Sunday:       Assumption of Mary
Date:         August 15, 2001
Year:         C
The readings: [Rev. 11:19, 12:1-6, 10; 1 Cor. 15:20-6; Lk. 1:39-56]
The message:  Taken up body and soul into Heaven.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  613

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My friends in Christ, welcome to today's celebration of "The "Assumption" of Mary. This special Feast of the Virgin Mary commemorates her being "assumed" into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. To be "assumed" means to be "taken up body and soul."

Church history tells us that this Feast day began in the Eastern Church after 431 A.D when the Council of Ephesus proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God. Two hundred years later, the Feast of Mary's Dormition, her "falling asleep," was being celebrated. It was not until around 650 that the Western Church began to celebrate this special Feast.

While the Catholic Church celebrated "The Assumption" of the Blessed Virgin Mary for centuries under different titles, it was not until May 1, 1946 that Pope Pius XII wrote his encyclical "Deiparae Virginis Mariae" to all the Patriarchs, the Primates, the Archbishops and other Ordinaries at peace and in communion with the Apostolic See. Its purpose was to obtain their feedback regarding the possibility of proclaiming "The Assumption" of Mary as an official dogma of the Catholic Church. The reason that moved the Vicar of Rome to write was because of the numerous petitions that have been received from cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, priests, religious of both sexes, associations, universities and innumerable private persons. These petitions, received between 1849 and 1940, for two volumes.

Receiving a favourable response from all the faithful, in 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary. He made the following doctrinal declaration:

Finally, the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death." (Lumen Gentium # 59; C.C.C. # 966.)

In this proclamation, the Catholic Church did not proclaim that the Virgin Mary "died" or that she "did not die." It simply made reference to the end of her earthly life. It is a common belief among many Catholic theologians that similar to Elijah who was not dead when he ascended to Heaven, [2 Kgs 2:1-12] the Blessed Virgin Mary enjoyed the same glory when she was taken to Heaven by the angels. After all, would it not be logical to say that the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the Mother of God who was the most blessed among all women, be entitled to be assumed in Heaven so her glory may surpass that of all the saints and prophets?

Over and above this, very early in the Church history, perhaps as far back as the second century, Christians were expressing their belief that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven.

Also, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church has associated Saint John's vision in Revelation 12 to Mary's Assumption. This Chapter refers to the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crown of twelve stars.

In view of the Church tradition and how the Holy Spirit has moved the faithful on a worldwide basis towards the belief of the Assumption of Mary, in its prudence and wisdom, the Holy Catholic Church finally proclaimed this Dogma as being worthy of belief.

Today, as we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us be thankful to God for having revealed this beautiful Dogma to the world so we may have a greater appreciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and his endless blessings.

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple.

A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth.

Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. his tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born.

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of the Messiah.'" [Rev. 11:19a, 12:1-6, 10]

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Second Reading...

"Brothers and sisters, Christ has been raised form the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For Christ must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." [1 Cor. 15:20-6]

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Gospel Reading...

"Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm;he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.'

And Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home." [Lk. 1:39-56]

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