Happy birthday! Do you know whose birthday we’re celebrating today? You don’t? Well, it’s your birthday – and mine. Today is the celebration of our birthday into the Kingdom of Heaven. You don’t believe me? Well, listen again to what St Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Death came through a man; hence the resurrection of the dead comes through a man also. Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will come to life again, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits and then, at his coming, all those who belong to him.”
The resurrection of the dead, our birth into an everlasting life is not something we think about very often, even though at each Mass we recite as part of our Creed: “… we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come . . . “ Somehow, many of us seem to gloss over the fact it is our own resurrection we’re talking about, our own rebirth into the Kingdom of Heaven in a very special way. The feast day we celebrate today is a reminder of our own forthcoming resurrection. On this Feast of the Assumption, we celebrate our Catholic belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was assumed, or taken up, into heaven. We believe, as Christ is the first fruits, his mother is the example of what each of us is called to be.
Last March 25, on the Feast of the Annunciation, Pope John Paul made this very clear in the sixth encyclical he has published. This encyclical, called Redemptoris Mater, speaks about the pilgrimage of faith we are all on and how Mary is a guiding light, the Star of the Sea, on this journey. John Paul wrote this document as a prelude to the Marian year which began on June 7, Pentecost Sunday, and will end one year from now, on August 15, 1988, the Feast of the Assumption.
You might wonder why he has designated this particular year to be a Marian year, a special year dedicated to the honor of Mary. In his formal announcements he has pointed out two reasons why 1987-1988 should be dedicated to Mary. One reason will be clear this fall when the Synod of Bishops meets in Rome to discuss issues related to the pastoral concerns of the church, especially the role of the laity in the church. John Paul has asked for Mary’s assistance in these important deliberations which will be part of this Marian year.
But there is another reason as well. It relates, perhaps, to the first reading we heard a few minutes ago. Many people read these words, or others like them from the Book of Revelation, and see today as a time of trial and tribulation, the end of the world as we know it. However, we’re not the first to have such views. It happened in about 1000 A.D. It happened again around 1300 A.D. The people saw the end of the first millennium as ushering in the final days of the world. When the end didn’t occur in 1000 A.D., the people of 1300 A.D. were sure that year would be the time when Christ would return. The next major ”magic number” year arrives thirteen years from now: the year 2000 A.D. I dare say, as we approach 2000 A.D., there will be many dire predictions of the end of the world1.
Well, John Paul is not predicting the end of the world in 2000 A.D., but he is focusing on the celebration of the beginning of the Third Millennium of the Christian era. In his announcement for this Marian year, he emphasized that Mary “shines on the horizon of the advent of our times,” and, just as Mary precedes Jesus physically by approximately thirteen years, we should celebrate a year for her approximately thirteen years before we celebrate the beginning of the Third Millennium in his honor.
So, where does all of this leave us? Today, on the feast of the Assumption, we recognize Mary, in some way which is beyond our human understanding, is with God in a very special way. We believe we, also, will be with God in that very same way. In the meantime, we continue to follow the example of Mary, who freely said “yes” to God’s invitation. We look forward with joy to whatever the next thirteen years may bring and await with great expectation the Third Millennium of Christ. It is in this continuing joy that we are able to say, once more, happy birthday to one and all.
Feast of the Assumption; August 15, 1987
Rev 11:19, 12:1-6, 10; 1 Cor 15:20-26; Lk 1:39-56