Assuming the Assumption

Apparently, we should never make assumptions for fear of appearing foolish.

Yet, today, we celebrate assumption, the translation of the body of Our Lady into Heaven. The differences between East and West in their regard for the end of the Blessed Virgin's life on earth are not enough to render the Assumption questionable. They rest on one solid fact: there are no relics of Our Lady's body in existence.

Unlike the apostles and disciples where there are sufficient relics to populate a cemetery, there are none to do with Our Lady. Our little cathedral in Canterbury boasts a fragment of her veil which is fully certified. That's about all really.

We can conclude with a happy degree of certainty that there is some truth in the Assumption of Our Lady.

St John Damascene speaks of the joy in heaven at her reception.

This day the holy and animated Ark of the living God, which had held within it its own Maker, is borne to rest in that Temple of the Lord, which is not made with hands. David, whence it sprang, leapeth before it, and in company with him the Angels dance, the Archangels sing aloud, the Virtues ascribe glory, the Princedoms shout for joy, the Powers make merry, the Lordships rejoice, the Thrones keep holiday, the Cherubim utter praise, and the Seraphim proclaim its glory. This day the Eden of the new Adam receiveth the living garden of delight, wherein the condemnation was annulled, wherein the Tree of Life was planted, wherein our nakedness was covered.

It is an irony that the fact that our nakedness is covered is revealed by the other fact that Our Lady leaves nothing behind. Her relic is a vacuum that is filled either by a modern cynicism at a complete absurdity, or filled by the joyful hope of those who believe in the perfect fidelity of God who demonstrates that He will remember the commandment to honour His Mother. If He will remember the commandment He gave to us, then He will remember the promises that He makes to His Church.

As Adam and Eve pulled the keystone of Creation out of alignment through their sin and thus brought about the reality of death into Creation, so the New Eve provides the scaffold on which Christ makes realignment in His Holy Incarnation. This scaffold is of her human flesh with which Our Lord draws His humanity. And, with His perfection complete, He ascends and, in due time, draws up into Heaven the same flesh from which He took form.

And this truly is our joyful hope! Just as the Lord sanctifies the waters of Baptism by being baptised; just as He sanctifies unction by being anointed; just as He sanctifies marriage by participating and blessing the wedding in Cana so He sanctifies our Humanity by being born and participating in the business of being human. And why? To develop the words of St Athanasius, He participates in our Humanity so that we may participate in His Divinity.

This is what we see in the Assumption: a rare dignity for a rare lady. Her Assumption is what ours will be as we pass through our own deaths, when we receive our bodies again after their corruption, with her and the whole Bride of Christ, we shall receive an Eternal Participation with God Himself. This is why we rejoice; this why we observe this strange feast for this is a realisation of God's love for us.

Our Lady assumed into Heaven, pray for us!