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A Promise and Sign of Hope
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in
God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty
has done great things for me and holy is his Name.” Luke
1:46–49
Today we celebrate one of the great solemnities on the Church’s
liturgical calendar: the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Belief in her bodily assumption first took root in the
early Church among those who witnessed this glorious event. Though
we do not have written firsthand accounts of the Assumption, a
variety of traditions have stood the test of time.
According to a tradition handed down by Saint John Damascene in the
fifth century, all of the Apostles except Thomas were miraculously
gathered in Jerusalem at the time of Mary’s Dormition, or falling
asleep. After reverently placing her body in a tomb near the Garden
of Gethsemane, they later opened it at Thomas’s request, who had
arrived late and wished to venerate her body. To their
astonishment, the tomb was empty. This led the Apostles to
conclude, through divine revelation, that the Blessed Virgin had
been assumed body and soul into Heaven. That empty tomb is still
honored today in the cave near Gethsemane and remains a popular
place of pilgrimage.
This early tradition laid the foundation for the Church’s growing
conviction through the centuries that Mary’s Assumption was not
merely a pious belief but a divinely revealed truth. In 1950, this
truth was solemnly defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII in
Munificentissimus Deus.
Why was the Blessed Virgin Mary taken body and soul into Heaven at
the completion of her earthly life? Because, by a singular grace,
when she was conceived in the womb of her mother—traditionally
known as Saint Anne—her conception was the Immaculate Conception.
That is, she was conceived without the stain of Original Sin. This
grace, called a prevenient or preceding grace, was given to her
through the foreseen merits of her Son’s future death on the Cross.
That grace transcended time and preserved her from sin in advance,
making her Son also her Savior, as she proclaimed in the
Magnificat: “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Though the Blessed Virgin Mary was not saved by her own merit,
having been given the fullness of grace at the moment of her
Immaculate Conception, she perfectly cooperated with that grace
throughout her life. She remained free not only from Original Sin
but also from all personal sin. Since “the wages of sin is death”
(Romans 6:23), and since the Blessed Mother was entirely without
sin, her body and soul were never separated in death, which leads
to bodily corruption. Instead, having completed the course of her
earthly life, the Blessed Virgin Mary “was assumed body and soul
into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, 44).
Why is this important for us today? Because the Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary is not only a singular privilege granted to
her, it is also a sign of hope and a promise of what awaits all who
remain faithful to Christ. Mary is the first and greatest disciple;
where she has gone, we hope to follow. Her bodily glorification
reveals that our salvation is more than spiritual, it also includes
the redemption of the body. In a world wounded by sin, suffering,
and death, the Assumption shines as a beacon of the final victory
of grace. It reminds us that Heaven is our true home, that holiness
is possible, and that those who entrust themselves to God alongside
our Blessed Mother will share in Christ’s Resurrection. As our
loving Mother, now enthroned in glory, Mary intercedes for us and
draws us ever closer to her Son, encouraging us to live each day
with faith, purity, and joyful hope.
Reflect today on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a
sign of hope and a promise of what is to come for you and your
loved ones. Though we will die and our bodies will be laid to rest,
one day our bodies and souls will rise and share in the resurrected
glory of Jesus and Mary. This will be our eternity. Turn your eyes
to that day, profess your faith in it, rejoice in God your Savior,
and proclaim His greatness alongside His most glorious
Mother.
Most glorious Mother of God, you were singularly privileged to
be preserved from the stain of Original Sin at your Immaculate
Conception, and you fully cooperated with the fullness of grace
throughout your earthly life, thereby meriting the gift of your
bodily Assumption when your time on earth was completed. Pray for
me, that I may be filled with hope and persevere in grace, so that
I, too, may one day share in the glory of the Resurrection. Jesus,
I trust in You.
Image: Assumption of the Virgin Mary, by Guido Reni
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