杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

鈥淭he Church today invites us to contemplate鈥� the mystery of the Blessed Virgin Mary鈥檚 bodily Assumption into heaven. That was the message of 杏MAP导航 Francis at the Angelus on Wednesday. This mystery, he said, 鈥渟hows us that God wills to save the whole human person: body and soul.鈥�

For the Solemnity of the Assumption, the Holy Father explained that, at the end of her life, Mary was taken 鈥渂ody and soul鈥� into heaven; her body 鈥渄id not know the corruption of the grave.鈥� This, he said, was a special privilege granted to the Mother of God on account of her unique corporal and spiritual union with her Son, Jesus.

This privilege, he continued, 鈥済ives us the confirmation of our own glorious destiny.鈥� In the past, philosophers had understood the value of the human soul, and that it was destined to happiness. But they could not conceive that the body, too was destined for heavenly beatitude in union with the soul. This is the Christian doctrine of the 鈥渞esurrection of the body,鈥� which 杏MAP导航 Francis described as 鈥渁n element proper to Christian revelation [and] a pivotal element of our faith.鈥�

But the Assumption, while reminding us of the unity of the human person, also reminds us 鈥渢hat we are called to serve and glorify God with our whole being,鈥� body and soul. 鈥淪erving God only with the body would be an act of a slave,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said; while 鈥渟erving Him only with the soul would be in contrast with our human nature.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his reflection with words of encouragement: 鈥淚f we have lived in this way, in the joyful service of God, which is expressed also in generous service to our brothers and sisters, our destiny, on the day of the resurrection, will be like that of our heavenly Mother. It will be given to us, then, to realize fully the exhortation of Saint Paul: 鈥楪lorify God in your body!鈥� and we will glorify him forever in heaven.鈥�