Today the Feast of Saint Mary the Virgin, commonly called the Assumption, reflects the ancient belief in the Church that, from the last moment of life, Our Lady was reunited with her Son in heaven. This conviction is shared by us Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Mary's Assumption constitutes a beautiful sign of our own resurrection to glory and is the logical conclusion to her remarkable life. Let's take a look at the life of Mary, "Model Disciple."
First, Mary is a model of faith; she demonstrated radical trust in God all her life, no wavering. Second, she is also a model of obedience; her 'yes' made out salvation possible. She is also a wonderful model of prayer, pondering the things of God in her sacred heart. She is a model of devotion, responsible for Jesus' religious education; serving him during his earthly ministry, experiencing her Son on the cross and in resurrection; patiently waiting with the disciples of the coming of the Spirit on her and them at Pentecost, the birthday of the Church; then on to Ephesus with Saint John to be a special light to that congregation until the end of her earthly life. Now in heavenly reality, she is our heavenly prayer partner.
We don't know exactly what resurrection is like, but we can to turn to the analogy used by Jesus as well as Saint Paul, that of the seed -- something dies so something more wonderful and beautiful can emerge. Where Mary is, and how Mary is, we shall be. She has shown us the way.
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