The angel Gabriel was the first to salute her as queen. For he said that the son that she would bear would not only be called Son of God, but that he would be given the throne of King David and “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” If Jesus is King, it follows that his mother is Queen–according to the system of kings of the line of King David (as recorded in all of the books of Kings and Chronicles). During the Davidic Dynasty, the king’s mother would be crowned queen and have a subordinated reign over the subjects of the kingdom; the concept of Queen Mother was practical as kings had several wives but only one mother. And so, based on the words of the Archangel Gabriel as a starting point, it should be logical for the people of God to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen. That is why the Catholic Church honors her today with the Feast of the Queenship of Mary.
The essence of the Feast is this: After she was assumed or taken into heaven, the Blessed Virgin was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth by Jesus Christ. This is alluded to in Revelation 12. You know, it just makes sense on so many levels that Mary is Queen. God promises an imperishable crown to all those who cooperate with his grace won for us by his victory on the cross. If we share in his life and suffering we will surely share in his victory. The Blessed Virgin Mary participated in the life and suffering of Jesus Christ more intimately than anyone ever will. She was generous with the God who is never outdone in generosity. Therefore, what a crown she has!
At this point, I could get all pseudo-theological: I could post a bunch of Scriptural references and quotes from the Early Church supporting the Queenship of Mary–I could, but I don’t think I’ll do that here. Instead, I just want to share some thoughts about my Queen Mother. Ever since I went to Lourdes I’ve understood and loved Mary as my Queen. It is my desire to serve her because of what she does for me in caring for my temporal and spiritual welfare; I want to do something for her. What can I do for my Queen? First and foremost by listening to what she says, “do whatever he tells you.” That is what she wants above all. By the way, the thing about genuine love for Our Lady is that it gets your motives and priorities straight. Not only that, it produces profound respect for women and a desire to live as God wishes. It is not enough for me to say I love Mary and do what I think she wants, I must think of her and consult her. Only then can i begin to serve my Queen.
I’ll conclude this post with this prayer (the Collect from today’s Mass):
Father, you have given us the mother of your Son to be our queen and mother. With the support of her prayers may we come to share the glory of your children in the kingdom of heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.