The Assumption of Mary: Our Quintessential Catholic Feast!

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It really is, just think about it.  By defining the dogma of Mary’s Assumption and celebrating it as a Holy Day of Obligation, the Church draws together all the most magnificent elements of our Faith:

The Trinity – into whose life Mary was bodily inserted

Jesus’ Resurrection – shared with His Blessed Mother, and eventually with all of us

Salvation – begun in us purely by the grace of God, and brought to perfection through our lifelong cooperation

The Goodness of the Body – that it is not at odds with living a “spiritual life,” but is destined for glory

Sacred Tradition – by which we have explicit knowledge of Mary’s assumption

Sacred Scripture – by which we have implicit knowledge of her assumption (the image of Rev.12:1-2)

Papal Infallibility – which cemented our knowledge of it

The Communion of Saints – Mary being its most magnificent member and interceding for the Church on earth and in purgatory

The Eucharist – by which we give thanks to God and unite ourselves to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, just like Mary.

So do the quintessentially Catholic thing today and go to Mass. Blessed Feast of the Assumption to you!

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About Author

I am a dad, with a daughter who is six and a son who is almost ten. I work full-time as a speech-language pathologist with elementary school children. I have loved sharing the Faith since I was a teen and, more recently, writing about it. You can find some of my past articles here on Catholic Lane, and the website for my first book "The God Who is Love: Explaining Christianity From Its Center" can be found at www.explainingchristianity.com.

  • You forgot the Immaculate Conception, which is what I was thinking about at Mass during the homily, as Father talked about the importance of holy purity. Mary was pure enough to bear Jesus in her womb because, by a singular grace, she was preserved without stain of sin from her conception and throughout her entire earthly life. Not bad for a Nazorean farm girl!