A while back, I had someone throw out the accusation that, “Mary is dead, you know!” It was a parting shot, designed to rankle me, and it worked.
Sort of.
It irked me, simply because Catholics do not maintain Mary didn’t die; instead, we believe she was assumed into Heaven, body and soul, upon her death.
Mary isn’t the only Biblical figure, aside from her Son, believed to have been assumed into Heaven. In Genesis 5:24, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.” Typically, it is interpreted that Enoch was here one moment, and raised to Heaven, body and all the next. 2 Kings 2:11 states, “As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.” Again, common interpretation leads to the belief that Elijah was also assumed into Heaven, his body fully intact. Furthermore, Elijah and Moses both join Jesus at the Transfiguration – their bodies apparent to the followers accompanying Jesus.
As our family chaplain is fond of pointing out, if Mary had not been assumed into heaven, then where is, and what is considered to be, her final resting place? We have the final resting place for Jesus’ other followers – and, we have relics of theirs… their bodies or bones. There are even some who, centuries later, still have bodies fully intact, having not suffered decay – the Church refers to them as the “Incorruptibles.” Yet, for the mother of the Savior, there is nothing left!
And, Catholics know why …
Because Mary isn’t here on earth anymore!
Her body was assumed – taken into Heaven – whole, upon her earthly death. And, all Christians who recite the Apostles’ Creed, should appreciate the Catholic dogma of Mary’s Assumption.
As a refresher, let’s look at the Apostles’ Creed:
At the very end, Christians worldwide, praying the Apostles’ Creed maintain belief in,
the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
The belief that Mary has fulfilled the expectation should be motivation to all of us! It should be an example for all Christians – when we profess in the resurrection of our bodies and life after death, the belief in Mary’s assumption reminds us the virtue and goodness of living a life centered and focused solely on Christ, His teachings, and fidelity to God’s calling. It’s a reminder that someday, our bodies and souls will be united!
We aren’t saying we believe in the reincarnation! What Christians mean by the resurrection of our bodies and life after death can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. In verses 51-54, we are taught,
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled,
‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
When our bodies are reunited with our souls, then we will be able to fully, completely join the living creatures referred to in Revelation 4:8, singing,
Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.
Until that time, the hope for all Christians is that our souls will be lifting that song long before our bodies undergo the change required to kneel before the perfection of God, our King.
Belief in Mary’s assumption is a non-negotiable for Catholics. Yet, all Christians strive for the resurrection of the body and life everlasting!
Having been the vessel which brought forth our Savior, and from infancy, taught Him to the ways of God, guided Him to accept His role in life (and, salvation’s history), gently pushed Him to begin His public ministry at the wedding of Cana, and was with Him every. last. painful. step of His Passion and Death, it should not be a difficult belief that she was given the honor of joining her Son, body and soul, upon her earthly death.
As such, it should not be a difficult belief to consider she has been granted the eternal life we, as Christians, profess to believe!
Just as Mary provided an example of living a life of yes to God during her time on earth, centuries later, she continues to be that shining example to us. She provides a loving, gentle reminder of the love of our God. Through belief in her assumption, she continues to remind us that with God, all things are possible. Mary continues to provide encouragement to live a Christ-centered life, reminding us of the closing components of the Apostles’ Creed,
The belief in the resurrection of the body, and life after death.
Therefore, today is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics. It is a day set aside to remind each of us of the promise of God, and to remind us of what we should have as our end goal – joining together, praising God in Heaven, for all eternity.
What an AWE-some belief to hold – believing there has already been one woman to have achieved the beautiful, amazing, ultimate promise by God!
I love the picture! Have a blessed Assumption day.
If it’s the picture of Mary, thank you!! It was my favorite to ever create!! I shared it on FB – so you can easily share from that menu!
And, a blessed Assumption Day to you, too! 🤗🤗
My son and I were just discussing Enoch last night as well as Elijah as being the only others besides Mary who did not have an earthly death. This led to a whole conversation about talking to God and how God talks to us and why Noah didn’t take dinosaurs onto the ark. Yeah, bedtime was a blast last night.
Haha! You have to love the whole theological discussions at bedtime! 😂
Mary did have an earthly death, though. But, she was assumed into Heaven upon her earthly death. That’s what has been explained to me, anyway.
I do find it amazing that we have multiple places claiming to possess the head of St. John the Baptist, but no one claiming to possess the remains of Mary. She’s clearly the bigger hitter status wise and yet…nothing. It seems to backup the teaching! (BTW, it always blows my mind how little teaching is ex cathedra but this is one of them!)
So true!!
Yes, great point about the fact that we don’t have any relics or indication of Mary’s final resting place. I never thought of that! Just one more reason it makes sense that she must have been assumed into Heaven. Great post!
Thank you so much!! Our chaplain did make that great point… it may have had me sitting in the pew the first time he made it, going, “huh,” the rest of Mass! 😂
Good post and you explained it all so well. When someone comes to me regarding our Blessed Mother or any of the Saints, regarding our praying to them and they say, “They are dead, they died,” my response to them is always:
“People in heaven are not dead. If you believe that then you believe Jesus never rose.” It kind of brings silence to the conversation. 🙂
If anyone was going to be “Assumed into heaven,” it is indeed the Blessed Mother. There is no way God would have let her body become corruptible, as that is the very reason she was chosen to bear His Son. God bless, SR
Oohh! I like that argument for people in heaven not being dead! I just usually refer to the Book of Revelation and see people’s eyes glaze over! 😂
Thank you!
God bless you, too! 🤗🤗
A blessed Solemnity of the Assumption to you (& your fam!) With all the violence & hatred in our whacked out world, I thank God for Mary’s faithfulness to stand in sorrow @ the Cross, maybe not understanding (as I certainly don’t unsderstand some of the things I’ve seen in places of conflict & injustice) but she STOOD. Now she is standing in Heaven with us in our sorrows. 💐💜💐💜💐
Yes!! Her example is a bright light in our world today! A beautiful and blessed Solemnity to you, too! 🤗🤗
This might sound kind of nerdy, but this was an exciting read for me! Although I’m baptized Catholic, my husband and I have only really been practicing Catholics the last few years, so there’s a lot I need to learn about the beauty of our faith and feast days like today. I love that we can find ways to feel how Jesus loved through our own love for our mother, and desire for our mother to love and care for us. It only makes sense that His Mother would be glorified, as who could carry Jesus in her womb but a woman so loving and perfect?
Loved reading this post, so well written!
I am tickled that you enjoyed this post!! It was a long time coming – written in my head for the past couple months.
Welcome back to the Church!! I often tell people, practicing the Faith is like unfolding layers of onions… we just keep pulling back the layers!
You have to hear Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s sermon on Mary! Available on the net. Your eyes will widen in wonder and gratitude. He had such insight in to so many things. Also, I need to add that I read about a recent scientific discovery that when a woman bears a child, the cells exchanged in the womb continue to circulate in the mothers body for many years. In fact they found the cells present in one instance after 60 years. Part of Jesus must have stayed in Mary! In a unique way. That is another reason she would have been taken to heaven: body and soul. The Divine cells of Our Lord were physically present within her!
I have loved beginning to study Archbishop Fulton Sheen – he definitely was/is a holy man!!
And, that’s a really good point about the science behind Mary carrying our Lord into this world! Never thought about it before, but makes perfect sense, too!
Oh wow, I didn’t even think about Jesus’ cells in Mary! Such a good point! I did know that about the baby’s cells, just never made that connection with Mother Mary and Jesus! Thank you for letting me know about archbishop Sheen’s sermon, I will look it up!
Wow, you articulated this belief so well! My pastor always says, although it’s not pronounced by the Church whether Mary did or didn’t die, he prefers to believe she shared in Christ’s humanity by sharing in the experience of death, or something like that. And I guess we’re free to believe either way, until the Church says otherwise! It’s hard for me to imagine the Apostles put a sleeping Mary in the tomb for a few days… lol
Haha! Yes! It would be very weird to believe that. I know Edward Sri just posted a picture of where it is believed Mary took her final breath, so I was under the impression (especially with other priests’ lectures) that the Church did say she died. But, it’s beautiful to think of yet one more way she shared in Christ’s humanity with Him!
I think it IS the general consensus, just not officially “dogma” … Or so, last I heard from my pastor!
True! I don’t think it’s part of the “dogma.”
In some rites it is referred to as the dormition of Mary or falling asleep
I did recently (I want to say two days ago) hear that… and, it’s beautiful.
I have also heard the Incorruptibles referred to as “sleeping,” but as a clinician who has worked with children through death, I bristle at that description!
But, Mary would definitely be an exception to that rule… 🤔
The fact that we don’t have Mary’s final resting place was what nailed it for me. In my conversion, I realized that Catholics have all the relics and bodies of the first apostles. They surely would have done the same for Mary. In fact, I KNOW they would. But, there isn’t such a place.
Yes! Hahaha – until our chaplain pointed it out in a homily this past year, I’d honestly never thought about it. But, it’s true! I’ll chalk that one up to “cradle Catholic problems”! 😂😂
Excellent points! I shared it with a Catholic group on Facebook because this kind of apologetics/evangelization is exactly what we need! Thank you!
Thank *you*!! I am thrilled you enjoyed this enough to share to an apologetics/evangelization group! Because, you are correct – it *is* needed!
So much!
Such a wonderful and thought provoking reflection!
Thank you so much!
I’m going to give another reason. The belief in the Assumption existed in tradition since the earliest Christian days. It was passed down unchallenged amongst believers and present in art and literature. The story existed. It only had to be declared when ‘others’ challenged the consistent belief. And it’s in the mysteries of the Rosary too! So ratified through heavenly revelation if you like. 😊
Thank you for that reason as well!
I have a lot of followers and readers who do not pray the Rosary, so didn’t want to discuss the Mystery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as being one given by Heavenly Revelation. But, I definitely have a new appreciation for that specific mystery, the more I’ve thought about this Feast Day!
Thank you for your great comments! 🤗🤗
You’re welcome! I kept thinking of more reasons the more I thought about it!
Or, looking at it another way, we *can’t* die. Not permanently. Whether that’s good news or not-so-good news depends in large part, I think, on what we decide is important.
Oohh! Touché! That’s kind of where the Incorruptibles fit in my brain… they haven’t “died,” but are truly only sleeping.