Finally, the moment of the Assumption arrives, when God calls Mary to heaven.
I read that Clare of Assisi before dying said these marvelous words, “I thank you, Lord, for having created me,” meaning: by creating me you have acquired your own glory. Hers was a death of love.
If only heaven would wish something like this for us!
If we remain faithful, our own death too will not be simply a physical death, but a death of love. We too will rise up to meet our Mother, our Saint, our Model, the one who on this earth was our Head, our Queen, and our Mother.
And we will see the glory of Mary, Queen of heaven and of earth. Above all, we will see her surrounded by those who loved her in a special way.
And we, each following the pattern of being a little Mary, will see ourselves surrounded by those who with our sacrifices, with our drops of blood joined to those of Mary and of Jesus, with our words, and with our prayers, we have helped to fulfill God’s plan for them, helping them thus to reach paradise…
Mary therefore is the model of our sanctification. We rejoice and are grateful to see how her life sheds so much light on our own.
Chiara Lubich is the founder and president of the Focolare movement.
