So I am sitting here enjoying this feast day (it is the feast of the Assumption of Mary!) and was just reflecting on the power of the intercession of Mary and her ability to influence our culture, while also reading about tragedies like this one taking place in our world today (and praying for all of those suffering in that and all of the other tragedies around our world). And then I was thinking about the title of this blog (which happens to come from this song. And yes it is actually called it must really suck to be four year strong, which is the name of the band-they explain it here if you'd like to find out) and how fitting that phrase is to reflect on today, in 2012. While I don't necessarily (or usually) agree with that band on a lot of their worldviews, these lines particularly stuck out to me...why? Because it is our call...we are to evangelize (root word means, roughly, to bring the Gospel) our culture and the world around us. The world is dark, and our job as Christians (or just as human beings, if you prefer) is to be a light to those we encounter and to the culture as a whole.
Now, as to why it is so fitting to reflect on this today, the feast of Mary's Assumption into heaven. I won't attempt to spell out a theological explanation of the Assumption here, but if you want you can read what Pope Pius XII said in defining it here, or read Mark Hart of LifeTeen explain it in some more simple terms here, but for the sake of this reflection we will assume that Mary was in fact assumed into heaven (pun intended-if you're still confused, listen to Dr. Scott Hahn explain it here). So, since we now know that she was Assumed into heaven (just for kicks), now let's talk about why it so uplifting in a culture where it is hard to always see light.
When Mary was Assumed into heaven, she was receiving the rewards promised to each one of us by the free gift of Christ on the cross. Since she had been Immaculately Conceived (yes that's about Mary not Jesus, go back to Mark Hart if you're confused), Mary received these gifts differently. The hope for us, then, is that like her, we have the promise of eternal life with her Son in a very unique way. We have been given, by the grace of the cross, the ability to not suffer an eternal death, but rather receive the free gift of eternal life. So, when it looks dark in our culture, we ALWAYS have hope. John 1 says that the light has shined into the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it; Mary, for us, is that light. On the cross Christ gave her to us as our mother, and so the hope that came into the world through her is now offered to each one of us. Not bad, huh?
So, a few years later, I now realize why I called the blog what I did. I was traveling to Europe at the time and just thought it was fitting that one of my favorite bands had released a sweet song about going into the unknown and lighting up the darkness. What I found when I got there, came back, and kept living my life, is this: we all need to do our part to light up the darkness. If you are a light, if you are love, you will bring light. Watch this. What Will Smith quotes there is exactly what we are talking about-you can cure racism, you can cure hate, you can end terrorism, but it has to start with the individual person, not taking a second to stop. And that sounds really really tough. And that is why Mary is such an example. She said Yes. She blindly accepted the call of God for her. She walked with her Son all the way until the cross. She did not give up when it got tough. And then she was assumed body & soul into heaven, where she lives for all eternity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we, through her yes, and through the free gift of God the Father to give His Son, the free gift of the Son to die for us, and the free gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us each day, now have the ability to follow her into that eternal joy in the Kingdom of Heaven.
So today, we should celebrate life, celebrate joy, celebrate our Blessed Mother, and through her today and every day we should have hope. Hope that no matter how dark the world seems, the light shines into the darkness and darkness will never overcome it-we win. The end.
P.s. Bob Marley later became a Christian. I like to make sure people know that. He didn't just keep smoking weed his whole life. He was baptized on his death bed into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, although he had even wanted to be baptized before that. If you're interested read BadCatholic talk about that and some other stuff right here.
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