While the Assumption of Mary is an ancient tradition in the Church it was not until 1950 that it was officially defined in its doctrinal form by Pope Pius XII. Mary at the time of her death was assumed body and soul up to heaven. The Bible does not talk about the event but the Fathers of the Church saw it as the fulfillment of scriptural sayings. Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. Who better to be the “second fruits” than Mary, the mother of God! The feast speaks of the role that the human body plays in the history of salvation. Jesus was born in a human body so that all of humanity could be lifted up to God. In our creeds we don’t profess belief in the immortality of the soul but in the “resurrection of the body.” It is as embodied creatures that we are saved. Unlike traditions that look down on the body as the source of our troubles and sin, the Catholic tradition is that since we share a human body with Christ, we will share divinity with him. Mary has preceded us. We hope to follow.
