The most important question is always: What is God doing?

What is he doing at Mass?

He is winning our salvation and renewing the new covenant with us by making present his sacrifice in the Cross and sharing the sacrificial banquet of the Last Supper.

But this is every Mass. Today is a Holy Day of Obligation.

What is the Church calling us to see God doing by calling us to Mass today?

God is bringing Mary, body and soul, into Heaven. The east and west argue about whether she died first, but that’s not actually the point of this feast. Mary, at the completion of her life on earth, was swept up into Heaven to be united with God forever.

What does God’s action mean for us?

I’ll highlight just three things. First, we have an intercessor in Heaven. Our Church has long understood that when Christ gave Mary to “the disciple” on the Cross, he was giving her both to John for her care and to us all as a mother. Mary, who loves our Lord more than any other human who has ever existed, cannot fail to love us, because Christ loves us. She will not fail to intercede for us in our hour of need. It is not mistake that Mary is often depicted crushing the head of the serpent. Our darkest fate as human beings would be to be lost to sin, and so the one who tempts us toward sin is our grave enemy. Mary, with the love of a mother protecting her children, will not hesitate to use the gifts God has given her to crush our mortal enemies–Satan and his minions–when they attack us. At the same time, with the love of a mother consoling her children, Mary will not hesitate to help us recover from our failures and return to Christ in repentance.

The second this I’ll highlight is that Mary’s Assumption strengthens our hope for the resurrection of our bodies. In the Apostles’ Creed, we profess that we believe in the resurrection of the body. One day, at the end of time, our bodies will rise and there will be a final judgment where the work of humanity will be revealed. Those who have lived a life in Christ will live forever in the new heavens and the new earth with their glorified bodies. Seeing that Mary is, somehow, already living this reality reminds us that this is not an empty promise, but a part of God’s plan.

Finally, I’ll highlight that God has called Mary, a seemingly-lowly handmaiden, to Heaven. Mary did not come from a rich family. In the eyes of this world she was nothing. And yet, she was so blessed as to be the Mother of God, the new Ark of the Covenant, the Queen of the Universe, clothed with the Sun and crowned with stars.

Her response to this great honor?

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit exults in God my savior!
He has looked upon the humility of his handmaiden.
And, behold, from today all generations will call me blessed:
because he has done mighty things for me, and holy is his name, and he has mercy upon those who fear him from generation to generation

May we emulate our Blessed Mother so that one day, these words might be our own.