The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

08-11-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. James Aboyi

Dear Parishioners,

On behalf of the Parish community, I would like to congratulate and thank Lisa Low, Jay Iole and Alex VanVianen for their willingness to serve in new roles in the Parish Pastoral Council beginning this week. Lisa will serve as the President of the Council, Jay will serve as the Vice President, and Alex is joining the Council as a new member. We look forward to their leadership and service to our parish community through the Council.

This week on Thursday, August 15, the Catholic Church all over the world will celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Assumption is one of the mysteries that is difficult for some people to believe. This is mostly because, unlike the account of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that is recorded in the Bible, the Assumption is not recorded directly in the Bible. However, the Book of Revelation (12) speaks of a woman who is caught up in the battle between good and evil and was taken up by God. We believe this passage refers to the Blessed Mother.

The historical tradition of the Church holds that a[ er her life here on earth, Mary was taken into heaven, body and soul. Although the dogma of the Assumption is relatively a new declaration by the Church made by Pope Pius XXII in 1950, the belief in the Assumption is one of the oldest and first beliefs in the Church regarding Mary. The early Church refers to the Assumption as Dormition, meaning that Mary fell asleep in God’s hands where she remains united with Him in heaven.

“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. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (Lumen gentium 59; cf. Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus (1950): DS 3903; cf. Rev 19:16.).

Anyone who believes in the Resurrection of Jesus should have little or no problem understanding or believing in the Assumption of Mary into heaven because of their similarities. The dogma of Assumption can only be understood in light of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, that is, that the Blessed Virgin Mary has no original sin. Now, the reason why the body of Jesus Christ did not suff er corruption was because Jesus had no original sin. In the same way, God will not allow the body of Mary to suffer corruption because she, too, has no original sin. And how can we prove that Mary has no original sin? It is because Jesus took his flesh and blood from her. As the scripture says: “By their fruits, we shall know them” (Mtt 7:16-18).

Thank you and Remain Blessed.

Fr. James