The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption

The following is the eighth of twenty monthly reflections about the Mysteries of the Rosary as they relate to family life.  The mysteries will not be necessarily chronological but presented as they interact with the liturgical year.

            One of the more moving scenes for me in the movie The Passion of the Christ is when Jesus falls on his way to Calvary.  The film makes frequent and effective use of flashbacks, and in this case, as the adult Jesus falls under the weight of his cross, we see the image of Jesus falling as a child.  In both instances Mary is rushing to catch her beloved son.  I will admit that I cried like a baby when I watched this scene for the first time!  It presents such a common human scene of a mother hastening to a suffering child, and we feel the yearnings of both parent and child on either side of the situation.  Those bonds help inform my own imagery of this month’s rosary mystery, when the roles are suddenly reversed.

            Our mystery this month is the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.  In short, it is the Church’s teaching that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into eternal life instead of having her body and soul separated for a period of time.  As I think of the scene, I imagine the Risen Jesus rushing back to catch his mother as she passes from this life to the next and taking her away before the decay of death can gain any foothold.  Her Assumption is not only reflective of God’s grace in her life even to the moment of her Immaculate Conception.  It also gives testimony to the fidelity that Mary displayed towards Christ throughout his life and the reward for her obedience to God’s will.  From her agreeing to give birth to Jesus in a difficult situation to watching him die on the cross, her faithfulness never wavered.  At the end of her time on earth, God’s faithfulness to her returned in kind.

            There are similar reversals in our families as well.  Parents who once cared for helpless babies in every way may someday become dependent on their children for all aspects of their care.  A husband and wife minister to one another throughout their marriage when the other is ill.  Friends reach out to each other in a particular way during times of hardship or loss.  These moments provide us with the chance to become the hands of Christ to others and receive, even as Jesus did, help in our times of need.  We sometimes easily forget that we are, in the final analysis, totally dependent on God.  Being in acute need often reminds us of our human frailty and the necessity of both giving and receiving help.

            Ultimately, all of our love and care is towards a greater purpose of helping each other to eternal life.  The Assumption gives us the hope of our bodies eventually being renewed to join our souls in heaven.  In the meantime, it is important that we strive to live holy lives in obedience to God’s will.  Not even the Seven Sorrows that marked Mary’s life could deter her from following the plan God had for her.  Her Assumption emboldens us to remain faithful as well, even during times of adversity.  The results speak for themselves!