Hope and the Assumption

“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head, a crown of 12 stars.   The Queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.”  There’s something strange about this feast, or what seems strange in our society today.  Because we’re celebrating someone’s passing, usually we don’t celebrate someone’s passing unless it’s someone we wanted to get rid of.  But why are we celebrating her passing?  This feast is like a window into eternity. And revealing to us that our life here is not the end, but just the beginning.  It’s a difficult time, but it’s just the brief beginning.  And as we see our Blessed Mother, and this assumption, it’s when she enters into eternity and begins the fullness of her life, and of her vocation.  And so, this feast is a feast of hope. If we think that this life is our only opportunity for happiness and joy, the way the world presents it, then, often people despair.  But if we understand that this is just the hard but brief preparation for the infinite happiness, and joy that the Lord is preparing for His children, then that gives us hope.  You know, there’s that phrase at the end of a fairy tale, “and they lived happily ever after.”  And it’s a fairy tale, because it’s never like that on this earth.  It’s never happily ever after. But it is when we enter into heaven, then it is truly, happily forever.  And another thing that this feast is showing us is that our Blessed Mother’s mission, and her fruitfulness were only beginning on this earth.  For instance, her mission of being a mother, to the children of God, it began here on this earth.  But since her assumption, it’s been extended to all of God’s children and it’s continued all this time.  And so, the greater part of her role as mother of the Church and mother of each one of us, was not accomplished, just in her life on Earth, but it has continued an eternity.  And that’s a sign.  And there’s so many other signs in the lives of the saints.  Our mission, if we’re faithful to God, our mission doesn’t end.  Our fruitfulness, the fruitfulness of our life doesn’t end here on this earth.   It only just begins, and again, she is the greatest sign of that, but it’s a sign, which is true for all those who respond to God, if we’re faithful to God, because Mary, on this earth, she knew a certain amount of people were aware of her and a growing number after the Church began to spread, but still a rather small number.  Whereas now it’s been billions of people who have experienced her help.  And so, this is a great sign of the of the eternity, the eternal vocation, and eternal fruitfulness that God is calling us to.   St. Pius, XII in 1950, when he proclaimed this dogma, so it was just proclaimed rather recently.  He said, and this is quote in the Catechism, he says, “the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul, not just in her soul, but also in her body, into heavenly glory and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things – over all things so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son.  So, her whole life is by His being more united to God, and the God who has become her Son.  Her whole life is about being conformed to Jesus, her Son, the Lord of Lords and conqueror of sin and death.  The assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s resurrection.  So, she is receiving this grace from Jesus’ resurrection. And she’s manifesting like no one else, the power of the resurrection of Jesus.  But it also says that it’s an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.  Because all of God’s children, if we respond to Him, we are called also to enter into heaven, not just with our soul, but also with a resurrected and glorified body.  So, it’s a sign also for all of us.  So, on this great feast, what would she like to tell us? Would it be interesting to know what our Blessed Mother would like to tell us?  A number of you have heard me share this before about a book which had a huge impact in my life and my vocation.   Back in 1979, in when I was a freshman at Notre Dame, and it’s a book that’s called ‘Marian Movement of Priests” by an Italian priest called Father Gobbi.  And so, it’s a book of locutions, that is interior messages, that he felt our Blessing Mother was giving to him.  It began in 1973, when he was on a pilgrimage to Fatima.   He has a Doctorate in Theology.  And this book has the imprimatur. And there’s been many cardinals, and bishops, and many, many priests who have joined this movement.  St. John Paul was a supporter of Don Gobbi.  Those of you who are familiar with our mission know that the Lord has called us to be especially attentive to prophesy, to the prophetic voices which continue in the life of the Church.  And I think this book is a very good example of the way the prophetic graces continue in the Church.  And this book, as I said, it had a huge impact for me, one of the reasons was because it’s very realistic about our times, and the evil in our times, and the evil, including in the Church, is speaking of the black beast.  And it speaks of ecclesiastical Freemasonry, which has penetrated and infiltrated into the Church.  And some way, of course, you’ve seen so many terrible signs of the evil in the Church, even in very recent times.  But it’s a book, as I say, which is very realistic about evil, which is important that we be aware of the enemy.  But it’s also very hopeful, and that’s what we need so much today is hope.  And that’s what this feast is, I think, a great feast of hope.  So that’s one of the great things about this book.  But I think another thing, which was very helpful for me, was understanding how to live the Marian Consecration, and what her role, what God wants her role to be in our lives.  And, you know, there’s been many good books written about Marian Consecration, especially Saint Louis de Montfort, and his true devotion.  Or, very recently, a book, ‘The 33 days, the Morning Glory’, which many are familiar with. And so those books can be very helpful. But for me, the difference with this book that I’m talking about right now, it’s the difference between reading saints, talking about our Blessed Mother, which is very helpful.  But it’s different from our Blessed Mother herself speaking.  And the third point I want to mention about this book is it was especially addressed to priests, because priesthood has been so attacked in our times. And it’s affected us priest and all the clergy at the Church so much.  This book helps to reveal the true sense of the priesthood in God’s eyes. But it’s not just for priests, many, many laity have found a lot of benefit from this book. So today, I wanted to share with you one message from this book, this was on August 15 1976.  And the title of this message was, ‘Live in paradise with me’.  Live My beloved sons. So, she’s speaking first of all, to priests, but it’s for all, as I said, for all of God’s children.  Live My beloved sons, there where I am in Paradise, both assumed body and soul to share fully in the glory of my son Jesus.  So, she’s going to speak of the grace of the assumption, but then she’s going to speak of how we can share right now in that grace, even to the point of, she says, living already beginning already to live in paradise. So, first of all, she speaks of her grace, she says, always associated with Him, to my role of mother on this earth is always associated with Jesus.  I am now in Paradise, associated in the glory of the Son. So, she is always relative to Jesus, who wants the mother at His side, having given me a glorified body, like his own.  Here is the reason for this extraordinary privilege of mine. As by my Yes, I made it possible for the Word of God to assume His human nature, in my virginal womb, her yes, at the Annunciation.  So also, by my Yes, I entrusted myself, and trusted by an act of trust, an act of abandonment, I entrusted myself to the action of my son, Jesus, who assumed your mother into the Glory of heaven, body and soul.  And so, remember that what’s the charism of the mission, Divine Mercy, faith so that God can act.  So, this is a great example of Mary’s faith, Mary’s trust, which permitted God to act so powerfully in her life, first of all, the faith to open herself to the gift of the word at the Annunciation, and then at the end, entrusting herself in a new gift and a new Yes, which committed God to act in her, by exalting her in the assumption.  Mine is a transfigured and glorified body. But a real body, my beloved sons, mother and Son are now together in paradise forever.  So, she is, first of all, the mother of the Son of God. But she says, “but I am also your real mother. And thus, I can love you, not only with my soul, but also with my glorified body.”  So, when we speak of her Immaculate Heart, it’s a true heart, a glorified heart of a glorified body.  “I love you with this mother’s heart of mine, which has never ceased to be with love for you.”  So, when she goes to heaven, she doesn’t stop loving us, it makes her able to love us even more.  And so now this is the point of this meditation, “beloved sons, you also should be living where I am, live in paradise with me. “And so that’s shocking, in a sense, that even though we’re still on earth, she’s saying that we can already start living in paradise.  “It is true, you are still on this earth of sorrows. And you often experience all its weight, and suffering.”  And that’s very much true today. So much weight and suffering. But why, while still living in this land of exile? So, we can’t leave our time on earth, we’re still here right now, the Lord has us here on this earth. She’s not calling us to leave that. But do you not also live even now, where your mother is? Live in paradise with me. And do not let yourself be attracted by the world. Nor imprisoned by this earth.” Like a mousetrap, you know, that there’s a nice, juicy piece of cheese. And the mouse thinks, wow, this is my day. I’m going to get this before anyone else gets it. And it goes for the cheese and bamb. And it seemed too good to be true. And it was too good to be true. It was a trap. Well, that seems Yeah, that’s a stupid mouse. But the devil does the same thing with us. He attracts us by these things which are so attractive and seductive, but it’s a trap. And so, she’s saying, be aware of that trap. “Live in paradise with me and do not let yourself be attracted by the world nor imprisoned by this earth.”  So, then she clarifies what was a possible misunderstanding. Today there’s a tendency, which is extremely false and dangerous, that of looking only at this earth. The danger of looking only at this earth, and that’s our whole society is almost all about that, only about this earth. It is as though we are afraid that if we look at paradise, we will be drawn away from the duties of daily life. That is, the objection is if we’re too focused on paradise, then we’ll neglect our responsibilities here. On the contrary, she says, “live in paradise with me, and then you will live well, even on this earth.” And a great example, is Jesus Himself, or blessed Mother herself in his life on Earth, because they were so focused on their Father in heaven, they were able to fulfill their responsibilities here on earth.  “Carry out here below the plan of the Heavenly Father, and you will create true happiness all about you. The more you look to the Father, and live with me, the more you will labor on this earth, for your own good, and the good of all.  Paradise, that is the real one can never be found on this earth.” You know, that’s what a lot of advertisement and stuff tries to present us of a paradise on earth, you know, some big mansion, or, you know, the Bahamas or someplace. “How he deceived and seduces you, this adversary of mine, who in his fury tries to prevent you from coming up here to be with my Son, and with me. Paradise is found only in the light of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Son Jesus, and with me.  The angels and the saints are illuminated by this light, and they rejoice in it. All Paradise is resplendent with this light lived and while searching for cherishing, and gazing upon this paradise”  So live, while searching for cherishing, and gazing upon is paradise like, that’s what this feast of the assumption is, as I said, it’s like a window into heaven into paradise, which permits us to already be looking towards paradise, gazing upon this paradise, which awaits you, my beloved children. “And here below, live in the paradise of my Immaculate Heart.” That is that her Immaculate Heart is even here on this earth, a refuge that is given to us. “Then you will be serene and deeply happy. You will always be littler, and more abandoned, poor and more chaste. And the littler, the poor, the more chaste you become, the more you will be able to enter into the paradise of my Immaculate Heart, where time is now marked by the beating of a heart, which knows no stopping.”  So that’s the message, an invitation to already begin to live, even though we’re still suffering on this earth, to begin to live already in paradise. And so, this assumption, this feast today has a special grace of hope, uniting us with the mother that Jesus has given us and by uniting she is like pulling us to paradise pulling us with hope to live now in paradise. And so, I’m just going to end with this passage, we heard her great canticle the Magnificat which we had in the Gospel today. But think of this in the light of this Feast of the Assumption. Because it’s talking about it celebrating this great victory of the poor being exalted, that the proud being cast down, we can say well, where is that we don’t see that. But it already exists in eternity. It’s just, we don’t yet see it here on this earth.  “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. He has mercy on those who fear Him and every generation. He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud and there can see He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly.”  In the Assumption we see that lifting up the lowly.  “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has come to the help of His servant Israel for He has remembered His promise of mercy. The promise He made to our fathers to Abraham and his children forever. Amen.