THE ULTIMATE ASSUMPTION!

Forecasting is often regarded as both an art and a science. Science in the sense that econometric techniques help create equations that predict the future, but an art in the sense that "judgement" needs to be imposed on a model that cannot always be explained by an equation. So forecasting is the business of predicting the uncertain future. Forecasts help decision-makers (in my case, the government) to make informed decisions around fiscal planning today that will influence the future. There is no such thing as a "good" forecast when predicting the future, as the future is uncertain. 

Holy Family Art by Cassandra Joel 

A key driver of an objective forecast is based on the quality of the assumptions. An assumption is defined as "something accepted as true" and can be regarded as a fact or statement. Obviously, poor or weak assumptions can be hopelessly wrong and far from the truth! 

Outside of the world of forecasting, we would lose track of how many assumptions we make daily. We assume we have enough petrol in the tank to drive a further 30 km, we presume the intentions of people around us and more. However, more often than not, we get our assumptions wrong, as we are human.

As Christians, we assume that our bodies and souls will be reunited and take on their glorified form one day. The incredible pain that the death of a loved one brings to our hearts is from the separation of body and soul. Someone dear to us who once had so much personality is separated from their body. As Christians, we believe the separation death causes is the consequence of sin. However, we are filled with the hope that one day our souls will be reunited with our bodies, as that was the original plan God had in mind before sin entered the world. 

Why do we assume our bodies and souls will be reunited in the resurrection? The life of Mary, Our Mother in heaven, is the very hope and sign that points us to the anticipation of heavenly glory.

1. Mary was born free of the stain of original sin, and through her "Yes!", she allowed through the action of the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus, the Son of God. By principle, she is the Mother of God and the Mother of us all (see "I am a Child of God"). 
2. Mary accompanied Jesus from an infant to childhood and as an adult. Mary prompted Jesus to perform his first miracle at the Wedding of Cana by interceding on behalf of the young couple in their hour of need. Many disciples abandoned Jesus along the road to Calvary and on the cross while she remained by her son. She could have instead protested or objected but lovingly accepting that His death would bring about the salvation of mankind. 
3. After Jesus resurrected from the dead and ascended into heaven, Mary remained by the side of the first apostles, praying and imploring the Holy Spirit. Her earthly responsibilities had now come to an end. She was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory (known as the Assumption of Mary). 

Mary was taken into heaven without undergoing the corruption of the body through death because she was immaculate and free of the stain of original sin. This point is so fundamental to understanding why Christians believe our bodies and souls will be reunited at the end of time. Like us in her humanity, Mary shows us that the integration of body and soul makes us a person, and God intends to reunite body and soul in heavenly glory. 

Mary was assumed into heaven to continue her earthly responsibility as Mother of the Church, praying and interceding on our behalf as she did for that young couple. The difference is that she is no longer bound by time and space constraints as she was on earth. Instead, she can intercede for millions of Christians from all over the world at the same time in heaven. 

Mothers on earth look with greater love on their weakest children, the ones suffering from some sort of illness, learning problem, or is crippled. Our Mother in heaven is the Mother of all other mothers, and because we are children of God, she looks down as a loving Mother on our weakness, illness, and crippling nature (The Forge, 234).

We know we have a spiritual Mother in heaven. Like how we can run to our earthly mothers with any problem, trouble, or joy and abandon ourselves in her loving arms. As Christians, the abandonment of Mary Our Mother is a sure way that will lead us to Jesus. Mary never changed wine into water for the young couple in Cana but took their problem and, like any good Mother, told her son to please help those in need. Catholics are often misunderstood to equate Mary to the level of God. We simply take the miracle at the wedding of Cana quite literally. We realise we can go to her with our problems, and she hears those petitions and goes straight to Jesus to fix them (I rate, Wonder Woman is looking pretty dull at this stage). 

In my experience with forecasting, I have found three essential lessons come in handy:

1. A forecast requires a plan. Otherwise, you will never meet the tight deadlines and objectives.
2. Forecasts require many iterations to refine and complete. It is easy for an artist to get the picture to come together, but what takes time is getting the balance, composure, and finer details just right.
3. Simplicity is essential, and I often find that overcomplicating things gets you into a mess and takes you a few steps back. 

I thought these three points are relevant to our own spiritual life: 

1. If our spiritual life (our relationship with God and those around us) will be the measure that gets us to heaven, we need to have at least a plan to grow in this area of our life. A short plan will go a long way in helping to put aside time every day to spend time with God. This could be quiet prayer, read the Gospel for five minutes, do ten minutes of spiritual reading, pray the Rosary, and examine your conscience before bed. 
2. The habit of ticking those items off the list takes us a step forward to no longer simply fulfil the points on the list as some sort of routine checklist. Still, with the time we give to God, it will be multiplied. We may start to see spiritual growth within our own lives and enter into a deeper relationship with God. 
3. I read a point in a reflection that said: "We will be remembered by our simplicity, and not by our power, esteem and prestige!". Mary's simplicity and humility attracted God to call her His Mother and Our Mother! We, too, can pray to God to receive the virtues of simplicity and humility and imitate Our Mother in heaven. 

"The contemplation of Christ has a remarkable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving from her a human resemblance which points to an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary." (St John Paul II)

 

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