Every August 15, the Church celebrates one of the most hope-filled mysteries of the liturgical year. On the Solemnity of the Assumption, we rejoice that the Blessed Virgin Mary, having completed her earthly life, was taken body and soul into heavenly glory. In Mary, the Church catches a glimpse of her own future. Her Assumption is a sign of Christ's victory over sin and death and of the destiny he desires for all who remain faithful to him.
The Church has always honored Mary because no one has responded more perfectly to God's grace. Every Marian feast points us to Jesus Christ and the saving work he accomplished. As the Mother of God and the first among Christ's disciples, Mary shows us what a lifelong "yes" to God looks like.
For priests, seminarians, and all the faithful, the Solemnity of the Assumption invites us to deepen our own hope and devotion.
Why the Church Honors Mary
The Church's devotion to Mary has never existed apart from her relationship with Christ. Every title she bears and every feast celebrated in her honor points to him. She is blessed not because of achievements she claimed for herself but because God accomplished great things through her. To honor Mary, then, is to honor the God who chose her to become the Mother of his Son.
St. Josemaria Escriva beautifully reflected on the mystery of the Assumption and the due honor we show our Mother:
'Mary has been taken up to heaven by God in body and soul, and the angels rejoice.' Joy overtakes both angels and men. Why is it that we feel today this intimate delight, with our heart brimming over, with our soul full of peace? Because we are celebrating the glorification of our mother, and it is only natural that we her children rejoice in a special way upon seeing how the most Blessed Trinity honors her. (Christ Is Passing By, no. 171)
St. Josemaria’s words remind us that Marian devotion is more than admiration for a great saint. It is the joyful love of children for their Mother. When the Church celebrates Mary's glory, she celebrates what God's grace can accomplish in a life completely surrendered to him.
The Assumption Reveals Our Christian Hope
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death. (CCC 966)
Mary's Assumption is a singular privilege, yet it also reveals the future Christ promises to his Church. While Mary already shares fully in heavenly glory, the faithful await the resurrection of the body. Her Assumption reminds us that God's plan is the redemption of the whole person, body and soul.
In a culture that often separates the spiritual from the physical, this feast proclaims the goodness of the human body. The Son of God took on our flesh, rose bodily from the tomb, and promises that those who belong to him will also rise. In Mary's Assumption, the Church already beholds what she herself longs to become. It reveals not only where Mary is but where God's grace desires to lead every faithful disciple.
Mary is not only the Mother of the Head, Christ; she is also the Mother of Christ’s members, because her charity cooperates in the “birth of believers” who belong to the Church as the body of Christ (cf. CCC 963).
The Assumption lets the Church “look” at what she already is in her mystery and what she will be in the homeland. In Mary, the Church contemplates herself and her ultimate goal, since the Blessed Virgin enjoys in heaven the glory of body and soul and thus shows where grace leads us.
For that reason, Mary also shines on earth as a sign of hope and comfort for the pilgrim People of God, strengthening the disciples who still await the final resurrection (cf. CCC 972).
The Mother of Priests
As Christ hung upon the Cross, he looked upon his mother and the Beloved Disciple and said:
"Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (Jn 19:26–27)
Reflecting on this passage, Pope Benedict XVI observed:
From the Cross, Jesus entrusted his Mother to all his disciples and at the same time entrusted all his disciples to the love of his Mother...at the supreme moment of the fulfilment of his messianic mission, Jesus bequeathes as a precious inheritance to each one of his disciples his own Mother, the Virgin Mary. (General Audience, January 2, 2008)
If Mary is the Mother of God (and of the Church), then it makes sense that she is also the Mother of Priests. Through Holy Orders, priests are configured to Christ and act in persona Christi Capitis, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist. It is fitting, then, that they welcome Mary into their lives with the same filial confidence shown by the Beloved Disciple.
St. Josemaria Escriva offers a compelling example. Burdened by serious trials, he traveled to the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto and, on the Solemnity of the Assumption in 1951, entrusted Opus Dei to the Most Sweet Heart of Mary. He returned with renewed peace, confident that he had placed both his sufferings and the future of Opus Dei into Mary's maternal hands.
His prayer remains fitting for every priest and seminarian: "Most Sweet Heart of Mary, prepare for us a safe path."
Marian devotion has long been a school of trust. In Mary's "yes" to God, priests learn humility. At the foot of the Cross, they learn fidelity. In her maternal intercession, they discover the confidence to lead others more faithfully to Christ.
Celebrating the Assumption
The Solemnity of the Assumption reminds us that Mary's glory is inseparable from Christ's victory. In honoring the Mother of God, we renew our hope in the resurrection promised to all who belong to her Son.
Allow the mystery of the Assumption to shape your prayer. Attend Mass, pray the Rosary, spend time reflecting on Mary's glorification, or entrust a particular intention to her maternal care. As St. Josemaria wrote, "Her Heart has room for all humanity and makes no distinction or discrimination. Every person is her son or her daughter" (Furrow, no. 801).
As we celebrate the Assumption, may our hearts be lifted toward heaven with renewed hope. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, already sharing fully in the glory of her Son, obtain for us the grace to follow Christ with the same joyful fidelity that marked her earthly life.
Matthew Chicoine
Matthew Chicoine holds an MA in Theology and a BA in History and Political Science. He teaches at Saint Joseph Classical Academy in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and writes on Catholic theology, spirituality, and the saints. His work has appeared in Catholic Herald, Catholic Link, Catholic Exchange, and Catholic Insight. He is the founder, writer, and editor of The Simple Catholic blog. Matthew lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Jennifer, and their four children.
Artwork: The Assumption of the Virgin by Pieter Fransz de Grebber
