Vigils Reading – Assumption of the BVM

TODAY SHE HAS FOUND HIM

From a sermon by St Aelred of Rievaulx1

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Among all those who are Christ’s, she who tastes his goodness more

intimately and more delicately is of greater excellence, more blessed, and more

attractive. She is to him not only a creature, a handmaid, a friend, and a

daughter, but also a mother. So, then it is only right that we welcome her feast

with greater delight and gladness. But today even more we should rejoice with

her because today her joy was completely fulfilled. Great was her joy when the

angel greeted her. Great was her joy when she felt the coming of the Holy Spirit,

when that marvelous fusion of the Son of God with her flesh took place in her

womb, so that he, one and the same, was the Son of God and her Son. Great was

her joy when she held such a Son in her arms, when she listened to his words,

when she saw his miracles. And because her sorrow was so great at the Passion,

she took wondrous joy again in his resurrection and greater still at his

ascension. But all these joys were surpassed by the joy which she receives today.

Up to this day…Mary, the blessed Mother of God, knew her dearest Son

in the flesh. Although she fastened all her desires and all her love there, where

he was, after her dearest Son and Lord ascended into heaven, so long as she

remained in this corruptible flesh, what she had seen of him in the flesh could

not fade from her memory. For his deeds and words were always coming to her

mind and above all there lingered in her heart the features of his exquisite face.

Today, however, she passed from this world and went up to the heavenly

kingdom. There she began to contemplate his brightness, power, and divinity,

and her joy and her longing were fulfilled. So with good reason could she say: “I

have found him whom my soul loves”. She holds him and she does not let him

go… Today she has found him whom her soul loves, she has found him in spirit,11

she loves him in spirit, she holds him in spirit and therefore she will never again

lose him…

She loved him more than anyone else did, so she yearned for him more

than anyone else did, and therefore sought him more persistently. But him

whom until now her flesh loved, now her soul loves. And now she says: “I will

rise and go the rounds of the city”. Today the Blessed Virgin went up into heaven

and went round the whole of that heavenly city in the full natural vigor of her

mind. Today she entered that heavenly court. She saw the white robes of the

virgins, the ruddy crowns of the martyrs, the thrones of the apostles, and in the

midst of them she found her Son reigning. Ascending higher than the very

highest of the saints, she has arrived at such knowledge of the divinity that she

then glories in having found him for the first time… She holds him in the

embraces of an utterly perfect love and she can never lose him because she can

never love him any less.

Let us lift up our hearts therefore, brothers, to Our Lady, our Advocate.

Let us reflect on how much hope we have in her. Just as she surpasses every

creature in excellence, so also she is more merciful and kinder than any

creature. Let us then confidently entreat her who can by her excellence assist us

and by her mercy chooses to do so, that she may implore her Son for us so that

as he deigned to be born of her for us, he may through her deign to have mercy

on us.