Prayer

Context of The Feast of the Assumption

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is celebrated with adoration and dedication in the Catholic Church. The Feast of the “Memory of Mary” is one of the earliest Marian feasts, celebrated from as early as the 300 CE.

The Assumption is a Dogma of the Church, which means that although it is not specifically stated that Mary was assumed Body and Soul, the Church believes the Assumption is a true and necessary part of the beliefs around Mary.

Although the Assumption had been celebrated and believed for centuries, the dogma was declared by Pope Pius XII in 1950, based on the following main areas:

The lack of relics of Mary (Many relics of other Saints etc. were found)
Her empty tomb
The early tradition of the celebration of the Feast Day
Symbols of her assumption in Scripture
Stories from early apostolic Tradition
Quotes from early Christian letters and sermons.

Celebrations around the world can include Masses, street parades and community feasts with the inclusion of Assumption meals and pageants.

Prayer Blessed Mother Mary,

Mother of all,

You have been there for us always.

Thank you for guiding us on life’s journey.

You have been our guide and taught us to trust.

Keep us in your loving care.

Help us to know your Son Jesus better and walk in His way.

Amen.

To read about Assumption of Mary in both the Gospels and Quran, please see this link from Cairns Archdiocese