Homily – Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Theme: Mary, the Ark, and Our Hope

Brothers and sisters,
vigils in the Catholic tradition are like standing at the door before a feast — smelling the food, hearing the music, knowing the joy is just on the other side.

Tonight we keep vigil for one of the Church’s greatest joys: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We are not just remembering an event of the past — we are preparing to enter the mystery of what God has done for His Mother, and what He promises to do for us.

Our first reading tonight (1 Chronicles 15) shows the Ark of the Covenant being brought into Jerusalem with great rejoicing. The Ark was the holiest object in Israel — the place where God’s presence dwelt in a special way.

Inside the Ark were:

The tablets of the Law

The manna from the desert

The rod of Aaron, the high priest

The early Church Fathers saw all of this fulfilled in Mary:

In her womb was the Word of God made flesh (not stone tablets).

She carried the Bread of Life (not manna).

She bore the eternal High Priest (not Aaron’s staff).

If the Old Testament Ark was treated with such reverence, how much more the true Ark — Mary herself? And if the Ark was brought into the holy city, how much more would God bring Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, into the heavenly Jerusalem?

Psalm 132 tonight sings:
“Arise, O Lord, into your resting place, you and the ark of your might.”
For the Fathers, that “ark” is not a piece of furniture — it is a person. The resting place is Heaven. The feast we celebrate tomorrow is the fulfilment of this psalm.

St. Paul tells us in our second reading (1 Corinthians 15) that Christ’s resurrection is the firstfruits — the beginning of the harvest. All who belong to Him will share in His victory over death.

Mary belongs to Him more than anyone. She was redeemed in advance by His sacrifice, kept free from sin from the first moment of her life, united to Him perfectly in mission and in love.

So when her earthly life was complete, she shared fully in the fruit of His victory — body and soul taken into glory. The Assumption is not an isolated miracle; it is the natural consequence of Mary’s perfect union with her Son.

Our Gospel tonight (Luke 11:27-28) gives us an important reminder. A woman cries out to Jesus, praising His Mother:
“Blessed is the womb that bore you!”

And Jesus replies:
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

At first glance, it sounds like He’s downplaying Mary — but in reality, He’s pointing to the very reason she is blessed. Yes, she bore Him physically — but more than that, she believed Him, obeyed Him, and lived entirely by His Word.

That’s why the Assumption is not just a privilege for Mary — it’s a sign for us. If we hear God’s Word and keep it as she did, we too will be blessed with eternal glory.

Some might say: “Why focus on Mary? Isn’t Jesus enough?”
And as Catholics we answer: Everything about Mary points to Jesus. Her Assumption magnifies His power — because it is His grace that preserved her from sin and brought her to Heaven.

If Christ is truly victorious over death, then we should expect to see that victory manifest — and in Mary we see the first and fullest example after Christ Himself.

The Assumption also defends the dignity of the human body. Our culture either worships the body as an idol or treats it as disposable. The Church, through Mary, proclaims: this body of ours, created by God, is destined for resurrection and glory if we remain in Him.

The vigil readings invite us to think about how we get from here to there — from this earthly life to the glory we see in Mary.

The answer is simple, but demanding:

Hear the Word of God.

Keep it.

Live by it daily.

Mary did that perfectly. We do it imperfectly — but God’s grace is given so that we can grow in faithfulness.

As we keep this vigil, I’d like to challenge you to take one Marian step forward in your discipleship before the feast tomorrow:

Go to Confession this week.
Mary was sinless; we are not — but we have been given the sacrament that restores us to grace.

Pray the Rosary with attention.
It is not “Mary-worship” — it is Gospel meditation with Mary as our companion.

Offer your body to God.
St. Paul says to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). That means using our time, strength, and energy for holiness, not for sin.

Magnify the Lord.
Mary’s Magnificat is our blueprint — make your life a song of praise, even in trials.

We wait tonight with the Church for tomorrow’s joy. But in a deeper sense, our whole life is a vigil — we live now in anticipation of the glory to come.

Mary’s Assumption is a light ahead of us, telling us: “This is where you’re going if you stay with my Son.”

We will still face trials. We will still face death. But in Christ, death is not the end — it is the doorway to glory.

Brothers and sisters,
the Ark of the Covenant has gone ahead of us — not into a temple made by human hands, but into the heavenly temple of God. She is there not to be distant, but to intercede for us, to help us make the journey.

So tonight, as we stand on the threshold of this great feast, let’s make our own Magnificat:

Thank God for what He has done for Mary.

Ask for the grace to imitate her obedience.

Resolve to live for the glory that is to come.

Because the Assumption is not only her story — it’s our destiny, if we remain faithful.
And when the last vigil of our lives is over, may we wake not to another day on earth, but to the eternal Day, where Mary our Mother will greet us, and Christ our King will say:

“Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord.”