The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
by VP
Posted on Thursday August 15, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition
Palma Vecchio: Assumption of Mary
Munificentissimus Deus: Defining the Dogma of the Assumption, Pope Pius XII,
"Queen of heaven, thy immense love for God maketh thee likewise love His Church. We pray thee, come to its help amidst the ills under which it is now suffering, rent asunder as she is by her own children. Thy prayers, being a mother’s, can obtain all from that God Who loveth Thee so well. Pray then, pray for the Church; ask for enlightenment for so many unbelievers who are persecuting it, and obtain for faithful souls the necessary strength to resist being caught in the snares of the unbelievers who would drag them down into their own ruin." Source: St. Alphonsusʼ Prayer Book (Father Edward Saint Omer, Redemptorist.1888)
The Assumption of the B. V Mary.
"THIS solemnity is in memory of the happy passage of the Blessed Virgin out of this life into the kingdom of her Son. Pray for a happy death; prepare for it, and be assured that the best preparation for it is a holy life.
It is to celebrate that happy privilege, which by a pious tradition we have received, of her being assumed into heaven, and glorified both in body and soul. Adore the wonderful goodness of God, and bless Him for all the privileges of grace and glory bestowed on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her soul magnified our Lord: join with her in giving praise to Him, who is the author of every good gift.
Though the general resurrection is the time appointed for our souls to be again united to our bodies, yet it is in the power of God to exempt some from this general decree. This power He has certainly manifested in those, who at Christ's resurrection took up their bodies, and appeared to their friends in Jerusalem. He dispensed with Enoch and Elias, as to the general sentence of death at the usual time; and these He dispensed with in the anticipation of the general resurrection. For it is easy for that power, which makes a decree, to privilege some with an exemption, and to do to some only, from particular motives, what He could have done to all, if He had so pleased. The power admits of no dispute; and that the Blessed Virgin had a part in this privilege may be easily allowed. For this is not so particular as those other privileges, which were granted to her, in being Mother of God, in being both mother and virgin. And this more especially since we know how great was her humility, who being raised to the highest dignity, considered herself the meanest of God's servants. We need not doubt that God has exalted her in proportion to her humility: and that as she reputed herself the lowest of all, so he, who regarded her humility, has raised her above all. This none of the faithful can question: but whether this has been as to her soul only, or both in body and soul, the Church has not positively declared. It is plain, however, that she inclines to the pious belief that the Blessed Virgin was assumed both body and soul; and will not the faithful do well to believe the same? But however this maybe, the joy of this festival is still the same. For as we honor world, so we have the departure of other saints out of this reason to honor and rejoice on this day, when the Blessed Virgin, who had been chosen Mother of Christ, left this world, and entered into the possession of those joys, which her divine son had prepared for her. It was a day of joy and glory to her; it ought to be a day of joy and thanksgiving to us. In these holy transports our souls ought to pour themselves forth before God; and then turning back our thoughts upon ourselves, we are to consider whether, as we are created for the same happiness, we are in so holy a disposition, as to hope that the day of our departure will be to us a day of joy, in opening us a passage into bliss.
This hope cannot be reasonable, except we discover in ourselves some proportion at least of those graces and virtues by which the soul of the Blessed Virgin was prepared for the happiness of this day. It is the love of God, humility, purity, patience, the spirit of adoration, praise and thanksgiving, that must be the ground of these hopes; these being the necessary dispositions, by which our souls must be prepared for the state of bliss. For that being a state, wherein the souls of the blessed are for ever magnifying and adoring our Lord, how can a Christian be prepared for this, but by the spirit of adoration here? That being a state of perfect union with God in love and submission, how can a Christian be prepared for this, but by loving Him here, and by perpetual endeavors to approve and embrace His will in all things? That being a state of infinite holiness and purity; what other preparation can there be for it, but by daily disengaging our souls from sin and impurity, and ever laboring to obtain clean hearts. It is certainly a great delusion to think of being translated to that life of infinite perfection, from a worldly and sinful life. There must be nuptial robes for as many as are to be admitted to the marriage of the Lamb. And if all others are to be cast forth into utter darkness, who come not thus vested, what hopes can they have, who in this life, when they should be making preparation, have their souls covered with no other garments but those of slaves, of the enemies of God, and of sin? The life of the just in heaven, and on earth, is the same, consisting in the knowledge and love of God; and the difference of one life from the other, is only in the different degrees of this knowledge and love. So that the qualifications which make up the justice of this life, being the same with those of the life eternal, there is nothing more necessary for the just on earth to become eternally blessed, but only the augmenting those very gifts, with which their souls are found enriched at the hour of their death; God then perfecting His work by glory, which was begun and carried on here by His grace. How then can those Christians, in reason, hope to have any part in this happiness, who have none of those graces in them, which are to be perfected by glory? Can the knowledge and love of God be perfected in those souls, which have neither the knowledge nor love of God in them? They have more reason to apprehend that those very affections and passions, with which their souls are disordered at the hour of their deaths, will then be augmented, their ingratitude, disobedience, aversion to God's law and will, their pride, self-love, and sensuality. Heaven being not accessible to these abominations, whither must they go, but to the place of eternal confusion, where being incapable of change, their souls will for all eternity lie under those very disorders, in which death found them?
Have not then all Christians great reason to be preparing their souls all their lives, and not to put off this work to the last
hour? For who knows if they shall then have that time, which they now
promise themselves? Who knows if their sickness will be such, as to give
them opportunity of then undertaking this work? And if they do undertake it, how very little hopes can they have of finishing it? Will the divine grace be then at their command, which they have neglected all their lives? Christ said to the Jews,
that they would seek Him, and yet die in their sins. These seek Christ
then, but not seeking Him as they ought, may not find Him, who has been
so often rejected by them. And though they come to confession, and find
their hearts then oppressed with grief, yet who can say that this may
not be more a natural trouble, than contrition for their sins? Who can
give hopes that this works now in a moment that effectual change in
their souls, of which they had so long before thought, but without any effect? This can be the effect of nothing
less than a miraculous grace: and are miracles to be expected by those
who have so long been obstinate against all ordinary helps? Truly there
appear so many difficulties in this case, that they must be
presumptuously mad, who expose their salvation to this hazard. This is
not the method of the saints whom we honor: it is not the lesson which we learn from our Master, who knowing the danger of the last
hour, commands us to be prepared against it: Be you also ready. Teach
us, O Jesus, this lesson, that when Thou callest, we may be found
watching. Deliver us from all the effects of sloth
and presumption; and since what we desire is to enjoy Thy presence, may
we never permit any disorder in our souls, which would exclude us from
this happiness." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
