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| The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
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| This page is written on August 22, 2002 the Feast Day of the Queenship of Mary. It is my hope that it will help those who see it to understand the harmony of the Christian religion and the way in which past, present and future all fit together as part of the one God who embodies all things. In celebrating the Queenship of Mary we also celebrate the Kingship of Christ. Any website or web-shrine, devoted to the King of Heaven can not forget the important place of the Queen of Heaven, the Queen of the Angels, Mother of God and Mother of the Church. I hope all who read through this will enjoy and perhaps come away with a better understanding of what position Mary holds for Christian people. "Behold, your Mother..." |
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| Today, August 22nd, is the feast for the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven. Non-Christians, and perhaps some not in communion with the Catholic Church, may not be aware that the Blessed Virgin is more than the Mother of God, though it is from this that everything else flows. Mary is also the Queen of Heaven, the Queen of the Angels, the Mother of the Church and the spiritual Mother of all humanity. She was born without sin, prepared as a perfect woman to be the vessel of the living God and Mother to Jesus Christ. St John's Revelation speaks of Mary and the birth of Jesus when he recounts the vision of a woman wearing a crown of stars, clothed with the sun and the moon and the serpent under her feet. This was Mary, the Queen of Heaven. This position goes back, in a way, to Adam and Eve when God made the prophecy that a seed of the woman would strike the serpent. However, we can best understand it by looking at the Old Testament monarchy of Israel. The mother of the king, or Queen Mother, was the most important figure in the kingdom aside from the king himself. Considering that a king, like Solomon, may have hundreds of wives, it would have caused great turmoil in the harem choosing one to be queen. Instead, this position was occupied by the king's mother. Especially in the story of King Solomon we can see the importance of the Queen Mother in the nation. She sat on a throne at the king's right hand and even the king bowed down before her. This role takes on even more significance when we consider that the kings of Israel were more than just a political or military leader. They were anointed by holy oil and were called the sons of God. Their position was righteous and sacred, so it is easy to understand how important also was the place of the Queen Mother who gave birth to the king. It is fascinating how the role of the Queen Mother was much the same in ancient Israel across to ancient Rome, and even in Far East nations like China and Vietnam for hundreds of years. Perhaps this is one more piece of evidence showing the common origins of all mankind in the peoples God created. |
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| For Mary herself, it is easy to see what a place of great importance she has always enjoyed. She saw this would happen herself when she told Elizabeth that from that time on all generations would call her blessed. She was a constant figure throughout the life of Christ, occupied the first place among those witnessing the crucifixtion and was filled with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room along with other Apostles of Jesus. After the death she continued to be revered and honored by the early members of the Christian Church as the Mother of God. When her time here was finally passed she was raised up into Heaven, body and soul, and crowned Queen of Heaven. The angels fell prostrate before her and she sat at the right hand of Christ. This was revealed to us through Sacred Tradition given by the Holy Spirit and mentioned in the writings of two Pontiffs on the subject of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Given all of this, how could her power of intercession not be the greatest of all saints? |
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| Hail Holy Queen! Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, our most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the Blessed Fruit of thy womb Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, pray for us O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. AMEN. |
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| Music is (naturally) Hail Holy Queen |