By Matija Šerić
Every year on August 15, Catholics around the world celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as the Feast of the Assumption. It is one of the four key Marian dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church, which define the status of the Mother of Jesus:
- Mother of God,
- Ever-Virgin,
- Immaculately Conceived, and
- Assumed into Heaven.
Pius XII Issues the Defining Decree
Although questions had long existed about how the earthly life of the Mother of God ended (the New Testament contains no specific account of her death or assumption—though apocryphal gospels support the belief in her assumption), Pope Pius XII, in 1950, issued the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, making the bodily and spiritual assumption of the Mother of God a permanent article of Catholic faith.
In other words, the Pope decreed that the Mother of God was taken up alive into Heaven, body and soul, and united there with her risen Son, Jesus Christ.
In his decree, the Pope stated:
“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.”
Some Eastern Orthodox Churches, however, hold that the Mother of Jesus “fell asleep” in eternal rest before being taken into Heaven.
One of the Most Important Catholic Feasts
Following the papal decree, the rest is history. The Feast of the Assumption is now one of the most important Catholic holy days after Easter and Christmas. August 15 is a national holiday in many countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America with significant Catholic populations.
On this day, Holy Mass is celebrated in Marian shrines, accompanied by processions carrying the statue of the Virgin, fairs, and other public festivities. Pilgrims travel to famous Marian shrines—Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe, Altötting, Aparecida, and others—to atone for their sins and offer votive gifts. In many places, local folk celebrations are organized according to regional traditions. In some countries, blessings are given to people, families, livestock, fields, and crops to invoke God’s favor on life and work.
The Meaning of the Feast in the Material World of the 21st Century
Without going into deep theological analysis, we can still ask: what is the significance of this great Christian feast in today’s world, dominated by wars, money, greed, lust, sin, and immorality of every kind?
The answer is clear: the message of the Assumption is as needed, noble, and life-giving as ever. The feast symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and ultimately God over the Devil. The Blessed Virgin Mary did not die but was taken up into Heaven by the Creator, granted eternal life. In short, life conquered death.
The message for all people is this: all good souls, at the end of their earthly journey, will enter Heaven, while the wicked will face Hell. This is the final outcome of existence.
Therefore, people should guard their thoughts, actions, and daily deeds so that, when the end comes, they are on the right—victorious—side. To attain eternal life, one must live according to Christian principles such as the Ten Commandments, the Two Commandments of Love, the sacraments, prayer, penance, acts of mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. These are universal values that can serve as the gold standard for a good life—not only for Catholics and Christians, but also for people of other faiths and even nonbelievers.
The assumption of Mary explained
Money and Evil Men Destroy Humanity
Sadly, the world of 2025 has turned far from the ideals upheld by Christianity and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The planet is filled with the suffering of innocents in the Holy Land, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar, and beyond. Wars and armed conflicts continue to inflict great misery, despite humanity’s repeated cry of “Never again.”
Global capitalism worships its supreme god: money. Everything is subordinated to profit—even the health and welfare of workers, whom many employers see merely as tools to be used to exhaustion.
Hunger, Disease, and Discord: Enemies of Humanity
Hunger still plagues vast parts of Africa and Asia, while in wealthy countries such as the United States, Germany, and France, poverty and homelessness are on the rise. About 37 million Americans live in poverty, alongside 700 million people worldwide. In the developed West, living standards decline year after year due to the greed of a small group of corporate owners and their enablers.
Families are in crisis, with nearly half of marriages ending in divorce. The greatest victims are children. Disease afflicts many, and in some societies, the sick and elderly are viewed as burdens to be discarded. Instead of seeking a higher purpose in life—a search that leads to God and the values of Christianity and the Mother of God—many pursue only wealth and material gain.
For all these reasons, the Feast of the Assumption matters. People must awaken to the reality that, sooner or later, each of us will face the end of our earthly life and the choice between eternal light and eternal darkness. It is not hard to see where any reasonable person would wish to end up.
