granted, we also don’t hear much about the death of any of the Apostles, but that seems to be because that could distract us from seeing the apostles in the mission that Jesus gave them after his death, to be sent to spread the gospel to all nations. We do hear about the death of St. Stephen in the Acts of the Apostles, but that’s in part to show that witnessing to Jesus’ life may involve witnessing to his death and it’s part of the conversion of, arguably, the greatest apostle, St. Paul. Yet, I would argue, there’s a significant theological point being made by the early church in the fact that we never hear about the death of Mary either in Sacred Scripture or in the tradition. I know some would say that’s because, like the Apostle’s, the Sacred writers were laser focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus and didn’t want to do anything that could distract from that. But, I’d like to suggest there’s a more profound reason that we can hear in our first reading and gospel today that should color our understanding of who Mary was and is for us. 

In the first reading from the Book of Revelation, St. John is describing a vision he is receiving of the birth of a child. Like much of Sacred Scripture, its meaning is disputed among scholars with some saying the woman is Mary and others saying the woman is meant to collectively represent the Jewish people. Being Catholic, I tend to be able to say “both/and '' when others say “either/or”, so I can say that the woman is Israel and believe Mary is the fullness of their representatives. As a clue to this, the reading starts by saying that the temple will be opened and God’s people will see the Holy of Holies, the place where only the High Priest would go to offer the sacrifice and come face-to-face with the Most High God. That “place” is Mary. She is the holy of holies, the Sacred Tabernacle where the most high dwells. She is unique in this gift because she was called upon to be the Mother of God. So Mary, as the fullest representation of Israel, as the new ark of the covenant and the place where the most high dwells, is pictured in the first reading also as the embodiment of pagan goddesses. It says she is clothed like the sun with the moon under her feet and twelve stars in a crown. It’s like St. John is saying that everyone who believed the earth to be a goddess or the stars to be gods were confusing a revelation God was giving them for the true revelation God would give them through Mary in the person of Jesus Christ. Mary is both the fullest revelation of what it means to be part of the people of God, Israel, and brings the clouded, imperfect revelations God tried to make to the pagan world in their deities. This passage is why we no longer look with fear upon the theologies of indigeounous peoples, for instance, but, instead, see God revealing to them in an imperfect way the mystery he revealed fully in Jesus.

At this point, Mary, in her fullest representation of the role of Israel with the clothing of this pagan goddess, gives birth to a son, despite the presence of the evil one who sought to kill the son during delivery. Notice that there is pain in delivery, despite the fact that Mary is born without original sin and, therefore, should have been spared the pain of childbirth given to Eve after the fall. This is because Mary still lives in a world tainted by sin and the presence of the devil is there as a testament to this fact. Nonetheless, notice that, even though things appear their darkest as the devil is set to consume the child being born to this woman, God simply takes the child to heaven to rule at his right hand. The evil one may be able to condemn a third of the people, but he is utterly powerless to stop the salvation of God offered to us in Jesus Christ. 

Yet, the story doesn’t end there. It could have, but it doesn’t. It goes on to describe what happens to the woman in that she was taken to a place in the desert that was prepared for her by God. Now, this is again a double meaning because we know that, around the writing of the Book of Revelation, there was a persecution of both Jews and Christians happening in which they were being forced out of Jerusalem into the desert. Indeed, the Book of Revelation was written in a kind of coded language that only Christians, at the time, would understand because of a conflict with the Romans. The Christians were thrown out of Jerusalem with the Jews when the Jews tried to get rid of Roman rule between 66 and 73 AD. Later, they tried again, in 115-117 AD, which is when they believe this Book was written. They won’t be allowed back into Jerusalem after this time and, when they try to take back Jerusalem in 132 AD, the Jews will be permanently expelled until 1948, with the modern State of Israel. At the time of the writing of this book, Christians had been forced out of the city of Jerusalem and were living in the desert to be kept safe. However, Mary was not among them. So, then the woman of Revelation takes on a greater significance because, if this woman is both Mary and the Jewish people, there’s a double meaning in the final verse of our reading. The Christian people were provided a place by God in the desert and Mary, likewise, is provided a special place. As in the story of the Exodus, the desert is a place of testing but also finding favor with God. God provides for his people in the desert just as God has provided a safe place for Mary when he took her body and soul to be with himself. 

    That’s the significance of Mary’s song in the gospel. It’s not a braggadocious pop song like pretty much all modern music. It’s Mary recognizing and explaining the place God has provided for her. Mary’s sings “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.” Mary’s name is blessed because God’s name is blessed. Mary rejoices because God has looked with favor upon her, not because she is so important or because she has worked so hard to accomplish so much. Mary rejoices because God has blessed her. Her name will be called great because of God. 

    I think one of the things that causes some people to fear the Catholic church’s reverence for Mary is because they fear she takes away from reverence for God. However, over and over again, and even in her Glorious Assumption, Mary gives all the glory to God for the good things that happen in her life. Indeed, today we celebrate God for letting Mary be the mother of his Son, Jesus, and inviting her to be assumed body and soul into heaven. Great things can happen to us too, like they happened for Mary, if we seek them from God and don’t just assume he doesn’t have the time for us or has more important things to focus on than our needs or our dreams. In fact, God has a dream for you, for your welfare not your woe. Ask God to reveal that dream to you and then ask him to help you know how he is going to bring it about. Then be prepared to say with Mary, “The almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name!”