The Feast of the Assumption

The feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary takes place on August 15 and is the most important of Marian feasts and a holy day of obligation.  The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”  Catholic dogma leaves open the question of whether the Virgin Mary died before her assumption or whether she was assumed before death.  Both possibilities are allowed.  Fr. Thomas Onoda says “The catechism teaches us that God made us to love Him and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in the next.  Precisely, the Assumption of our Lady teaches us this truth.”  Fr. Onoda explains why this is so “because the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul with her full humanity and full human nature into Heaven.”  Fr. Onoda further explains that “this historical fact reminds us that our permanent abode is not upon Earth; it is in Heaven.”

We speak of Mary’s assumption, not ascension.  Christ ascended into heaven by his own power.  Mary was taken up to heaven by the power of God.  Dogma further tells us that Mary in heaven experiences the union of a glorified body and soul.  

Father William Doyle, S.J. felt the protection of Mary on this special feast day during a German shell attack in 1916.  He proclaimed to the young soldiers in battle after a harrowing attach that “You must not thank me, boys, don’t you know it is our Lady’s feast, and Mary had her mantle spread over us to save us from all harm?”

We hope that you will join us at Good Shepherd to celebrate this feast on Tuesday, Aug. 14 at 7:00 p.m. or Wednesday, Aug. 15 at 8:30 a.m. or 7:00 p.m.

 

Prayer for the Assumption of Mary

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.