The Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

According to Cardinal Avery Dulles, “In current Catholic usage, the term ‘dogma’ means a divinely revealed truth, proclaimed as such by the infallible teaching authority of the Church, and hence binding on all the faithful without exception, now and forever.” In the 1950 Apostolic Constitution Munifcentissimus Deus, His Holiness Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception: “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.”

Reflecting in this dogma, Pope Emeritus Benedict said: “The Mother of God is so deeply integrated into Christ's Mystery that at the end of her earthly life she already participates with her whole self in her Son's Resurrection. She lives what we await at the end of time; she already lives what we proclaim in the Creed: "We look for the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come."

He went on saying: “Mary expecting the birth of her Son Jesus is the Holy Ark that contains the presence of God, a presence that is a source of consolation, of total joy. John, in fact, leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, just as David danced before the Ark. Mary is the 'visit' of God that creates joy."

"Let us not limit ourselves to admiring Mary in her destiny of glory, as a person very remote from us. No! We are called to look at all that the Lord, in his love, wanted to do for us too, for our final destiny: to live through faith in a perfect communion of love with him and hence to live truly. Mary is the dawn and the splendor of the Church triumphant; she is the consolation and the hope of people still on the journey. God is waiting for us: this is our great joy and the great hope that is born from this Feast. Mary visits us, and she is the joy of our life and joy is hope."

Pope Francis tells us that; “Mary the Mother of Christ and of the Church is always with us. She walks with us always, she is with us. And in a way, Mary shares this dual condition. She has of course already entered, once and for all, into heavenly glory. But this does not mean that she is distant or detached from us; rather Mary accompanies us, struggles with us, and sustains Christians in their fight against the forces of evil."

"The mystery of Mary’s Assumption body and soul is fully inscribed in the resurrection of Christ. The Mother’s humanity is 'attracted' by the Son in his own passage from death to life. Once and for all, Jesus entered into eternal life with all the humanity he had drawn from Mary; and she, the Mother, who followed him faithfully throughout her life, followed him with her heart, and entered with him into eternal life which we also call heaven, paradise, the Father’s house."

"Mary also experienced the martyrdom of the Cross: the martyrdom of her heart, the martyrdom of her soul. She lived her Son’s Passion to the depths of her soul. She was fully united to him in his death, and so she was given the gift of resurrection. Christ is the first fruits from the dead and Mary is the first of the redeemed, the first of 'those who are in Christ.' She is our Mother, but we can also say that she is our representative, our sister, our eldest sister, she is the first of the redeemed, who has arrived in heaven."

Sources:

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, BENEDICT XVI, 08/15/2010 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20100815_assunzione_en.html

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, BENEDICT XVI, 08/15/2012 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20120815_assunzione_en.html

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, POPE FRANCIS, 08/15/2013 http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130815_omelia-assunzione.html