ASSUMPTIONS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Assumptions.”
MUCH OF LIFE IS BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS
Much of life is based on assumptions.
We assume that the car will start when we turn the key.
We assume we’ll get to work in 35 minutes or whatever time it usually takes us each day.
We assume that Route 50 leading to the Bay Bridge will be backed up big time on Friday afternoons in the summer.
Depending on the priest, we assume this Mass will take 35 to 45 minutes. I assume today's homily will be shorter than a Sunday homily.
Assumptions.
CHECK THEM OUT
We assume it’s smart to check out some assumptions. We’ve all heard the break down of the word “assume” – ASS U ME. They can make an ass out of u and me – unless we communicate – unless we check out our assumptions with each other.
FOR EXAMPLE: READINGS FOR A FUNERAL OR A WEDDING
When someone dies and they contact the office here at St. Mary’s for a funeral, one of the things a family is given is a booklet. It has prayers and readings. The family goes through the scripture readings in the booklet and say, “This fits.” “This doesn’t fit.” “This is mom!” “This isn’t mom.”
The choice is based on assumptions. When none fits, they sometimes ask if they can pick some other reading from the Bible. No problem.
Some people even pick out the readings and music they want for their funeral, long before they die. It’s a good assumption that we will die.
I just received an e-mail on this issue of assumptions. A family went through the funeral preparation process here a few years ago for a loved one. They moved to another state. Someone else dies. They assumed they could pick the readings etc. in that parish. Surprise! Someone there says, “No! We don’t do that here.”
Assumptions.
There is a booklet for weddings. A couple go through readings, prayers, how they want to do their vows, etc. I assume a couple does this homework. Most do. A few don’t. I discover how good my assumptions were at the Friday evening rehearsal.
Assumptions
THE READINGS AT MASS
The readings at ordinary Masses follow a pattern of going through the different books of the Bible on an ongoing schedule. When it comes to a feast like today, I assume some committee sat down years and years ago and had a yellow pad on one hand and a Bible on the other hand and picked readings they thought would match the feast.
THIS FEAST’S READINGS
FOR EXAMPLE: READINGS FOR A FUNERAL OR A WEDDING
When someone dies and they contact the office here at St. Mary’s for a funeral, one of the things a family is given is a booklet. It has prayers and readings. The family goes through the scripture readings in the booklet and say, “This fits.” “This doesn’t fit.” “This is mom!” “This isn’t mom.”
The choice is based on assumptions. When none fits, they sometimes ask if they can pick some other reading from the Bible. No problem.
Some people even pick out the readings and music they want for their funeral, long before they die. It’s a good assumption that we will die.
I just received an e-mail on this issue of assumptions. A family went through the funeral preparation process here a few years ago for a loved one. They moved to another state. Someone else dies. They assumed they could pick the readings etc. in that parish. Surprise! Someone there says, “No! We don’t do that here.”
Assumptions.
There is a booklet for weddings. A couple go through readings, prayers, how they want to do their vows, etc. I assume a couple does this homework. Most do. A few don’t. I discover how good my assumptions were at the Friday evening rehearsal.
Assumptions
THE READINGS AT MASS
The readings at ordinary Masses follow a pattern of going through the different books of the Bible on an ongoing schedule. When it comes to a feast like today, I assume some committee sat down years and years ago and had a yellow pad on one hand and a Bible on the other hand and picked readings they thought would match the feast.
THIS FEAST’S READINGS
So I assume the readings for today’s feast of Mary’s Assumption touch on this feast and try to help us with our faith.
The first reading for this feast of the Assumption is from The Book of Revelation. I assume they picked this New Testament reading – even though the first reading is usually from the Old Testament – because of this mysterious mythic image of the woman in the skies – whom many have applied to Mary. Mary models the Church – who brings the Christ, the Anointed One, the Savior to the nations.
The second reading is from First Corinthians. I assume it uses one of Resurrection texts in this letter from St. Paul because the feast of the Assumption is a Resurrection feast. This is Mary’s Easter.
With faith, hope, and love, we assume we will have our Easter. We assume this because of and through Christ. With, in, and through Christ, we too can make it past death and assume a new life after death.
Resurrection, life after death, is one great assumption. Many people don’t make this assumption. They assume life ends at death. We don’t agree. We base our assumption that Christ rose from the dead – that Christ is the one who reaches for us and saves us from death – and brings us into eternal life.
So the Assumption of Mary is one great assumption. The Church by developing the theology of Mary’s Assumption – which has had a long slow development through the centuries - was finally declared a dogmatic teaching of our church in 1950. [Cf. Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII, “Munificentissimus Deus,” Defining the Dogma of the Assumption, November 1, 1950.]
Today’s gospel takes a story from the Gospels, from Luke, who has the best stuff on Mary. The story tells about her visiting her cousin Elizabeth – who needed her help.
Then Luke gives us the Magnificat. Luke puts this early Christian hymn into Mary’s mouth.
I assume this is a wonderful piece of bible archeology. It tells us that the Early Church around the year 80 to 85 – had already developed this rich theology about Mary. Those Christian churches who think we Catholics came up with our theology about Mary centuries – even a millennium – after the Gospels – might want to rethink their assumptions about Mary – based on how Catholics understand the Bible. We don’t take everything literally. We think the Bible presents great archeology. We dig into the scriptures and ask, “Why is this text here? What does this text tell us about the period in which it was written?” Rich discoveries can be the result. [Cf. Vatican II’s, The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, November 18, 1965.]
CONCLUSION
What am I saying? I am saying that we base much of our lives on assumptions. This means we also base our faith on assumptions. The scripture texts help us clarify, dig into, check out, and strengthen our assumptions about life here and hereafter. Amen.
The first reading for this feast of the Assumption is from The Book of Revelation. I assume they picked this New Testament reading – even though the first reading is usually from the Old Testament – because of this mysterious mythic image of the woman in the skies – whom many have applied to Mary. Mary models the Church – who brings the Christ, the Anointed One, the Savior to the nations.
The second reading is from First Corinthians. I assume it uses one of Resurrection texts in this letter from St. Paul because the feast of the Assumption is a Resurrection feast. This is Mary’s Easter.
With faith, hope, and love, we assume we will have our Easter. We assume this because of and through Christ. With, in, and through Christ, we too can make it past death and assume a new life after death.
Resurrection, life after death, is one great assumption. Many people don’t make this assumption. They assume life ends at death. We don’t agree. We base our assumption that Christ rose from the dead – that Christ is the one who reaches for us and saves us from death – and brings us into eternal life.
So the Assumption of Mary is one great assumption. The Church by developing the theology of Mary’s Assumption – which has had a long slow development through the centuries - was finally declared a dogmatic teaching of our church in 1950. [Cf. Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII, “Munificentissimus Deus,” Defining the Dogma of the Assumption, November 1, 1950.]
Today’s gospel takes a story from the Gospels, from Luke, who has the best stuff on Mary. The story tells about her visiting her cousin Elizabeth – who needed her help.
Then Luke gives us the Magnificat. Luke puts this early Christian hymn into Mary’s mouth.
I assume this is a wonderful piece of bible archeology. It tells us that the Early Church around the year 80 to 85 – had already developed this rich theology about Mary. Those Christian churches who think we Catholics came up with our theology about Mary centuries – even a millennium – after the Gospels – might want to rethink their assumptions about Mary – based on how Catholics understand the Bible. We don’t take everything literally. We think the Bible presents great archeology. We dig into the scriptures and ask, “Why is this text here? What does this text tell us about the period in which it was written?” Rich discoveries can be the result. [Cf. Vatican II’s, The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, November 18, 1965.]
CONCLUSION
What am I saying? I am saying that we base much of our lives on assumptions. This means we also base our faith on assumptions. The scripture texts help us clarify, dig into, check out, and strengthen our assumptions about life here and hereafter. Amen.
