Heaven is for Body and Soul
On August 15, the Church celebrates one of the great feasts: the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This holy day of obligation holds special meaning to our ministry of Catholic Cemeteries, because it points to the resurrection of the body which awaits the faithful after death.
At the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken up, body and soul, to live in heaven with her Son. In doing this for her, the Lord shows us that eternal life will have both bodily and spiritual dimensions. Celebrating the Assumption reminds us of this, and through our work, we proclaim this truth.
The Church does not say whether our Lady died before her Assumption. It is interesting to note that several traditions (such as Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches) give the name “Dormition” to the events at the end of Mary’s earthly life. This word means “falling asleep”, and indicates a belief within these traditions that she died.
Because this specific aspect of Mary’s life is not addressed in the dogma of the Assumption, this belief isn’t in conflict with the dogma. Furthermore, it provides an occasion for reflection. The comparison between death and sleep – a comparison also found in Scripture (for instance, see Mark 5:39) – gives us hope for the deceased, because sleep is followed by awakening. For the faithful, the sleep of death leads to awakening in heaven.
In celebrating the Assumption, let us rejoice for all those who live now in heaven, and prepare ourselves to enjoy fully eternal life upon our own passing.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Read more about the Solemnity of the Assumption in this article from the St. Louis Review.
