Catholics worldwide honor Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15, marking the Solemnity of the Assumption, which is one of the principal feasts of Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of the Church.
This feast commemorates the departure of Our Blessed Lady from Her earthly life and the assumption of her body and soul into Heaven by God. It is a day that marks the sublime nature of Our Mother being the Mother of the Saviour of the entire world, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reports indicate that on November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII issued Munificentissimus Deus, an Apostolic Constitution, which officially proclaimed the Assumption as a Marian Dogma.It states:
“By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a revealed dogma that the Immaculate Mother of God ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
WHAT DOES THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY’S ASSUMPTION TEACH US
The Blessed Mother’s Assumption is a preview of God’s promise of salvation to the faithful. It asserts that the souls of those who will be saved shall one day, after the end of the world, be reunited with their bodies and live forever with God, just as Mary is in Heaven now with both her body and soul.
Mary is always our sign of hope that we share in the resurrection of Christ. It is important to view Blessed Mary as our model. She was taken up into heaven to be a sign of hope and comfort for all people.
The Holy Bible gives a detailed description of Blessed Mary's assumption into Heaven according to Revelation 12:1–6.The Bible says:
And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery. And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
PRAYER IN HONOR OF BLESSED MARY'S ASSUMPTION
In honor of Blessed Mary’s assumption we pray saying:
Lord Jesus Christ, You have destroyed the power of death and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.
You granted Your Mother a special place in your glory, and did not allow decay to touch her body.
As we rejoice in the Assumption of Mary, give to us a renewed confidence in the victory of life over death.
You live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
