Assumption of Mary: Facts and Traditions you must know
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is part of the treasury of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of Anglicanism.
It is a deep mystery that Mary, like her son, Lord Jesus Christ, was also raised to eternal glory at the end of her life.
The teaching holds deep significance for Christians across the world, especially those who visit the Holy Land as pilgrims.
This doctrine also means that Mary’s redemption involved a glorification of her body and soul, and anticipates the same glorious fate of the believers.
As Archbishop Fulton Sheen said:
“Love in its nature is an Ascension in Christ and an Assumption in Mary”.
In today’s article, we talk about the Assumption of Mary in relation to the Bible, church tradition, and Holy Land sites.
Is the Assumption of Mary mentioned in the Bible?
Revelation 12:1-6: A great sign was seen in heaven:
Listen to Bishop Barron as he explains this passage from the Bible:
From: “Queen of Angels Foundation”
The Assumption of Mary in the Catholic church:
The RCC catechism asserts that Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived in full grace and did not suffer from Original Sin.
This teaching is known as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
A consequence of the original sin is the corruption of the body (Genesis 3:19).
Since Mary did not inherit this sin, her soul never was tainted, and therefore, she never died.
Pope Pius XII proclaimed the doctrine of “The Assumption of Mary” on Nov 1, 1950.
It affirmed that after Mary completed the course of her earthly life, she assumed to heaven, body, and soul.
Does Virgin Mary have a tomb?
Catholic tradition suggests that the Virgin Mary has two tombs: one in Jerusalem and one in Ephesus.
The Jerusalem tradition believed that, upon the end of the Blessed Virgin’s earthly life, she fell asleep into ternity at Mt. Zion, today this place is known as the Dormition Church.
“Dormition” comes from the words “Dormir Zion” which translates “to sleep in Zion”.
The other tradition tradition assumes that the blessed Mother spent the last years of her earthly pilgrimage in Ephesus with the company of St. John, whom Jesus entrusted her to (John 19:25-29).
While these two traditions have come down from the Church, the Jerusalem tradition is the older of the two and thus enjoys greater acceptance among believers.
The apocryphal works of the 2nd to the 4th century also place Mary’s tomb in Jerusalem.
It is the most accepted tradition of the Virgin’s assumption to heaven.
Girdle of Thomas - where is the Holy Belt located?
According to medieval Catholic tradition, the Virgin Mary dropped her Girdle from the sky into the hands of Thomas the Apostle as she went to heaven.
This belt is preserved at the Prato Cathedral in Italy and it is considered a great blessing for expecting women.
According to tradition this belt was made by the Virgin Mary from Camel Hair.
Ascension or Assumption of Mary?
Video from “The Religion Teacher ” channel, explains about the Assumption.
The Dormition of Mary in the Orthodox Church
The Orthodox doctrine teaches that Mary (the Theotokos – the mother of God) was and will always remain a human creature.
Hence, they focus on her death and burial.
According to the Orthodox view of the Dormition (koimesis), Mary fell asleep and Jesus received her body and soul, in order to exalt her to the glory of eternal life.
In the Orthodox depiction of the Dormition, Jesus embraces and offers his mother to the world, as Mary offered Jesus at the time of his birth.
The Cincture of the Theotokos
Similar to the Catholic tradition of the Girdle of Thomas, the Orthodox Church believes has the tradition of the Theotokos cincture.
They believer that after the apostle Thomas returned from his missionary journey to India, he came to visit the Tomb of Mary and he found it empty.
Then the Virgin Mary appeared to him and gave to him her cincture.
A local tradition at the Holy land indicates that Virgin Mary gave her Belt to the Apostle Thomas at the Mt. of Olives, It is the place where we currently have the The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene.
This Cincture is preserved in Greece at the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.
Integration of the Assumption and Dormition Traditions
The New Testament focuses on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We can, however, infer the details of the assuption traditions in the light of what we know about Second Temple Judaism.
“Second Temple Judaism” refers to Jewish traditions that flourished between the return of exiles from Babylon and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple.
The period lasts from the 6th century BCE till the destruction of the Temple by Roman forces in 70 CE.
Jewish customs from this period include burial of the dead outside the city walls.
The area of the ‘Garden’ of Gethsemane is now understood to be a Jewish cemetery.
Moreover, the Last Supper room was a meeting point for the first believers in Jesus’ resurrection.
So we can assume that Mary spent her time with the disciples at Mt. Zion.
This ‘upper room’ is called The Cenacle, situated on an upper floor of King David’s Tomb at Mt. Zion.
After Mary fell asleep at Mt Zion (today the “Dormition Church“, run by Benedictine order), the disciples had to bury her at the nearby cemetery outside of the old city walls.
We can imagine a funeral procession starting from Mt Zion, passing the City of David down to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the disciples place the body inside a cave (today the Tomb of Virgin Mary that belongs to the Orthodox Church).
Three days later the Virgin Mary was Assumed to Heaven.
How the Feast of the Assumption celebrated in the Holy Land?
Every year, on the 15th of August, Catholic devotees from around the world commemorate the assumption of the Blessed Mother into heaven.
This feast is celebrated in the Holy Land at the foot of Mt. Olives.
The commemoration service begins with a prayer vigil on the evening of the 14th, the night before the day of the assumption, in the garden that overlooks Mary’s tomb.
The place is filled with deep meditation as readings of the Mother’s life and chimes of the Ave Maria sound all over the valley.
As the Eucharist is concluded by the presider, the attendees gather at the Grotto of Betrayal for Vespers.
This is followed by a final procession to the crypt of The Tomb of the Virgin Mary, where the solemnity is closed.
The feast of the Assumption of Mary is not only the oldest of the festivals of the Virgin but also one of the most sacred celebrations in the Catholic tradition.
Every dedicated Christian, especially those devoted to the Mother, sacrifices time and money yearly to attend the celebration at the Holy Land.
Is the Tomb of Mary accessible for disabled people?
To visit the Tomb of Mary you need to go down and up 50 steps, and there is no nearby accessible lavatory.
Plus, there is no wheelchair access.
Pilgrims and tourists with disabilities will find it easier to visit the Church of Dormition at Mt Zion.
But they only will be able to visit the first floor.
Two narrow spiral staircases lead to the crypt, where you can see a life-size statue of Mary, made of cherry wood and ivory.
Assumption of Mary Virtual Tour
Can’t make it to these holy sites due to the pandemic? We plan to invite our members to join a virtual tour guided by an official tour guide.
Want to join us?
Please send us an email and we will inform you when it broadcasts.
You can also access the blessings of the Holy Land with precious pieces made of special materials and relics sourced from Jerusalem symbolizing and depicting the Assumption of Mary.
Credits and Biography:
This article was written by a professional tour guide, expert in Christian tourism, authorised by the ministry of tourism in Israel and participated in a specialization course in Christianity directed by Yisca Harani at Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi institute.