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Mary raises us up: A homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption

Today is the Assumption.  I have a little trick for school Mass to show the difference between the ascension and the assumption.  Two balloons.  The Ascension of Jesus is represented by a Superman balloon with helium.  By his own power, Jesus (the ultimate superman) goes up.  That’s the ascension.  Now Mary is a blue balloon, no helium, attached to the string of the Jesus balloon.  Mary goes up by the power of Christ. She is assumed into heaven, body and soul. Now Mary is closer to us than Jesus. Many find her a bit more accessible, easier to reach.  The beauty is, we can reach Jesus through her.  We attach ourselves to her, and she brings us up to Jesus.  She directs us.  She raises us up.

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Daily homily thoughts, 8/13

Today we hear all about the glory of the Lord.  Ezekiel has a great vision of God’s glory. It is quite interesting. The psalmist says “Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.”  And the Gospel is Jesus telling of that moment of great Glory when he will rise from the dead.  “Glory” is defined as “magnificence or great beauty.”  The challenge for us is to keep our eyes out for this glory.  We must look for God’s magnificence and great beauty.  And respond to it well.

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Daily homily thoughts, 8/9

“Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a pale image and likeness of My love.”
— Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, 1447