On the Assumption of Mary, we celebrate the fact that Mary was taken to Heaven with her body and soul. I remember once, when I was a teenage boy, I mentioned in front of one of the priests that on the Assumption we celebrate the fact that Mary went to Heaven. Very quickly, the priest corrected me and said: Mary didn’t go to Heaven, she was taken here; only Jesus went to heaven. Since then, I always remember that Mary ‘was taken’ and Jesus ‘went’ -- but what’s the difference, I thought? Today Jesus says to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.” Jesus is God and only He has the ability to go up to heaven, but no other human can do that. We can only be taken there. Mary was perfect, without sins, but still she was only human, so she could not go to Heaven on her own, she was taken there. I think we all need to pray that one day we also be taken to Heaven.
