Lesson 4: Mary’s Assumption and Coronation

Part 1: Mary’s Assumption into Heaven:

I. The Assumption of Mary was defined in 1950 by Pius XII in Munifentissimus Deus. A. "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death." (CCC 966) A. A total of 1210/1232 bishops (98%) implored the Pope to formally define it dogma. B. Note: The Assumption isn’t the same thing as Ascension.

II. The logical connection with Christ: A. Notice in the definition: “so that she might be more fully conformed to her Son.” Thus, “The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (CCC 966) B. “Mary is the first disciple, the pattern and type in faith and obedience of all the rest, Mother and first member of the Church. In her Assumption we see the pledge, the first fruits of our own glorious destiny. We celebrate, in the fact of her Assumption, her personal privilege and our promised glory.” (Fr. Matteo, Refuting the Attacks on Mary. p. 27) C. Mary’s assumption into heaven, and all the Marian beliefs we’ve seen so far, reflects the privileges and graces that Christ promises to everyone, but to Mary in a special way as the first Christian and sign of the Church at large.

III. The logical connection with other Marian beliefs: A. The Immaculate Conception: Notice in the definition: “preserved free from all stain of original sin...” 1. (Ps 16:10; See Roman 5-8; Heb 2) Death, specifically understood as the corruption of the body, is a result of original sin. Mary was preserved from original sin, so she wouldn’t endure that curse. 2. Clarification: The church hasn’t stated whether or not Mary died. It is probable that she did in order to be in union with Christ and all human beings. In fact, most theologians throughout history argue that did she experience some sort of death. However, it wasn’t a death that resulted from the corruption of the body, which is a consequence of original sin. 3. “Mary’s bodily Assumption is, therefore, the appropriate conclusion of her Immaculate Conception, her sinlessness, her participation in man’s redemption, and her share in Christ’s glorious triumph over sin and death. It is the fitting tribute of Christ to Mary in the fulfillment of the Fourth Commandment to ‘honor thy mother.’” (Mark Miravalle, Introduction to Mary, p. 166). B. An argument from fittingness: 1. It is fitting that Jesus would preserve his mother from bodily corruption in the grave. 2. It is also fitting that Jesus would bring his mother, body and soul, into heaven as a sign and pledge for all Christians.

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IV. Teaching in Scripture: A. Note: There are plenty of passages that indicate that the Assumption is not opposed to Scripture, even if there are no passages that say, “Mary was assumed into heaven.” The infallible Magisterium of the Church is sufficient to guarantee the belief. B. Genesis 3:15 1. Mary, the woman prophesied in Genesis, shares in the complete enmity of her seed (Jesus) against the Serpent and his seed, but also his victory over death (Heb 2:14-16). The consequences of Satan and his seed are sin and death, again, understood as the corruption of the body. Mary was preserved from sin in the Immaculate Conception, and from the corruption of death in the Assumption. C. Luke 1:28 1. The same arguments seen above in Genesis 3:15 apply for the Annunciation: Mary is “Kekaritome” (perfected in grace), so she wouldn’t suffer death. D. Revelation 12:1 1. St. John sees a woman crowned in heaven. The woman is Mary. That implies that Mary must be in heaven before she can be crowned. E. Psalm 132:8 1. “Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting-place, you and the ark of your might.” The lord and his ark will rise up. Remember, Mary is the New Ark! F. The teaching isn’t opposed to Scripture: 1. Enoch (Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kg 2:1, 11) were assumed into heaven. 2. (Matt 27:52-53 ) So were many people whose graves were opened after the resurrection. If they could be raised, so could Mary.

V. The teaching in Tradition: A. Negative historical point: 1. No city or place ever claimed possession of her bones, which is incredible for early Christians! B. The Early Church: 1. If therefore it might come to pass by the power of your grace, it has appeared right to us your servants that, as you, having overcome death, do reign in glory, so you should raise up the body of your Mother and take her with you, rejoicing, into heaven. Then said the Savior [Jesus]: "Be it done according to your will" (Pseudo – Melito: The Passing of the Virgin 16:2-17 [A.D. 300]). 2. The Lord said to his Mother, "Let your heart rejoice and be glad. For every favor and every gift has been given to you from my Father in heaven and from me and from the Holy Spirit. Every soul that calls upon your name shall not be ashamed, but shall find mercy and comfort and support and confidence, both in the world that now is and in that which is to come, in the presence of my Father in the heavens". . . And from that time forth all knew that the spotless and precious body had been transferred to paradise (John the Theologian: The Dormition of Mary [A.D. 400]).

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3. "For Christ took His immaculate flesh from the immaculate flesh of Mary, and if He had prepared a place in heaven for the Apostles, how much more for His mother; if Enoch had been translated and Elijah had gone to heaven, how much more Mary, who like the moon in the midst of the stars shines forth and excels among the prophets and Apostles? For even though her God-bearing body tasted death, it did not undergo corruption, but was preserved incorrupt and undefiled and taken up into heaven with its pure and spotless soul." Bishop Theoteknos of Livias (c. 550-650) 4. “The Byzantine Emperor Mauritius (582-602) established the celebration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 for the Eastern Church. (Some historians speculate that the celebration was already widespread before the Council of Ephesus in 431).” (Fr. William Most)

Part 2: Mary, and Earth

N.B. The coronation is also part of Pius XII’s dogmatic definition!

I. Scriptural Accounts: A. The Queen Mother in the Old Testament: 1. (1 Kings 2:13-25) Adonijah makes a second attempt at the throne by appealing to . a) Notice the role of the Queen Mother (The Gebirah - “Great Lady”): (1) Adonijah appeals to her: authority and intercession. (2) rises when she enters and bows to her: honor and veneration. (3) Solomon seats her at his right side: authority, enthronement and coronation. (4) Solomon listens to her requests, but he remains the final judge. b) Mary fulfills this role, Elizabeth recognizes it in Luke 1. 2. The Gebirah (Great Lady) is mentioned numerous times in Scripture. a) 1 Kg 15:2; 2 Kg 12:1: 14:1-2; Jeremiah 13:18 and 2 Kings 24:15. 3. The King may have had many wives, but only one mother. Because she was his mother, she could advice and council him like no other. The Queen Mother also proved the king’s legitimacy as rightful heir to his father. 4. Proverbs 31:1, the advice given to “Lemuel,” who may have been Solomon himself.

B. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matt 3:2) When Christ began his ministry, he promised the restoration of the Kingdom of God, which was the kingdom of . Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, the son of David, promised in the Scriptures. So, the more we understand the kingdom of David, the more we’ll understand about the kingdom Jesus restored. 1. Jesus is the Christ, the son of David, who came to restore and transform the Kingdom of David: a) Matt 1:16; Matt 2:2; Matt 22:42; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:25-36.

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2. We’ve already spent an entire class period showing how Mary is the mother of Jesus. 3. If Jesus is the king, and the king always has a gebirah, then Mary is the Queen of the kingdom! 4. When Elizabeth exclaims “Why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me!” (Luke 1:43) it’s not just a pious thought, but a recognition that Mary is the Gebirah! 5. At the Wedding of Cana, we see that Mary, as the Gebirah, is performing her function of intercession!

C. Revelation 12 — we’ve seen this verse many times: 1. The woman bears a son who is obviously Jesus (Psalm 2:8-9) 2. The woman must be, in the first place, Mary. First, her body is taken to heaven, then she is crowned the Queen Mother! 3. Mary is crowned with 12 stars, representing Israel (Gen 37:9). If she is crowned with the 12 tribes of Israel, she is indeed an exalted woman, the Queen of Israel. The twelve stars also represent the new Israel, Christ’s kingdom (Mt. 13:9), so Mary is the Queen of the old and new people of God!

II. The teaching in Sacred Tradition: A. “Girl, empress and ruler, queen, lady, protect and keep me in your arms, lest Satan, who causes evil, exult over me.” St. Ephraim the Syrian (A.D. 306-373) B. “Queen of all after the Trinity, Consoler after the Paraclete, Mediatrix of the whole world after the Mediator.” St. Ephraim the Syrian (A.D. 306-373)

Concluding remarks: A. All Christians share in Christ’s royalty through baptism: 1. 1 Peter 2:19. See also 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 3:21; Luke 22:28 - 29 2. Mary too, participates in Christ’s royalty in a special way because she is his mother and the first and holiest disciple. B. Mary’s Queenship is associated with, and inferior to, Christ’s own kingship.

"He, the Son of God, reflects on His heavenly Mother the glory, the majesty and the dominion of His kingship, for, having been associated to the King of Martyrs in the unspeakable work of human Redemption as Mother and cooperator, she remains forever associated to Him, with a practically unlimited power, in the distribution of the graces which flow from the Redemption. Jesus is King throughout all eternity by nature and by right of conquest: through Him, with Him, and subordinate to Him, Mary is Queen by grace, by divine relationship, by right of conquest, and by singular choice [of the Father]. And her kingdom is as vast as that of her Son and God, since nothing is excluded from her dominion." ~ Pius XII, in his Radiomessage to Fatima, Bendito seja (AAS 38. 266)

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