Question:

The Assumption isn’t in the Bible. What proof do we have that it really happened?

Answer:

Since the beginning of the Church, Christians have venerated the relics of the saints. We can see this in the catacombs of Rome, in the crypts of churches, and in the reliquaries that contain tiny fragments of bone. Throughout Church history, there have been no relics of Mary nor any legitimate claims to her bones. Even the tomb of Mary, visited as a site of pilgrimage, stood empty. At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Roman emperor asked the bishop of Jerusalem to bring Mary’s relics to the council. The bishop reported that there were no relics of Mary. Upon finding her empty tomb, the Apostles had concluded that her body was taken up into heaven. Soon afterward, the Church began celebrating this miraculous event.

The Assumption is an article of faith. Within the context of salvation, its meaning and logic is clear. Being born without original sin, Mary did not suffer its consequences. She is already participating in what we, too, will experience one day — the resurrection and glorification of our bodies as they reunite with our souls.

©LPi