Dear Parishioners, 

This coming Thursday we are going to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of our faith: 

“We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.”

The pope proclaimed this dogma only after a broad consultation of bishops, theologians, and laity. What the pope solemnly declared was already a common belief in the Catholic Church. We find homilies on the Assumption going back to the sixth century. The feast was celebrated under various names - Commemoration, Dormition, Passing, and Assumption - from at least the fifth or sixth century. Scripture does not give an account of Mary’s Assumption into heaven. However, since Mary is closely associated with all the mysteries of Jesus’ life, it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit has led the Church to believe in Mary’s share in his glorification. So close was she to Jesus on earth, she must be with him body and soul in heaven.

According to Pope Benedict XVI: “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. Consequently, we must not lose our serenity and peace even amid the thousands of daily difficulties. The luminous sign of Our Lady taken up into Heaven shines out even more brightly when sad shadows of suffering and violence seem to loom on the horizon. We may be sure of it: from on high, Mary follows our footsteps with gentle concern, dispels the gloom in moments of darkness and distress, and reassures us with her motherly hand… Let us forge ahead in our lives under Mary's guidance.” General Audience, August 16, 2006. 

Let us remember that the feast days of the Church are not just the commemoration of historical events, they do not look only to the past. They look to the present and to the future and give us an insight into our own relationship with God. The Assumption looks to eternity, turns our eyes in that direction, and gives us hope that we, too, will follow Our Lady when our life is ended. 

God bless 
Fr. Gregg