From the Pastor’s Desk::

This Tuesday we celebrate the Assumption of Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation.  As most Christians believe that death is a consequence of the first sin, and since the Catholic Church believes that Mary was conceived without original sin through the grace of God, theologians down through the centuries have wondered if Mary died or simply was assumed into heaven without dying.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church does not answer the question as an absolute, but says, “The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven…” (#974; see also #966).

Holy Scripture tells us nothing of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.  However, in 1950, Pope Pius XII, after having consulted all bishops, proclaimed the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of the faith. This took place on November 1, 1950, the feast of All Saints. Faithful to the Pope and to his teaching, we thus firmly believe this truth to be a dogma of our faith: Mary was taken up into Heaven, both body and soul.  But Mary was not the first; Elijah was taken up into the heavens in a fiery chariot. (2 Kings: 2:1-12).

Catholic Christians from the earliest days of the Church have thought and believed that Mary was taken up into Heaven, not only her soul, but her body as well. So, wouldn't the unanimous belief of the Christian people be a testimony of Scripture itself, insofar as this testimony, like Scripture, goes all the way back to the Apostles themselves? Let us be sure of this: it is the Holy Spirit who guides both the Church and her Head, the Pope, who is truly the guarantor of this truth which, from now on, is proposed for our belief and teaches us that Mary was taken up into Heaven, both her body and her soul.

Through her body, Mary said "Yes!" to God.  Mary showed faith in the Angel who spoke in the name of God: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord!" Through her body, Mary was elevated to a place so high that no creature would ever be able to displace her: she thus became the Mother of God and the Mother of Christ, the incarnate Word.  Mary became united to God through the Holy Spirit, becoming one with him in Christ. Lastly, Mary became the favored daughter of the Father, who had seen her in himself, in his Son, and in his Spirit for all eternity! Long before time began, the Father had loved Mary and had given her the Glory which she now possesses forever, in her body and her soul.

Mary is in Heaven. However, she is also still among us, singing the praises of God with us... Could a mother forget her children? Mary is the Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus, but she is also the Mother of us all! Let us remember that Jesus gave her to us: "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!" (Jn. 19:26) Mary is still with us, because we are the Body of Christ, a Mystical Body, and a Body of Glory! In this communion of the Saints, all of us, with Mary, make up the one Body of Christ.  We look to Mary for the complete expression of total faith in God.  As we celebrate her feast of the Assumption on this Tuesday, August 15, we look forward to that day when we to can be in the eternal Kingdom in our glorified bodies.