Solemnity of Our Lady of the Assumption

August 15 is my most favorite day of the year -- well, one of them at least.  Having been pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Claremont for 15 years before coming to Good shepherd in Beverly Hills, I had many occasions and lots of time to reflect on the meaning of this feast for us, Catholic Christians today.  I tried to embody some of that in my homily today, which you can listen to here:


Or you can access it at this web address (click here).

Here's what I wrote on the Good Shepherd bulletin cover:

This image of Mary taken into heaven is the tapestry that graces Our Lady of Assumption Church in Claremont, where I served fifteen years before coming here to Good Shepherd. The feast we are celebrating today remains very dear to me, as it is to all Catholics, celebrating the entry of Mary into the same glory that is promised to us.  This beautiful creation is the work of the Barillet Studios of Paris in the early 1950s.  As our parishes are united in Christ and his holy Mother, I ask your prayers for the people of the OLA parish community as we celebrate their patronal feast. (Photo by Fr. Tom Welbers)

That tapestry certainly represents the triumph and glory that we often associate with the Assumption.  As I note in my homily, however, Eastern Christianity has a very different perspective on this same feast, and they traditionally call it the "Dormition of Mary."  (That name is actually older than the "assumption.")  Compare the two images, which I reflect on in my homily, and see which one speaks most deeply to you. (This image is in the Church of St. Savior in Chora [Kariye Museum] in Istanbul, and one of a magnificent series of photos of Turkey by Dutch photographer Dick Osseman, freely available on the web.)