Sunday. August 15, 2021

 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Revelation 11:19.12:1-6.10; Corinthians 15:20-27; Lucas 1:39-56)

It was only in 1950 that the Church defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary.  Before that, Catholics did not have to believe that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven.  They could have thought that her soul lived with God whileher body was corrupting in the grave awaiting Christ to return at the end of time.

At the time, some Catholics thought it was unwise for Pope Pius XII to make the definition.  They believed that an infallible declaration would alienate further separated brothers and sisters in Orthodox and Protestant congregations.  

So why did Pope Pius XII make the dogmatic, infallible declaration of the Assumption?  And why do we continue to celebrate it today with a major feast day?  Let’s look at a few reasons.

First, the Assumption corresponds to the Immaculate Conception of Mary proclaimed in the nineteenth century.  If Mary was privileged to be conceived without any corruption of soul, it follows that her body would not suffer corruption at death but would be assumed directly into heaven.

Second, belief in the Assumption of Mary has had a long history.  It was preached by the Fathers of the Church, celebrated in the Sacred Liturgy during the first millennium, and proclaimed in the naming of many churches. 

Finally, the Assumption of Mary implies the dignity of the human body in a time when it is regularly abused.  As Mary’s body lives forever, so our bodies have an eternal destiny if we are faithful to the Lord.  Unfortunately, many people today either do not care for their bodies or treat it with undue adulation as if it were the most important element of existence.  Many neither eat wholesomely nor exercise regularly.  They think their bodies as acquisitions like a cell phone or a car to be used or discarded as desired.  But our bodies are who we are.  They form a duality with the soul like a television has physical parts that produce a visible image.  If we are to present ourselves as images of God than we must take care of our bodies.

Others abuse their body by spending too much time and money seeking the admiration of others.  We get an idea of this just looking at the cosmetics aisles in drugstores.  Similarly, the exaggerated attention given to the body is witnessed by all the mirrors in an exercise room.  We take care of our bodies so that we can better serve the Lord, not to extract flirtatious comments from others.

We can add one more reason to celebrate Mary today.  She has constantly assisted us in our prayers to God for help.  It is said that there have been 8000 miraculous cures at Lourdes alone.  We pray to her that she might intercede for us before her son, Jesus.  He is the Lord, the one who created us and in whom we hope to have our end.