Today, August 15, as our church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary we are invited to read and reflect on a passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians (1:16–2:10) entitled "In Christ Jesus God has given us a seat in the heavenly places". Our treasure, which follows, is from the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus (The most beautiful God) by Pope Paul II.
Pope Pius XII (born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his election to the papacy, he served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio to Germany, and Cardinal Secretary of State, in which capacity he worked to conclude treaties with various European and Latin American nations, including the Reichskonkordat treaty with the German Reich. While the Vatican was officially neutral during World War II, the Reichskonkordat and his leadership of the Catholic Church during the war remain the subject of controversy—including allegations of public silence and inaction concerning the fate of the Jews. Pius employed diplomacy to aid the victims of the Nazis during the war and, through directing the church to provide discreet aid to Jews and others, saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
Munificentissimus Deus teaches that Mary lived and completed her life as a shining example to the human race. The gift of her assumption is offered to all the faithful and signifies what to hope for at the end of time. Her assumption signifies God's intention to all the faithful.
The Epistle to the Ephesians is the tenth book of the New Testament and was written by Paul the Apostle. Ephesians hits on a wide range of moral and ethical behaviors, designed to ensure that believers are living up to our heavenly calling. As we continue in our faith from day to day, month to month, and year to year, the temptation to get comfortable will always exist.The main message of Ephesians is that believers are not only reconciled to God but to each other. They are to maintain unity of purpose within their families and church, while resisting the temptation to fall into the sin of the world surrounding them.
