On this Solemnity we honor the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, body and soul
Reflections on the readings for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15, 2022): REV 11:19;12:1-6,10; PS 45:10,11,12,16; 1 COR 15:20-27; LK 1:39-56
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
Just as our Lord is in heaven, body and soul, so is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of all of God’s children, she is most worthy to have received this sacred gift because of her dedication and service...
Today we have the joy of celebrating the Assumption of Mary, the Mother of God, into heaven. When her earthly life was over, God called her, body and soul, to be with Him for all eternity. This has been a long-held belief of Christians since at least the early Middle Ages. However, it was not until 1950 that Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, (The Most Provident God). “The revered Mother of God … finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the tomb and that, like her own Son, having overcome death, she might be taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven.”
In the readings for this feast’s liturgy, we hear from one of St. Paul’s letters, reminding us that it is through Jesus, the Son of God and of Mary, that we will share in His Resurrection. “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). Just as our Lord is in heaven, body and soul, so is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of all of God’s children, she is most worthy to have received this sacred gift because of her dedication and service to the will of God and her part in bringing Jesus into the world. Mary, Mother of the Redeemer and of the redeemed, stands as a promise for all of us. At the end of the world, at the return of Christ for His Second Coming, we are all meant to join him -- body and soul -- forever. In the love and generosity that the Blessed Trinity demonstrates for Mary, we can more truly understand the mercy that each of us is offered. By entrusting ourselves to the care of our Holy Mother and striving to imitate her fidelity to God, we can rely on staying close to our Lord and Savior.
Suggested missionary action: Let us celebrate this feast venerating the Assumption of the Mother of God by offering a World Mission Rosary. We can ask her to intercede for all the Church’s missionaries and the people with whom they share the gift of salvation. We can also ask her guidance in living out the Gospel of Christ every day.