The Queenship of Mary

This Thursday, August 22nd (the octave of the Feast of the Assumption) we celebrate the Queenship of Mary. Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954 on the 100th anniversary of the declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. However, this title honoring Mary as Queen appears in the writings of the early Church Fathers and we reflect on this title when praying both the fifteenth decade of the Rosary and the seventh decade of the Franciscan Crown.

Obviously, the world has changed dramatically since the People of God first honored Mary as Queen. In thinking about royal titles today, we see kings and queens for the most part carrying out ceremonial functions. They are people with very limited actual power (if any at all). At the creation of our own nation, any semblance of royalty was rejected by the Founders. So the question is, “What is the relevance of the Queenship of Mary for the Catholic Christian today?”

As people of faith, our reflection begins with the Sacred Scripture. Here, we encounter queens who wielded great influence (sometimes not always for the good) over the kings of the Judah, Israel, and foreign countries. One has only to think of Bathsheba, who secured the Kingdom of Israel for her son, Solomon. Or the courage of Queen Esther as she rescued her people from annihilation. These powerful women were always concerned about the future good of the nation and had a strong relationship with the king.

We also see that Jesus did not shy away from royal titles, especially in the Gospel of Mathew. He did, however, redefine the concept of kingship. He invites us to enter into His kingdom, but He does not demand it. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 25: 31-46 that entrance into the fullness of His kingdom is dependent on the care of our sisters and brothers (or the lack of it).

Therefore, Mary fulfills the role of Queen only in relationship to Jesus, her Son, the King of kings. She displays her influence over Jesus as we see at the wedding feast of Cana in the Gospel of John chapter 2. She intercedes with Jesus on behalf of the young couple just as she intercedes for us when we turn to Christ in our troubles. Her power to help us is authentic and real. Mary, our Queen, always desires our good – like Jesus Christ, our King. We ask her to help us grow ever closer to Jesus. We invite Mary to be the Queen of our hearts as we seek entrance into the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Never doubt her desire for our good.