For Vatican Radio, on the Solemnity of the Assumption: 15 August 2014.
RADIO Reflection
by Mons. Chidi Denis Isizoh
From Nigeria working at
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
On November 1, 1950, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary as a dogma:
By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
The contents of this dogma have biblical foundation. They are referred to in some of the early Church Fathers’ writings.
All the feast days of Mary mark the great mysteries of her life and her part in the work of redemption. The central mystery of her life and person is her divine motherhood, celebrated both at Christmas and on the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) marks the preparation for that motherhood.
Because of Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Conception in view of her role in the history of salvation and because of her sinless life, her body was not subjected to decay and corruption. Mary was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, and with God and in God she is Queen of heaven and earth.
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a day of thanksgiving to God for the great honour bestowed on Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Assumption completes God's work in her since it was not fitting that the flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo corruption. The Assumption is God's crowning of His work as Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity. The feast turns our eyes in that direction, where we will follow when our earthly life is over.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in heaven means that we have a Mother in heaven. And the Mother of God is our Mother. Christ himself has said so. He made Mary our Mother when he said to the disciple and to all of us: "Behold, your Mother!"
According to the Canon Law, Canon 1247, holy days of obligation are days in which the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass and abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day or the solemnity, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.
To mark a day of obligation, (Can. 1248 §1), the faithful are obliged:
The Holy Father, Pope Francis, almost always asks us to pray for him. His Apostolic journey to Korea is not just to one city but to the whole of Korea both north and south, and to the whole of the great Asia. We pray for his safety. We pray that his words may touch the heart of every person of goodwill. We pray that his visit may bear abundant fruit:
fruit of peace and joy;
fruit of unity;
fruit of happy families;
fruit of increase of members of the Church;
fruit of more vocations to the priesthood and religious life;
fruit of good governance;
fruit of political and religious freedom;
and, above all, fruit of the acknowledgement of the universal lordship of Jesus Christ.
By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
The contents of this dogma have biblical foundation. They are referred to in some of the early Church Fathers’ writings.
All the feast days of Mary mark the great mysteries of her life and her part in the work of redemption. The central mystery of her life and person is her divine motherhood, celebrated both at Christmas and on the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) marks the preparation for that motherhood.
Because of Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Conception in view of her role in the history of salvation and because of her sinless life, her body was not subjected to decay and corruption. Mary was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, and with God and in God she is Queen of heaven and earth.
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a day of thanksgiving to God for the great honour bestowed on Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Assumption completes God's work in her since it was not fitting that the flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo corruption. The Assumption is God's crowning of His work as Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity. The feast turns our eyes in that direction, where we will follow when our earthly life is over.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in heaven means that we have a Mother in heaven. And the Mother of God is our Mother. Christ himself has said so. He made Mary our Mother when he said to the disciple and to all of us: "Behold, your Mother!"
According to the Canon Law, Canon 1247, holy days of obligation are days in which the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass and abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day or the solemnity, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.
To mark a day of obligation, (Can. 1248 §1), the faithful are obliged:
- to participate in a Mass celebrated either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day.
- Or participate in a Liturgy of the word in a parish church or other sacred places approved by the bishop.
- The faithful can also fufill this obligation by devoting themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or as the occasion permits, in groups of families.
- Some families and parishes prepare themselves for this Solemnity with a novena: rosary everyday together with some personal or group prayers.
The Holy Father, Pope Francis, almost always asks us to pray for him. His Apostolic journey to Korea is not just to one city but to the whole of Korea both north and south, and to the whole of the great Asia. We pray for his safety. We pray that his words may touch the heart of every person of goodwill. We pray that his visit may bear abundant fruit:
fruit of peace and joy;
fruit of unity;
fruit of happy families;
fruit of increase of members of the Church;
fruit of more vocations to the priesthood and religious life;
fruit of good governance;
fruit of political and religious freedom;
and, above all, fruit of the acknowledgement of the universal lordship of Jesus Christ.