In 1950, Pope Pius XII wrote Munificentissimus Deus—an apostolic constitution that defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary.
The Holy Father stated: “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.”
Our Catholic faith teaches that, when Mary died, she was assumed—or taken—body and soul into heaven. Tomorrow, August 15, we celebrate this holy day. We remember the woman conceived without sin who said “yes” to God, who carried Christ in her body for nine months, who cared for and nurtured Him as He grew, who searched frantically for Him when He was lost, and who wept at the foot of the cross.
Those in other denominations don’t always understand Catholics’ devotion to our Blessed Mother. Some even go so far as to say we worship her. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
We venerate Mary because she is the mother of Christ. We honor her because of the role she played in our salvation history. When Christ hung dying on the cross, He gave Mary not only to the Apostle John, but to all of us. She is our spiritual mother, and she looks after us. Because she loves us even more perfectly than our earthly mothers do, we pray for her intercession. We ask her to take our worries, our concerns, and our desires to her Son on our behalf.
So, as we celebrate the Assumption this weekend, let us take some time to renew our devotion to Mary. Here are five simple ways to do this:
1. Pray the Rosary.
The Rosary helps us reflect on the lives of the Holy Family. We imagine all the joys and sorrows they endured as a family, and we unite our lives with theirs. We can pray the Rosary for our family, for our friends, and even for an end to abortion and the closing of all Planned Parenthood facilities.
2. Memorize and pray the Memorare.
This special prayer asks for Mary’s intercession during times when we need her protection or her help. Pray this fervently and with faith knowing our mother will not forsake you.
3. Learn about the miracle at Fatima. Then plan to stream the movie at the end of the month.
Mary’s appearance to the three children in a small town outside of Fatima, Portugal, brought faith to a world that desperately needed it. Let this story inspire you and your family as well.
4. Read about Our Lady of Guadalupe, then take her image with you to pray at an abortion facility.
Because Our Lady appeared as a pregnant woman, we often invoke her help as we pray for mothers and their preborn babies. The most vulnerable among us need our prayers now more than ever.
5. Read about the miracle at Lourdes.
St. Bernadette was just a young girl when Mary appeared to her asking her to make sacrifices and pray for sinners. When Bernadette followed Mary’s instructions to scrape the earth near the grotto where she appeared, a spring came forth—one that still provides 27,000 gallons of water each day and that has been responsible for dozens of healings.
Prayer and reflecting on our Blessed Mother’s life and on the apparitions will strengthen our faith and bring us closer to her. Our heavenly mother wants nothing more than to help guide us as we navigate this difficult world. We need only ask.
For further readings on Mary and to learn more about her role as our spiritual mother, visit catholic-pages.com/bvm/hahn.asp or stpaulcenter.com/how-a-protestant-embraced-mary-as-mother.
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