Posted on 08/15/2005 4:09:09 AM PDT by Siobhan
The Assumption of Mary - August 15 The Feast of Mary's Assumption
To listen to the PodCast of The Assumption of Mary - Click here!
This discussion of the Catholic Doctrine of Mary's Assumption, defined by Pope Pius XII as a dogma of faith, originally appeared as an article on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in Our Sunday Visitor.
I once asked a college theology class if anyone could explain the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. A student replied, yeah, thats the teaching whereby the Catholic Church assumes that Mary is in heaven.
Theres a bit more to the dogma of the Assumption than that. The Church does not just assume that any canonized saint in is in heaven. Rather, it authoritatively declares that a person is in glory and should therefore be honored in liturgy and imitated in life. Our church calendar is filled with saints' days.
But why a particular day for each saint? The first evidence for this goes back to 155AD, to a bishop named Polycarp. The account of his martyrdom notes that after his execution, the faithful collected his bones, more precious than gold, and put them in a place of honor where every year they gathered to celebrate the anniversary of his death as a sort of birthday into eternal life. Celebrating Mass in the catacombs over the relics of the martyrs' led to the practice of putting relics in the main altar of every church. Eventually saints who did not die a martyrs death were also commemorated on their heavenly birthday and their relics were accorded great honor.
From very early times, August 15 has been observed as the birthday of our Blessed Lady. On this greatest of all Marian feasts we celebrate the greatest moment of her life being permanently re-united with her son and sharing his glory.
All the saints experience the beatific vision upon their entry into heaven, and we celebrate this on every saints day. But there is something unique about Marys day. The Catholic Church teaches authoritatively that it is not just Marys soul that was admitted to Gods glory, but that at the end of her earthly life, Marys body as well as her soul was assumed into heaven by the loving power of God.
There is no eyewitness account of this actual event recorded in the Bible. Come to think of it, though, no one witnessed the actual resurrection of Jesus either. The evidence was an empty tomb and eyewitness reports that the Risen Lord had appeared to them.
Interesting parallel here. There is a tomb at the foot of the Mt. of Olives where ancient tradition says that Mary was laid. But there is nothing inside. There are no relics, as with other saints. And credible apparitions of Mary, though not recorded in the New Testament, have been recorded from the 3rd century till today.
Mary is not equal to Christ, of course. Jesus, though possessing a complete human nature, is the Eternal Word made flesh. Mary is only a creature.
But she is a unique creature, the highest of all creatures. This is not just because she was born without the handicap of original sin. Eve and Adam were born free of sin as well, but it did not stop them from sinning as soon as they had the chance. Mary instead chose, with the help of Gods grace, to preserve her God-given purity throughout the whole of her life.
The bodily corruption of death was not Gods original plan. It came into the world through sin, as St. Paul says the sting of death is sin (I Cor 15:56). So it is fitting that she who knew no sin should know no decay and no delay in enjoying the full fruits of her sons work. It is fitting that she who stood by Christ under the cross should stand by him bodily at the right hand of the Father. The Queen stands at your right hand, in gold of Ophir (Ps 45). Enoch and Elijah, who the Old Testament says were assumed into heaven, were surely great in Gods eyes. But they do not begin to compare with the immaculate mother of His Son.
We too, one day, insofar as we accept Gods grace, will stand at His right hand. But Paul says that all will come to life again, but each one in proper order (I Cor 15:23). The Redeemer, of course, blazes the resurrection trail. But who is to be first among his disciples? The one who is last is first, the Lords humble handmaid who did no more than say yes, and keep saying yes, and whose soul magnified not herself, but the Lord. To listen to the PodCast of The Assumption of Mary - Click here!
This article on the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin mary originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor for the Feast of the Assumption and is reprinted here with permission.
For other readings about the doctrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, come read St. John Damascene's Ancient Homily on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary by Pius XII! |
Bishops and Prelates may say it isn't a Holy Day of Obligation but YOUR MOMMA still expects to see you at Holy Mass TODAY!
Yours truly,
Interfering Unreconstructed Irish Catholic Lady
Ping
Galvanized, I picked up the parish bulletin, and there's 11:00 a.m. Mass! I will load up the goofball offspring and take up a whole row. (I admit, we needed to go to the bank, anyway, to do some paperwork for Girl Scouts :-). Maybe Father (the poor dear is 67, sole pastor of a parish of over 1,000 families, *and* Diocesan Education Director) will have time to hear our Confessions before Mass.
And if everyone's perfect (ahem) I'll take them to the sub shop for lunch afterward!
So I'd better get off the computer and get everyone going on their remedial math for the day!
pinglet
Tone 3.
O You Apostles from far off,
Being gathered together
in the village of Gethsemane,
Lay my body in burial,
And You, my Son, and my God,
Receive now my spirit from me.
You are the sweetness of Angels,
The gladness of the afflicted ones,
A protection of all Christians,
O Virgin Mother of our Lord;
Grant me now help and save me
From the eternal torments.
I have you as Mediator
Before God who loves mankind;
May He not question my action
Before the hosts of the Angels,
I ask of you, O Virgin,
Hasten now quickly to my aid.
You are a tower adorned with gold,
A city surrounded by twelve walls,
A shining throne touched by the sun,
A royal seat for the King,
O unexplainable wonder,
How do you nurse the Master?
Priest: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy and save us.
ping please
>> Bishops and Prelates may say it isn't a Holy Day of Obligation but YOUR MOMMA still expects to see you at Holy Mass TODAY! <<
:^D
This year it is a Holy Day of Obligation, however!
God bless!
BTTT on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2006!
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