The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)
August 22, 2020
First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 113:1-8
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Today’s memorial was instituted in 1954 by Pope Pius XII in response to the unanimous traditional belief in the mother of the King of kings and Lord of lords as Queen. In the Davidic kingdom the mother of king is the queen and not the wife of the king. In 1Kings 1: 28, king David called Bethsheba his wife and the mother of Solomon to himself. She stood before him. The king swore an oath to her that her son will be king after him. Verse 31 says she knelt with her face to the ground and paid him homage. Fast forward to 1Kings 2:19ff. By now Solomon is king. The same Bethsheba went to king Solomon to speak to the king on behalf of Adonijah. The king met her and bowed to her. She did not bow to the king as she used to do when her husband was king. As the mother of the king, the king bowed to her. The king sat down on his throne and had a seat brought for her and placed on his right.
This is the biblical origin of the queen mother. She is called in Hebrew, the “Gebirah.” She shares in her son’s reign and serves as an advocate for the people and a counsellor for her son. As queen, Mary is our advocate before the son and enjoys the unique and singular gift of being the mediatrix and distributor of grace.
In the fifth glorious mystery we contemplate the coronation of Mary in heaven. Mary’s coronation as queen in heaven is intimately connected to her Assumption into heaven. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced to Mary that her son would receive the throne of David and his kingdom will have no end. Mary will thus also receive the office of queen mother and reign with her son forever.
Just as Jesus exercised his kingship on earth by serving and not by being served, Mary too exercise her queenship on through a life of service of God and neighbor. After the announcement of her queenship by Gabriel, she declared that she is the “handmaid of the Lord.” She moved with haste to visit the 6 month pregnant Elizabeth and to serve her. From heaven she continues to serve the needs of her children. Just as she interceded for the wedding couple of Cana even without their request, she continues to intercede for all her children but especially those who invite her.
Let us honor Mary our queen, for as St. Ephraim said, “Let heaven hold me in its radiance, for I am more honored than heaven, since heaven was your throne, not your Mother.” Of course, how much more worthy of honor and veneration than His throne is the mother of the king!
Fr Chidi Onwuka MSSCC
From the reading , I learnt that as Mary the queen mother brought herself to serve humanity , who am I to the Lord that I will not lay my life in order to serve God and humanity throughout my life time as a priest of God.