The Feast of the Assumption—A Blessing of the Body

As we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, we are reminded of the importance of the body in our spirituality. Our belief that Mary was assumed body and soul is a reinforcement of our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is a bodily Resurrection. We Catholics do not belief that death results in an eternity of floating around as a disembodied spirit. Rather, we look forward to the resurrection of the body.

When my siblings and I visit our mom at the nursing home, we make sure that our visits involve as much touch as possible: kissing, hugging, snuggling, holding hands, brushing hair, massaging shoulders, holding faces, and so on. Elderly people are too often touch-deprived. The Feast of the Assumption reminds us of the importance of our bodies. With that in mind, here is a lovely Blessing of the Body, written by Joyce Rupp.

My sister-in-law, Lorie, snuggling with my mom
My sister-in-law, Lorie, snuggling with my mom
About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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