On Aug. 15, the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, one of the four Marian feasts so important that they are holy days of obligation for all Catholics.
Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption as dogma in 1950, infallibly confirming the long tradition that Mary had been taken up body and soul into heaven, protected from the corruption of death.
The Assumption may seem far removed from our human experience — the unique privilege of a unique being — but this should not be the case. Mary’s assumption anticipates the reality that all of our bodies will be resurrected at the end of time and reminds us of the great dignity of our physical bodies: We humans are not spirits clothed in “meat suits” that will be discarded, but a profound unity of body and soul.
With that in mind, the feast of the Assumption is a beautiful occasion to bring the sins, struggles and sufferings of the body — our own and others’ — to Mary’s loving intercession. Here are five ideas for prayer intentions for this great feast:
- For those struggling to meet the body’s most basic needs of food, water, clothing and shelter.
- For those suffering from bodily illness and disease, particularly incurable or chronic pain.
- For those struggling with addictions of the flesh, including food, drugs, alcohol and pornography.
- For those carrying the cross of infertility.
- For those who experience gender dysphoria or suffer serious discomfort in their body.
Mary, queen assumed body and soul into heaven, pray for us!
