Posted on 01/12/2013 9:45:29 AM PST by count-your-change
Although once considered a binding "probable opinion" by the Catholic church, in 1950 the belief that the virgin Mary war taken into heaven "body and soul" was declared dogma for Catholic believers.
As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes in agreement with the Catechism of the Catholic church:
(Today, the belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is universal in the East and in the West; according to Benedict XIV (De Festis B.V.M., I, viii, 18) it is a probable opinion, which to deny were impious and blasphemous.)
(Note: By promulgating the Bull Munificentissimus Deus, 1 November, 1950, Pope Pius XII declared infallibly that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a dogma of the Catholic Faith)
But what is the evidence claimed in support of this belief that Mary was taken "body and soul" into heaven?
In summation the catholic Encyclopeia offers:
(St. John of Damascus (P.G., I, 96) thus formulates the tradition of the Church of Jerusalem: St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), made known to the Emperor Marcian and Pulcheria, who wished to possess the body of the Mother of God, that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened, upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty; wherefrom the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven)
(Excerpt) Read more at newadvent.org › Catholic Encyclopedia ...
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] The Assumption of Mary [from Hallowed Ground}
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] Our Blessed Lady's Assumption
CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] The Feast of the Assumption Is Our Feast Too
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Where was Mary assumed to?
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Assumpta est Maria in cælum!
Why do we believe in the Assumption? (Catholic Caucus)
On Mary, Mother of Priests (Assumption)
The Assumption/Dormition: Mystery of Mary, Meaning of Life
From Eden to Eternity: A Homily on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 15 August [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Assumption and the World by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
The Early Church Fathers on the Assumption [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY: A BELIEF SINCE APOSTOLIC TIMES [Ecumenical]
August 15, Feast of the Assumption - Did Mary's Assumption Really Occur? [Ecumenical]
Assumption Sermon of Rev James Bartoloma 8/16/07 (on Summorum Pontificum)
Angelus - Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2007)
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Meditations for this Feast Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION
Why Catholics Believe in the Assumption of Mary
St. John Damascene: Homily 3 on the Assumption/Dormition
St. John Damascene: Homily II on the Assumption/Dormition
St. John Damascene: Homily I on the Assumption/Dormition
Catholic Caucus: The Assumption of Mary - Marcellino D'Ambrosio, PhD
Today's the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15th.
Maronite Catholic: Qolo (Hymn) of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Gregory Palamas: On the Dormition of Our Supremely Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
Maronite Catholic: Qolo (Hymn) of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Catholic Caucus: A NOVENA OF FASTING AND PRAYERS/ASSUMPTION/DORMITION
St. Gregory Palamas: On the Dormition of Our Supremely Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
The Fourth Glorious Mystery
Archbishop Sheen Today! -- The glorious assumption
The Assumption Of The Blessed Virgin Mary Reflections For The Feast 2003
A Homily on the Dormition of Our Supremely Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
The Assumption Of Mary
If Elijah and Enoch were assumed into heaven, why can’t the Blessed Virgin Mary be assumed into heaven.
Where are the bodies of Elijah, Enoch and the Blessed Virgin Mary?
This gives me an insight into your point of view.
What about what was foretold in Isaiah 26:19?
But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy— your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
What about Romans 8:11?
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you.
And that business with Thomas putting his fingers into His wounds and his hand into His side? What was that about?
“And that business with Thomas putting his fingers into His wounds and his hand into His side? What was that about?”
How best to prove to Thomas Jesus was alive? Angels had the ability to produce a body that could eat, be grappled with, able to hold hands with someone, be lusted after!, so why not Jesus having that same ability? Even if that body did look the same during one of his appearances.
Romans 8:11 says nothing about going to heaven or fleshly bodies going into heaven, note vs. 10 and the sense in which the body is dead and given life.
Paul says that if God could raise Christ he could raise those Corinthians from being dead in their sins. (vs 11).
“What about what was foretold in Isaiah 26:19?”
A resurrection is foretold but there is no hint of any heavenly resurrection being spoken of, a privilege not open before Christ, least of all an assumption of fleshly bodies into heaven.
In fact Isa. 25:8 was referenced by Paul (1 Cor. 15:54) and applied to the resurrection to spirit bodies and with that, immortality. That was not available before Christ so Isa. 26:19 would apply to those who would be subjects of God's Kingdom, not it's rulers.
It certainly makes sense that if Jesus's body was not raised from the dead, and He did not in fact ascend into heaven, neither do we have any basis for that hope.
This interpretation of yours, that it was not really His body, definitively rules out the Assumption of Mary and all of our bodily resurrections. On your account, this is impossible. You're consistent here.
The Muslims are even more consistent, in that the majority of them believe that God gave someone Jesus' appearance, causing everyone to believe that Jesus was crucified. Another (minority Islamic) explanation is that Jesus was nailed to a cross, but as his body is immortal he did not die of crucifixion, it only appeared to.
They said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
—Qur'an, sura 4 (An-Nisa) ayat 157-158
They are consistent in their view that God provided a "seeming" body for Jesus, a kind of costume or illusion, and not that He is the Incarnate God who in the actual flesh died, rose and ascended.
Gen. 3:19, “For dust you are and to dust you will return”.
They await in the memorial tombs. (John 5:28, 29)just like David, (Act 2:34)
“Thank you. I can now see that you do not believe in the bodily resurrection and ascencion of Jesus Christ, but only the appearance of a body that looked like Jesus.”
Can I then say from your words you believe murder is o.k.?
No.
Is Mary wearing clothes in Heaven or were they left behind when she mas assumed into eternity? Does she ever get a new outfit?
I don’t quite understand where your question is coming from. I am a Catholic. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
Jesus would do anything for this mother. Why is that so hard to believe?
And then Muslims? Not a very subtle insult, really, and hence an equally ridiculous statement pulled at random from the air.
No, He would not make His Father a liar for her sake. The whole thing is fraught with error. For instance, if Mary was born without original sin, how can that be, when Adam's sin is passed down through the father... With Yeshua, this point is perfectly explained: His father was not of Adam. With Mary, we know her father was of Adam.
And the curse of original sin included aging and death, yet the same church tradition you all rely upon (infallibly, btw, according to your leaders) claims that she grew old and died - If she were without the original curse, she would not grow old, and she would not die. What nifty bit of magic explains that away?
Not a question of what he WOULD do but what he DID do. Why are the Scriptures so hard to believe?
???
????
But where are those tombs?
Our bodies do die when we die. But our souls are alive and either go to heaven, hell or Purgatory.
At the last judgment, our bodies will be re-united with our souls.
Except for those who were bodily assumed into heaven, namely, Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and from the Old Testament, Elijah and Enoch.
What could possibly make you ask about murder from what she said?
I understand the teaching but cannot any Scriptural reason for accepting such as true and I note you provided none.
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