Having been taken into heaven both spiritually and bodily, the Virgin Mary helps believers to grow in “Christian hope” during their earthly lives, Pope Benedict XVI taught on Assumption Day.
The Pope celebrated Mass at Castel Gandolfo’s parish church of St. Thomas of Villanova on the Aug. 15 solemnity. During his homily, he said Mary's intercession with God can “help us to live well and with hope the time that God gives to us” on earth.
In remarks reported by Vatican Radio, he noted that the virtue of Christian hope “is not just nostalgia for heaven,” but a “living and active desire for God here in the world.” That desire “makes us indefatigable pilgrims,” providing “the courage and strength of faith” through “the power of love.”
The Pope also observed that by entering the fullness of life with God, the Virgin Mary was not leaving behind the faithful on earth, but instead becoming closer to all.
Dogmatically defined in 1950, the assumption of the Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heaven is a perennial part of the Church's faith, Pope Benedict told pilgrims who joined him to pray the Angelus at his summer residence later in the day.
He explained that Christ's mother, who was “redeemed from the first moment of her life,” is “associated in a special way” with the mystery of Christ's own life, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.
Mary's physical and spiritual entry into God's presence represents “the paschal mystery of Christ fully realized in her,” as she is “intimately united with her Son” and “fully conformed to him.”
“But the Assumption is a reality that touches us, too,” the Pope reflected, pointing out that it shows “the reality of the glory” to which God calls “each of us and the whole Church.”
As Pope Benedict greeted pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace for the Angelus, he expressed his desire that “the example and prayers of Mary, Queen of Heaven” would “inspire and sustain us on our pilgrimage of faith.”
Under her protection, believers on earth may hope to “rejoice with her in the glory of the Resurrection and the fulfillment of her Son’s promises.”
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If Mary was “redeemed from the first moment of her life”, then surely none of the following are necessary for redemption: Jesus’ death and resurrection, Faith in Christ, Faith in God, and works (charity, love etc.).
Also, what about Mary’s mother? Was she “special”? And Mary’s father?
Has someone done an analysis of the Scriptures that I can look at to see how Mary’s place in Heaven is explained? Relying on “Church Tradition” is just not good enough for such an important topic. Jesus existed from the beginning, which means He had no mother before he came to Earth. But now He has one upon returning “to the Father”. It just doesn’t make sense.
John Roodt,
We recieve the free gift of Gods grace through Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. Mary’s immaculate conception is also from this Grace of God.
A good way of seeing how Mary is revered is to look at how the Tabernacle of the Old Testament is revered.
Jesus’s Mother is the one who does His Fathers will. Who cooperated with the Fathers will more than she?
Jesus said no one born would be greater then John the Baptist yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater then he….Mary professed that she was the least of His handmaids.
Scripture talks of Mary’s place in heaven in Genesis and Revelation. She is the Woman who will crush the head of the serpent. She is the one whom God has clothed with the sun and crowned with the stars.
On this Feast of her Assumption we can see what Grace and honor God bestows on His Mother because of her perfect obedience and love toward His will. She is the model of His Church…and how great to think of how uncomprehendable it is that we are also that Church!
God made a perfect mother as just one more incredible gift to us…that He should give us a perfect mother!
Scripture tells us that you should niether add nor take away that which is written down OR PASSED ON BY WORD OF MOUTH. This would be called Oral Tradition. It is not just anything said, but that which the Church professes as infallible etc.
How can we be sure that this oral tradition is not corrupt? Because of our faith in what Jesus told us about the authority and protection He gave to the Church…
If the Church does not have that which has been passed down by word of mouth as Scripture proclaims, than we all are very guilty of this “command” and it would seem to be inrecoverable.
Anyway, these are just some of my late night thoughts….the best answers would be found with a priest in the confessional…for there you will certainly receive good counsel.
Quote:“Dogmatically defined in 1950, the assumption of the Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heaven is a perennial part of the Church’s faith, Pope Benedict told pilgrims…”
Could somebody please provide the biblical text on which this doctrine is founded?
Thank you.
john…a good book to read about The Blessed Mothers life is called MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD, a 4 volumn work by St. Mary of Agreda…...its even online at ...sacredheart.com….
robert,
The only thing we know about Mary can only be found in the Bible. Any other work or statement about her is just speculations and is misleading people to believe things about her that the apostles never taught.
Thanks Krause and Robert for the info. I’ll check it out.
John
Ted, that’s a pretty strong statement. if what you’re saying is correct, then that is pretty damning. I have no idea.
Paul said about the Bereans in Acts 17:11 : “Now these Jews were more nobel than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so”.
Shouldn’t we do the same with all oral tradition?
I had a quick read through MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD and the story of Mary’s “divine history” just doesn’t match what I get from simply reading the Scriptures. Mary’s surprise at the announcement by Gabriel suggests that she didn’t have a sense of destiny from early in her childhood (around three years old in the book above). And that fact that Joseph thought to “put her away quietly” when he found out that she was pregnant also suggests that she wasn’t this divine-like person that was beyond reproach. In fact, the Scripture says he was being discreet because HE “was a good man”. So, she was a humble virgin, but not particularly remarkable. And when it says that: “Joseph KNEW HER NOT UNTIL the birth of Jesus” suggests that they had a normal married life thereafter. I’ve read articles refuting that, but they’ve just never been convincing to me.
Our concerns with the position given to Mary are not based out of disrespect—it’s just that there should not be a disconnect between what we read in Scripture and any alleged “oral tradition”.
I am still concerned, though, about Scriptures like Revelations 12 “woman clothed with the sun… etc.”. I just know that my understanding is far from complete—but not my heart nor my sincere desire for truth.
In the year 383, St. Jerome wrote a tract, The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary (AGAINST HELVIDIUS). He wrote that St. Joseph, who believed from a dream that Mary carried the Messiah, who heard from the shepherds that Angels proclaimed the birth of the Christ, who heard from Simeon that he had seen God’s salvation, and who heard the words of Anna, the Magi, seen the star, etc. - that that Joseph would have realized that Mary, his wife, was the spouse of the Holy Spirit of God, and would have refrained from having relations after the birth of Jesus, as he did before. Considering the Church taught and all believed this until the time of the Reformation, I would tend to believe someone just 383 years removed from Christ that those who were 1500 years removed.
john…your reading of scripture and interpretation is why there are 10’s of thousands of christian sects throughout the world. If you go back in time, say a thousand years, there was no printing press, no personal Bible,only the Roman Catholic Church with its TRADITION…MARYS VIRGINITY BEFORE AND AFTER THE BIRTH OF JESUS IS CATHOLIC DOGMA….AS WELL AS MARYS ASSUMPTION INTO HEAVEN BODY AND SOUL AT HER DEATH…this is what THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST TEACHES…...........HAIL MOTHER MARY, FULL OF ALL GRACE, THE LORD IS FOREVER WITH THEE..BLESSED ART THOU AMONGST ALL WOMEN, AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB AND ONLY JESUS..HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, AND OUR HEAVENLY MOTHER AND BLESSED ST. JOSEPH, PRAY FOR US SINNERS AND UNBELIEVERS NOW, AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH ...AMEN
John Roodt,
How are you going to examine oral tradition? Even though the Lord Jesus and His apostles taught orally we don’t know exactly what that was. The only thing we have from the them is found only in the New Testament. To claim that an oral tradition of some kind exist from the time of the apostles to the time that the MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD (17th century) was written is ludicrous.
Joan…your statement: “spouse of the Holy Spirit of God” is way, way off. Seriously, that makes me so incredibly uncomfortable. it just sounds like those “bride of Satan” jibes you hear from Satanists. This is what really freaks us protestants out. You really think that a tract written in 383 AD is more important than the accounts of the Apostles, and others like Luke? How do you even get to this kind of logic?
And Robert…I count on the fact that the Scriptures we have in our hands are the same as the one’s that were penned by the Apostles. And that faith is based on God’s work…not man’s. Please don’t credit man for what God did. I don’t care who truthfully, or falsely, claims to have had a hand in it. It’s immaterial to me. Besides, Jesus said that he would send the Holy Spirit “to remind us of these things”—and that same Spirit is passed on by the laying of hands, to every man and woman. Not to an institution.
The New Testament was written sometime in the first century, and the “Church of Rome” emerged in the fourth century. How do we judge whether or not this institution (now commonly known as the Catholic Church) has any links to the church which Jesus left in Peter’s care? By judging it’s words and deeds by the written word of God. Not the other way around.
“10’s of thousands of sects” also doesn’t bother me. When I walk into any “sect” I look for two things: does this church hold the Scriptures to be the infallible word of God, and does it look like the people’s lives reflect that. After that, whatever name, style, focus et al they have is nothing more than an interest. It is still one faith, one Scripture, one Lord.
This also speaks to me of the diversity of God and the unique relationship He has with each of us. The Scripture says that God will give us each a name that only we ourselves (and God of course) knows. It’s one on one. This is mind-blowing. God is looking for a “nation of Kings and Priests”. These are the kinds of things that God says about the people in His church. So what if thousands of little fellowships spring up where birds of a feather flock together. It doesn’t appear to violate God’s relationship with us. That test I spoke of above is still all I need.
The Catholic claim that it “carries the baton” passed on by Peter is just not convincing ... at all! Peter may have died outside of Jerusalem as some claim (I can’t argue for or against that) but it was Paul who was sent out to the Gentiles, who preached for a few years in Rome (albeit in jail), and was killed there. The Apostles remained in Jerusalem. Even after the persecution began in Jerusalem, and believers were scattered abroad, the Scripture says that the Apostles remained in Jerusalem. I just can’t see how Catholics can claim to represent this unbroken lineage. It certainly is convenient…but not convincing.
Ted…I agree with you—completely.
I’m not sure why you’re questioning me. I too believe that if there is oral tradition, especially what seems to have arisen in the fourth century, then it is imperative to measure that tradition against the written Word of God. But then we’re all on the same page anyway (so to speak) because even as Protestants we’re constantly trying to understand God and the world around us, but we always test our ideas against what is written. The Scripture is a profound work. To me, even science can be tested against the Scripture. I am confident that the most objective, intelligent, rational and open-minded scientific research will neither contradict nor be contradicted by the Written Word. Translations may err, but they can be identified and corrected—by precisely the scientific approach I mentioned above. Apologies if I am overly exuberant.
john…this is a Roman Catholic website….your posts questioning the Perpetual Holiness of The Blessed Mother Mary and the authenticity of The Roman Catholic Church, is the same drivel one hears from pagans and protestants…..if you got questions on the ONE TRUE CHURCH, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, all the answers are in one book…THE CATHECHISM OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH..the official answers of The Roman Catholic Church are contained in it….its your choice what you wish to believe, but THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WILL ALWAYS STAND WITHOUT YOUR BELIEFS AND QUESTIONS.
John,
I misunderstood the context. Sorry about that. You make some excellent points. I find that the RCC makes claims that cannot be supported historically or biblical such as with the idea of an oral tradition. It may have had some relevance for those who heard Jesus and the apostles teach orally but it does not today since there is no way to keep an oral teaching from being corrupted over time. That’s why we both know how essential the written word is to us. It alone tells us what we need to know how for our salvation and how to live and grow in Christ. It alone is inspired-inerrant Word of God.
John,
I misunderstood the context. Sorry about that. You make some excellent points. I find that the RCC makes claims that cannot be supported historically or biblical such as with the idea of an oral tradition. It may have had some relevance for those who heard Jesus and the apostles teach orally but it does not today since there is no way to keep an oral teaching from being corrupted over time. That’s why we both know how essential the written word is to us. It alone tells us what we need to know how for our salvation and how to live and grow in Christ. It alone is inspired-inerrant Word of God.
Hi Robert. You’re right, I should not be on this website. I follow someone on Twitter and he made a statement with a link to this site…and I simply responded—impulsively—to what I read.
I agree that our positions are irreconcilable, and any further comments from me will only antagonise you—and that wasn’t my intention. Sorry.
I believe, as do Protestants in general, that any statements of belief made by the church of Jesus Christ cannot conflict with the written Word of God (that which we refer to as the Old and New Testaments).
I do, however, enjoy the quality of scholarship within the Catholic Church, so it’s easy to stick around longer than I should. Farewell :-)
Hi Ted, thanks for the apology.
John
robert,
Why is it that catholics cannot defend their church but tell people to read the catechism? I have yet to meet a catholic who has read it or knows it well. Have you read it? Do you know it well?
ted…The Roman Catholic Church is the ONE AND ONLY TRUE CHURCH-THE ONLY CHURCH THAT JESUS CHRIST ESTABLISHED, 2012 YEARS AGO, the Catholic Church has withstood the attacks from the pagan world for 2012 years…..and it will withstand the attacks from the various sects FOREVER…the catholics that can’t defend the Church turn into protestants like you…go read the Bible that the CATHOLIC CHURCH PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU…THE SAME CHURCH THAT YOU DENY IS TRUTH ITSELF
robert,
The Roman Catholic Church is not what we see in the NT. There was no papacy, celibate leadership nor the Marian dogmas in the NT church. The Roman Catholic Church is not the same thing as the NT church in structure or doctrines.
ted…you need to take your anti-catholic views and go back to whatever church you belong to…having a church that can change its beliefs to every passing worldly fad must be very comforting to you…..THE CHURCH I BELIEVE IN BEGAN 2012 YEARS AGO…anything else since then is a counterfeit…enjoy reading your Scriptures that you misinterpret and by the way this column was on THE BLESSED MOTHER MARY, WHO WANTS YOU TO PRAY HER ROSARY DAILY, MOTHER MARY WILL PLACE YOU ON THE RIGHT ROAD TO HER SON JESUS..THE ROAD OF SALVATION…THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
robert,
My views are not anti-Catholic but they are based on Scripture and history. It is the RCC that has changed. The examples I gave prove that. So please to state that the RCC is the same church that Christ founded when the facts don’t back that up.
ted…you are a perfect example as to why there are 10’s of thousands of different christian sects, each making their own interpretation, and changing beliefs according to public opinion..each setting themselves up as their own pope…..sorry ted but you sects are a disgrace to the unity that Jesus prayed..“THAT THEY BE ONE AS YOU FATHER AND I ARE ONE”...you proved nothing to a informed Roman Catholic, instead of debating Scripture you be wise to use your time and pray MARYS HOLY ROSARY AND THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY
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