Mary, Taken into the Glory of Heaven

On 15 August, the Church celebrates one of the great feasts of the year: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a feast filled with joy and hope, because it reminds us that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has been taken body and soul into the glory of Heaven.

The Assumption is not simply a celebration of something that happened to Mary. It also tells us something beautiful about our own destiny.

What do we mean by the Assumption?

At the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken into Heaven, body and soul, by the power of God. In 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly defined this as a dogma of the Catholic faith.

This does not mean that Mary somehow escaped death or that she was divine. Mary is fully human, just as we are. Her greatness comes from the extraordinary grace God gave her and from her complete response to that grace.

From the moment of the Annunciation, Mary placed her life in God’s hands. Her words, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” became the pattern of her whole life.

She trusted God when things were joyful and when they were difficult. She trusted Him at Bethlehem, during the years of Jesus’ hidden life, at Cana, and most especially beneath the Cross.

Now, in the Assumption, we see the fruit of that faithful trust.

Mary points us towards Heaven

The Assumption reminds us that Heaven is not simply an idea or a comforting thought. Resurrection and eternal life are at the heart of the Christian faith.

Jesus rose from the dead, and because He has conquered death, those who belong to Him are promised a share in His risen life.

Mary is the first and most perfect example of this hope. In her, we see what God intends ultimately for all who remain faithful to Him.

Our earthly lives can sometimes seem dominated by worries, disappointments, illness, ageing and the many uncertainties of the future. The feast of the Assumption lifts our eyes beyond all these things and reminds us that this life is not the end.

We are made for Heaven.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord”

The Gospel for the feast gives us Mary’s beautiful Magnificat. Visiting her cousin Elizabeth, Mary declares:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”

These words reveal something important about Mary. She does not point attention towards herself. She points towards God.

Mary’s greatness is always a reflection of God’s greatness.

She is the humble servant who allowed God to work through her. And perhaps that is one of the great lessons of the feast for us. We do not have to achieve extraordinary things in the eyes of the world. We simply have to be faithful to God in the circumstances in which He has placed us.

A prayer said faithfully, an act of kindness, forgiveness offered, patience shown, someone visited, a person listened to, a good deed done without anyone knowing—these things matter to God.

A feast of hope

The Assumption is especially a feast of hope.

When we stand beside the grave of someone we love, we experience the pain of separation. The Christian does not pretend that death is easy or that grief does not hurt. But our faith tells us that death does not have the final word.

Mary’s Assumption is a reminder that God’s promise of eternal life is real.

The Mother of Jesus has already reached the destination towards which the Church is travelling. She is, as it were, a signpost pointing us towards Heaven.

This is why Catholics have always turned to Mary in prayer, especially in moments of difficulty. We ask her to pray for us because she is not distant from us. She knows what it is to experience the joys and sorrows of human life, and she continually leads us towards her Son.

“Pray for us sinners”

Every time we pray the Hail Mary, we ask:

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Those final words are particularly appropriate on the feast of the Assumption. Mary is the Mother who accompanies her children. She points us towards Christ and reminds us not to be afraid of entrusting our lives—and even our death—to God.

As we celebrate the Assumption, therefore, let us rejoice with Mary. Let us thank God for the gift of her life and for the hope that her Assumption gives to the whole Church.

Mary has gone before us.

She shows us where the Christian journey leads: not to an empty grave, but to the glory of Heaven and the fullness of life with God.

Our Lady assumed into Heaven, pray for us.