Scripture Reflections for Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Reflecting on that first miracle of Jesus at the Cana wedding feast, Pope Francis wrote, ‘She is the friend who is ever concerned that wine not be lacking in our lives. She is the woman whose heart was pierced by a sword and who understands all our pain. As mother of all, she is a sign of hope for peoples suffering the birth pangs of justice; she is the missionary who draws near to us..."

Fr. Leo Edgar. "Most Generous God." Torch. August 9, 2021

"Hope. A central theme, I suggest, on this feast of the Assumption. Mary is in heaven, through the passion, resurrection and ascension of her only son, Jesus our Lord and our God. From the early generations of the Church, God’s holy people have been confident that Mary the all-holy is in heaven, interceding for us who are sinners. For centuries this has been a given part of Christian revelation. Mary the sinless virgin, the all-pure..."

Fr. Peter Harries. "Bodily Hope." Torch. August 11, 2020

"In 1950, five years after the end of the carnage of the Second World War, Pius XII promulgated the doctrine of the Assumption. A few years before millions of human beings made in the image and likeness of God had been consigned to oblivion and literally gone up in smoke. The doctrine of the Assumption teaches the value of an individual human life to the rest of humanity. The Pope declared in the apostolic constitution..."

Fr. Allan White. "The Closest Communion." Torch. August 13, 2019

"When we say that God is love, we first of all mean the love which is between the persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father loves the Son, his Word, and the Son loves the Father. And that very love is also a person, the Holy Spirit. Of course we can share in this love, because God has made us equal partners to him through the Incarnation of his Son. Through Him and in Him,..."

Fr. Benedict Jonak. "Love Is Strong as Death." Torch. August 14, 2018

"Everything that the Church teaches us about Mary, the Mother of God, is intended to help us grow closer to her son Jesus Christ, and lead us into a deeper understanding of who he is and what he has done for us. It is important, then, that we understand the feast of the Assumption against the horizon of this salvation offered to us in Jesus Christ. Now this Christological horizon was underlined for us in..."

Fr. Nicholas Crowe. "Saving Humanity." Torch. August 15, 2014

"Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . the “end” of her story, at least as far as the corporeal world goes. This event — along with today’s readings— have led me to reflect on Mary’s life and outlook."

Steven Marsh. "Unexpected Inspiration From Mary." A Catholic Moment. August 15, 2020

"Today we are celebrating the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the raising of Our Lady, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life, to be with her Son in heaven. It easy to misunderstand the sense of ‘assumption’.We could think along the lines that, since Mary was such a great saint, we assume that she is heaven. That is not quite right though. The assumption is not on our..."

Fr. David McLean. "The Only Logical Conclusion." Torch. August 12, 2017

"We can know quite a lot about an individual, and not know them. This is true, for example, about people often in the news. And we’ve all found ourselves saying something like: I’ve heard so much about you, and now I am looking forward to getting to know you. No amount of knowledge about someone can be the same as knowing them, but knowing certain things as true about someone can make us want to..."

Fr. Robert Ombres. "The Attraction of Mary." Torch. August 11, 2015

"In 1950, five years after the end of the carnage of the Second World War which had ruptured the peace of the world and during which millions of human beings made in the image and likeness of God had been consigned to oblivion and literally gone up in smoke Pope Pius XII promulgated the doctrine of the Assumption; a teaching about the value of an individual human life to the rest of humanity. He declared..."

Fr. Allan White. "A Gifted Relationship." Torch. August 15, 2012

"The angel Gabriel did not tell Mary to visit her cousin Elizabeth. It seems strange that a young girl would be allowed to venture so far from home on her own; but the journey on which Mary embarks is her unique lifelong journey that will only end with her assumption body and soul into heavenly glory. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the young Mary knows what to do and so we find the woman and..."

Fr. Dermot Morrin. "Blessed Among Women." Torch. August 15, 2011

"When you receive a gift, are you the sort of person who keeps the box? A child's instinct seems correct: to tear off the coverings and get at the gift, for it is the gift that matters. But if you had a truly special gift, from someone special, you might be tempted to keep the box as well for sentimental reasons."

Fr. Leon Pereira. "You and the ark of your strength." Torch. August 15, 2004

"The doctrine and the belief that the blessed Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven at the end of her earthly life dates many years back into the history of the Church. But it was not until this doctrine came under attack after the Protestant Reformation that Pope Pius XII had to define it as a dogma of the Church, a truth every professing Catholic must believe (CCC 966). The Second Vatican Council equally affirmed this..."

Father Lawrence Obilor. "Taken Soul and Body into Heaven." A Catholic Moment. August 15, 2021

"This Sunday is one of the greatest Marian Feasts, and on it we read strategic texts that enable us to create a biblical theology of Mary. Our Reading point to Mary’s role as Ark of the New Covenant and Queen Mother of the House of David."

John Bergsma. "The Solemnity of the Assumption!." The Sacred Page. August 10, 2021

"Today on the church’s liturgical calendar, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary – the unique Catholic teaching that Mary did not pass away as we will. Instead, the Mother of our Lord simply “fell asleep” and was assumed – body, soul and spirit – into the heavens created for her (and us) by God."

Daniel McFeely. "The Assumption of Mary." A Catholic Moment. August 15, 2019

"Scripture and Tradition agree that if the first human beings had not sinned, we would not be subject to death. This does not mean we would have lived an earthly life for unlimited time. God made us as beings who plan and grow towards goals, and he always meant that we should grow, by love, into a share in his eternal bliss. We were to grow from an intimate faith into clear vision, from an..."

Fr. Richard Conrad. "Our Journey in Hope." Torch. August 9, 2016