56. August 15 - Dormition and Assumption of the Ever Virgin Mary

I saw no purpose in following the hikers all the way to the foot of Tabor so I left them to have some summer fun. Without purpose or deadline, I simply flew around and around the skies of Jerusalem. I had no sense of the eras I was flying through nor did I care. The air was thin, fresh and dust free! I felt so clean and energized. Flocks of birds below me looked up and chirped sweet hellos. I didn't even let myself think. I didn't wonder where I should have been because I didn't care. Joy.

Then, out of the corner of my eye I perceived another angel flying alongside me. It was large and very fast. I slowed down to get a better look and watched it fly figure eights and spirals. It made me dizzy to look at it. I thought to resume my own pleasures while trying to ignore the faster angel when it slowed down enough for me to recognize Poppy!

She exclaimed, "That was terrific! I haven't had so much fun in ages."

"Poppy! What are you doing here?" I spit out in my astonishment.

She replied cheerfully, "The Bride told me to fetch you for your next assignment. Your flights inspired me to take a little play-break! Now, I don't even want to go back!"

Poppy was the happy kind of angel I wished I was.

Then with innocent enthusiasm she said, "Don't you adore the Bride? I just love how Her children form Her as She forms them.

Mothers are wonderful, aren't they? I think the best human mothers manifest God's love. In fact, I imagine that to be reunited with a holy mom makes heaven worth aspiring to, for a human that is."

I replied, "Poppy, wouldn't it have been nice to have a mother?"

"Yeah" said Poppy dreamily. "I suppose we can pretend the Bride and Jesus's mother, are our mothers. Mary reminds me of Eve or rather the kind of person Eve should have been instead of being so skeptical." With that, Poppy struck a cord in my soul and she knew it.

Quickly glossing over her insinuation of my negativity, I responded, "Mary is the most trusting person I have ever met. Eve never even suffered and she didn't trust God, but Mary suffered shame and embarrassment, physical hardships, abandonment, grief and separation and all the while she calmly and patiently trusted Him. Pretty amazing." As I heard myself speak those words I felt a cleansing and calming spirit surge through my heart.

Remembering why she came to meet me Poppy popped out of her nostalgia, "Your assignment! We must hurry. We need to gather the disciples and rush them over to Mary's house in Ephesus. She wants to speak to Her Son's best friends before She leaves them. Can you do that?"

"How will I find them?" I asked.

"Look here, I have programmed them into this ap called Find My Friends. I will take the ones north of this line and you grab the others. Ephesus, in Turkey, is also marked on this map. Now, let's hurry, Mary is ready to rejoin Her beloved Son. I have instructed Her angel to wait for us."

"Okay Poppy, but how do you expect me to gather people who can't even fly?"

Poppy's cheerful expression turned to sadness. I soon realized that it was the sadness of disappointment in me.

"My angel friend," she said condescendingly "simply tell their guardian angels that Mary wants to speak with them before She dies. They will figure it out. Once in a while God overcomes nature for His will to be done. This is one of those rare but important occasions.

Come on, let's go! I'll bet I can beat you to Ephesus!" With that Poppy took off like a rocket.

Up for the challenge I internalized my map and took off too.

When I arrived at the bedside of Mary (before Poppy) Gabriel was already there, and a few other angels and friends who I didn't recognize. Mary looked as radiant and lovely as She did when I first met Her giving birth last December. Her serene face greeted the disciples who one by one joined Her bedside audience.

When she was sure everyone had arrived, She began to speak. Her parting words brought tears to every human and angelic eye in the room.

“My children, I heard that My Son said to Mary and Martha, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die?' I will die today, but I will live and never die.

I want you also to be filled with life, which is also the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit, so you too may never taste the corroding effects of sin and death."

Then She paused. I couldn't tell whether she was listening to receive the words, or if She merely needed to regain strength.

"I abjure you My children to endure life in peace and trust. Heal everyone who asks. Answer prayers for our Lord whenever and however you can. Feed the poor, heal the sick, give sight to the blind and knit lonely hearts to each other so that their sadness may turn to joy.

Remind the children of my Son's Bride, the Church, that although they are in this world, they are not of it. My peace I leave you."

Mary struggled to speak these final words: "Farewell my brothers and sisters, love each other, until we meet again...." then She paused and took one final breath of earth's air and whispered... "in glory."

Her eyes shut gently as in a deep sleep. The serene smile on Her face remained fixed to expose to us the pure joy of Her trusting heart.

I cannot tell you whether Her holy body was first placed in a tomb or whether it rose immediately. All of us witnesses of Her assumption straddled heaven and earth, so that we didn't know whether Her body was with Her soul or not when Poppy and Gabriel and all of the angels, even I, ascended with Mary's spirit.

We surrounded Her as a white luminous cloud up to the royal doors of the Throne Room of God where Jesus stood waiting to receive His holy Mother and Queen.

When we arrived She pulled away from us and went over to kneel before Him in the same manner that She knelt in prayer under His Cross. He reached down and tapped Her shoulder and extended His hand to lift Her up. She looked at His glowing face and received the hand of Her Lord and Son and then gracefully stood in front of Him. They hugged each other tightly both with tears of joy streaming down Their holy cheeks. Finally, They released Their grip on each other, and Jesus took Her hand again and said, "Come, Mother, I want to introduce you to Our Father." Michael then opened the royal doors. Mary walked in with Jesus close behind Her.

But before entering Jesus turned, grabbed my eyes with His, and said to me, "Go back now. I'll see you again in two weeks and then we can talk. Poppy, take him back to earth quickly for the final event of the year."

With that, Jesus entered the Throne Room and the huge royal doors closed behind Them.

Poppy look at me with a huge grin and said, "Wanna race?"