Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption: Our Great Hope in this World

Every 15th of August commemorates the belief that when Mary died, her body was “assumed” into heaven to be reunited with her soul, instead of going through the natural process of physical decay upon death.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary official dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church teaches that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

As we reflect on the life of our Blessed Mother on her Assumption, what does it have in our lives? What is the significance of this celebration in our faith?

First, the celebration of the assumption of our Lady reminds us that at the core of our faith is the belief that Christ experienced a bodily resurrection from the dead and ascended, while still in bodily form, to heaven. The Assumption of Mary confirms that this extraordinary reversal of death is not limited to Christ. If Mary can end up in heaven in body and soul, so we also share in her humanity.

Second, we hope for our physical resurrection. The entire emphasis of the dogma on Mary’s bodily assumption that of salvation is holistic. God does not just save half of us. He does not just pluck the soul out of the husk of a sinful body. We are saved in the fullness of our humanity, body and soul.

Third, heaven is for saints. In a way, Mary opened up heaven for the rest of the saints, just as she opened up the earth to the fullness of God’s Incarnate presence.

Indeed, Mary’s redemption anticipated the state promised to the rest of humankind. It brings up to the reality of the temporariness of life on earth but with full hope that God’s love is taking us whole of our humanity- body and soul into heaven with Him forever.

Be glory to God for sharing with us our Blessed Mother, our hope in this materialistic culture of today’s world.