Thou shall not leave my soul in Hell, neither shalt
Thou suffer Thy holy one to see
corruption (Psalm xv. 1O)
On the third day after Mary's death, when the
Apostles gathered around her tomb, they found
it empty. The sacred body had been carried up
to the celestial Paradise. Jesus Himself came to
conduct her thither; the whole court of Heaven
came to welcome with songs of triumph the Mother
of the Divine Word. What a chorus of exultation! Hark how they cry, "Lift up your gates, O
ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates,
and the Queen of Glory shall enter in."
Why was Mary's body received into Heaven
instead of remaining in the earth, like the rest of
mankind? The grave had no power over one who
was immaculate. Her flesh could not see corruption. Her body had been overshadowed by the
Holy Ghost; it had been the sacred temple in
which had dwelt God incarnate, and so it had a
claim to ascend whither the Body of her Son had
already gone before.
But the chief reason was that, as she had
shared in each detail in the sorrows and agony of
her Son, so it was right that she should take part
in His triumph. To her it was due that she
should without delay enter into the joy of her
Lord, her Son, her God. O happy Mary! what
were all her dolors compared with the joy of that
first moment of Heaven! How light are all our
sorrows compared with tlie eternal weight of glory
prepared for us!
See the Virgin Mother rise.
Angels bear her to the skies!