HOMILY FOR THURSDAY, 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME B
MEMORIAL OF THE QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
{Isaiah 9:1-6;Psalm 112:1-8;Luke 1:26-38}
Today’s feast is special in the calendar of the Church. Pope Pius XII on October 11, 1954 through his Encyclical Letter Ad Caeli Reginam. Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power. But Mary’s title as “Queen of Heaven and Earth” is a great scandal to many non-Catholic Christians. Perhaps, when we examine some biblical passages, we can therefore see why there is a need for her Queenship.
The Scripture presents Jesus Christ as a king. We can thus infer that his mother Mary is the Queen-Mother. Jesus is King by Nature, as God; she is Queen by “divine relationship,” that is, by being the Mother of the incarnate God. In most of the messianic prophecies given in the Old Testament books of Samuel, Micah (5:1), Isaiah (7:13, 14), Jeremiah (13:18, 20), and Daniel (7:13-14), Christ, the Messiah, is represented as a King, an identity given to Jesus in the New Testament: Lk.1:32-33, Mt. 2:2, Lk.19:38, Jn.18:37. The beginning of the concept that Mary is a Queen is found in the annunciation narrative, given in today’s Gospel. For the angel tells Mary that her Son will be King over the house of Jacob forever. So, she, His Mother, would be his Queen-mother. Mary is also Queen by grace. She is full of grace, the highest in the category of grace, next to her Son. She is Queen by singular choice of the Father. If a mere human can become King or Queen by choice of the people how much greater a title is the choice of the Father Himself!
The church fathers also approve of this title: In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. As Jesus exercised his kingship on earth by serving his Father and his fellow human beings, so Mary exercised her Queenship.
Finally, Mary’s Queenship can be seen in the great vision described in Revelation 12: “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery” (Rv 12:1–2). Revelation 12 portrays Mary as the new Queen-Mother in the Kingdom of God, sharing in her Son’s rule over the universe.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, understanding Mary as Queen-Mother explains her important intercessory role in the Christian life. Just as the King responded to the Queen-mother of the Davidic kingdom (“Ask it, my Mother, for I will not refuse you”1 Kgs 2:20), Jesus, the King of the universe, responds to Mary, his Mother, whose will is completely one with that of God, and who serves Him in acting as our advocate before her Divine Son. Hence, we should approach our Queen-Mother with confidence, knowing that she carries our petitions to her royal son.
PAX VOBIS
Catholic Diocese of Ilorin, Kwara State,
No comments:
Post a Comment