As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary this month, I am reminded how Mary has always held a dear place in my heart and in our home. Last year when our family went to Mass, we found our son particularly interested in the readings that day. In the first reading, we hear from Revelations where the dragon awaits to devour the newborn child. As you can imagine, our son was less impressed by the reading itself and more by the fact that there was just a dragon in the reading.
We could see him perk up all of the sudden at the mention of it and say, “Ooh! A dragon!” It was hard to not chuckle, as did some of those around us. Our son was completely drawn in by the word dragon and I can only imagine what he thought from there.
This story in Revelations though is not about a fun loving dragon as my son seems to have thought. Unlike his story books at home, this dragon is set out with a mission to harm; to devour the most innocent and vulnerable.
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But Dragons Aren’t Real, Right?
It is easy to think that we live in a time where we don’t need to worry about the devil seeking to harm us, but the reality remains that we are just as vulnerable to the works of the devil as ever before. While we are not immune to temptation and sin, we can still feel at ease knowing we have been bestowed with the graces needed to get to Heaven and have the most perfect example of human living in Mary.
On this solemnity, we celebrate Mary being assumed into Heaven, body and soul. Unfortunately for us, we won’t have the same travel itinerary to Heaven, but if we can still look to Mary as the best example of how to live. Born without original sin, Mary was able to keep her eyes locked on the Lord, seeking to always unite her desires with the will of the Lord.
As parents, we need to help our children to do the same. Sure the “dragons” of our day and age are fun and tempting, but the fleeting things of the world will not give us true happiness. Sometimes the hardest part of this isn’t explaining what we need to do to our children, but to unite our own lives to Christ. The challenge, but ultimate beauty in this, is that the best way we can teach our children to live lives centered on Christ is to do so ourselves.
What We Can Do As Parents
Of course things like regular Mass attendance and receiving the sacrament of Confession are integral parts of living for Christ, but it goes further than that. It is important to recognize that what we choose to encounter and let into our homes can open us up to the temptations of the devil. From the media we consume to the language we use, many seemingly innocent things can pull us away from the Lord.
As a parent now my perspective continues to shift on things like movies, music, and even books that I once wouldn’t have given two seconds of thought to before. It is our duty to know what we are bringing into our homes and that means we may need to take a moment to pause and assess before letting our children watch the latest movie release, even if it comes highly recommended from peers. This may make us unpopular in the eyes of our children, but we need to be diligent because it is their salvation at stake.
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In Genesis, we see very clearly what happens when we lose sight of the job at hand. Adam was charged with the role to tend and protect the garden. But he becomes lax in this role and the serpent is able to get in, ultimately leading to sin entering the world. His “no” to God and “yes” to his own pride is in stark contrast to Mary’s “yes.” As the new Eve, Mary opens herself up to being the mother of God and through her Christ enters the world. Where Mary aligns herself with the will of God, Eve falls to the temptations of the serpent.
As the descendants of Adam and Eve, it is unfortunately in our nature to fall to sin, but by giving our own “yes” to God each day, even when it is hard, we allow Him to work through us as well. There are many “dragons” around us even today, but we need to remain focused on Christ and remind ourselves that getting to Heaven is not worth sacrificing for the pleasures of this world. Some days that means saying “no” to our children and to ourselves. It’s not going to be easy, but, just as Mary did on this feast, we too will one day find that our reward is great in Heaven.