DAY 5: SPES

The Second Vatican Council, in its decree on the Church, Lumen Gentium, looks to Our Lady as a "sign of sure hope" for all peoples because she shows us the exalted degree to which God's grace and redeem, transform, and glorify our humble human nature. By her assumption, body and soul, into heaven, Mary shows us that we, her children, are likewise heaven-bound. And this wonderful work is achieved in Mary and in us by the grace of God, flowing from the Incarnation, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ. Absolutely speaking, Christ is the hope of humanity. Because of Christ, we now can hope in heaven and in eternal life. 

Nevertheless, we can boldly call Mary "our hope" because we know that everything we say about her redounds to the glory of the God who is the cause and the source of her virtues and beauty. For Mary is like the moon who shines not by her own inner light, but who, in her own beautiful way, reflects the light of the sun. 

Likewise Mary is not a goddess, nor should she be thought of as a super-human creature. After all, the dignity of Mary flows from her very humanity, because it is from Our Lady that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity took his human nature when he became Man, becoming incarnate in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Her divine Motherhood is founded principally on her humanity, on her being created by God and prepared for her unique vocation by God's graces. Thus, as one of his creatures, Mary is always wholly dependent on God for her existence and for her singular gifts and graces. As Our Lady declares: 

He has regarded the nothingness of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me. (Lk 1:48-49) 

In Mary, therefore, we see the very greatest extent to which the Almighty can bless and endow a human creature. So, Mary is, as Scripture says, "the glory of Jerusalem... the highest honour of our race" (cf Judith 15:9) We see in Mary assumed into heaven what it means for one to be called "full of grace", and we see, too, the destination of all of us who receive God's grace, albeit in a lesser measure than Mary. As the Catechism says: Mary "already shares in the glory of her Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body." Therefore, Mary strengthens our hope in our resurrection after death, and she points us forward towards our life in heaven with God, which is the proper destiny of the Christian people. Hence on the feast of the Assumption, the Liturgy proclaims that Mary is "the beginning and image of [the] Church's coming to perfection."

In 1950 when Pope Pius XII declared the dogma of the Assumption, he was mindful of the destruction and desolation that took place during the Second World War. At that time, the human body was desecrated by war and violence and the terrible Holocaust. So the Pope confirmed this ancient Christian belief in Mary's assumption in order to give joy and new hope to humanity. Through Mary's joy at being assumed into heaven, we are called to share in her joy as we see anew the sanctity and honour of the human body, which God will raise from the grave and restore to the immortal soul. We are also called to remember that, thanks to Jesus Christ, humanity is called to rise after death and to share in the life of God in heaven. Thus he said: 

We may hope that those who meditate upon the glorious example Mary offers us may be more and more convinced of the value of a human life entirely devoted to carrying out the heavenly Father's will and to bringing good to others. Thus, while the illusory teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these teachings threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives of men by exciting discord among them, in this magnificent way all may see clearly to what a lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined. Finally it is our hope that belief in Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective.

In our times, we need ever more to be taught about the sanctity of the human body, and the true destiny of Mankind. Without the hope of heaven held before our eyes, we have lost our joy. Mary, our Mother assumed into heaven, can restore this joy to us, and stir up in our hearts the hope for the blessed "life of the world to come."

Let us, therefore, pray with joy to Mary, our Hope, resolving to be her true children!