[stephenkhoo]

Scripture Reflections
15 August 2013, The Assumption of the B.V.M
THE ASSUMPTION AS OUR CERTAIN HOPE THAT LIFE WILL TRIUMPH OVER DEATH IN THE END
SCRIPTURE READINGS: REV 11:19, 12:1-6, 10; 1 COR 15:20-26; LK 1:39-56

We all know that Easter is indeed the most important feast celebrated by the Church. For in the resurrection of Jesus, He became the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. In His resurrection, Jesus showed that sin and death do not have the last word. Rather, all these are destroyed with His death and resurrection. “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.” If that were so, we wonder why we need another feast, namely, the assumption of our Lady to reinforce this belief.

This feast is necessary in order to bolster our confidence that the objective victory won for us by Christ is also subjectively ours. As St Paul says, “Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.” This must be said because in the face of the stark reality of evil all around us, and the scandals within the church and the faithful, some of us might become discouraged that evil will triumph in the end. Such a defeatist attitude might result in some of us giving up our struggle to be faithful to the gospel. We can become disillusioned, bitter and indifferent to the struggle to be true to our gospel beliefs.

Precisely, the first reading taken from the book of Revelation was meant to encourage the Church which was in persecution. Although we might not be religiously persecuted in a violent way like them, yet the message is equally addressed to us all who have become discouraged in doing good because evil seems to have the upper hand all the time. Without this message, we can fall into pessimism, especially when we feel the abandonment of God in dealing with the struggles in our marriage, family life, and in church ministry. Consequently, the message of today’s scripture reading is clear. God’s kingdom will ultimately be established. Christ will be victorious in the end. “Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ.” The Church, symbolized by the woman in the first reading, would be saved from the onslaught of evil. And the world will ultimately be subjected to the Father where death and sin will be destroyed forever.

But what is even more important for us is that Mary, the woman of St John’s gospel which is related to the Church, has already shared in that victory. Mary throughout her own life has never given up hope in the face of evil and even the death of her only Son. For good reason, she is seen by the Church as an associate in His redeeming work. This means to say although she might be immersed in the world of evil, she managed to transcend the temptations of the evil one. Her Immaculate Conception is therefore proven and manifested in her life by her victory over sin. Her assumption is therefore but a fitting conclusion to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

But this victory is only possible because of Mary’s faith in God. In the gospel, precisely, Mary was praised as one “who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” That is to say, her faith in God’s fidelity to his creation gives us confidence that in all things God will work unto our good. That is why the magnificat is a prayer of praise for the marvelous works that God has done, and a prayer of hope that God will ultimately intervene in the human affairs of the world and turn the values of the world upside down. Indeed, the proud will be routed and the humble exalted. She also had faith in God’s mercy as she said, “He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.” Fidelity and the mercy of God was the substance of Mary’s faith in God.

But Mary does not simply hope. She lives that kind of life already. She lives in that hope and anticipates it. The virtues of Mary, her charity, prayerfulness and self-forgetfulness are in direct contrast to the values of the world. For this reason, the first reading from Apocalypse, which speaks of the triumph of the woman, that is, the Church over Satan, is appropriately applied to Mary who, as the woman of St John’s gospel, shares in Christ’s victory. That Mary is addressed as Woman at the beginning and end of Jesus’ ministry suggests that Mary’s life is very much associated with the salvific work of Christ. “Do whatever he tells you” is her secret to victory over sin and death. Mary was with Jesus throughout his life, sharing with Him in His redemptive work through love and suffering.

Because of her total victory over sin, the Church concludes that Mary has already been glorified together with Jesus. This is not based on logical conclusion but in the sensus fidei of the People of God. Christians see it as fitting that Mary, who was conceived immaculately, should also share the full victory of Christ’s resurrection. Throughout the centuries, as early as the 4th century, this feast was already celebrated by the Christians, initially called the Feast of Dormition, meaning Mary sleeping in the Lord. The dogmatic declaration of her Assumption in 1950 was the climax of this belief of the Church when, through prayers, study and consultation, the Church saw this fact as part of divine revelation. Whilst there are no specific scripture verses to substantiate it, certainly the bible has many implicit support for this truth as implied in today’s scripture readings. The woman that was victorious in John’s gospel refers both to Mary and the Church.

Of course, for Mary, her immediate glorification is a gift from God, just as her immaculate conception was. Indeed, this victory is ultimately the grace of God. Why should Mary be so privileged to share in the resurrection of Christ when we all have to wait till the end of time? The answer is because of the grace of God. Just as Mary was by grace chosen to be the mother of Jesus, so too, her glorification with her Son is pure grace. This is reflected in the Magnificat where Mary attributed everything to God’s grace. She said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.” She recognized that in every way, it is God who has done great things for her because he has looked upon her lowliness. She does not deserve it but it is a gift from the Lord.

Consequently for us today, when we meet with the adversities and vicissitudes of life, we need to hold on to our faith in Christ’s ultimate victory. As Paul tells us in the first reading that if by one man’s sin, death has come to us; what more would the death of God’s only Son bring, if not life for all. Surely, the grace of the second Adam must be more overwhelming than the mischief done by the first Adam. All we need to do is to humbly co-operate with Christ according to the grace that has been given to us. That is all we can and need to do. This grace is given to us in Christ. What we need to imitate is the faith of Mary who walked behind the Lord, serving Him faithfully and sharing in His suffering.

As for the eventual outcome, it is not our worry because victory is certain as this has been already realized in Mary. It is not for us to determine how that outcome would unfold. All we can be certain is that all things will end well. As St Paul tells us in Romans, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” So we do not fear about the future. Everything is in His hands. Once again, with Mary, we say, “Thy will be done.” Let us do whatever He tells us and leave the battle to the Lord. Let us take Mary as our model and our hope that God’s grace will triumph in the end, just as it did for Mary who is full of grace. Yes, life, not death, will have the last word in God’s kingdom.