As I understand it, August 15th was the original “Marian Day” [I could be wrong but that is my understanding]. All the ‘mystery of Mary’ was originally celebrated on this day. Why August 15th? Given the Patristic era Church’s grasp of all of the Mysteries of Faith (not limited to although always rooted in the historic) the whole Cosmos witnessed to the Faith. With an eye for a gentle correction to Dave Ducher, ‘viewing’ Mary as the Moon reflecting the Light of the Sun of Justice is not something new, but ancient: Patristic and monastic rooted in none other than Revelations 12 “Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet”

Again, why August 15th, however? The Cosmos enters into the celebration again. Revelations 12 says, “A sign appeared in the sky…” At this time of year, the Constellation [Sign] of Virgo [the Virgin] is prominent in the night sky. Rejecting astrology etc. the early Church saw the whole cosmos witnessing to the Mysteries of Faith, even the Person of Mary, clothed with the sun, a crown of stars and the moon under her feet (see Revelations 12)

One final comment. The great psychologist Carl Jung stated, when Pope Pius XII pronounced the dogma of the Assumption of Mary, that he had never perceived such an exaltation of Woman . Is it coincidence or something else that as Woman is exalted, the Great Dragon wages war on both the Woman and her offspring [denigration of woman, denial of femininity(gender neutrality), 'war' against her fertility (birth control), against her virginity (sexual revolution), her motherhood (abortion)]?

Luther’s Marian piety never found a way to filter down to succeeding Lutheran generations. Pity.

It also makes Mary even better than the people who were assumed. Enoch and Elijah both were, but neither of them were conceived without sin. You have scriptural basis for the idea that “stuff matters” already. It only passes because even conservative Catholics like the way Mary is slowly being elevated to being the moon to Christ’s sun.

Also, why do we even need Mary’s assumption to have hope about heaven? It’s not like Paul didn’t give highly specific verses about such, involving being changed and taken up in the air to Him.

I hope this gives you your nostalgia fix, Sally. Kind of pointless to debate because to win, we’d have to demolish the basis for you to be a Catholic, and that more likely as not will hurt not help. But I can get the desire for red meat, so here you go, chew on it after the feast.

In any case – I’m sending out a big Hail Holy Queen to all my fellow fish eaters out there.

Salve!!