Dear Brothers and Sisters, We believe that the Body of Jesus Christ is now in heaven. This doctrine is called the Ascension and is explicitly revealed in the Bible. All Christians believe, too, that the bodies of the just will be united to their souls at the end of the world and be glorified in heaven after the manner of the Risen Body of Christ. This is also revealed explicitly in the New Testament. It follows, therefore, that the bodies and souls of the departed saints are now separated, that their souls are in heaven and their bodies in the grave. But we believe too that the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also in heaven. We call this doctrine the Assumption. What does this mean? How can we understand this?

We believe that the bodies of both Jesus and Mary are now in heaven.

But Jesus arose from the tomb and ascended into heaven by his own power, whereas Mary's body was taken up to heaven by the power of her Son. At the end of her earthly life Mary was taken up, body and soul, into Heaven, that is, into the glory of eternal life, into full and perfect communion with God.

And that's why today the Church is celebrating one of the most important feasts of the Liturgical Year dedicated to Mary Most Holy: the Assumption.

Every one of us can ask: why is this great honor for Mary?

We've known answer from the Gospel. Mary had the great faith. And this faith of the Virgin of Nazareth is obedience to the word of God. Her faith is total abandonment to the divine action and initiative, exactly in accordance with what the Archangel announced to her.

Faith, therefore, is Mary’s greatness, as Elizabeth joyfully proclaims: Mary is "blessed among women" and "blessed is the fruit of [her] womb", for she is Mother of the Lord" because she believed.

And Elizabeth confesses it in her joy and in that of her child who leaps in her womb: “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord”.

Why did Elizabeth say this words? Why did she proclaim Mary is blessed among women? Let's look at Mary. She didn’t stay at home when the Archangel announced to her that she is becoming mother of God. She couldn’t stay at home. Because her faith wouldn’t let her stay at home. Mary had to announce what happened. And therefore she came to Elizabeth to share their faith, she came to Elizabeth to share the intimacy with Jesus. Because who is in intimacy with Jesus must share it with others. This is true faith.

Mary was close to Jesus throughout her life, and he had be close to him after her earthly life. When we are close to Jesus now, then we could be close to Jesus after our life.

We know Elizabeth’s words very well. And probably we say these words maybe a few times every day. Because these are the words of the prayer “Hail Mary”. And when we pray Hail Mary, then we proclaim joy because Mary is mother of God.

And when we pray “Hail Mary” we must to remember that Mary has given us an example of faith. Especially today, when we are looking up at Mary who is in heaven with her Son, we must think about our faith. And we must ask ourselves: What about my faith? How is my faith? Is it like faith of Mary?

Dear friends, we are like Mary, called to live through faith in a perfect communion of love with the Lord and hence to live truly.

Let us pray the Lord that he will may strengthen our faith, make us people of hope who work to build a world open to God. Amen!