As we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Luke (1: 39-56) in which Elizabeth exclaims when greeting Mary, ‘Of all women, you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?’.

Fr Paul says, the commemoration of the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary is known as the Assumption because of the tradition that her body did not decay but that she was raised up, body and soul, into heaven.

This tradition was already present in the sixth century; by the beginning of the twentieth century, it was widespread; and after consulting the views of bishops all over the world, the Pope, formally and infallibly, declared the doctrine of the Assumption to be part of the authentic and ancient doctrine of the universal Church.

And so, on this special day, Fr Paul invites us to turn to Our Lady and pray:

Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.