The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (356) states that “of all visible creatures only man is able to know and love his Creator, the only creature on earth that GOD has willed for its own sake,” who “alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God’s own life. It was for this end that he was created.” Although surrounded by holy apostles in her time, only Mother Mary truly lived this loving, sharing and knowing God and His life to its fullest.

Full of grace, her litany of attributes — Mother of divine grace, Mother most pure, most chaste, Mother inviolate, undefiled — speak of the dignity of Her body and soul.

The Catholic Church thought it was not fitting that the “flesh that had given life to God Himself should ever undergo corruption.” Thus, Pope Pius XII, on November 1, 1950, defined the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of faith, that “having completed her earthly life, she was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.”

Yearly, on August 15, the feast of the Assumption commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into heaven. It is a day of obligation. The feast completes God’s crowning of His work as Mama Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity.

Prayer for the feast reads “All-powerful and ever-living God: You raised the sinless Virgin Mary, Mother of your Son, body and soul, to the glory of heaven.” One in prayer with the Church, let us desire and cooperate with the will of God to be workers and partakers of His redemption. With Mother Mary, we do not need to look far, but start now with our own redemption, to eventually take the final place prepared for us.

Happy feast day of the Assumption everyone!