You see, we often tend to think of holiness as something purely "spiritual." We focus on prayer, our souls, and our relationship with God, sometimes forgetting that we are whole persons including both body and soul.
In God’s incredible plan, our bodies matter just as much as our souls. As St. Paul reminds us,
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own" -- 1 Corinthians 6:19.
The Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into heavenly glory is the ultimate proof of this truth. It shows us that God's plan for salvation isn't just about saving our souls; it's about glorifying our bodies too.
While Mary's Assumption is a unique event in the New Testament, we see hints of this bodily glory throughout the Old Testament. The first is Enoch, who "walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). Then there's Moses; while the Bible doesn’t explicitly describe his assumption, Deuteronomy tells us "no one knows the place of his burial to this day" (Deuteronomy 34:6). Next, of course, is the dramatic account of Elijah, taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).
But in the New Testament, our Catholic faith holds that Mary was the crowning glory of this pattern. She alone carried God Himself in her womb for nine months. Her "Yes" at the Annunciation wasn’t a one-time thing; it was a lifelong commitment that saw her through joy, sorrow, and even when standing at the foot of the Cross.
Because of this profound "yes," it wasn't just her soul that was holy; her body, too, was set apart. Her deep, constant communication with God, her unwavering obedience, and her pure love kept both soul and body perfectly aligned with His will. And so, at the end of her earthly life, she was taken into heaven —body and soul— a powerful sign of the resurrection to come for all of us who persevere in faith.
The Assumption should make us pause and ask ourselves some hard questions:
- Do I treat my body with the dignity God created it for?
Do I honor it as His temple?
Do I live in a way that prepares it for resurrection?
Do I give the same respect to others bodies?
Mary’s Assumption isn’t just her story. It’s a glimpse of our future hope when Christ
"will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself" -- Philippians 3:21
Until that day, let's live a wholehearted "Yes" to God, not just in our prayers and intentions, but in our everyday lives. This means treating our bodies with the dignity they deserve. We do this by making mindful choices about what we eat and drink, ensuring our bodies receive the nourishment they need to thrive. By the way we rest, and the lifestyle we cultivate so that intentionally, we prepare our whole being for the glorious future God has promised.
