Dear brothers and sisters,
Saint Paul has just reminded us of the very heart of our hope: "For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ."
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the first great fulfillment of this promise after Christ. If Christ is the first fruits of the Resurrection, Mary is the first among those who fully belong to Him to share, with her whole being, in His victory over death.
In a few moments we will walk in procession to her tomb. It is a deeply meaningful gesture. We are going to a tomb that speaks not of death, but of life; not of absence, but of presence; not of an ending, but of fulfillment.
The tomb of the Virgin reminds us that death does not have the last word. Whoever belongs to Christ shares in His destiny. This is the hope of the Church, and it is the hope of each one of us.
Let us entrust our journey to Mary. She, who has already reached the goal, may accompany us who are still pilgrims, so that one day we too may share in the same promise: to receive, in Christ, the fullness of life.
