The Church today celebrates the mystery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in soul and body into Heaven. The spiritual mood is established in the Entrance Antiphon: “Let us all rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast day in honor of the Virgin Mary, at whose Assumption the Angels rejoice and praise the Son of God.”
Even though the event is not at all mentioned in the Bible and the official declaration of the dogma that took place in 1950, the mystery is known from almost the beginning of Christianity and mentioned in some apocryphal literature. The primary apocryphal text detailing the assumption of Mary is known as the Transitus Mariae (The Passing of Mary), but there are some earlier traditions like the Book of Mary’s Repose. These early Christian writings first brought the narrative of Mary’s bodily assumption into prominence between the 2nd and 5th centuries. A hint of the regard given to this celebration can be gathered from the fact that this is one of the few feasts that has two different sets of readings and of the Proper of the Mass, one for the Vigil Mass and another for the Mass of the Day.
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The liturgical readings provide a richness of elements that is worth touching upon, even though briefly. First of all, we need to notice how several of the readings are related to the Ark of the Covenant of the Old Testament. This “piece of furniture” is much more than a symbol of God’s presence. It is actually the place on which God stood (because the Jewish religion is aniconic with regard to God, there is no representation of Him, as the Ancient Near Easter “theology” of idols would have determined). The Responsorial Psalm for the Vigil Mass refers to the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to the Jerusalem Temple (an episode mentioned in the first reading of the Vigil Mass and evoked in the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth), and says, “Zion is my resting place forever; in her will I dwell, for I prefer her” (Ps 132). The first reading of the Mass of the Day is also related: “God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. [There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.] A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun….” Seeing the Ark prepares God’s manifestation, a Theophany, which is hinted at by St. Elizabeth, who calls Mary “the mother of my Lord.”
But, unlike the Ark, the Blessed Virgin was not a lifeless instrument that God used to fulfill His plan. She was called to voluntarily participate in it. Both gospels mention her faith. In fact, echoing what Jesus says in the Gospel for the Vigil Mass (“rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it”), Saint Augustine taught that the Virgin Mary conceived the Word in her mind and heart through faith and obedience before she physically conceived Him in her womb. He emphasized that her spiritual discipleship and faith were even more significant than her physical motherhood.
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Finally, the second readings for both Masses reaffirm the essential Christological component of today’s celebration, to know that resurrection and eternal life are mediated by Jesus’ Paschal Mystery: “in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order” (1Cor 15:22-23). In a few words, the Assumption constitutes a special proclamation of Jesus Christ’s triumph over sin and death. The Blessed Virgin Mary is so intimately united to the entire mystery of Christ (beginning with His Incarnation that took place in her womb) that it could not be otherwise.
Hence, there is no detriment to Jesus’ glory with this celebration, but rather it is the other way around. His glory and power shine even more by displaying it in His own Mother in this special way. So, the Entrance Antiphon is quite right: “Let us all rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast day in honor of the Virgin Mary…”