Posted on 08/15/2013 2:21:29 PM PDT by NYer
While the actual event of the Assumption of Mary in Heaven is not recorded in the Scriptures, nevertheless there is a biblical basis for the teaching that, considered as a whole, confirms Catholic teaching as both fitting and in keeping with biblical principles. Let’s ponder this feast in three stages:
1. Explained – To be “assumed” means to be taken up by God bodily into heaven. As far back as the Church can remember we have celebrated the fact that Mary was taken up into heaven. We do not just acknowledge that her soul was taken to heaven, as is the case with all the rest of the faithful who are taken there (likely after purgation). Rather Mary was taken up, soul AND body into heaven after her sojourn on this earth was complete. There is no earthly tomb containing her body, neither are there relics of her body to be found among the Christian faithful. This is our ancient memory and what we celebrate today, Mary was taken up, body and soul into heaven.
2. Exemplified - The actual event of the Assumption is not described in Scripture. However, there are “assumptions” recorded in the Scriptures and the concept is thus biblical.
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm. A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads… The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. (Rev 11:19 – 12:5)
The Woman is clearly Mary since the child is clearly Jesus (though she also likely allegorizes other realities such as Israel, and Mother Zion). And where is Mary seen? In heaven.
Now some may argue the text does not necessarily indicate her body is in heaven but may only be referring to her soul. However the physicality of the description of her is rather strong. Some also argue that Mary is linked to John’s sighting of the Ark of the Convent which is seen by John in Heaven. He mentions the Ark and goes on to describe the woman clothed with the sun (Mary) and there is a possibility that he is still describing the Ark he sees in Heaven. (I have written on this elsewhere. See here: Mary: The Ark of the New Covenant) If she is the Ark described that Ark is clearly described as being in heaven.
So, the Biblical record, while not recording the event of the Assumption, does set forth other assumptions and thus shows that assumption is a biblical concept. Further, Mary’s physical presence in heaven seems hinted at by John and some would argue that the passage actually attests to her physical presence there.
But remember, the Church does not rely solely on Scripture. In this case what we celebrate is most fundamentally taught to us by Sacred Tradition in that the memory of Mary’s assumption goes back as long as we can remember.
3. Extended – The Feast of the Assumption may be of theological interest to some and may provide for interesting biblical reflection but eventually the question is bound to come: “So What?” How does what happened to Mary have impact on my life and what does it mean for me? The answer to this question is bound up in nearly every Marian Doctrine. Simply put, what happened to Mary in an profound and preliminary way will also happen for us in the end. As Mary bore Christ into he world, we too bear him there in the Holy Communion we receive and in the witness of his indwelling presence in our life. As Mary is (and always was) sinless, so too will we one day be sinless (immaculate) with God in heaven. As Mary cared for Christ in his need, so do we care for him in the poor, the suffering, needy and afflicted. And as Mary was assumed, body and soul into heaven so too will we be there one day, body and soul.
For now our souls go to heaven once purified but our body lie in a tomb. But one day when the trumpet shall sound, on that “great gettin’ up morning” our bodies will rise and be joined to our soul:
For we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”…….Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15:51-57)
So our bodies shall rise shall be assumed and joined to our soul.
Improved model! Now a older woman once said to me upon hearing that her body would rise: “Father if this old body has to rise, I’m hoping for an improved model!” Yes indeed! Me too! I want my hair back, my slender figure and knees that work! I want to upgrade from a general issue late model version, to a luxury model. And God will in fact do that. Scripture says:
The assumption of our bodies, prefigured by Christ in his own power and also in Mary by the gift of God, will one day be our gift too. For now, it waits till that “great gettin’ up morning.” Until that day, and on that day, fare you well, fare you well!
This song is an African American Spiritual and speaks of that Great Gettin’ up morning when our bodies will rise. And if we have been faithful they will rise to glory!
I’m gonna tell you about the coming of the judgement (Fare you well) There’s a better day a coming….In that great gettin’ up morning fare you well! Oh preacher fold your Bible, For the last soul’s converted….Blow your trumpet Gabriel…..Lord, how loud shall I blow it? Blow it right calm and easy Do not alarm all my people….Tell them to come to the judgement…….In that great gettin’ up morning fare you well. Do you see them coffins bursting? Do you see them folks is rising? Do you see the world on fire? Do you see the stars a falling? Do you see that smoke and lightning? Do you hear the rumbling thunder? Oh Fare you well poor sinner. In that great gettin’ up morning fare you well.
Read the Catholic Culture on the Daily Readings thread. It is written down, just not in the Bible.
Say, where is the word “Bible” in the Bible, anyway?
Luther on Mary’s Assumption
http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2012/04/luther-on-assumption-of-mary-there-can.html
““The feast of the Assumption is totally papist, full of idolatry and without foundation in the Scriptures. But we, even though Mary has gone to heaven, should not bother how she went there. We will not invoke her as our special advocate as the Pope teaches. The pope takes away the honor due to the Ascension of our Lord, Christ, with the result that he has made the mother like her Son in all things.” (Martin Luther, Qtd by William J. Cole, [”Was Luther a Devotee of Mary?” (Marian Studies), (1970), 123])
The only evidence that Luther believed in the assumption of Mary is largely derived from typical shallow research by Catholics, including lots of distorted quotes, myths, and one Catholic researcher quoting the opinion of another Catholic researcher, who didn’t even have the conclusion that the latter one has.
**““The feast of the Assumption is totally papist, full of idolatry**
LOL!!!!!! You need to read the link about Luther’s belief.
That’s not the same principle is it.
“I’m sure you can provide documentation for that other than John of Damascus 300 years later! Please give me the primary source for the claim, I’ll be waiting. But I do appreciate your concession that it was otherwise unknown.”
The extent is, again, at present unknown. The historical record we have does indicate that it was believed at least in Jerusalem back to the time of the Apostles.
Now, again - unless you believe Juvenal was lying, this is the evidence we do have.
I don’t know and can’t speak for the Lutherans, not being one.
“Now, again - unless you believe Juvenal was lying,”
As usual you make no attempt to answer the question or even to understand the question. I’m telling you I don’t even believe Juvenal said any such thing. It was John of Damascus who reported on what Juvenal allegedly said, 300 years after the fact.
Do you have a primary source for Juvenal’s statement or not?
Speak for yourself.
I’m just using flawed logic to point out flawed logic.
I think we can all agree that the word of God is law. If it were Anglo-American jurisprudence, the “assumption of Mary” wouldn’t even be obiter dictum. It’s simply not there.
PS I’m not a “Protestant” so I can’t speak for them either.
“I’m telling you I don’t even believe Juvenal said any such thing”
Do you have any evidence which corroborates this position? Say, Juvenal saying, “no I didn’t say anything of the sort”.
“Do you have any evidence which corroborates this position?”
Well of course I do. My evidence is your lack of it, and your repetition of something ignoring what I have said. Not too abnormal for your usual method of trolling on these matters.
Absence of proof is neither proof of absence nor proof of existence.
“My evidence is your lack of it”
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
I was not even the first to mention Juvenal in the thread. Now, if you have some actual evidence that does not corroborate with what Juvenal said, we can move on.
Elijah was carried up, and the very end of Deuteronomy says that there has not been prophet like Moses. Taking the date of writing of Deut. as about 500 BC and Elijah at about 900BC, that would imply a lesser prophet than Moses could be carried into Heaven, but Moses could not. I find this improbable. Concerning that Moses dies and Elijah did not, this could be due to circumstance.
Note about date of Deuteronomy, I have not seen a source that puts the date of Deut. close to or before Elijah.
Only in the silly world of the Papists, where bug poo is from heaven (as we see in that other thread), do they say “no evidence is not a lack of evidence” in response to a demand for them to back up their own claims.
Well, carry on with the Mary worship.
“Note about date of Deuteronomy, I have not seen a source that puts the date of Deut. close to or before Elijah.”
Seeing as how Moses came before Elijah, by definition it would have to be dated before hand, regardless of what some liberal thinks.
I am referring to the date it was written, not the date of the events.
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