CHRISTIAN LIVING EDUCATION 11

MODULE 1

FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LIFE

The Assumption of Mary

Content Standards Performance Standards

The learners will demonstrate deeper The learners will be able to witness the
understanding on the role of Mary in virtues of Mary especially her being
salvation history, of the life and virtues of joyful, faithful, simple and hopeful and
Mary especially her Assumption to with the inspiration of Our Lady of the
heaven. From these virtues flow the Assumption, they will take active
essential Christian and moral standards participation and be empowered in
necessary for living an authentic mission of social transformation.
Christian and moral living especially for
the youth today.

COMPETENCIES
Doctrine: Moral: Worship:
The student will: ·         develop skills in ·         appreciate, respect
·         know the searching for Biblical and love Mary for her
significant role of Mary verses that manifest significant role in salvation
in the saving plan of Mary’s virtues and values history
God ·         make a ·         remain joyful and
·         know and explain comparative analysis on hopeful amidst the trials
the meaning of the the situation of the encountered in one’s journey
Dogma of the sectors during the time of ·         express solidarity and
Assumption and its Mary and with our time oneness with the poor
relevance today today, extract possible sectors in our society today
·         know the similarities and like Mary.
different Marian virtues differences.
that contributed to
Mary’s Assumption to
heaven
· 
 The Assumption of
Mary
Mary’s Assumption
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." Although the solemn
definition may have been at the midpoint of the 20th century,
the belief in the Assumption of our Blessed Mother exemplifies
the dynamism of revelation and the Church's ongoing
i
understanding of it as guided by the Holy Spirit.

Granted, the word Assumption does not appear in Sacred

Scripture. For this reason many fundamentalists who literally interpret the Bible would
have a difficulty with this belief. Nevertheless, we must first pause and reflect on the role
of our Blessed Mother in the mystery of salvation, for this provides the foundation for the
belief in the Assumption.

We firmly believe that from the first moment of her conception Mary was free of all sin,
including Original Sin, by a special favor of almighty God. The Archangel Gabriel
recognized her as "full of grace," "blessed among women" and "one with the Lord."
Mary had been chosen to be the Mother of our savior. By the
power of the Holy Spirit, she conceived our Lord Jesus
Christ, and through her, true God became also man, "The
ii
Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
During her lifetime, although the Gospel citations are limited, Mary always presented
our Lord to others: to Elizabeth and her son, John the Baptist, who leapt for joy in the
womb at the presence of the Lord still in his own mother's womb; to the simple
shepherds as well as the wise Magi; and to the people at Cana, when our Lord
acquiesced to His mother's wish and performed the first miracle.

Moreover, Mary stood at the foot of the cross with her Son, supporting Him and sharing
in His suffering through her love as only a mother could do. Finally, she was with the
Apostles at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended and thePOPE
Church
PIUS was born.
Therefore, each of us can step back and see Mary as the faithful XII
servant of God who
shared intimately in the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord. iii

For these reasons we believe that the promises our Lord has given to each of us of
sharing eternal life, including a resurrection of the body, were
fulfilled in Mary. Since Mary was free of Original Sin and its effects
(one of which is corruption of the body at death), since she shared
intimately in the life of the Lord and in His passion, death and
resurrection, and since she was present at Pentecost, this model
disciple appropriately shared in the bodily resurrection and
glorification of the Lord at the end of her life. (Note that the solemn
definition does not specify whether Mary physically died before
being assumed or just was assumed; it simply states, "Mary,
having completed the course of her earthly life...")

The Catechism, also quoting the Byzantine Liturgy, states, "The Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's resurrection and an anticipation of
the resurrection of other Christians: 'In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your
Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but
were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living
God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death'". iv

The belief in the Assumption of our Blessed Mother has been

longstanding in our Church. We must remember that the early
Church was preoccupied with resolving questions about
Christ, particularly His incarnation and the hypostatic union (His divine and human
natures). However, in addressing these questions, the Church gradually defined the
titles of Mary as Mother of God and as New Eve, and the belief of the Immaculate
Conception, all of which form the basis for the Assumption. The Feast of the
Assumption gives each of us great hope as we contemplate this one facet of the
beautiful woman of faith, our Blessed Mother. Mary moves us by example and prayer to
grow in God's grace, to be receptive to His will, to convert our lives through sacrifice and
penance, and seek that everlasting union in the heavenly Kingdom. v

In 1973, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in their letter "Behold Your
Mother," stated, "Christ has risen from the dead, we need no
further assurance of our faith. Mary assumed into heaven serves
rather as a gracious reminder to the Church that our Lord
wishes all whom the Father has given Him to be raised with
Him. In Mary taken to glory, to union with Christ, the Church
sees herself answering the invitation of the heavenly
Bridegroom." vi

On the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (to use the fancy name
for this day), we remember when Mary was taken (“assumed”) into heaven, body and
soul, after she died. You will not find this story in the Bible. However, a tradition handed
down from the earliest days of the Church says that Mary died
in Jerusalem and was buried in a tomb. But when the apostles
opened the tomb again, her body was gone. Why would God
take Mary’s body and soul into heaven? In part because Mary
is special to God: she said “yes” to becoming the mother of
Jesus. But God also wanted to show us that one day, all of us
will share in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Mary is the first
person in the Church to experience the resurrection in its
fullness.
i
https://bit.ly/2NN5Gg0
ii
Catholic Answer: Marian Devote (2017)
iii
https://bit.ly/2ZpKrGF
iv
Catechism of Catholic Church: (CCC #699)
v
Catholic Straight Answer: “Mary’s Assumption” by Saunders, Rev. William.
vi
Behold your Mother. (2014)