Once in my teenage Catholic days a question popped in my mind.
“Why do Catholics believe that Mary was assumed to heaven?”
It was a quick passing thought while praying the Glorious mystery of the rosary, specifically the fourth Glorious mystery, which is about the Assumption of Mary.
My mind shove that thought aside as I continued praying the rosary. And eventually forgot all about it.
Little did I know that in my older days, the same question would re-appear in my mind. This time, however, I have an answer to the question.
Is Assumption to Heaven of a Human Being Possible?
As I grew in my spiritual life and immersed more and more into my Catholic faith I realized through Bible reading that assumption to heaven of a human being is possible.
How Enoch and Elijah were taken to Heaven in their Bodily Form
The Old Testament story of Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) are two Biblical accounts that will prove that.
Genesis 5:24 is part of the chapter in Genesis that enumerated Adam’s family line. Enoch was one of several family generations that came from Adam’s lineage.
The verse said, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.”
2 Kings 2:11 on the other hand, told of the moments that occurred when God was about to take Elijah to heaven, and was about to leave behind his successor Elisha .
It said, “As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.”
Why did God take Enoch and Jeremiah?
Indeed, why did these two incidents in the Old Testament happened? Why did God take Enoch and Jeremiah away to heaven.
I believe that God did these to prefigure man’s future resurrection and assumption to heaven, which was going to be made possible hundreds and hundreds of years later with Jesus leading the way when He ascended to heaven forty days after he rose from the dead, and thereafter by the assumption to heaven body and soul of Mary, His mother.
These two incidents could not deny the truth of the assumption of our Blessed Mother Mary to heaven.
For if Enoch and Elijah were taken up to heaven because they were good servants of God, how much more for Mary who has so pleased God because of Her obedience. But most of all, how much more for her who is the Mother of God, and who have done so much to fulfill God’s plan of salvation for mankind.
Mary has no original sin, therefore, Her body is incorruptible and She cannot be subjected to ordinary human death. More than that God loves Mary so much, as Mary pleased God so much, that God wouldn’t allow His Mother to go through the same death that an ordinary man (in his fallen nature) would go through.
The Assumption of Mary also prefigures the future of mankind, which is that of resurrection after physical death on earth, and thereafter, assumption to heaven.
The Assumption of Mary to heaven, therefore, gives mankind hope for an eternal life in heaven, after death on earth.
Her Assumption to heaven precedes us in our future eternal journey. And through Her Assumption, She opened up the door of heaven making it also possible for us, Her children, to be able to enter heaven when our time on earth is over.
Why do Catholics Believe that Mary was Assumed to Heaven?
I believe that the 12 Apostles who were with Mary during those times knew of Her assumption to heaven body and soul and passed this information down to all the believers. Mary’s Assumption to heaven body and soul is a guarded and preserved truth about the Mother of God and is part of the Apostolic tradition that should be passed on to the next generations of believers.
This phenomena cannot withstand the test of time had there been no truth in it.
This Catholic dogma of Mary’s assumption to heaven would not be in existence today if there was no personal witness to it
Maria Valtorta, an Italian mystic from 1897 to 1961 who received dictations from Jesus and Mary had written about Mary’s assumption as well, which Jesus showed to her in vision.
St. John the beloved disciple (of Jesus) whom Jesus entrusted Mary to had witnessed Mary’s assumption to heaven.
Since he lived with Mary, St. John witnessed the dormition of Mary (the falling asleep of Mary), and then the coming of angels in the little house that he and Mary lived in Gethsemane and carried Her body to heaven.
John also witnessed it when raising up his head towards the sky to further catch a glimpse on Mary’s assumption to heaven, he saw her rose and stood up with Jesus caming down to meet Her with a crown on His hand that He put on Mary’s head.
Mary’s assumption to heaven was the second greatest phenomenon that happened after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus to heaven.
The Kingdom of God is perfect, its perfection completed by the glory accorded to Mary through the beautiful way with which she passed from here on earth to heaven.
Today, August 15 is the feast of the Assumption of Mary. Let us offer our intentions to Jesus through Mary for God doesn’t refuse her anything.
Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, our Blessed Mother . . . Pray for us!
