When I was little I was afraid of the dark, which often led to more work for my mom (as if with five children she didn’t have enough work already), because when it came to occasions for me to descend the steps into the dark and creepy basement, or ascend the flight of stairs to the dark second floor landing after we returned home late from an event or family party, or go to sleep with the monster lurking in the dark bedroom closet, I would inevitably have my fearless mother go before me to make sure it was safe. And, in her good natured way, she would descend to the bowels of the basement; or ascend to that darkened second floor; or go to the closet and tell that monster to scram; calling out to me: “See, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Today’s Solemnity of the Assumption focuses us in on the mystery of Our Lady’s death and immediate bodily assumption into that divine communion with the Most Holy Trinity through her Son. Yet this mystery is part and parcel of that even more fundamental mystery of her union with her Son, and through Him with His Body, in life and in death. She is our Mother because she is His Mother, and we are members of His Body and from the Cross He gave Our Lady to us; she is our elder Sister as well; she is that first and best disciple who has followed her Son in perfect fidelity during His earthly ministry and even to His Passion and Cross. Where our Divine Head has gone, our Mother and Sister has followed, and we fellow members of His Body are also meant to go.
Dear Friends, through grace the Lord lives His life again in us; His mysteries are our mysteries. Our Lord encountered setbacks, ridicule, misunderstanding, are we not to expect the same? Our Lord dealt with sleepless nights, danger, the anger of others, are we not to expect the same? Our Lord went to the Cross and died, are we not to expect crosses and trials in our lives? Do we not want to die so as to rest in the tomb with our Lord? Yet whether it be the simple fidelity of everyday life and the ordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves; or the frustration of setbacks and unexpected occurrences; or the trials and anguish of the crosses in our lives; or even death itself; never forget, our Mother has walked this path before us; she holds out her hand and says: “See, there is nothing to be afraid of.”
The Light of His Face 