Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Death Has no Power Over Her

	Have you ever wondered about how Mary’s family and friends would have reacted to her passing? Have you ever thought about how the early Christians would have noticed right away that there was no tomb for the Mother of their Lord and Savior? The final resting place of one who had given birth to the Son of God would have been highly venerated, and would be a frequented pilgrimage site to this day. Yet it does not exist. There is no tomb, no headstone, no sign marking the place where her body is buried in the Holy Land. 
	In all of salvation history, only three people are to have been taken up to heaven without dying: Enoch, Elijah and the Blessed Virgin Mary, all highly favored servants of God. Today we celebrate the Blessed Mother’s passing from this earthy life to the heavenly one, yet without passing through death. Our Eastern Rite brothers and sisters, believe she fell into a deep sleep, calling this feast The Dormition of Mary. This makes sense, since God surely would have wanted to call her to Himself in a most gentle and loving way. Just like she held Him in her arms as a sleeping babe, He now held her close as he carried her into eternity. 
	This feast reminds us once again that death is the result of sin. If the fall of man would not have happened, we would most likely all still be basking in the Garden of Eden. In fact, I sometimes ask myself if heaven isn’t a replica of that original garden: the vivid colors, the fragrant flowers, the soft animals, the calming sound of waterfalls, the luscious fruits… all the beauty, joy and peace that awaits us on the other side. What sorrow it brings to have to wait for it! What a tragedy that because of our sin we first must die. 
	But not so for Mary, the Mother of God. She did not sin, so she did not die. May we ask for her intercession in a special way on her special day today. May we invoke her name to help us flee from sin and run into the arms of our loving Savior. Amen. 
Tami Urcia

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Short Version

Have you ever wondered about how Mary’s family and friends would have reacted to her passing? Have you ever thought about how the early Christians would have noticed right away that there was no tomb for the Mother of their Lord and Savior? The final resting place of one who had given birth to the Son of God would have been highly venerated, and would be a frequented pilgrimage site to this day. Yet it does not exist. There is no tomb, no headstone, no sign marking the place where her body is buried in the Holy Land. 
	Today we celebrate the Blessed Mother’s passing from this earthy life to the heavenly one, yet without passing through death. God surely would have wanted to call her to Himself in a most gentle and loving way. Just like she held Him in her arms as a sleeping babe, He now held her close as he carried her into eternity. 
	This feast reminds us once again that death is the result of sin. If the fall of man would not have happened, we would most likely all still be basking in the Garden of Eden. What sorrow it brings to have to wait for all the beauty, joy and peace that awaits us on the other side! What a tragedy that because of our sin we first must die! 
	May we ask for Mary’s intercession in a special way on her special day today. May we invoke her name to help us flee from sin and run into the arms of our loving Savior. Amen. 
Tami Urcia