Homily: Feast of the Assumption of Mary, August 15, 2025 by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

Mary is depicted as a "eucharistic bishop" in art.
See Ally Kateuz's research: https://allykateusz.org/art-as-text-powerpoints/two-marys-two-traditions 

Mary, Holy Mother, Loving Sister, Faithful Companion, First Priest is with us as we bless, protect and serve those in need

While the doctrine that Mary Mother of Jesus was bodily taken up to heaven at the end of her earthly life, was not dogmatically defined until 1950 by Pope Pius X11, evidence of this belief can be found in patristic narratives from the third and fourth centuries. 

The Assumption of Mary was celebrated in the fifth century and became official in the ninth century. In the 21^st century, we can reclaim its liberating message to challenge gender oppression and affirm the sacredness of women’s bodies.  With Mary, we can pray a Magnificat of blessing for a new order of justice and equity for the excluded and marginalized everywhere. 

We live in a world where female bodies are abused, violated and trafficked for profit every day. The World Health Organization reports that globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. (WHO,March 25, 2024 )

The significance of Mary’s Assumption affirms that not only Mary’s body is sacred, but all women’s bodies, and the embodied selves of all genders are sacred. Our full humanity reflects our glorious divinity. As we sing in our liturgy: “We are holy, holy, holy!”

In their article entitled “Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Poor, Latin American theologians Ivone Gebara and Maria Bingemer write:

“Mary’s assumption brings a new and promising future for women…{it} restores and reintegrates women’s bodiliness in the very mystery of God. 

Starting with Mary, the dignity of women’s condition is recognized and safeguarded by the creator of that very bodiliness. 

In Jesus Christ and Mary the feminine is respectively resurrected and assumed into heaven – definitively sharing in the glory of the Trinitarian mystery from which all proceeds and to which all returns.”

 Dr. Ann Lee at university of Divinity in Australia cites, the authority of Mary as the basis for the ordination of women priests today. She concludes: “if the world received the body of Christ from this woman, Mary, then women today should not be excluded from giving the body of Christ, as priests, to the faithful at Mass.”

Indian feminist  Kochurani Abraham describes Mary’s Magnificat as bringing about a new vision: “the vision of a new social order based on equality, justice and freedom for all. This new vision would subvert social hierarchies and power structures that are oppressive and this is what we hear foretold in today’s gospel.”  ... 

This new vision which we call the reign of God would be realized wherever people share, where they love the earth and all is creatures, where they take a stance to include the excluded ones of this world into the table fellowship of life.” (Homily “birthing a new order. (Catholic Women Preach)

 

According to the Synod on Synodality, the Church must be a Church for everyone including the marginalized. The means that the institutional Church must subvert hierarchies and male-only power structures in order to foster an inclusive Church of baptized equals.  

The good news is that inclusivity is the vision of the emerging Church – the thousands of small faith communities around the world -who are following Jesus’ example of inviting everyone to an open table for the Eucharistic feast.

 Let us rejoice with Mary and proclaim our own Magnificat as we lovingly bless and offer compassionate care to our sisters and brothers in word and deed! 

Let us live our prophetic vocation in this community of baptized equals to speak truth to power and to work for justice- trusting that we will have all we need to do what God is calling us to do!

Let us celebrate with Mary our glorious humanity -one in Christ -in the Divine Heart of love as we bless, protect and heal our sisters and brothers who are suffering in our world!