The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Fr. John Granato  |  08/11/2024  |  Words from Fr. John

My Dear Friends,

This Thursday, August 15th, we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed body and soul into Heaven. It is one of our Holy Days of Obligation in the United States.

The Assumption has been the topic of theological discourse since the 4th Century and has been understood to be a statement of doctrinal truth and celebrated liturgically. Interestingly, though, it was not until Pope Pius XII in 1950 that the Catholic Church dogmatically defined the Assumption. Numerous countries celebrate the Assumption as a holy day and a public holiday with many celebrating with parades and popular festivals.

For many Christians throughout the world (Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Church of the East, and the Lutheran and Anglican Communions) the Assumption is the most important feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The one exception might be the Catholic Church and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. These two feasts are a nice bookend to the Virgin Mary, for the Immaculate Conception celebrates the beginning of her life at her conception in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, and the Assumption as her heavenly birthday where she is reunited with her Son, who is showing her honor and fulfilling the fourth commandment by bringing her into the heavenly kingdom immediately upon the end of her time on earth.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is worthy of our honor and our veneration for it is she who brought into the world our salvation, Jesus Christ. Of all the saints in the history of our Catholic faith, she is also the only saint without any relic; a recognition that in the early church, they could not obtain a relic for our Blessed Mother did not see corruption in the tomb. According to tradition, when the tomb was opened, Mary's body was absent.

Let us come and honor our Blessed Mother this Thursday with that special opportunity in our Catholic faith of attending Mass and receiving her Son in Holy Communion. God bless