This Thursday, August 15, we celebrate the feast day of the Assumption Mary’s being assumed into heaven. We will celebrate the vigil Mass on Wednesday August 14th at 6:30 PM. On the Holy Day Thursday August 15th Mass will be at 6:30 PM. Addressing a jubilant crowd of more than 500,000 people packed into St. Peter’s Square, Pope Pius XII solemnly defined in “Munificentissimus Deus” on Nov. 1, 1950, 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 word ‘Assumption’ does not appear in Sacred Scripture. For this reason many nonCatholic fundamentalists who interpret the Bible in a verbatim and literal sense, would have difficulty with our belief in the Assumption of Mary. Catholics, unlike fundamentalists, have a two source theory of God revealing Himself; Scripture and Tradition. In terms of Mary’s Assumption we can look all the way back to the second century traditions of the writings of the Fathers of the Church and their longstanding belief of Mary’s Assumption. In the same document, “Munificentissimus Deus,” Pope Pius XII cites various Church Fathers and looks all the back to the 2nd century of our belief of the Assumption St. John Damascene, St. Andrew of Crete, St. Modestus of Jerusalem and St. Gregory of Tours, to name a few. Bishop Theoteknos of Livias (c. 550 650) gave a very powerful and comprehensive early sermons concerning the Assumption. He wrote, “For Christ took His immaculate flesh from the immaculate flesh of Mary, and if He had prepared a place in heaven for the Apostles, how much more for His mother; if Enoch had been translated and Elijah had gone to heaven, how much more Mary, who like the moon in the midst of the stars shines forth and excels among the prophets and Apostles? For even though her Godbearing body tasted death, it did not undergo corruption, but was preserved incorrupt and undefiled and taken up into heaven with its pure and spotless soul.” Make a commitment this week to ask Mary, the Queen of Peace to bring peace to our broken world, end all violence, stop abortion, and support human life. Try and offer one Hail Mary for world peace sometime this week. Together we pray, “Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.” Fr. Roach
