Mary’s Assumption is a promise of what is to come for all who belong to Christ
Archbishop John Wilson’s reflection on the Assumption of Mary
In a video reflection for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, Archbishop John said “the Assumption is not merely about what happened to Mary. It is about what God has done in her. And through her, we see what God wills to do in us”.
The Archbishop of Southwark said Our Lady’s “Assumption is not a fairy tale, not a quaint tradition. It is a promise. A preview. A prophecy of what is to come for all who belong to Christ”.
Archbishop John explains that the truth of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven “is not new: it has lived for centuries in the heart of the Church, nourished by Sacred Scripture, celebrated in the Sacred Liturgy, and proclaimed in the faith of God’s people”.
Pointing to Scripture, Archbishop John said:
St Paul writes: “Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive.” Mary is the first to receive this fullness. She is the first fruit, and we are the harvest to follow. Her Assumption is the Easter of our Lady, and a pledge of our own resurrection.
Mary reminds us, Archbishop said, that “the Assumption is not simply about where Mary has gone; it is about where we are going. If we walk with the Lord Jesus, as she did, we will rise with him, as she has”.
The Assumption of Mary is a belief taught by the Catholic Church that Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, having completed her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven. This was solemnly defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950 (Munificentissimus Deus). The dogma confirms, as Archbishop John also makes clear in his reflection, that fact of Mary's Assumption into Heaven has been held by Christians "since ancient times". Pope Pius XII states this is evidenced by "solemn liturgical offices commemorating this privilege" in "both in the East and in the West".
You can read the full reflection below or watch the video via our YouTube channel.
Archbishop John’s reflection on the Feast of the Assumption 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, dear friends,
I invite you to contemplate one of the most beautiful truths of our Catholic faith: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heavenly glory. It is a mystery radiant with hope, shimmering with the love of God, and bursting with meaning for each one of us.
We must begin with the heart of the Church’s belief: Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, having completed her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven. This was solemnly defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950. But this belief is not new: it has lived for centuries in the heart of the Church, nourished by Sacred Scripture, celebrated in the Sacred Liturgy, and proclaimed in the faith of God’s people.
The Assumption is not merely about what happened to Mary. It is about what God has done in her. And through her, we see what God wills to do in us.
Let me be clear: Mary did not ascend by her own power. She was assumed — taken up — by the mercy and might of God. It was a divine act of love and favour, crowning her fidelity, her holiness, and her singular role as the Mother of the Redeemer.
Why did God do this? Why should Mary be glorified in this way?
Because she followed the Lord Jesus all the way.
From the angel’s greeting in Nazareth to the Cross on Calvary, Mary gave her whole self — body and soul — to God. She believed, she obeyed, she suffered, she loved. Her whole life was one great “yes” to the Lord.
And now, in the Assumption, her whole person shares in her Son’s victory over sin and death.
Her Assumption is not a fairy tale, not a quaint tradition. It is a promise. A preview. A prophecy of what is to come for all who belong to Christ.
St Paul writes: “Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive.” Mary is the first to receive this fullness. She is the first fruit, and we are the harvest to follow. Her Assumption is the Easter of our Lady, and a pledge of our own resurrection.
Dear friends, this truth is a message of hope for a tired world. It is God’s declaration that we are made for Heaven. That our bodies matter. That death is not the end. And that love — the kind of love Mary lived — is stronger than death.
What does this mean for us?
It means that Mary is not distant. She is not far off in a celestial corner. No; Mary is close, because she is with God, and God is near to us all. Mary is our Mother in Heaven, and from her place of glory she intercedes for us. She prays for us. She watches over us with tender care, as she did for Jesus.
She reminds us, always: Be not afraid. Follow my Son. Trust in his love. Say yes to him, as I did. Then your life, too, will be full of grace. Then your journey, too, will end in glory.
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, as we celebrate 75 years since this great dogma was declared, we are invited not only to honour Mary’s destiny, but to embrace our own.
The Assumption is not simply about where Mary has gone; it is about where we are going.
If we walk with the Lord Jesus, as she did, we will rise with him, as she has.
Let me end with this thought: in a world clouded by confusion, weighed down by sorrow, and hungry for meaning, the Assumption of Mary shines like a beacon. It tells us that God has not abandoned us. That Heaven is real. That holiness is possible. And that the love of Christ has triumphed — and will triumph — in us.
Let us lift our eyes to Mary, the woman clothed with the sun. Let us entrust our lives to her, confident in her prayers. Let us say with all our hearts: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
And may the light of her Assumption illuminate our path, giving us courage, hope, and joy, as we look forward for the great things the Lord will do for us.
