The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Marian Teachings, Pt. 4)

The Assumption is probably one of the most hotly-debated dogmas of the Church within Christianity. It was declared to be dogma by Pope Pius XII in his Munificentissimus Deus in 1950. It is also, like the other Marian dogmas, extremely misunderstood by most people. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this about Our Lady's Assumption:

966 "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death." (Lumen Gentium 59; cf. Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus (1950): Denzinger-Schonmetzer 3903; cf. Revelation 19:16) The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection andd an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:

"In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death." (Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion, Feast of the Dormition, August 15th)

So, the Church teaches that Mary, after her life on earth was over, was assumed (by God) body and soul into heaven. The dogma makes no statement about whether or not Mary died, though, interestingly enough, the vast majority of Christian tradition states that Mary did die. The Eastern Christians (Catholics and Orthodox) even celebrate a Feast of the Dormition, or the Falling Asleep, or the Death of Mary on the same day that Western Catholics celebrate the Assumption - August 15th.

So, first of all, is this dogma true? The answer is yes. Catholics can believe it because the Church tells them it's true. However, for apologetics purposes, I shall elaborate.

Firstly, the Assumption is not explicitly cited in the Bible, and it would be fruitless for us to try and show it explicitly in there. However, it is there implicitly. Mary was not the first person to be assumed into heaven. Even Protestants must concede this: Enoch was the first -

Genesis 5:24 - "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."
Hebrews 11:5 - "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him."

And let us not forget Elijah and the Chariot of Fire:

2 Kings 2:1,11-12a - "Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And as they went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, 'My father, my father! the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!' And he saw him no more."

Now, if God assumed these men into heaven because of their righteousness and zeal ... how much moreso would He wish to assume His mother, the Holy and Immaculate Virgin, body and soul into heaven? It is not unreasonable to believe this.

Furthermore, if Mary wasn't assumed into heaven, her relics would have been highly venerated by the early Christians (as were the relics of the apostles and other great saints and martyrs). Yet, nobody claims to have Mary's relics. Not a single church anywhere in the world. Not even the Orthodox (who also venerate Mary in their liturgies and in their private devotions) who do NOT have the dogma of the Assumption as Catholics do.

One of the passages commonly used to justify Mary's Assumption biblically is a passage from Revelation (Revelation 12:1-6). It does not easily convince Protestants, though, and Revelation is a difficult book to understand, so I hesitate to use it. By all means, read it and study it though.

Now, the other thing to look at is: did early Christians believe in Mary's Assumption? Well, we know that it's been a common belief for centuries because it is one of the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary which has been a popular devotion for centuries. According to The Teachings of the Church Fathers By: Fr. John R. Willis, S.J, the Assumption appeared at least as early as the 6th or 7th century in the Gothic Missal.

The next question to ask ourselves is WHY do Catholics elevate this to the point of dogma? Is it really that important? The answer is ... yes.

The Gospel for the Feast of the Assumption is the Magnificat. Now, in this beautiful prayer of Mary, Mary glorifies God for what He has done for her, and then praises God because He will give to all of His faithful what He has given to Mary. So, in Mary's Assumption, God gives a promise to His Church about the resurrection of the dead at the end of time, when our souls will be reunited with our bodies. The Assumption is very important in this respect. Mary participates in the resurrection of her Son (according to the CCC) and so we shall participate in His resurrection one day. We have much to look forward to.

I hope I helped make this hotly-contested dogma make more sense to you.

Thanks to A Pocket Guide to Catholic Apologetics By Patrick Madrid for scripture references and to the Revised Standard Version - 2nd Catholic Edition for Scripture quotes.

Joe