The Queenship  of Mary

By Fr. Peter Mascarenhas, SMM – 

In exchanging my Indian currency into a European currency at an airport, the clerk noticed  a picture of Queenship of Mary in my wallet. Is that Our Lady of Perpetual Succour? she asked, I told her that it was a Russian portrait. The transaction completed. I asked her if she would like it. She nodded. When I gave it to her, her face lit up with a smile, she kissed it and put the picture on the desk in front of her. Then she drew her colleagues’ attention to it. They were pleased for her.

In that exchange, shared devotion to Our Lady bridged a cultural divide. Indian and European were as one with Mary as reflected in Russian Icon painting. The very matter-of-factness of the exchange underlines just how deep-rooted Mary is in us. Indian, Russian and European were at one with Mary’s reassuring presence. As we celebrate the Queenship of Mary we are becoming more and more aware of Mary’s presence enveloping the universe as the Queen Mother of the Church and humanity at large.

August 22 is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, traditional Calendar and the Queenship of Mary, the New Calendar. On the 11 of October 1954, Pope Pius XII established the feast of the Queenship of Mary to be celebrated through out the world, and commanded that on that day each year, the world should renew its consecration to her. So the feast came to be celebrated on August 22. The purpose of the feast is that all may recognise more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and motherly sovereignty of her who bore God in her womb. (Ven. Pius XII). On the day of her assumption, Mary our Mother was solemnly crowned by Christ and received by the whole court of Heaven as Queen.

Pius XII explained the theological implications of this title of Queen in radio message of Fatima of May 13, 1946 Benidito seja;

“He, the son of God, reflects on His heavenly Mother the glory, the majesty and the dominion of His kingship, for, having been associated to the King of Martyrs in the… work of human Redemption as Mother and the Co-operator. She remains for ever associated to Him, with a practically unlimited power, in the distribution of the graces which flow from the Redemption. Jesus is King throughout all eternity by nature and by right of conquest: through Him, with Him, and subordinate to Him. Mary is queen by grace by divine relationship, by right of conquest, and by singular choice (of the Father).” In the fourth century St Ephraim called Mary ” Lady” and “Queen”. Later Church Fathers  and doctors continued to use this title.

The significance of the feast of the Queenship of Mary.

1. As St. Louis De Montfort in his famous treatise on The True devotion to the Blessed Virgin, wrote, “For God has made her Queen of heaven and earth, leader of armies, keeper of his treasures, dispenser of graces., worker of wonders, restorer of human race, mediatrix on behalf of men and women, destroyer of his enemies and the faithful associate of his great works and triumphs (TD 21)”.  This is the unique role of Mary in the history of salvation and in the mystery of humankind on earth. This awareness should help us to know her and have devotion to her.

2. “O Mary, my Queen, Immaculate Mother of the God-man, Jesus Christ, I desire to wrestle with the Divine Word, armed with your merits and not of my own”.  How much stronger and more powerful are we in approaching Our Lord when we are armed with the merits and prayers of the worthy Mother of God, who, St. Augustine says, has conquered the Almighty by her love. We need to cultivate her attitude of love in our daily life.

3. Like every good servant we must not remain idle, but relying on her protection, we should undertake and carry out great things for our noble Queen. We must attract everyone, to her service and to this true and sound devotion to our blessed Mother.

What Christ has done in heaven and the Church has done on our behalf we should now do individually, that is, we should recognise Mary’s Queenship, enthrone  her  in our homes, consecrate ourselves to her and, by this means establish in our lives the reign of Mary Immaculate Queen of the Universe.

Fr. Peter Mascarenhas, SMM, Director, Montfort Marian Centre, Montfort Fathers, can be reached at [email protected]