Homily – “A great sign appeared in Heaven…” The Assumption

Brothers and sisters,

Today is not pious imagination.
It is not a sentimental feast for “Mary people.”
It is not optional.

Today is history.
Today is dogma.
Today is the truth of the Catholic faith:
The Blessed Virgin Mary — taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven.

If the Resurrection is real — Mary’s Assumption follows.
If Christ’s victory over death is total — His Mother shares it first.
If Jesus is the New Adam, Mary is the New Eve — and there is no grave for the New Eve.

We are not talking about a ghost in the clouds.
We are talking about a living woman, body and soul, in Heaven right now.

Some say, “It’s not in the Bible.”
But the Bible is full of it — if you have Catholic eyes.

• Revelation 11:19 – 12:1 — The Ark of the Covenant appears in Heaven, and then a Woman clothed with the sun. In the Old Testament, the Ark was the dwelling place of God’s presence. In the New, Mary is the Ark — she bore God Himself in her womb. Where is she now? In Heaven.

• Psalm 132:8 — “Arise, O Lord, into Your resting place — You and the ark of Your might.” Jesus and His Mother — together.

• 1 Corinthians 15:54 — “Death is swallowed up in victory.” That victory begins with Christ, continues with His Mother, and will one day be ours.

From the first Christians to the Fathers of the Church, the belief is constant:
Mary is in Heaven, body and soul.

Why Mary Was Assumed

Because her body is holy — it bore the Word made flesh.
Because she was preserved from sin — the Immaculate Conception.
Because she never rebelled against God — she was full of grace.

Corruption touches sin — she had none.
Decay touches the fallen — she was raised up.

This feast is not just about Mary — it’s about you.

Heaven is not “my soul floats away.”
Heaven is body and soul together, glorified.
Mary’s Assumption is your road map.
She is the first fully redeemed person after Christ.

Protestants sometimes say, “Just me and Jesus.”
But Jesus gave us His Mother.
From the Cross He said, “Behold your mother.”
A disciple who ignores Mary ignores a gift from Christ.

From Genesis to Revelation, she is there:

The Woman whose offspring will crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15).

The Virgin who conceives and bears a Son called Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14).

The Mother standing by the Cross (John 19:25).

The Queen crowned with twelve stars (Revelation 12:1).

Every Catholic doctrine about Mary defends a truth about Jesus.
Deny the Assumption, and you weaken belief in the resurrection of the body.
Deny her sinlessness, and you weaken belief in Christ’s total victory over sin.

We don’t believe this because it’s comforting.
We believe it because the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has always taught it.
It’s in the liturgy. It’s in the writings of the Fathers. It’s in the unbroken faith of East and West.

If you reject the Assumption, you have to explain why Christians in every century have proclaimed it — and why no early Christian claimed to have her relics.
There are relics of the Apostles all over the world.
There are none of Mary — because her body is not on earth.

Mary’s Assumption is the proof:

The body matters — what you do with it matters.

Holiness is possible — grace works.

Death is not the end — the resurrection is coming.

You were made for Heaven, not for the grave.
And Heaven is not clouds and harps — it is the face of God, union with Him in a glorified body, forever.

Mary is not a distant figure.
She is not “retired.”
She is active, praying, interceding, helping.

At Cana she said, “Do whatever He tells you.”
She has not changed her message.
Stay close to her, and she will lead you to Him.

This is not a feast to admire from a distance — it’s a call to action:

Confess your sins — grace is your passport.

Receive the Eucharist — it is food for the journey.

Pray the Rosary — it is the school of Mary.

Live with Heaven in view — every choice shapes your eternity.

If you are far from God — come home.
If you are lukewarm — wake up.
If you are faithful — persevere.

Mary reached Heaven because she said “Yes” every day.
One day at a time.
One “Yes” at a time.
That is the path.

Mary’s Assumption is:

A sign of hope — what happened to her will happen to us, if we stay in grace.

A sign of victory — Christ’s work in her is complete, and He will complete His work in you.

A sign of God’s faithfulness — He keeps His promises.

Look to Heaven — your Mother is there.
Look to the altar — your Saviour is here.
Look to your life — are you living ready?

Brothers and sisters,

One day, your Assumption will come.
One day, your soul will stand before God.
One day, your body will rise, glorified.

The question is not if.
The question is how you will arrive.

Follow Mary — she will not lose you.
Follow Christ — He will not fail you.

And when that day comes, you will not just reach the border of the Promised Land like Moses.
You will enter it — body and soul — because Christ has conquered death, and Mary shows us the way.