+J.M.J.+

by Monsignor Charles M. Mangan
©Catholic Online 2004

Like any divinely-revealed mystery, the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother body and soul into Heaven “keeps on giving”—one can’t exhaust this magnificent truth of the Faith.

The essence of the Church’s teaching, which was solemnly defined as a dogma of the Catholic Faith on November 1, 1950 by the Servant of God Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), is thus: at the end of her earthly life, the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, who had never been tainted with Original Sin, was assumed by the Almighty body and soul into Paradise.

Our Blessed Lady is now in Heaven, where she prays for us to her Divine Son Jesus and awaits our triumphant entry into the unceasing Kingdom—the “New Jerusalem” for which each of us rightly pines.

The Assumption reminds us how close Mary was—and remains—to Jesus. She completely submitted her will to the Divine Plan. The Lord God raised this obedient woman on high, granting her a fitting place next to Christ. It was appropriate that as Our Lady continually cooperated with Jesus on earth, she should now be close to Him in Paradise, thereby inheriting the prize promised by her Son: Everlasting Life in the presence of the Most Blessed Trinity. As Christ was victorious over Satan, so was His Holy Mother.

Although the Church sets aside a day (August 15) each year on which we recall the historical event of the Assumption and its meaning, we require more than twenty-four hours to ponder all that this mystery signifies.

Let’s never forget that the Assumption discloses how our Creator looks upon our human bodies. These are not mere “holding tanks” for our souls but are important in themselves. My body is a distinctive feature of who I am as a human person and as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Furthermore, the Assumption impresses upon us that Mary now glorified in Heaven is the image of how the Church will one day appeared. Our Lady in her splendor is the image and model of the Church.

In a little booklet entitled Mary Assumed into Heaven (Goleta, California: Queenship Publishing Company, 2002), I identified other truths that are related to the dogma of the Assumption:

*Mary’s Motherhood is universal in scope;

*Our Lady’s intercession is powerful and certain;

*Mary is the Queen of the Saints in Paradise;

*The Madonna is the Mother of the Church;

*The Ever-Virgin is particularly close to the Poor Souls in Purgatory;

*We possess a sacred responsibility to venerate, love, invoke and imitate Our Blesseed Lady;

*We yearn to see both Jesus and Mary in the Kingdom.

The Assumption was not only God’s gift to Mary; it was also His gift to us. Let us give thanks for this remarkable treasure and seek to comprehend better what it means for Our Blessed Mother and for us.

O Mary, Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us!

Contact

Mary's Field
http://www.catholic.org  , VA
Monsignor Charles M. Mangan - Official, 390 66616-1125

Email

fathermangan@catholic.org

Keywords

Our Blessed Mother; Assumption