Today, the Queenship of Mary (technically not celebrated on Sunday because it’s not a solemnity), my family and I were in Lourdes for the last time. Even though it was 21 years ago, I will never forget being there, a heavenly place blessed by the presence of the Virgin Mary. It was she who, through the Holy Spirit, brought me into an encounter with Jesus and God the Father. In Lourdes, I discovered that God truly loved me more than I could possibly imagine. And with that love, I realized my purpose and value, and I knew that my life had meaning. it was difficult to leave; initially, part of me didn’t even want to be there, and at the end, I didn’t want to leave because I felt I belonged there. But even though we physically left, Lourdes has never left me. Admittedly, out of fear, I didn’t share my experience outrightly with friends and extended family when we came back home… But hopefully people noticed a change in me. it seems like such a long time ago, but I remember so much of our time there. I even remember part of the priest’s homily that last morning:

He explained how Mary is Queen because she was exalted as such for her great humility and suffering alongside Jesus. After that, I learned that in the culture and society of the Davidic kings of ancient Israel, it was the king’s mother who was the queen, and as such, was the one to whom requests before the king were presented. So, Mary is the queen mother of all those who belong to Christ’s kingdom – – she intercedes and advocates on behalf of her children better than the queens of Israel/Judah ever could. She always prays for us according to the will of God and is therefore always heard/heeded. I know that her heart is always open to those in need and is the gate to the merciful Jesus our Lord and Savior. God willing, I will be sharing more thoughts [here] on my blog in the upcoming days.