The town of Guacheta is located about an hour-and-a-half away from my hometown in Colombia. Today this town holds festivities in honor of our Lady of the Transit. The Transit of the Blessed Virgin Mary refers to her glorious Assumption. My uncle Vitaliano, who is the youngest of all my mother’s nine siblings and the only one who is still alive, goes on pilgrimage to that town each year. During my childhood years, my uncle had a small pick-up truck with wooden side rails. I went with him on that pilgrimage more than once, riding like cargo on the back of his pick-up truck.

Once in the town, we would go to Mass, offer Mass intentions, and light candles to our Lady. My uncle’s wife would prepare a delicious homecooked lunch to eat there. I would ride back home again on the pick-up truck. That was dangerous and people there today still treat things such as driving as if it were a game.

In today’s second reading, Saint Paul tells the Corinthians that the Risen Lord is the firstfruits of those who would be brought back to life. He says that because of original sin all descendants of Adam were condemned to die, but nevertheless and thanks to the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, all of them will have the possibility of being brought back to life.

Saint Paul then makes this important notation: there will be a proper order in the way the descendants of Adam will be brought back to life. Today’s Solemnity highlights that proper order: the Blessed Virgin Mary was the first human being given the full effect of the Lord’s victory over death, namely, the resurrection of her body. Saint Paul also says that only until the Lord’s second coming all those who belong to him will be brought back to life. The question is why was the Blessed Virgin Mary granted that privilege of receiving the full effect of the Lord’s victory over death ahead of everyone else?

To answer that we need to consider the general rule of God’s will for the resurrection: in view of the fact that it is true that a Christian who, through baptism has been born again in a supernatural way and has conquered sin and death through the Lord’s grace, yet God does not will to grant to that person the full effect of the Lord’s victory over death until the end of time. Even the bodies of the most holy saints must experience the corruption of the flesh and wait until the day of the universal resurrection to join their glorious souls in heaven.

The exception from this general rule is, by God’s will, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The reason is due to the nature of her Immaculate Body. Her Immaculate Conception prevented her from sin and, consequently, she was not subject to experience physical death and the corruption of the grave. The short answer to the question why the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven both in body and soul at the same time is because it was fitting.

Preparing for this Solemnity I read again the Apostolic Constitution “Munificentissimus Deus” which is Latin for “The most bountiful God” by Pope Pius XII from November 1, 1950, in which he declared the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a lovely read. You may find it on the website of the Holy See.

Pope Pius XII hoped that the declaration of this dogma of our faith may help all people to see clearly to what lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined. Here we come to understand why we Catholics are to believe with no doubt in the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here we come to understand why this Solemnity is a holy day of obligation.

In a world where the illusion of materialism and the corruption of morals is reigning in many people’s hearts, the serious reflection on the sacredness of the human body and the resurrection are more needed today than ever before. Let us humbly ask the Immaculate Conception for her intercession that we may come to a deeper understanding of the sacredness of our bodies and our destination with God in heaven.