by Camilla MacKenzie, director of Adult Discipleship
Every Aug. 15, Catholics around the world celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. What is the Assumption? Where does it come from? What is its importance?
The Assumption of Mary is the Church teaching that the Virgin Mary, at her death, was taken up body and soul into heaven. This is a belief that has been traditionally held by Catholics since the early days of the Church and was formalized in a declaration as a dogma of the Church made by Pope Pius XII in 1950. “Dogma” is the highest classification for Church teaching. Dogmas can be thought of as the tent poles that hold up the fabric of our faith. They provide a strong structure for the whole of the Church’s teaching.
So, why is the Assumption so important that it has been elevated in this way? In short, Mary’s assumption into heaven shows each of us that heaven is our destination as well. God’s plan for humanity is for us to join Him in heavenly joy. We were created with this end in mind. Our Mother Mary shows us how our humanity can be transformed by God’s grace. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI explains it this way “By contemplating Mary in heavenly glory, we understand that the earth is not the definitive homeland for us either, and that if we live with our gaze fixed on eternal goods we will one day share in this same glory and the earth will become more beautiful”(General Audience, August 16, 2006). The Assumption of Mary gives us hope that we will one day join her in both body and soul in heaven with God.
There is a temptation to live as if this earthly life is all there is. With that, we find ourselves chasing after things other than God, such as wealth, success, or accolades. The main gift of the Assumption can be summed up in one word: perspective. The truth of the Assumption is that the one and only purpose for our lives here on Earth is to get to heaven. We can see that when we take this eternal view, it puts into perspective what is going on in our lives. We can see that the joys of our life are only a small taste of what God has in store for us if we live in pursuit of our heavenly citizenship. On the opposite side of that, as we are faced with difficulties, we can find hope in the promise of the Assumption that offering those difficulties to God will transform them into glory both now and even more so in heaven.
Additionally, the Assumption is not just the celebration of Mary being taken into heaven, but also the fact that she is present there even now in communion with God. She presents our human needs to God and intercedes on our behalf. We can trust that Mary, from her place in heaven, is watching each of us with the tender attention of a mother, especially in times of suffering and hardship. She has enlightened for us the path to union with God, not just in life but all the way to heaven. May we have the grace to follow her example.