Assumption, not Ascension
Today we are celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But was Mary assumed into heaven alive or after her death? Let’s reserve this argument for another series and explain more on the truth of our faith.
When many try to explain Assumption, they may end up or end up explaining Ascension by replacing Jesus with Mary. What do you mean Fr?
In Ascension, which is one of the Holidays of Obligation akin to the Lord’s Day (Sunday) in the Catholic Church, we celebrate that Jesus after his resurrection “ascended into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father.” He ascended in the glory he shares with his Father, as God. By implication, the power by which he ascended also belongs to him and not external to him, not foreign but according to his nature. Thus, Christ’s Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity(body and soul) into God’s heavenly domain.
In contrast, at Assumption, we celebrate that “the blessed virgin at the end of her earthly life, which doesn’t necessarily mean at her death, was assumed body and soul into heaven.” We must note that the sentence contains a passive voice, “was assumed.” This has a lot of theological and anthropological implications.
“…Mary was assumed” has a verb in the passive voice “was assumed.” A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of the sentence is acted on by the verb. For example, in “The ball was thrown by the boy,” the ball (the subject) receives the action of the verb, and “was thrown” is in the passive voice.
Therefore, in reconciliation with “…Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul,” Mary the subject, is acted on by the verb “was assumed.” The next logical question is “As the ball was thrown by the boy, Mary was assumed into heaven by who?” This very question is the “kpim” of differentiation between Assumption and Ascension, aside the persons of Jesus and Mary.
Since Mary being human though full of grace, has no divine power of her own, and even the “full of grace” was because of Christ Jesus whom she bore, she cannot have assumed herself. That means, the power of Assumption was external to Mary but the reason for Assumption was both internal and external to Mary.
Simpliciter, Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul by God, which doesn’t exclude Jesus Christ the second person of the Blessed Trinity whom she bore.
Anthroplogical considerations permits us to say that this is an act of honor to the Blessed Mary as a mere mortal and shows how special her body is. Theologically, this gives a lot of meaning when you say Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother most Chaste, Mother most pure, Mary most holy, Mother inviolate, Mother undefiled…Pray for us!!!
Conclusively, Christ ascended into heaven but Mary “was assumed” into heaven. Christ ascended “body and soul” into heaven; Mary was assumed into heaven “body and soul.” Without being careful, one may end up replacing Ascension with Assumption in understanding.
But why would God go so far to assume Mary into heaven?
Given On the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Let’s catch up the next episode.
© Fada Henry Charles Umelechi
Truth Series.