Part One: The History of this Great Feast:
The Feast Day today of Our Lady's Assumption into Heaven body and soul goes back to the Apostolic times and was said to have been witnessed by St. John the Apostle and Gospel writer who has been said to have written a document regarding it as "in his own voice."
Between St. John of the First century and Pope Pius XII who infallibly defined this doctrine for the whole Church on November 1, 1950, we have nearly 2000 years of tradition. The event was not written in the Holy Scriptures but was believed for all this time. Can we say that the Church is very careful about these things that She did not make it a dogma until now. The Church does not say there was any doubt about this belief by waiting. He merely waits till the right time to make it a dogma. The Eastern Orthodox Church who has been celebrating the Feast of the "Dormintion of Holy Mary, Mother of God" since the 4th century, were the orignators of the Feast and felt that such a declaration by the Pope was totally unnecessary. Evidently, Pope Pius XII felt he had comfirmation from heaven on his defining the dogma at that time in Church History. He confided to a confidant in the Vatican that just prior to the defining of the dogma of the Assumption of Our Lady into heaven, he had seen something he had never seen before or after: he saw on four days..the "Miracle of the sun" - as was seen at Fatima in 1971. It started with the sun with a halo around it..and he could see into the sun without being blinded by it..just as the children and all the people of Fatima could see. The miracle of the sun in 1917 was seen as far as Egypt. Of course the firts Miracle of the sun...appeared to come very close to the earth..and dried every one's wet clothes and the ground completely after a torrential rain. But the fact that Pope Pius was able to see the Miracle of the sun four times on four separate days, close to consecutive days, confimed for him that this was the perfect time to define this dogma. His decision to define it was based on "de fide" theological considerations; but the timing was based on this heavenly phenomena.
Most accounts say that Our Lady died and then lay incorrupt for there days and then was taken by angels into heaven - body and soul. The Orthodox Church says she fell alseep and then was taken into heaven, body and soul, but feel this sleep was her death. However -- even though Pope XII referenced this belief that she died -- he does not define that she actually died. Here is the exact words of the infallible document "Munificentissemus Deus" which declares:
"...that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.."
As you can read for yourself: that Mary actually died before her assumption was NOT defined as dogma of the Catholic Church. It was left ambiguous. Catholics are not bound to believe that Mary actually died first. I do not believe she did because she was conceived without original sin; that she was in a state of original justice. Having never had a single sin on her soul -- original sin or personal sin -- how would she have died? Adam and Eve were never meant to die. Mary was the new Eve.
But you may say: "Jesus died and He was sinless." So true, but He said: "No one takes my life from me. I freedly lay it down." Jesus was not bound to die but freely chose to take on all the sins of human kind and to suffer for them...even to the death on the cross. The loss of blood of Jesus at his circumcision would have been enough to save all human kind. But Jesus gave ALL the blood He had...poured all His life's blood to redeem us...took on all our sins...even seemingly felt separated from the Father which sin does: "Father, why have you forsaken me.?" Also in the Garden, Jesus did ask if there were another way: "Father, if possible..let this chalice pass from me..but not as I will but as you will.." Jesus was so afraid that he sweat blood. But still He joyfully accepted the cross and said to His Father.."Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!" And the Gospel of John says: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that who ever believed in Him would have eternal life." John 3:16.
Part two: The meaning of Mary's Assumption for us today:
Mary is the Image of God the Father's perfect Plan for us. He never wanted death to come to his Garden. As Mary's was Assumed into heaven, so we were all meant to be taken to heaven body and soul after we had learned to love God and each other to be ready to go to heaven.
God did not even punish Adam and Eve by death. He only warned them if they ate of this fruit, they would die..but He did not say: "If you eat of the fruit, I will kill you.." No...God did not will them to die. He only was warning them that if they abused their freedom and would choose to define for themselves what was good and evil..if they were to trust not in God but in having the knowledge of good and evil before they were ready to know it, then this "original mortal sin" would not only cause their souls to have a deadly sin..but that this would also -- since the body and soul are so close -- that such a sin would cause a spiritual death that would in turn cause their bodily death. Adam and Even believed the lies of the Serpent over God's truth. The Serpent said to them: "God knows you will not die..but like God knowing good and evil." But to believe that lie, would make God to be a liar. Why would Adam and Eve believe a Serpent? Well, to be like God is quite appealing. To determine for themselves what is good or bad..is quite appealing. And we see this today in abortion, free sex, murder, adultery, worship of false gods..that even today the 10 Commandments are being thrown over as many now make up their own commandments and become their own gods. Keeping God out the Public Square is not a reverberation of the Serpent's original temptation.
In the Mass today, the prayer was ..."Mary our model of hope and comfort for the faithful pilgrims on earth.." Mary is OUR hope and comfort that we too will one day be in heaven body and soul. Why does the Catholic Church make this feast day of the Assumption on August 15 to be a Holy Day of Obligation like the feasts of Christmas, December 25th and the Immaculate Conception on December 5th? The answer that Holy Mother the Church believes that all these feast days celebrate mysteries of integral to our salvation. Holy Mother the Church sees Mary and her role in Jesus' life as important to our life and to the meaning of our salvation. I can really see this in the Feast of today because Mary's Assumption to heaven body and soul mirrors our resurrected event when the Lord will bring us body and soul to paradise. In Mary's Assumption we can see and hope and anticipate our own.
Mary also show us the way. In the Fatima Message when she appeared in 1917, her whole message could be reduced to this formula for happiness: become personally holy. Mary has shown us the way most simply: just be a good wife and mother, sweep floors and do laundry and dishes...pray...be pure and faithful wives..seek to do God 's will in humility and then you will like her "magnify the Lord" in your lives. All that goes for husbands too. ...or in whatever vocation we find ourselves: be faithful to God and to our spouses and to loving our neighbor. All so simple. And St. Terese of Lisieux took in seriously and became a saint by age 23. Enough said! "A word to the wise is sufficient!"
Peace and love, Pio.....Happy Feast Day, Mom Mary!!! bring us all -- your children -- to be assumed into heaven one day..amen. xoxox!
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