Why Believe in the Assumption of Mary?

    With Pope Francis’ upcoming consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary this Sunday, October 13^th, the topic of the Mother of God is more relevant than ever.  Catholics and non-Catholics alike have many questions about Mary, one being her assumption into heaven.  How is this possible that someone could be assumed body and soul into heaven?

    First, it is important to clarify that Mary was assumed, not ascended, into heaven.  Jesus ascended by His own power, while Mary was taken into heaven by God.  In scripture, only Elijah and Enoch are mentioned being carried off into heaven, but Mary’s Assumption is never mentioned.  Some claim that if the Bible does not say it happened, then it never happened.  Yes, the Bible is silent when it comes to the deaths of many holy people, such as the Apostles and St. Paul.  Yet oral tradition tells how St. Peter was crucified upside down, and how St. Paul was beheaded.  We know where the bones of Peter and Paul are because early Christians took care of them.  Oral tradition also teaches that Mary was taken up into heaven, body and soul so it would seem logical that the early Christians would have also kept the bones of the Mother of God.  However, we have no record of them anywhere in history. 

    It says in the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church,

    “Mary is the Mother of God.  She was united with Jesus on earth as no other human being was or could be- in an intimacy that does not cease in heaven.  Mary is the Queen of Heaven, and in her motherhood she is quite close to us.” 

    Mary committed herself, body and soul, to a divine and dangerous task when she said yes to becoming the mother of God.  Because of this, she was taken up body and soul into heaven.  The Church teaches that anyone who lives and believes as Mary did will get to heaven.  But how do we know Mary is in heaven?  If the woman God chose to be the mother of His Son and bring Him into the world is not in heaven, then the rest of us have absolutely no chance of getting to heaven.  The Papal encyclical Lumen Gentium (68) explains that Mary’s assumption and heavenly presence preceed and foreshadow our own future glory. (1 Corinthians 15)

    Mary is the Mother of God as well as our own mother.  Through her, we can grow in a much deeper relationship with her Son than we ever could on our own.  As Romoano Guardini wrote regarding the Assumption of Mary,

“This mystery is given to us so that…a divine light might be shed on our death.”   

Read more about Mary here!