Royal Recognition: Weekly Message for 8-22-17

Dear Digital Pilgrim,

Like a lot of little girls growing up, I was obsessed with all things royal, from Cinderella to Princess Diana. Yet, it was not my attraction for the tiaras and ball gowns of a princess that captured my fairytale dreams, as much as my interest for the strong and smart Queens who ruled castles with elegance and grace. (might have something to do with the fact I am the eldest and thought it my birthright to reign!!!)

With today’s liturgical Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary invoking her as ‘Queen’, we are reminded of what real ‘queenship’ is all about. While last week we celebrated her entrance into God’s glory to be with her Son through her Assumption into heaven, today we honor her not just as the Mother of God’s Son but, as he is also Christ the King, she, as the mother of a king, is a Queen.

Marking the feast of the Queenship of Mary Aug. 22 back in 2012 at his weekly general audience, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI said that just as Jesus’ kingship had nothing to do with earthly power — in fact, we Christians recognize him as king when he’s on the cross — so Mary’s queenship is exercised through obedience to God and helping those who turn to her.

He said that in “Honoring Mary as queen, we see her exercising the same kind of regality that Jesus did: one of humility, service and love.” Mary’s queenship is a “consequence of her being united with her son, her being in heaven, in communion with God.”

Her royal recognition as Mary, Our Queen invites us to exercise our obedience to God in a way that she did that results in, not submission, but likeness. St. Maximilian Kolbe wrote that Mary “has a right to be loved as Queen of all hearts so that through her, hearts would be cleansed and themselves become immaculate, similar and like unto her own heart, and so worthy of union with God.” “A queen enjoys full power, even with regard to the king. Mary’s fullness of power is expressed in her intercession for us and her mediation of graces, so that we receive all personal graces from God” (von Balthasar).

From heaven, she participates in God’s love for the world. She “watches over us, her children; children who turn to her in prayer to thank her or to ask for her maternal protection and her heavenly assistance, perhaps after losing the way, oppressed by suffering or anguish,” said Pope Benedict.

Mary, as Queen, in having given herself totally and unconditionally to God’s will for her. Let us ask her to help us to follow in her footsteps that we may live up to our own calling to be Priests, Prophets and Kings/Queens in Christ’s Mystical Body. “Gazing upon her, let us imitate her faith, her full openness to God’s plan of love, her generous welcoming of Jesus. Let us learn to live from Mary.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us!

With the assurance of our prayers,
God bless
In Christ,
Lucy Honner
Director, RCSpirituality Center
lucy@rcspirituality.org