Issued by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media - Jordan. Editor-in-chief Fr. Rif'at Bader - موقع أبونا abouna.org
On Sunday, August 15, the Catholic Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven which confirms that She was taken body and soul into heavenly glory right at the end of her earthly life.
Blessed Mary cannot be compared to any woman who ever lived on Earth. This is due to the fact that the moment She was born, She received divine blessings unlike any other creatures. Angel Gabriel venerated Blessed Mary saying, "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."On the other hand, Mary is nonpareil since She gave birth to the Savior of Humanity Lord Jesus Chris, the incarnated God, who died on the Cross to save humanity from eternal death, to close the doors of hell, and to pave the way of all those who believe in Him to be admitted to the Kingdom of God. Having been graced with the privilege of being able to bear the Son of God, Her high privilege in this respect should never be forgotten.
Blessed Mary is not only the mother of Lord Jesus, but rather the mother of the Church, the mother of salvation, and the mother of all those who lost their mother and seek a devoted mother Whom they can address all their worries and needs so as to fulfilled. She did not suffer from the original sin but rather was conceived full of grace. In Her Immaculate Conception, God’s supernatural life dwelt in Her from the very beginning of Her existence.
Reverting to November 1, 1950, while addressing a jubilant crowd of over 500,000 people packed into St. Peter’s Square, Pope Pius XII solemnly defined in Munificentissimus Deus on 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.”
The Feast of the Assumption gives the faithful great hope when contemplating this one facet of the beautiful woman of faith, our Blessed Mother. Mary moves us by example and prayer to grow in God’s grace, to be receptive to His will, to convert our lives through sacrifice and penance, and seek that everlasting union in the Heavenly Kingdom.
On the Feast of the Assumption of Blessed Mary, it is important to remind people worldwide that regardless of the endless problems encountering people in every walk of life, they can rely on a merciful and compassionate mother, namely Blessed Mary.
Marking the Feast of the Assumption, we pray saying, "Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness come from you. In the plan of your wisdom she who bore the Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless love and praise. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen"