As we move into Octave of Chrismtas, you can still partake in the Scripture Challenge, as daily readings continue through to Epiphany on January 4, 2026.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Merry Christmas!! Even though December 25th has already passed, we Catholics celebrate Christmas for a whole season that lasts to the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which we will celebrate on January 11th in the new year. Additionally, these eight days following December 25th are known as the Octave Days of Christmas when we continue to hear about the events of Bethlehem in the readings at Mass, and the Gloria continues to be sung in echo of the angels’ announcement to the shepherds. This Sunday, we also celebrate the great Feast of the Holy Family, a day in which we look to the Holy Family for inspiration and guidance for our own families. 

This week, as we continue to celebrate this holy season, I invite us to conclude this calendar year and our series on the doctrines of the Blessed Virgin Mary by discussing the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. I realize it may be strange to discuss this topic at this time of year, especially since we celebrate Mary’s Assumption on August 15th every year, but I think it is helpful for us to see how God has blessed Mary, not only in her motherhood in giving birth to Jesus, but also in her faithfulness to carry out God’s will perfectly. 

What does this doctrine of Mary mean? We believe that because of a singular grace, at the end of her life here on earth, Mary was taken up, body and soul, into heaven to be with God, her Son. While all the Saints who are currently in Heaven are separated from their bodies that are still here on Earth, Mary has the distinct gift of already experiencing what we hope to have in our resurrection, namely, the reunification of our souls and bodies in Heaven. In this great doctrine, Mary gives to us much hope of what we expect to receive in eternal life. 

How was this doctrine of the Assumption defined by the Church? On May 1st 1950, Pope Pius XII sent a formal letter to all the bishops of the world in which he asked all of them if they favored the proclamation of a definition of the doctrine of the Assumption at this time. Of the 1191 bishops of the world at that time, 1169 of them favored the definition of the dogma without reserve, while only 22 expressed doubts, but many of them on grounds of it not being an opportune time. Then on November 1st, 1950 Pope Pius XII publicized the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, in which he declared, 

For which reason, after we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, for the glory of Almighty God who has lavished his special affection upon the Virgin Mary, for the honor of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages and the Victor over sin and death, for the increase of the glory of that same august Mother, and for the joy and exultation of the entire Church; by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. (MD #44) 

One question that is often debated is whether Mary experienced death at the end of her life. The popes have never formally indicated whether this was the case. On the one hand, since Mary was Immaculately Conceived without sin, she had no reason to experience death like you and I. On the other hand, it is possible that she experienced death in order to conform herself more completely to her Son. We are free to believe either theory, provided we believe that she now has her body and soul in Heaven

May Christ’s Peace be with you,

Fr. Briggs