The Immaculate Conception implies the Assumption, Mary: Day 259

The Immaculate Conception implies the Assumption

The bodies of Adam and Eve, Blessed John Henry Neman notes, were subject to decay after death because of their sin. So if Mary never sinned, he reasons, why should her body have been subject to that penalty?

One consideration which has led devout minds to believe in the assump-

tion of Our Lady into heaven, without waiting for the general resurrection at the last day, is furnished by the doctrine of her immaculate conception. By her immaculate conception is meant, not only that she never committed any sin whatever, even venial, in thought, word, or deed. More than this, the guilt of Adam, or what is called original sin, never was her guilt, as it is the guilt attach- ing to all other descendants of Adam. By her assumption is meant that not only her soul, but her body also, was taken up to heaven upon her death, so that there was no long period of her sleeping in the grave, as is the case with others, even great saints, who wait for the last day for the resurrection of their bodies.

One reason for believing in Our Lady’s assumption is that her divine Son loved her too much to let her body remain in the grave. A second reason is that she was so transcendently holy, so full, so overflowing with grace. Adam and Eve were created upright and sinless, and had a large measure of God’s grace bestowed upon them. In consequence, their bodies would never have crumbled into dust, had they not sinned. If Eve, the beautiful daughter of God, never would have become dust and ashes unless she had sinned, shall we not say that Mary, having never sinned, retained the gift which Eve by sinning lost?

What had Mary done to forfeit the privilege given to our first parents in the beginning? Was her beauty to be turned into corruption, and her fine gold to become dull, without reason assigned? Impossible. Therefore we believe that, though she died for a short hour, as did our Lord himself, yet like him, and by his almighty power, she was raised again from the grave. —Blessed John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

To ponder the reality of our bodies’ decay after death can be sobering and even unsettling. Can I be at peace with that reality, knowing that the penalty is due to me as a sinner—and with a confident hope in the resurrection to come?

CLOSING PRAYER

Blessed Virgin, I am dust, and to dust I will return. But your glorious assumption strengthens my hope that “the hour is coming . . . when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (Jn 5:25).

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