The Assumption of Mary (Catholics only)?

Question

Please explain to me the Assumption of Mary, and all evidence that supports it, including, but not limited to, Scripture, papal bulls, evidence in the Apocrapha, etc.

Answer 1

It's possible to build a solid case for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by applying scripture, known theological concepts, and history/tradition.

In the psalms, we find that God will not allow the flesh of his holy one to see corruption.

Mary's flesh was sanctified by the presence of God within it, and by the spirit of God fully present in her soul. Jesus obtained his flesh from Mary. Same flesh = same promise. Jesus resurrected and ascended by his own power, Mary would be assumed by the power of God alone, according to his promise.

Scripture refers to Mary as God's "highly favored one" and God's unmerited favor is the literal definition of grace. The angel Gabriel speaks of Mary as having always been in this condition, hence always full of grace and free from sin, even from her conception, by special privilege of God.

Up until that time, no one but Adam and Eve had been created "full of grace" and without sin.

Conceived without sin, Mary would not suffer from it's effects. She would not be required to pay the penalty of either death or corruption, and she would not have the inherited tendency towards sin that all of us have.

It logically follows that she would be fit to enter heaven whenever God deemed it proper, and would not have to wait until judgement day, like the rest of us.

Finally, the church knows from tradition ... in this case, the eye witness testimony of at least two apostles ... St. John and St. Thomas ... what happened to Mary at the time of her "dormition" (falling asleep).

Mary appeared to die, was placed in a tomb, and three days later, upon the arrival of St. Thomas, who wished to pay his last respects, the tomb was found empty, and in the place of Mary's body, was found a huge quantity of flowers.

Later, when St. John received the Book of Revelation from Jesus, John also received a revelation from God regarding both Mary's assumption and her subsequent coronation as Queen of Heaven.

Language to that effect may be found in Revelation 11 and 12.

Based on all this and more, the Catholic Church dogmatically defines the matter thusly:

40. Hence the revered Mother of God, from all eternity joined in a hidden way with Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination,[47] immaculate in her conception, a most perfect virgin in her divine motherhood, the noble associate of the divine Redeemer who has won a complete triumph over sin and its consequences, finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the tomb and that, like her own Son, having overcome death, she might be taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages.[48]

For more on the subject, go here:

http://mariology.com

Answer 2

One interesting supporting note. In the 15th century, the Portuguese arrived in India to Christianize it. Upon arrival they were shocked to find Christians already there singing the Mass. They had been there already for 15 centuries. It turns out that according to the Indian Church, Thomas the apostle had a vision of Mary, following her Assumption, and she sent him East as far as he could go. They preseved the doctrine of the Assumption for over 1000 years in isolation from the rest of Christianity. It is their founding story. They also could not have known of the controversy that was forming with Protestants because they had never heard of them.

So, even though this community did not know it, they were preserving independent evidence of the idea as they had no reason to be partisan in the matter.

There is also a pretty good popular press book by a former evangelical scripture theologian, Scott Hahn, called "Hail Holy Queen." It is a pretty good book and as a scripture theologian trained in the evangelical community, it is better than most because it comes from the view of the opposite camp.

Answer 3

We don't know how this feast first came to be celebrated.

At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, when bishops from throughout the Mediterranean world gathered in Constantinople, Emperor Marcian asked the Patriarch of Jerusalem to bring the relics of Mary to Constantinople to be enshrined in the capitol. The patriarch explained to the emperor that there were no relics of Mary in Jerusalem, that "Mary had died in the presence of the apostles; but her tomb, when opened later . . . was found empty and so the apostles concluded that the body was taken up into heaven."

Common consent about where Mary was assumed favours Jerusalem, where her tomb is shown; but some argue in favour of Ephesus.
The belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is founded on the apocryphal treatise De Obitu S. Dominae, bearing the name of St. John, which belongs however to the fourth or fifth century. It is also found in the book De Transitu Virginis, falsely ascribed to St. Melito of Sardis, and in a spurious letter attributed to St. Denis the Areopagite. If we consult genuine writings in the East, it is mentioned in the sermons of St. Andrew of Crete, St. John Damascene, St. Modestus of Jerusalem and others.

In 1950, in the Apostolic Constitution , Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church in these words: "The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heaven."

Answer 4

The assumption of Mary is the idea that, sometime after Jesus' death, Mary was taken up bodily into heaven. People are divided over whether or not she died; it is unclear.

There is no direct Scriptural evidence for the Assumption. However, there is implicit evidence:
1. Both Enoch and Elijah were assumed into heaven (Heb. 11:5, 2 Kgs. 2:11), and Mary was far greater than them.
2. In Matthew 27:52-53 one can read about saints whose bodies left the grave after the Resurrection of Christ. Their early resurrection anticipated the rising of those who die in faith, all of whom will be assumed one day to receive their glorified bodies. Belief in the assumption of Mary is simply the belief that God granted her this gift early, as he appears to have done for others.
3. Jesus was bound to obey the commandment to honor his mother. The Hebrew word for "honor" does not imply mere courtesy, but the bestowal of honor and glory. By preserving Mary's body from corruption, Jesus fulfills the command to honor his mother in a way that only a divine Son could.
4. The book of Revelations seems to place Mary in heaven with God: "Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; . . . she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations" (Rev 11:19; 12:1,5).

There are Apocrypha that contain stories of Mary's Assumption, but these are not considered reliable and have no bearing on the Church's dogma concerning the Assumption.
1. De Obitu S. Dominae
2. The Transitus Mariae stories, which include the Obsequities of the Holy Virgin, and the text of Pseudo-Melito.

In other writings, it is mentioned in the sermons of St. Andrew of Crete, St. John Damascene, and St. Modestus of Jerusalem. St. Gregory of Tours also talks of it.

The Church fathers seemed to be in fair agreement on the matter. Epiphanius admits that the Assumption of Mary is possible, and neither Jerome, Origen, Athanasius, Ambrose, nor Augustine (prolific and opinionated writers, all) contested him. Ephraem described Mary as having been glorified by Christ and carried through the air to heaven. In fact, the first opposition to the Assumption cannot be found until Ambrosius Autpertus in the eighth century.

According to the life of St. Theodosius, the Feast of the Assumption was kept since before the year 500 AD. It has been continuously maintained since that time.

By promulgating the Bull Munificentissimus Deus, November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII declared infallibly that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a dogma of the Catholic Faith. Likewise, the Second Vatican Council taught in the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium that "the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things (n. 59)."

Answer 5

it incredibly is the reason we would desire to verify the Bible for ourselves. no one in the international is "infallible". The Bible additionally would not say to desire to Mary. St Dominic in thirteenth century or so began that. The Bible does say there is one mediator between God and guy and that's Christ Jesus. 1Tim 2:5-6 so as you have shown do not basically shop on with blindly...for sure you have carried out the examine. it incredibly is a thank you to the certainty.

Answer 6

The assumption of Mary is not in the bible. It was proclaimed by Pope Pius X11 in 1950.

Answer 7

FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we believe that she was *immaculate*, and perfect! she had no sin tha tneeded to be cleaned away in pugatory, like we have. Jesus took her up to heaven, immediately. nothing unclean will enter the kingdom of heaven, she had no sin, not even original sin, therefore, we believe that she whent to heaven. fr. bork is over now, i can ask him, fi you need more, but i wont bother him with that now.

Answer 8

It cannot be proven, as nothing in the Bible can really be proven.

Answer 9

it's this simple..........when Mary dies and goes up to heaven to be with God

Answer 10

which mary? magdelene or gave birth to jesus?