THE DOGMA OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Introduction

The Christian faith teaches the truth that we are all created not for eternal damnation, but for eternal bliss beyond the reach of earthly misery. Today, we celebrate with faith and devotion the Solemnity of the glorious Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its history goes back to the beginning of the Church. The belief that Mary was assumed into heaven is ancient, dating back to the apostles themselves. It is a very old feast of the Church, celebrated universally by the sixth century.

Council of Chalcedon

At the Council of Chalcedon in 451 the emperor Marcian asked the Patriarch of Jerusalem to bring the relics of Mary to Constantinople to be enshrined there. The Patriarch explained to the Emperor that there were no relics of Mary in Jerusalem, that ‘Mary had died in the presence of the apostles; but her tomb, when opened later… was found empty and so the apostles concluded that the body was taken up into heaven.

In the eighth century, St. John Damascene preached: ‘Although the body was duly buried, it did not remain in the  state of death, neither was it dissolved by decay… You were transferred to your heavenly home, O Lady, Queen and Mother of God in truth.’ Mary’s empty tomb on the edge of Jerusalem, near the place where she died, soon became a place of pilgrimage. The Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition of Mary stands on the spot today.[1]

Definition and Declaration of the Dogma of the Assumption

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven at the end of her earthly life is defined Dogma of the Catholic Church on November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII, exercising Papal infallibility, declared in Munificentissimus Deus ‘that it is the dogma of the Church ‘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 a dogma, the Assumption is  a required belief of all Catholics; anyone who publicly dissents from the dogma, Pope Pius declared, ‘has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.’[2]

The Church’s Magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to the fullest extent when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes, in a form obliging the Christian people to an irrevocable adherence of faith, truths contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes, in a definitive way, truths having a necessary connection with these. (CCC 88)[3]The

In the text explaining the definition of the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Pius XII states: ‘In order that this, our definition of the bodily Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven may be brought to the attention of the universal Church, we desire that this, our Apostolic Letter, should stand for perpetual remembrance, commanding that written copies of it, or even printed copies, signed by the hand of any public notary and bearing the seal of a person constituted in ecclesiastical dignity, should be accorded by all men the same reception they would give to this present letter, were it tendered or shown. It is forbidden to any man to change this, our declaration, pronouncement, and definition or, by rash attempt, to oppose and counter it. If any man should presume to make such an attempt, let him know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.’[4]

What is a Dogma?

Dogma is a truth that:

ü  Pertains to faith and morals.

ü  Is revealed by God.

ü  Was transmitted from the Apostles either in Scripture or by tradition.

ü  Is proposed by the Church for acceptance of the faithful.

The difference between Doctrine and Dogma

In general, Doctrine is all Church teaching in matters of faith and morals. Dogma is more narrowly defined as that part of Doctrine which has been divinely revealed and which the Church has formally defined and declared to be believed as revealed.

 

Lessons of the feast of the Assumption

·         Mary’s humble life of faith is crowned in her entry, body and soul into the glory of the resurrection, into the fullness of God’s life. We also have hope in our own destiny.

·         Our faith is rooted in the truth that we too will rise from the dead, body and soul through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ.

·         The Blessed Virgin Mary challenges us to totally say ‘Yes’ to God and place ourselves at the service of God.

·         In her, Salvation is announced and she accepted God’s will. We too must accept God’s will to be blessed. 

·         In her, God’s promises are fulfilled. We too must believe and trust that God’s promises will be fulfill in our lives.

·         She extols God for all He is doing for humanity and teaches us to do same in thanksgiving and surrender. She is a wonderful model for us, because in her: we see a woman of love and faith, prayer and obedience, trust, hope, humility, surrender and Victory.

Conclusion

The feast of the glorious Assumption of Our Lady holds out to us her children, a wonderful invitation to hope in the power of the risen and glorified Christ. Indeed, there is great hope and tremendous consolation in the Assumption message, which invites us to know that like Our Lady, assumed and exalted high above the heavens after the pattern of Her only Son, Jesus Christ, we too are on our way to eternal glory reserved for us by God, and we hope to share with her the inheritance of eternal life if we say “Yes” to God’s love like she did. So she invites us today to follow her steps in Her pilgrimage of faith and deepen our own faith. Mary’s victory over the suffering of this life is a promise of our own victory. We too, like Mary will receive the reward of heaven if we keep steadfast and faithful to God’s will. We ask her maternal intercession as we continue to proclaim with her, the goodness and greatness of God.  Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

ENDNOTES

1.       Bible Alive August 2012, p.34.

2.       Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, defining the Dogma of the Assumption, November 1, 1950.

3.       Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 88.

4.       Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus defining the Dogma of the Assumption, November 1, 1950, Nos. 46 & 47.

Rev Fr Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director Media Service Centre Kaduna Nigeria 2013.

 

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[1] Bible Alive August 2012, p.34.

[2] Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, defining the Dogma of the Assumption, November 1, 1950.

 

[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 88.

[4] Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus defining the Dogma of the Assumption, November 1, 1950, Nos. 46 & 47.