ASSUMPTION OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER

The Introit for today:

Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a festal day in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for whose Assumption the angels rejoice, and give praise to the Son of God.  My heart hath uttered a good word:  I speak my works to the King (Ps. 44)  Glory be to the Father...


Today is the Feast Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, when she was taken, body and soul, into heaven. It only makes sense that Mary should have her virginal, immaculate body, taken back into heaven where she belongs. She is our model, our help, and our hope in these times. She even helps us when we fail and fall short in doing what we are supposed to do. So, not only is she blessed, but we are too for having her as our Mother!


I'm going to, as I do a lot, let our beloved Abbot Gueranger, explain it as no one does. He was instrumental in writing the thesis beforehand in 1854, when Pope Pius IX proclaimed the great Assumption we have been given to think about. The Abbot was also present during the First Vatican Council, when the proclamation of the primacy of Peter and his infallibility was in question. He is truly a saint, if you ask me. Anyway, here is the writing for the Assumption:


The Ancient Coptic Rite Icon of the Assumption states: "Today the Virgin Mary ascended to Heaven; rejoice, for She reigns with Christ forever." The Church will close Her chants on this glorious day with this sweet antiphon, which resumes the object of the Feast and the spirit in which it should be celebrated.

No other solemnity breathes, like this one, at once triumph and peace; none better answers to the enthusiasm of the many and the serenity of souls consummated in love. Assuredly that was as great a triumph when Our Lord, rising by His own power from the tomb, cast Hell into dismay; but to our souls, so abruptly drawn from the abyss of sorrows on Golgotha, the suddenness of the victory caused a sort of stupor to mingle with the joy of that greatest of days. In presence of the prostrate angels, the hesitating apostles, the women seized with fear and trembling, one felt that the divine isolation of the Conqueror of death was perceptible even to His most intimate friends, and kept them, like Magdalene, at a distance.

Mary's death, however, leaves no impression but peace; that death had no other cause than love. Being a mere creature, She could not deliver Herself from that claim of the old enemy; but leaving Her tomb filled with flowers; She mounts up to Heaven, flowing with delights, leaning upon Her Beloved (Cant. 8: 5). Amid the acclamations of the daughters of Zion, who will henceforth never cease to call Her Blessed, She ascends surrounded by choirs of heavenly spirits joyfully praising the Son of God. Never more will shadows veil, as they did on earth, the glory of the most beautiful daughter of Eve. Beyond the immovable Thrones, beyond the dazzling Cherubim, beyond the flaming Seraphim, onward She passes, delighting the heavenly city with Her sweet perfumes. She stays not till She reaches the very confines of the Divinity; close to the throne of honor where Her Son, the King of ages, reigns in justice and in power; there She is proclaimed Queen, there She will reign for evermore in mercy and in goodness.

Among the feasts of saints, this is the solemnity of solemnities. "Let the mind of man," says St. Peter Damian, "be occupied in declaring Her magnificence; let his speech reflect Her majesty. May the Sovereign of the world deign to accept the goodwill of our lips, to aid our insufficiency, to illumine with her own light the sublimity of this day." It is no new thing, then, that Mary's triumph fills the hearts of Christians with enthusiasm. If certain ancient calendars give to this Feast the title of Dormition (sleeping) of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we cannot thence conclude that in those times the Feast had no other object than Mary's holy death; the Greeks, from whom we have the expression, have always included in the solemnity the glorious triumph that followed Her death.

Some authors think that the Assumption has been kept from Apostolic times; but the primitive liturgical documents are silent about it. The hesitation as to the date of its celebration, and the liberty so long allowed with regard to it, seem to point to the spontaneous initiative of diverse Churches, owing to some fact attracting attention to the mystery or throwing some light upon it. Of this nature we may reckon the account everywhere spread abroad about the year 451, in which Juvenal of Jerusalem related to the Empress St. Pulcheria and her husband Marcian the history of the tomb which the Apostles had prepared for Our Lady at the foot of Mount Olivet, and which was found empty of its precious deposit.

The following words of St. Andrew of Crete in the 7th century show how the solemnity of the Assumption gained ground in consequence of such circumstances. The Saint was born at Damascus, became a monk at Jerusalem, was afterwards Deacon at Constantinople, and lastly Bishop of the celebrated island from which he takes his name; no one then could speak for the East with better authority. "The present solemnity," he says, "is full of mystery, having for its object to celebrate the day whereon the Mother of God fell asleep; this solemnity is too elevated for any discourse to reach; by some this mystery has not always been celebrated, but now all love and honor it. Silence long preceded speech, but now love divulges the secret. The gift of God must be manifested, not buried; we must show it forth, not as recently discovered, but as having recovered its splendor. Some of those who lived before us knew it but imperfectly; that is no reason for always keeping silence about it; it has not become altogether obscured; let us proclaim it and keep a feast. Today let the inhabitants of Heaven and earth be united, let the joy of Angels and men be one, let every tongue exult and sing "Hail" to the Mother of God."

In 1870 an earnest desire was expressed to have the doctrine of Mary's Assumption defined as a dogma of faith; however, due to the Italian civil war, the Vatican Council was suspended too soon to complete our Lady's crown. This was accomplished in 1950, by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII.


Also, I would like to add something which was read in the 'City of God' by Venerable Mary of Agreda, that when Mary died, it was on a Friday at 3pm, like her Son. Her Assumption, again like her son, was on the following Sunday. She copied Him even in death. Also, the Apostles, who were dispersed throughout the world, were transported by angels to be at her side. The Apostles loved her, so what's wrong with protestants?


Holy Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

Also, think about all of the souls who will be delivered on this day by our Blessed Mother! Maybe someone we know will be among these blessed souls.


(If you ask me, the ONLY thing that Vat. II did right was to declare Mary as 'Mother of the Church'.  I add this title in the Litany of Loreto after:  Mother of Our Creator and Mother of Our Savior, because then we have the Father, the Son, and then the Holy Ghost represented during the Litany.  Just sayin')