From the Pastor’s Desk
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 17, 2008
Dear Parish Family,
We continue this week reflecting upon the Blessed Virgin Mary in the words of Pope John Paul II through his General Audience messages from September 1995- November1997. This past week we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven and so it is opportune this weekend to reflect upon the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary.
Following the (Papal) Bull Munificentissimus Deus, the Second Vatican Council affirmed that the immaculate Virgin “on completion of her earthly sojourn was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory” (Lumen Gentium, no. 59). The Council Fathers wished to stress that Mary, unlike other Christians who die in God’s grace, was taken up into the glory of heaven with her body. This age-old belief is expressed in a long iconographical tradition which shows Mary “entering” heaven with her body.
The dogma of the Assumption affirms that Mary’s body was glorified after her earthly life was completed. While for other human beings the resurrection of the body will take place at the end of the world, for Mary the glorification of her body was anticipated by a special privilege.
Belief in the glorious destiny of the body and soul of the Lord’s Mother after her death spread very rapidly from East to West and has been widespread since the 14th century. In our century, on the eve of the definition of the dogma it was a truth almost universally accepted and professed by the Christian community in every corner of the world.
Therefore, in May 1946, with the encyclical Deiparae Virginis Mariae, Pius XII called for broad consultation, inquiring among the bishops and through them the clergy and the People of God as to the possibility and opportuness of defining the bodily assumption of Mary as a dogma of faith. The result was extremely positive: only six answers out of 1,181 showed any reservations about the revealed character of this truth.
Citing this fact, the Bull Munificentissimus Deus states: “From the universal agreement of the Church’s ordinary magisterium we have certain and firm proof demonstrating that the Blessed Virgin Mary’s bodily assumption into heaven…is a truth revealed by God and therefore should be firmly and faithfully believed by all the children of the Church” (Munificentissimus Deus, no. 757).
The definition of the dogma, in conformity with the universal faith of the People of God, definitively excludes every doubt and calls for the express assent of all Christians. After stressing the Church’s actual belief in the assumption, the Bull recalls the scriptural basis for this truth. Although the New Testament does not explicitly affirm Mary’s assumption, it offers a basis for it because it strongly emphasizes the Blessed Virgin’s perfect union with Jesus’ destiny. This union, which was manifested from the time of the Mother’s participation in her Son’s mission and especially in her association with his redemptive sacrifice, cannot fail to require a continuation after death. Perfectly united with the life and saving work of Jesus, Mary shares his heavenly destiny in body and soul.
Therefore, the Assumption is the culmination of the struggle which involved Mary’s generous love in the redemption of humanity and is the fruit of her unique sharing in the victory of the cross. (General Audience of July2, 1997)
As a reminder and an easy way to differentiate the doctrine of the Assumption from the Ascension is that Jesus “Ascends” to heaven under his own power and Mary is “assumed” into heaven through the power of Jesus. I would like to conclude with a 3rd century prayer to Mary, “We take refuge under the protection of your motherly mercy, O Mother of God. Despise not our fervent cries for help in the necessity in which we find ourselves. But deliver us from danger. Rescue us. Do not lead our plea into temptation, but deliver us from danger. You alone are the Pure One, you alone are the Blessed One.”
In Christ love,
Fr. Bob
This page was updated on August 14, 2008