Tomorrow, we as Catholics celebrate the Assumption of Mary, the mother of God. That is, we celebrate the day she rose into heaven, body and soul. And now, I'll turn it over to "the man of many words"...a.k.a. Anthony to explain:
"In Genesis 3:15, we see God say to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed…” The serpent represents Satan and his seed is sin, evil, and all evil humans and angels. The Woman represents Mary and Jesus her seed. The Church defines this enmity as an absolute and complete opposition to sin and evil. Thus, Mary was granted, as a gift from God, an immaculate (sinless) nature at the moment of her conception – the Immaculate Conception. Naturally flowing from this truth, Mary then would not suffer the effects of original sin, one being death and corruption of the body. Therefore, this absolute and complete opposition prophesized in Gen 3:15 is opposition to sin and the effects of sin, death (Rom 5-8). Also, proceeding from the Assumption is the Coronation, which is Mary being crowned Queen of heaven and of earth. We see this in Rev 12:1, and this presumes Mary being assumed bodily into heaven.
Because this is a gift granted to Mary by God, and therefore declared that by the Catholic Church in the form of dogma (the highest truth), acceptance of Mary can not be arbitrary nor extraordinary. It is appropriate that we come to Jesus the same way he came to us, and that is through Mary the Mother of God. We as Catholics do not worship Mary, we only worship and adore God. We give Mary the highest honor and veneration over all creatures ever created, because God did first! We see in 1 Kings 2:19 Bathsheba, the Queen Mother, and her role in the Davidic Kingdom. She enjoyed a position superior to all other women, was crowned, and sat in a throne at the right hand of the king. (see also 1 Kgs 15:13, 2 Chr 15:16, Jer 13:18, 29:2)
Therefore, it is essential that we find a place in our hearts for Mary. We must honor her because God honored her and crowned her Queen of heaven and earth. Because of Mary we have received the Word of God made flesh. On this feast of the Assumption may we truly take Mary into our homes and hearts just as Christ, using His last few breaths on the cross, commanded us to do (Jn 19:26-27)."
Mary, Mother of God...Pray for us!
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