The last day in the Holy Land was allocated to be a free day in Jerusalem. Many in our group, including Virginia, took an optional trip into the hill country east of Jerusalem to the location that serves as the setting for our Gospel reading.
This group came back with quite a story about how they experienced the area where Mary pronounced the Magnificat (which we heard today) as she encountered Elizabeth and the leaping baby in her womb.
In the meantime, I elected to simply wander around Old Jerusalem, exploring on my own. I could tell quite a few stories, such as getting into the Greek Orthodox Church built on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Stephen (one of the first seven deacons of the Church).
Just a stone’s throw from that Church (sorry for the choice of words Saint Stephen), I was able to also visit another Orthodox Church that contains the empty tomb of the Virgin Mary.
The small “t” tradition regarding this tomb is that at the end of Mary’s natural life, she chose this location for her tomb. It is fitting that this would be the site of her tomb because there is a prophecy from the Book of Joel citing this location as the place where the Lord will judge the nations, presenting imagery of this as the location where the resurrection of the body will begin during the final judgement at the second coming.
As the story goes, the Lord inspired the Apostles to return to Jerusalem as Mary approached the end of her natural life. One day, Mary requested they come to the cenacle, which was the upper room where the Last Supper occurred and the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost.
While the Apostles were with Mary, the Lord gave her a choice, a chance (if you will) to avoid death. However, it is said, Mary humbly replied, “It is proper that as I have tried to follow you in life so I follow you also in death.”
At this, her eyes gently closed and her soul peacefully departed from her body. Cause of death? Love.
The Apostles reverently laid Mary’s body on a wooden plank. They solemnly processed from the cenacle on Mount Zion to the chosen tomb in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (also known as the Kidron Valley), which is approximately one mile away.
The procession is said to have included all the Christians in Jerusalem, as well as an infinitude of invisible angels, patriarchs, prophets, and saints.
Saint Peter and Saint John laid the body of Mary in the tomb and sealed it.
Some time after the funeral, the Lord descended into the tomb of Mary with her soul. The Lord returned Mary’s soul to her body and in the process of that, glorified her body and rose it up again. This was followed by a magnificent and triumphant procession from the tomb into heaven...Christ the King ascending with His Immaculate Mother at His side.
Saint Thomas, who we recall was late to the cenacle upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ, was returning from modern-day India. Once again, he was late...late for the funeral of the Virgin Mary. In fact, it was now the third day since Mary had been buried. He was greatly distressed when he learned she had already passed. He begged to be allowed into the tomb to see her one more time.
Saint Peter and Saint John agreed and accompanied him to the tomb.
Upon arrival, there was nothing on the plank except her robe and mantle. An angel appeared to them and said, “Men of Galilee, your queen and ours is now living body and soul in heaven and reigning in it forever with Christ.”
The source of this story is from a book called “The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics”, by Raphael Brown. The story isn’t part of the dogma that we celebrate today and therefore not something we are obligated to believe. At the same time, I believe it is a source of rich spiritual fodder that we can take to prayer to help us enter more deeply into this mystery of our faith...these mysteries of the Dormition and Assumption of our Blessed Lady.
The Assumption of Mary is a great message of hope for us. As some of you have heard me say in a previous homily: what God did for Mary, He offers to all of us through the sacraments of His Holy Catholic Church.
Living the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, we have the promise of resurrection, the promise of eternal life, and the promise of complete union with God (body and soul).
Living the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, we have the promise to join the queen who stands at the right hand of God, arrayed in gold.
Thanks be to God!
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