Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth
1. Towards the close of his life, St. Paul wrote to his well-loved
disciple, St. Timothy: “As for me, I am already being poured out in
sacrifice, and the time of my deliverance is at hand. I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. For the
rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the
just judge, will give to me in that day; yet not to me only, but also to those who love his coming.” (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
After all his apostolic labours and difficulties, and after a lifetime
of boundless love, St. Paul could confidently say that he would receive
the crown which he had earned. When the Blessed Virgin came to the end
of her earthly pilgrimage, during which she had lovingly worked and
suffered so much for Jesus, she could have expected with even greater
certainty to receive the crown of glory which she had merited. She was
the noblest and holiest of creatures, because she was the Mother of the
eternal Word of God made man. Therefore her reward had to be greater
than that of any other creature. She was the Mother of the King of
Angels and of Saints, of Heaven and of earth. As such, it was her place
to rule over them all. Seated at the right hand of her divine Son, she
has glory and power which none other could possess. The Church,
therefore, invokes her under the title of Queen of Angels and of Saints,
Queen of Apostles, Queen of Virgins, of Confessors and of Martyrs,
Queen of Heaven and of earth. When our Holy Father, Pius XII, solemnly
proclaimed her Queenship in the year 1954, he was only giving voice to
the general consensus of tradition, of the Liturgy, and of the belief of
all the faithful. (Cf. Encyclical “Ad Coeli Reginam,” 11th Oct., 1954)
It should be very encouraging to all of us to know that we have so
powerful a Queen in Heaven, whose privilege it is to dispense God's
graces. She has crushed the poisonous head of Satan. Now she is able and
eager to help us, her loyal sons and servants, to resist temptation, to
frustrate the schemes of our deadly enemy, and to perfect ourselves in
virtue.
2. Mary is a supremely powerful Queen, because she is
the Mother of God. She is a most merciful Queen, because she is our
Mother and the Mother of sinners. She is a most loving Queen, because
hers is a kingdom of love and of goodness. Even as she is the most
lovable of creatures, so she is the most loving.
“To the
immense love of God for his creatures,” writes Cardinal Massimi, “and to
His command to rational beings that they should love Him with all their
hearts, there has been only one worthy response. That response was
yours, O Mary. You loved God with an intensity which surpassed the
combined love of all other creatures. God created your heart, which was
destined to be the heart of His Mother, after the fashion of His own.
Adorned with every perfection, it had an immeasurable capacity for
love... even as you are supreme in your love for God, O Mary, so you are
supreme in your love for us... What a cause for gladness this is! God
loves us, and you love us, O Mary. Our poor hearts which have a natural
longing to be loved and suffer so much when they are disappointed,
rejoice in being the object of your love. We thank you, O Mary, for
favouring us in spite of your greatness and our unworthiness.” (Card.
Massimi: Le Feste di Maria, p. 82-83)
The realisation of Mary's
regal power and of her maternal love for us should lead us to have
complete confidence in her. This confidence should inspire us to pray
fervently to her, to love her in return, and to form a practical
resolution of imitating her.
3. O Queen of Angels and of
Saints, my most powerful and most loving Mother, have pity on me, for I
am surrounded by such great perils and need so much to advance in
virtue. Although I am weak and weary, I desire ardently to imitate the
shining example of your holiness. Obtain for me from your divine Son the
grace to imitate you as far as I am able on earth, so that one day I
may share your happiness in the presence of God for all eternity. Amen.
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