Feast of the Assumption of the BVM 2010

On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII exercised his infallibility authority to issue a Bull, MUNIFICENTISSIMUS DEUS, to declare the Assumption of the BVM a dogma for the Catholic Church. I have always argued that the Ascension of Jesus is necessary to preserve our religious freedom. Had Jesus remained on earth after his Resurrection, humanity would have been deprived the freedom to believe in him. Men would have no choice but to accept Jesus as their Saviour because he would be 2010 years old by now! The case of the BVM is different. Why was it necessary to remove her body from this world?

Death and the subsequent bodily decay is a natural law. Of course, there have been attempts of mummification or embalmment etc. on the corpses of Pharaohs and national leaders so as to preserve their bodies for the next life or people's veneration from the future generations. But throughout the Church history, there are many cases of "incorruptible" saints whose bodies remain intact centuries after their deaths. These incorruptible saints defy the law of nature and, in a way, give praises and glory to God. Why did God not make the BVM incorruptible, like those incorruptible saints? Unlike a living and walking Jesus, the incorruptible corpse of the BVM would not rob us of the freedom to believe in Jesus. This greatest relic would demonstrate the authenticity and historicity of Christianity. So, why did God remove her body from this world?

According to Munificentissimus Deus, the Assumption of the body of the BVM into Heaven immediate after her death is one of the two unique privileges God gave to the BVM. The first one is her Immaculate Conception. God preserves the BVM from the taint of sins by removing her Original Sin from the moment of her conception on the merits of the redemptive work of Jesus. Mary was the first to be saved by her son. The Assumption is closely linked with the Immaculate Conception (MD 4). The BVM is declared full of grace, i.e. without sins, by Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:28). Consequently,
Now God has willed that the Blessed Virgin Mary should be exempted from this general rule. She, by an entirely unique privilege, completely overcame sin by her Immaculate Conception, and as a result she was not subject to the law of remaining in the corruption of the grave, and she did not have to wait until the end of time for the redemption of her body. (MD 5).
"This general rule" refers to the natural bodily corruption after death, even for the just. The ash and dust will join the glorious souls on the last day (MD 4).
OK. God wills that the BVM should be exempted from the bodily decay after death. Still, it is not necessary to remove her body from this world. God could preserve her corpse most beautifully and perfectly and leave us the greatest relics to glorify Him. But of course, making the corpse of the BVM incorruptible is not a unique enough privilege to demonstrate her special status in the salvation history.
I hope I am not proposing a heresy. I am just fancying what the Catholic faith would have become, had the BVM become incorruptible and remained on earth.

In his homily, Fr. Milanese gave us a new perspective to understand the meaning of the Magnificat. He told us a story about 2 tourists who came to a big city. One tourist came from a tidy little town. He looked at and was impressed by the good facilities of this big city. The other tourist came from an untidy and mismanaged little town. He found faults with whatever came into his sight. Fr. Milanese asked why these two tourists arrived at so different an impression of the same city. It is a matter of attitude. With a positive attitude, we see good things even in a broken mirror. With a negative attitude, we curse even the comfort we are sitting on.
In Magnificat, the BVM teaches us to see lowliness, humility and poverty in a positive light. God chooses to stand by the lowly, the humble and the poor. We too should opt for the poor.

Dear Lord, Your generosity towards the BVM assures us of our salvation. May we follow her footsteps to serve You and bring Your gospel to the world. Amen.