She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.

When you are a child, some of these adult words can be very confusing.

I recall asking my mother, on more than one occasion, what the difference was between the Ascension and Assumption.

Being ever patient with me she would explain that to ascend, one must do so of one’s own will and power. To be assumed means to be taken up, not of your own power, but by the will and power of another.

Jesus, being God, ascended.

Mary, being human, was assumed.

When you are an adult, some of these adult words can be very confusing.

So what is this solemnity of the Dormition slash Assumption?

Simply put, we celebrate the day on which Mary, the Mother of Jesus, fell asleep. She died. That is her Dormition. She was mourned by the Apostles and was laid in a tomb.

Concurrently, we celebrate that day when the Apostles found the tomb empty. That, as was revealed to them, was her Assumption.

Words are confusing, especially in theological context. What is said, or left unsaid, especially in regard to the life of Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles, is repeatedly interpreted, added to, misconstrued, and misunderstood.

The Holy Church makes it easy for us common folk.

Jesus, by His coming to us as man in the Incarnation, remained fully God, and became fully human – one with humanity in all its travails, except sin. Jesus, the God-man chose Mary as His mother.

The angel Gabriel asked, and Mary said yes. She recognized that God:

—…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.—

In Jesus’ coming, in His suffering, death, resurrection, and Ascension, God

…has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

In the presence of His followers Jesus ascended into heaven. As St. Paul reminds us:

Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

St. Paul also provides us with perspective:

For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father

The Church helps us non-theologians to understand Mary’s proper role and place.

Brothers and sisters,

It is so sad to see the manner in which Mary’s beauty and witness has been corrupted. She has become many things to many people, all because, improperly understood, and with some things left unsaid, people make her into anything but who she is.

We have the Mary of visionaries. We picture the Father, Son, and Spirit sitting in a boardroom discussing the sins of humanity. Jesus pipes up, ‘Father, it is terrible down there, it is time to crush them.’ The Spirit is waiting with the heavenly host, ready to bring about a cataclysmic end. The Father intervenes —“ ‘Let’s send Mary to some children in Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, or Knock. She’ll set ’em straight.’ Of course these folks miss the message of Jesus —“ clearly taught by the Church. If we cannot grasp Jesus’ simple message, no vision or secret message will scare us into grasping that message. Visions of the heavenly host, poised for war, make no difference. We can only make a difference by doing as Jesus asks of us.

We have the Mary of the perfect birth. Some believe that Jesus was transported out of Mary’s womb in a painless, blood and mess free manner, gently placed in the manger. These folks miss the fact that Jesus was like us in all things but sin. How exactly is He like us if His birth is so unlike ours? We get squeamish thinking of Mary, in a stable, giving birth, and the reality of that process. Not easy for a young woman and her husband – all alone. We would prefer clean – and not quite human. If it is not quite human we have an excuse for not living up to Jesus’ expectation of us.

We have Assumption purists who believe that Mary was pulled up into heaven without experiencing human death. This is not taught by any Church, but is left unsaid by some. In being left unsaid, well, people fill in the blanks. In this scenario Mary trumps Jesus —“ who suffered and died. Again, an excuse. This is so far beyond me I couldn’t possibly live the kind of witness Mary lived.

We have Mary worshipers. Mary becomes the female Christ, the co-mediatrix of grace and salvation. These poor folks treat Mary like a vending machine. Pray to Mary, she’ll get you what you need.

In this Solemnity we recall Mary’s humanity:

She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.

We recall her yes to God’s will. We recall her death. And, we recall the miracle of her Assumption.

Today we recall Mary’s humanity. Mary, fully and completely human in every way said yes to God. Because of this, Mary’s place within the Church is set. Because this lowly human being had the capacity to live for God and in complete conformity to God’s will, we know that we can do so as well. She did it. We can do it was well – and there is no excuse not to.

Mary is the first witness, the perfect servant, the beautiful mother. She is singularly honored by her Assumption into heaven, a foretaste of what we shall all experience —“ what she is, we can be.

During her earthly life she continually pointed to her Son and reminded His followers:

“Do whatever He tells you.”

Mary witnesses to us today. She once again proclaims of the powerful love and grace of God. Love and grace that touch every human life. Elizabeth saw this clearly.

—Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.—

Yes, Mary, Blessed are you amongst women —“ for your firm believing and for your yes.

Mary, pray for us that we might have faith like yours, a voice to say yes, and the will to live in complete conformity to God’s will. Help us to understand and help us to do whatever He tells us.

Amen.