The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Fruit of the Mystery: Union with Christ
Long before Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of the Church in 1950, Catholic tradition held that Mary was brought body and soul into heaven. In affirming this tradition, Pope Pius XII stated, “Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory.”[i]
This unique grace was given to Mary because of her esteemed role as the Mother of Christ. However, it prefigures the resurrection of the bodies of all of the faithful. As the Apostles’ Creed states, “We believe in . . . the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.”[ii] We believe that we too will be someday united with Christ, body and soul.
In the meantime, as we walk our earthly pilgrimage, we can long for and hope for that day. We can also pray to be united with Christ as much as we possibly can in this life. Through the Sacraments, especially the gift of the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to commune with Christ in a meaningful way. When we receive the Eucharist, Christ dwells within us. As Jesus stated, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:56).
In addition, we can communicate with Christ in prayer and conform ourselves to his will for our lives. St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church, wrote extensively on the journey to union with Christ through prayer in The Interior Castle. St. Teresa imagined the soul as a castle with many rooms. Through prayer and aligning one’s will to that of God, one progresses deeper into a state of union with Christ, a state that can only be freely achieved through a gift of God. We cannot achieve it on our own, but we can long for it. For it is only in that complete and total union with Christ that we truly become who we were created to be.
In meditating on this mystery of The Assumption of Mary into Heaven, may we pray for union with Christ.
[i] Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 966.
[ii] https://www.usccb.org/prayers/apostles-creed
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