How did Mary merit the glory of her Assumption(2023-08-20)

Introduction

A few days ago, we celebrated the Assumption of Our Lady. The Assumption of Our Lady means her exaltation above all the Angels and Saints in the glory of Heaven. Our Lord Jesus gives us a principle: "Everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Lk 18;14). According to this principle, if Mary was exalted above all, it is because she humbled herself more than anybody. Today, I will speak about the Assumption and the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Mystery of the Assumption

In celebrating the Assumption of Our Lady, we celebrate two mysteries: Our Lady’s exaltation and the truth of our Christian Hope.

The Assumption of Mary is the mystery of her exaltation. Her exaltation is a mystery for us because Mary has been raised in glory above all the angels and saints, to a degree that goes beyond our understanding. Mary's glory is so great that only God knows its limit. But why was Mary raised to such a degree of glory? Is it because she was filled with the most excellent graces and the most singular privileges? Is it because she was the Mother of God? No. Mary merited her glory by cooperating constantly and perfectly with God's will. Mary's fidelity to God never failed. Mary practiced all the virtues to the most sublime degree, and thus she deserved the reward that God intended for her. The glory of Mary is the work of God in Mary, but it is also the work of Mary with God.

To celebrate the Assumption of Mary is also to celebrate the mystery of our Christian hope. What is our Christian hope? It is to attain eternal life and happiness. Our Christian hope is a mystery because what we hope for, namely eternal life and happiness, is still partially hidden from us and it is above whatever we can imagine. Our Christian hope is a mystery also because the strength that moves us towards eternal life is not natural but supernatural. It is God who mysteriously communicates this strength to us through sanctifying grace. In celebrating the Assumption of Mary, we also celebrate the truth of our Christian hope. If we imitate Our Lady, if we fight against our pride, our sensuality and our greediness, if we practice the virtues, we will be rewarded with Mary in Heaven.

Mary’s humility, foundation of her fullness of glory

Now let us ask ourselves this question: which virtue of Mary did God reward above all through her Assumption? It is the virtue of humility. Our Lady herself revealed this in her Magnificat: "God hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me.” (Lk 1;48-49). Also, remember the principle given by Our Lord: " Everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted ". The saints are unanimous in telling us that in Heaven, God rewards and elevates the Saints in proportion to the humility they have had on earth.

   

The Blessed Virgin Mary was admirably and heroically humble throughout her life. In her we find all the expressions of true humility. Let us give some examples. At the Annunciation, Mary practiced the humility that consists in placing herself entirely and voluntarily in the dependence of God and in his service. At St. Elizabeth's, Mary practiced the humility that consists in doing humble tasks and chores. In her Magnificat, Mary practiced the humility that consists in giving God the glory for all the good happening to us. At the Nativity and during the flight to Egypt, Mary practiced the humility that consists in bearing a poor and precarious life, living in the dependence of others. At the loss of Jesus in the temple, Mary practiced the humility that consists in accepting without murmuring the trials permitted by Divine Providence. At the wedding in Cana, Mary practiced the humility that consists in doing good to others discreetly, without looking for any reward or recognition. During the public life of Jesus, when her Son was so famous and admired, Mary practiced the humility that consists in avoiding praises and honor from people. During the Passion of Jesus, Mary practiced the humility that consists in patiently bearing all kinds of unjust insults. After Pentecost, Mary practiced the humility that consists in obeying the lawful leaders of the Church. 

 

Our Lady was truly the most humble person: humble in her Faith in the Mysteries of God, humble in her Hope of the final victory of her Son Jesus, humble in her wholehearted love of God, humble in actions, humble in her words, humble in all her behaviour. The glory of the Assumption was the reward of this her profound humility.

Conclusion

If we want to follow Our Lady into the glory of Heaven, we must follow her in the practice of humility. The degree of our humility will determine the degree of our exaltation in Heaven. To understand and remember this reality, let us take a comparison from trees. The higher trees grow, the deeper their roots must be. And the more their branches are full of fruit, the more they bend towards the ground. So it should be for us. The holier we want to be, the humbler we must be. The more we are filled with God’s graces and virtues, the more we must humble ourselves before God and return all glory to Him.

Dear Faithful, let us praise Our Lady for her profound humility and immense glory. Let us promise her that we too will practice the virtue of humility in all its aspects, as she has given us the example. It is passing through many humiliations that we acquire a little bit of humility. Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to help us to bear the humiliations of our life with patience and perseverance. Our glory will be great in Heaven. 

Fr. Demornex