Dear Friends,
Today, we celebrate the arrival home of Mary, Mother of God.
She started out her earthly life humbly. She ended that way, too, tucked away
somewhere, waiting to die. Mary didn’t know what would follow, except that she
believed she would see her Son again, and Joseph, who died too soon.
Nothing in Scripture tells of her death, but believers had
an instinct for the truth of Mary’s life, death and beyond. The conviction
became well rooted in the faith community that Mary went to God, whole and
entire: body, soul, spirit, memory, thought and consciousness. All was taken
up. All. With Jesus, Mary could expect
nothing less.
For at least 1500
years, believers like you and me have carried her in our hearts and minds and prayer.
We speak of her in the present tense, as present with God, here and now. Mary
is the first. We all follow. One day, our entire body, soul, spirit, memory,
thought and consciousness will be taken up. With Jesus, we can expect nothing
less.
Ordinarily, we don’t think of life beyond death, except
maybe at funerals. This life, this world absorbs us. And why shouldn’t it? It’s
all we experience, and it is wondrous. Even though we, as Catholics, say we
believe in life everlasting, the thought doesn’t grab us – compel our
attention. That’s why this feast is precious. It calls us to pay attention: beyond what we know is wondrous in life,
nature, science, knowledge, something more wondrous awaits us.
Sorry, Yogi. At death, it’s not over. What looks like the end
is in fact a continuation of life enriched, emptied of self-serving or pain or
aimlessness. The end for us as for Mary is being lifted up to newness. The old
and treasured in us will not be gone, just as it was not gone for Mary. Our
earthly end is the first moment of eternal life. And I am confident that there
will be wonder, awe, delight and surprises, for God is full of these realities
which we experience in limited ways in this life.
Today, set aside whatever can drag you down and focus your
attention on the homecoming of Mary. Let your mind and heart soar. Say "Thank
You" to God for her life and for her eternity. Enjoy this holy day when we
celebrate the victory of Christ over death writ large in His Mother.
~ Sister Joan Sobala
