Did Mary die or not?/Assumption

[AmbroseSJ]

Personally, I could never go along with the Catholic Church, if I believed it was a human religion like all the rest of the religions out there. But one of my first principles is that the Catholic Religion is a Divine religion, not a man made one. IOW, it is founded and headed by Jesus Christ, True God and true man. God uses the Church as HIS oracle of revelation. True, God depends on men. But God depended on men during the Incarnation. He depended on our Virgin Mother, the 12 Apostles, the Evangelists, John the Baptist, etc. IOW, with God’s grace all things are possible, even with mere humans as the instruments of His Church.

That is why I can readily accept what the Church teaches. It’s not because the Church has been found rational and believable in my own eyes, it is because it is the Divine Oracle of Revelation. That first principle is as firm and solid in my head as my belief in God Himself.

I believe that until that step of Faith can be made, one is forever questioning everything the Church teaches.

 

[Good_Fella]

But wouldn’t she have suffered at the Cross? I had a son die at the age of 16, believe me watching your son die is suffering like no other. Couldn’t she have already united with Jesus in being at the foot of the cross and therefore that was her suffering? Knowing how horrific it is to be helpless as Jesus is beaten, mocked, humiliated, and executed is participating in His suffering, right? **Why would death be needed for her to participate in his passion? ** She is Our Lady of Sorrows for that reason. Her death is never mentioned in that regard either. It seems that she more than participated in suffering and death. I can’t imagine being at the foot of cross watching Jesus die. That had to have been beyond horrible. I often wonder if she knew what this would be all about or not.

We should keep in mind that Jesus wouldn’t have redeemed the world only by suffering physically, apart from the moral suffering he had to endure in his passion. To save humankind from sin and death, he had to physically die like a paschal lamb that was led to slaughter as a propitiation for our sins. It was just before Jesus gave up his spirit that he said: “It is finished,” meaning Satan’s rule on earth. Unless our Lord experienced a death he did not deserve because of his absolute innocence and purity, he could not be the one mediator for us all between God and man serving as both victim and eternal high priest in the order of Melchizedek. His sacrifice would have been incomplete. Mary’s participation in her Son’s mediation thus requires that her spiritual suffering, notably at the foot of the cross, be completed by a physical death she did not deserve because of her preservation from all stain of sin and her immaculate human nature. Not unlike Jesus, she did not deserve to die, so her death can serve as a sweet oblation offered up to God to appease the Father’s wrath on our behalf. Because of her sinlessness, she can by right of friendship with God merit for us through her prayerful intercession the graces that we cannot merit for ourselves. I believe Mary had to follow the path of her Son all the way in order to be intimately associated with him in the redemption and serve as our mediatrix in the order of grace. But since Mary was preserved free from the stain of original sin, her body was spared corruption and decay and glorified just as her Son’s was.

This is the final goal of the covenants God has made with us; this is the revelation of God’s incomprehensibility. This is the realization intended before all the ages; this is the crown of God’s oracles, the inexplicable, supremely unknowable will of him who had cared for humanity since before creation began. This is the first-fruit of God’s communion with creation, of His identification as Maker of all things, with what He has made. This is the concrete, personal pledge of God’s reconciliation with humanity, the surpassing beauty of God’s sculpture, the perfectly-drawn portrait of the divine model. This is the first step to all ascent, to all contemplation; the holy tabernacle of him who made the world; the vessel that received the inexhaustible wisdom of God; the inviolate treasury of life. This is the spring of divine radiance, which can never be drunk dry; the impregnable stronghold, raised so high over all of us in its purity that it can never be conquered by passion. Through this woman [the Theotokos], the pledge of our salvation has been made and kept, in that this marvelous creature has both reached the limits of our lot and has paid the common debt proper to our nature. And if not all the features of her life were the same as ours, that is due simply to her nearness to God."
St. Andrew of Crete, On the Dormition of Mary the Theotokos, Homily lll (ante A.D. 740)

Troparion - Tone 1

In giving birth you preserved your virginity, in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos. You were translated to life, O Mother of Life, and by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion - Tone 2

Neither the tomb, nor death could hold the Theotokos, who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions. For being the Mother of Life, she was translated to life by the One who dwelt in her virginal womb.

PAX
:shamrock2:

 

[ConstantineTG]

Well it makes sense because Jesus died for our sins. Jesus was God and came to die for that purpose. He had that mission. He chose to lay down his life for us.

Mary is not God and Jesus would certainly be more than able to take her to heaven without dying.

But that is not the path of redemption Jesus laid for us. We need to pass from this life in order to translate into the glorified state of the next. By dying, Jesus made death as a transition instead of the end. But we cannot get to the next phase of our lives if we do not die from this life. Like a baby in its mother’s womb, the baby does not know anything about the outside world as we do not know anything about the next life. If the baby can think logically like we do, it would be afraid of being born as well because the outside world is largely unknown to him/her. But he/she must be born in order to live in the outside world, as we all must die in order to move on to the next phase.

 

[CB_Catholic]

But that is not the path of redemption Jesus laid for us. We need to pass from this life in order to translate into the glorified state of the next. By dying, Jesus made death as a transition instead of the end. But we cannot get to the next phase of our lives if we do not die from this life. Like a baby in its mother’s womb, the baby does not know anything about the outside world as we do not know anything about the next life. If the baby can think logically like we do, it would be afraid of being born as well because the outside world is largely unknown to him/her. But he/she must be born in order to live in the outside world, as we all must die in order to move on to the next phase.

The priest who said the Mass I attended on the Assumption in my parish made this point in his homily: death is not the end, it is the beginning. He stated that that is why the Church has traditionally used such euphemisms as “Dormition” and “Falling Asleep”, etc. because to many, if not most people, death is a word of finality, whereas the Church wants to emphasize that it is not the final end–it is the beginning of eternal life. He stated that Mary did experience bodily death, but we call it by names that allow us to see it as a transition or beginning.

I believe that the statement “at the end of her earthly life” is an euphemism for death, and should not to be taken as a statement that the Church does not know what happened to Mary, so it does not matter if we believe she died or not. All the historical and traditional evidence cited here points to the fact that she did die, but did not assume bodily corruption and was resurrected (a promise made to us all, one in which we have to experience death in order to receive the promise), and assumed into heaven in her glorified body–which we also are promised to receive.

If Mary did not die, what is the point of celebrating this feast? It would be a feast celebrating only what God did for Mary, not also what her Son has done for us, which is the point of all devotion to Mary. We are not devoted to her because of her own sake, or because of who she is, we are devoted because of the role she played in the redemption of mankind by her fiat, allowing the Redeemer of the World to incarnate. All devotion to Mary must be related to her Son.

 

[Irishgal49]

Personally, I could never go along with the Catholic Church, if I believed it was a human religion like all the rest of the religions out there. But one of my first principles is that the Catholic Religion is a Divine religion, not a man made one. IOW, it is founded and headed by Jesus Christ, True God and true man. God uses the Church as HIS oracle of revelation. True, God depends on men. But God depended on men during the Incarnation. He depended on our Virgin Mother, the 12 Apostles, the Evangelists, John the Baptist, etc. IOW, with God’s grace all things are possible, even with mere humans as the instruments of His Church.

That is why I can readily accept what the Church teaches. It’s not because the Church has been found rational and believable in my own eyes, it is because it is the Divine Oracle of Revelation. That first principle is as firm and solid in my head as my belief in God Himself.

I believe that until that step of Faith can be made, one is forever questioning everything the Church teaches.

That’s awesome stuff but I haven’t been able to do that. I have prayed asking for that faith to do that but I can’t. I am not sure it’s if damage from hurt, or if it will just be more time. I wrote a blog on the HHS mandate today that shocked me like crazy. I cannot believe that those words came from me…so it’s happening, but it’s a slow journey for me.

 

[Irishgal49]

We should keep in mind that Jesus wouldn’t have redeemed the world only by suffering physically, apart from the moral suffering he had to endure in his passion. To save humankind from sin and death, he had to physically die like a paschal lamb that was led to slaughter as a propitiation for our sins. It was just before Jesus gave up his spirit that he said: “It is finished,” meaning Satan’s rule on earth. Unless our Lord experienced a death he did not deserve because of his absolute innocence and purity, he could not be the one mediator for us all between God and man serving as both victim and eternal high priest in the order of Melchizedek. His sacrifice would have been incomplete. Mary’s participation in her Son’s mediation thus requires that her spiritual suffering, notably at the foot of the cross, be completed by a physical death she did not deserve because of her preservation from all stain of sin and her immaculate human nature. Not unlike Jesus, she did not deserve to die, so her death can serve as a sweet oblation offered up to God to appease the Father’s wrath on our behalf. Because of her sinlessness, she can by right of friendship with God merit for us through her prayerful intercession the graces that we cannot merit for ourselves. I believe Mary had to follow the path of her Son all the way in order to be intimately associated with him in the redemption and serve as our mediatrix in the order of grace. But since Mary was preserved free from the stain of original sin, her body was spared corruption and decay and glorified just as her Son’s was.

This is the final goal of the covenants God has made with us; this is the revelation of God’s incomprehensibility. This is the realization intended before all the ages; this is the crown of God’s oracles, the inexplicable, supremely unknowable will of him who had cared for humanity since before creation began. This is the first-fruit of God’s communion with creation, of His identification as Maker of all things, with what He has made. This is the concrete, personal pledge of God’s reconciliation with humanity, the surpassing beauty of God’s sculpture, the perfectly-drawn portrait of the divine model. This is the first step to all ascent, to all contemplation; the holy tabernacle of him who made the world; the vessel that received the inexhaustible wisdom of God; the inviolate treasury of life. This is the spring of divine radiance, which can never be drunk dry; the impregnable stronghold, raised so high over all of us in its purity that it can never be conquered by passion. Through this woman [the Theotokos], the pledge of our salvation has been made and kept, in that this marvelous creature has both reached the limits of our lot and has paid the common debt proper to our nature. And if not all the features of her life were the same as ours, that is due simply to her nearness to God."
St. Andrew of Crete, On the Dormition of Mary the Theotokos, Homily lll (ante A.D. 740)

Troparion - Tone 1

In giving birth you preserved your virginity, in falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos. You were translated to life, O Mother of Life, and by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion - Tone 2

Neither the tomb, nor death could hold the Theotokos, who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions. For being the Mother of Life, she was translated to life by the One who dwelt in her virginal womb.

PAX
:shamrock2:

You have a good point here. I really like the way this is stated. The concept of spiritual AND physical suffering. That is making a lot of sense.

 

[Irishgal49]

The priest who said the Mass I attended on the Assumption in my parish made this point in his homily: death is not the end, it is the beginning. He stated that that is why the Church has traditionally used such euphemisms as “Dormition” and “Falling Asleep”, etc. because to many, if not most people, death is a word of finality, whereas the Church wants to emphasize that it is not the final end–it is the beginning of eternal life. He stated that Mary did experience bodily death, but we call it by names that allow us to see it as a transition or beginning.

I believe that the statement “at the end of her earthly life” is an euphemism for death, and should not to be taken as a statement that the Church does not know what happened to Mary, so it does not matter if we believe she died or not. All the historical and traditional evidence cited here points to the fact that she did die, but did not assume bodily corruption and was resurrected (a promise made to us all, one in which we have to experience death in order to receive the promise), and assumed into heaven in her glorified body–which we also are promised to receive.

If Mary did not die, what is the point of celebrating this feast? It would be a feast celebrating only what God did for Mary, not also what her Son has done for us, which is the point of all devotion to Mary. We are not devoted to her because of her own sake, or because of who she is, we are devoted because of the role she played in the redemption of mankind by her fiat, allowing the Redeemer of the World to incarnate. All devotion to Mary must be related to her Son.

I love the way your priest explained that, truly beautiful but I can celebrate something if it’s ONLY what Jesus did for her because she is my mother and I want to see her honored for her love and sacrifices she made. If I didn’t get a thing out of it, I don’t care…it’s about her. I can’t imagine what she endured all through her life. I see what you’re saying though.

 

[Irishgal49]

IG, you are placing huge theological weight on a very literal appreciation of what is, at face value, intended in the Bible as a legend or literary/theological device - not a historical fact. You make no real enquiry (exegetical or otherwise) as to whether it should be accepted as historical fact - especially as it flys in the face of accepted reality. A rational, reasonable person would be expected to do this.

It thus seems a clutching at straws to support a theological position that this “evidence” was never meant to supportjustify - so it comes across as rationalistic and contrived.

I know that Jewish tradition held that Elijah would return IN THE FLESH to point to the Messiah–to tell everyone “this is Him”. That was and still is required in the Jewish faith.
So what - Elijah has come in John the Baptist (according to Jesus). Clearly JB was not literally the same person Elijah (we do not believe in reincarnation) - again you are mounting a huge weight of theology on “evidence” that won’t actually support your theology because it was never written to support the theological position you are assigning it. This argument is a classic procrustean fallacy.

Again, I have to ask you to face the Elija issue head on. You still are not doing that.
Repeating endlessly that Elija did not die because it is in the Bible or a priest said so at mass doesn’t, by itself, go anywhere.

Jesus died, John the Baptist died (if he really was Elijah then Eliija did eventually die!), all the rest of humanity have died.

But Mary, no, you would rather believe she didn’t get wrinkles, didn’t get grey hair or cavities and didn’t die. And a fairy story about Elijah is your main supporting argument!

How do you reconcile this with your “doubting Thomas” approach to belief? I thought you don’t like to accept things that fly in the face of common sense?

All the above strongly suggests you may have unstated emotional reasons for so strongly asserting Mary did not die - because the “evidence” you propound just doesn’t cut it rationally yet. But maybe I have missed something.

You missed a whole lot. I am actually finding some of the discussion here making sense and had no clue Elijah wasn’t beamed off the planet.

Insulting me by calling my reference to Elijah a fairy story is very cruel and uncalled for even for a sophisticated theologian such as yourself. I can accept that I may be very wrong, I cannot accept being made fun no matter what theological jargon you hide behind.

I think my ramblings, confusion, and struggle speak for itself. I guess I’m full of it and I can accept that. I guess I’m crazy, emotional, and not worth the effort to talk to, which begs the question…why are you here? I’m sure that there are St Augustine Jr’s on here more up your alley or are you more about lording over someone and making them look small? I appreciate any discussions/comments/direction that make me think.

I never claimed to be RIGHT I claimed that I had a belief. I am willing to listen to everyone and I have not attacked or made fun of anyone else. I will repeat I did NOT say that Mary did not age, I said it could be possible she might not have aged (a sort of incorruption) I never said that I believed that lock, stock, and barrel.

Also I am no more required to believe what you say than you are required to talk to me.
I am mentally ill and I guess I do contradict myself but I’m trying to understand. If that’s too much for you, feel free to move onto another topic. I thank you for enduring what must have been sheer hell from the ignorance you claim I demonstrate. I just thought that it would be a good place to toss out something I’d been unsure of for a long time. I will continue to do so, because in spite of being grilled and flayed alive, I’m enjoying learning and seeing how amazingly smart some of you are.

But…If you are disgusted with my stubborn ignorance, then feel free to leave me alone and pray for me.

Thanks,

Lorrie

 

[Irishgal49]

But that is not the path of redemption Jesus laid for us. We need to pass from this life in order to translate into the glorified state of the next. By dying, Jesus made death as a transition instead of the end. But we cannot get to the next phase of our lives if we do not die from this life. Like a baby in its mother’s womb, the baby does not know anything about the outside world as we do not know anything about the next life. If the baby can think logically like we do, it would be afraid of being born as well because the outside world is largely unknown to him/her. But he/she must be born in order to live in the outside world, as we all must die in order to move on to the next phase.

That is true.

 

[Good_Fella]

Why would death be needed for her to participate in his passion? She is Our Lady of Sorrows for that reason. Her death is never mentioned in that regard either.

Admirable in her mortal life,
marvelous in her life giving death
living she was dead to the world,
dying she raised the dead to life.
The apostles hasten to her from distant lands,
the angels descend from on high,
to pay her due honour.
Assumption Prayer from the Chaldean Church

“O most sweet Lady and our Mother, by the merits of thy happy death obtain for us holy perseverance in the divine friendship, that we may finally quit this life in God’s grace; and unite with the blessed spirits in praising thee and singing thy glories as thou deservest. Amen.”
*St.Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary *

“Just as a rich scent is sprinkled upon clothes and places and leaves its fragrance after it has withdrawn, so now that holy, undefiled, and divine body, filled with heavenly fragrance, the rich source of grace, is laid in the tomb that it may be translated to a better and higher place. Nor did she leave the grave empty; her body imparted to it a divine fragrance, a source of healing, and of all good who approach it with faith.”
*St.John of Damascus, On the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Sermon l *

PAX

 

[Irishgal49]

Admirable in her mortal life,
marvelous in her life giving death
living she was dead to the world,
dying she raised the dead to life.
The apostles hasten to her from distant lands,
the angels descend from on high,
to pay her due honour.
Assumption Prayer from the Chaldean Church

“O most sweet Lady and our Mother, by the merits of thy happy death obtain for us holy perseverance in the divine friendship, that we may finally quit this life in God’s grace; and unite with the blessed spirits in praising thee and singing thy glories as thou deservest. Amen.”
*St.Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary *

“Just as a rich scent is sprinkled upon clothes and places and leaves its fragrance after it has withdrawn, so now that holy, undefiled, and divine body, filled with heavenly fragrance, the rich source of grace, is laid in the tomb that it may be translated to a better and higher place. Nor did she leave the grave empty; her body imparted to it a divine fragrance, a source of healing, and of all good who approach it with faith.”
*St.John of Damascus, On the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Sermon l *

PAX

Wow I sure have a lot to learn. I cannot believe what I did not know or learn in a Protestant seminary. I love those, thank you. You have been very kind and helpful. I appreciate it so much. It’s giving me a lot to see and learn.

 

[Good_Fella]

Wow I sure have a lot to learn. I cannot believe what I did not know or learn in a Protestant seminary. I love those, thank you. You have been very kind and helpful. I appreciate it so much. It’s giving me a lot to see and learn.

What you may have learned about Catholic Mariology in a Protestant seminary or school of theology was probably things that are more central and common in Catholic teaching. It’s true that empahasis is generally placed on Mary’s interior suffering (the Seven Sorrows) when referring to her important role in the redemption. Very little thought has been given to the merits of her death. It took me ages to muster up just these three extracts.

PAX

 

[Blue_Horizon]

You missed a whole lot. I am actually finding some of the discussion here making sense and had no clue Elijah wasn’t beamed off the planet.

Insulting me by calling my reference to Elijah a fairy story is very cruel and uncalled for even for a sophisticated theologian such as yourself. I can accept that I may be very wrong, I cannot accept being made fun no matter what theological jargon you hide behind.

I think my ramblings, confusion, and struggle speak for itself. I guess I’m full of it and I can accept that. I guess I’m crazy, emotional, and not worth the effort to talk to, which begs the question…why are you here? I’m sure that there are St Augustine Jr’s on here more up your alley or are you more about lording over someone and making them look small? I appreciate any discussions/comments/direction that make me think.

I never claimed to be RIGHT I claimed that I had a belief. I am willing to listen to everyone and I have not attacked or made fun of anyone else. I will repeat I did NOT say that Mary did not age, I said it could be possible she might not have aged (a sort of incorruption) I never said that I believed that lock, stock, and barrel.

Also I am no more required to believe what you say than you are required to talk to me.
I am mentally ill and I guess I do contradict myself but I’m trying to understand. If that’s too much for you, feel free to move onto another topic. I thank you for enduring what must have been sheer hell from the ignorance you claim I demonstrate. I just thought that it would be a good place to toss out something I’d been unsure of for a long time. I will continue to do so, because in spite of being grilled and flayed alive, I’m enjoying learning and seeing how amazingly smart some of you are.

But…If you are disgusted with my stubborn ignorance, then feel free to leave me alone and pray for me.

Thanks,

Lorrie

Lorrie, if you had have sat down and had a cuppa after reading my response instead of, it seems, allowing your first reactions to dictate…you may have realised my tone could equally be interpretted as teasing hyperbole (exaggeration for the sake of effect) to help you debate with us issues you keep turning away from (e.g. Elijah’s mortality) and to take things a little light-heartedly.

Given that I have been polite (and even concerned) in previous posts to you why would you so easily assume the worst? Also, taking what is primarily an academic debate (this particular Forum is called “apologetics” afterall) so personally does suggest trust issues as you mentioned previously.

If that’s the case that’s OK - it’d be nice if you could keep your finger off the trigger until you’ve counted to 10 otherwise you’ll kill both friends and enemies .

 

[Irishgal49]

Lorrie, if you had have sat down and had a cuppa after reading my response instead of, it seems, allowing your first reactions to dictate…you may have realised my tone could equally be interpretted as teasing hyperbole (exaggeration for the sake of effect) to help you debate with us issues you keep turning away from (e.g. Elijah’s mortality) and to take things a little light-heartedly.

Given that I have been polite (and even concerned) in previous posts to you why would you so easily assume the worst? Also, taking what is primarily an academic debate (this particular Forum is called “apologetics” afterall) so personally does suggest trust issues as you mentioned previously.

If that’s the case that’s OK - it’d be nice if you could keep your finger off the trigger until you’ve counted to 10 otherwise you’ll kill both friends and enemies .

Been there, done it. I do shoot from the hip very quickly. After talking to someone last night I’ve resolved the entire issue. It came down to the Blessed Mother telling someone she died…when someone shared that with me, I’m good. If she said it then it must be what happened.

My upset yesterday is simply explained: boss gets back from vacation and decides we all need dressing down + former close friend decides that being rude is a great way answer an email asking if she’d like to meet up for lunch + feeling down because due to recent divorce = personalizing everyone’s responses.

I appreciate what everyone said and who knows what it is that makes something click. It would be nice if academia, documents and crusty ancient theologians would show me where I need to change. Sadly it’s usually what makes me squirm, get angry, and wrestle. The positive in it is that once I’m wrestling it’s just that one piece/comment that can usually sway me. If there is a person that the Blessed Mother appeared to and was told by her personally that she chose to die, even though she did not have to, then that works for me. Would it have worked 4 or 5 days ago? Who knows?

I truly appreciate the patience and determination of the people on this forum. I think I need some armor sometimes but I’ll run with it. In the end it can only make me better. After a breather maybe I’ll tackle another topic.

Thank you,

Lorrie

 

[teeboy]

Mary died in flesh as did Jesus.

She went to heaven in the form of light, as did Jesus.

She continues to appear in the form of light.

 

[Blue_Horizon]

After talking to someone last night I’ve resolved the entire issue. It came down to the Blessed Mother telling someone she died…when someone shared that with me, I’m good. If she said it then it must be what happened.

I have really admired your “I cannot accept something just because its spoken by an authority” approach. Yet in the next breath you seem to quickly accept some new peace of “evidence” which immediately swings you to a contrary view re Mary .

I am almost too scared to ask - but what does “the Blessed Mother telling someone she died” refer to exactly? And what are your criteria for judging the truth of things that contradict reality as experienced by 99% of the population 99% of the time?

I think most of us would agree that an incredible claim requires an equally high level of certainty/evidence.

 

[Good_Fella]

I am almost too scared to ask - but what does “the Blessed Mother telling someone she died” refer to exactly? .

Irishgal could be referring to the visions granted to Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich. The private revelations she received have been judged worthy of belief by the Church. However, we should faithfully assent to the teachings of the Church on this subject as transmitted by sacred Tradition and the non-infallible teachings of the ordinary magisterium. Once the Feast of the Dormition was first celebrated in the East in the late 5th century, the question of the end of Mary’s earthly life was no longer a matter of theological opinion. (The same can be said for the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception whose feast was established by Pope Sixtus lV in 1476, centuries before its definition as dogma in 1854.) The West adopted the Feast of the Dormition in the 7th century, and it wasn’t until the 8th century that Rome changed its name to the Feast of the Assumption by Pope Adrian. Both the churches of the East and the West were unanimous in believing that Mary peacefully and blissfully died. Many Catholics are mistaken thinking that Pope Pius’ Apostolic Constitution leaves room for them to decide for themselves whether Mary died or not.

PAX
:heaven:

 

[AmbroseSJ]

Good Fella:

Irishgal could be referring to the visions granted to Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich.

Other visionaries report the same, such as Mother Mary Agreda in the “Mystical City of God”

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Ambrose SJ: I believe that Mary died but I don’t know how long she was dead before she was assumed into heaven.

I’ve heard that some traditions have her being assumed after 3 days.

What do you think: was she assumed immediately after death or after three days or is that one of those things which we can’t know with certainty?

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Ambrose SJ: I believe that Mary died but I don’t know how long she was dead before she was assumed into heaven.

I’ve heard that some traditions have her being assumed after 3 days.

What do you think: was she assumed immediately after death or after three days or is that one of those things which we can’t know with certainty?

I’m very interested in AmbroseSJ’s take, but would offer that tradition has it that she was assumed on the third day, symbolic of her realization of the promise of the Resurrection.