The Dormition or 'Death' of Our Mother

The Dormition or Death of Our Lady swells the hearts of her children. 

Recently my wife and I made a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France where Our Lady appeared 18 times to St. Bernadette.  The walk from our hotel to Our Lady's Grotto where the apparitions occurred took us through a series of narrow streets lined with souvenir shops and vendor stands selling everything from candles and rosaries to large plastic statues of Our Lady.

My camera mostly hung on my shoulder until we entered the shop of a religious community called Bethlehem.  Everything there was very expensive and far above our travel budget.  We left only with images in our heads and hearts and yes, a few on my camera's memory card, of the shop's masterpiece - The Dormition of Mary.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."  How much more beautiful and precious must have been the death of the Blessed Virgin!  To the Apostles and the other witnesses, although a loss, it was full of consolation and edification.  

To herself it was her final triumph on earth, the end of sorrows, the commencement of glory.  The angels surrounded her death-bed.  The Lord Jesus was waiting for her soul, just beyond the veil, to reward her for all she had done for Him, to set the crown upon her head, to lead her into the kingdom and present her to the Eternal Father.  

The Holy Trinity welcomed her, and all the courts of heaven were filled with joy at the entrance of their Queen.  Then "a throne was set for the King's mother, and she sat on His right hand" (3 Kings ii., 19).  

Pray her to help you in your death that it be like hers.