Assumption Of Mary In The Eyes of Critical Thinking

Today is 15th of August, a very special day. Quite unique among Catholics and most especially the good people of Mbaise, one of the most creative, innovative, enterprising and industrious breed of human beings. Not assumed rather proven with facts and figures.

They celebrate their New Yam Festival known as “Iriji Mbaise” Today, Mbaise would be a destination point for many, though the historic iriji Mbaise is gradually experiencing politicalization, gimmickry and bastardization. A talk for another day.

My focus this morning is on the Solemnity of Assumption. Assumption is an English word which means uncertainty, not proven, not sure, not based on facts and figures and possibly wouldn’t be verified with provable fact, but has to be believed it to arrive at a plausible conclusion.

The Solemnity of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, officially defined by Pope Pius XII in 1950 in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus. It is not biblical and can’t be found in the bible.

This is not to say that the only source of our faith is only bible, no! As Catholics we have three main sources of faith: Sacred Scripture (the Bible), Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church). These sources are considered equal in their authority to transmit the faith. This clarification is purposefully made to clear the fog in the eyes of many who may be looking the Solemnity of Assumption from the lenses of bible only

From the meaning of assumption ,could it be safe to say that the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven body and soul is an
assumption? It could be false or true? But for the purposes of our faith as Christian Catholics, believing it to be true would be a huge prop on our faith and would aid us realize our potentials in our quest and search for salvation?

It is very instructive to note here the variation in belief between the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox on the dogma of assumption. For the Catholic some believe that Mary was taken body and soul after death to heaven while others believe that she may not have experienced death before taken up to heaven. For the latter group, they may have querried in their minds, how can the mother of God experienced death? Sound plausible? For me it sounds good. The womb that carried the the second person of the Trinitarian God.

The Western Orthodox believes that Mary died a natural death, resurrected after 3 days and taken into heaven. This is known as *Dormition of the Theotokos*

There are also Catholics who do not believe either of the opinions shared above. For them Mary was not assumed into heaven. That is their belief nothing would make them think otherwise. They are the *If it not in the bible type of Christians*.

The Truth is, life is about beliefs. What one believes works. Christianity too is about beliefs system. Nothing that we practice as Christian was eye witnessed by us, but we believed them.

As we celebrate the solemnity of the assumption Of Mary into heaven, let us not think critically too deep into it, you may not find any thing in facts and figures to prove your point. Just believe, have faith so that the blessings that are attached to such dogma wouldn’t elude you.

Christainity is a way of life, to appreciate and benefit all that it offers, approaching it through the lenses of reasoning and faith gives one a safe landing. Be critical in your thinking, apply reasoning too but when reasoning and critical thinking become very foggy, let your faith drive you through. Infact it is better and safer to use the vehicle of faith in your daily engagement with Christian doctrines, dogams and biblical interpretations. This would save one from the probable contradictions that reasoning and critical thinking would possibly throw one into.
Engage the solemnity of the assumption Of Mary into heaven with critical thinking, one gets delusioned. Faith and believe, the best option.

Happy Solemnity of Assumption

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