HOMILY FOR SATURDAY THE TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A (Memorial of The Queenship of Mary)

Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 113; Luke 1:26-38

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The Gospel of today presents us with the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus. This annunciation expressed Mary’s Motherhood and Queenship at the same time. In Luke 1:31 The Archangel Gabriel said to Mary “you will become pregnant and give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus.” This was the motherhood. in verses 32 and 33 The Archangel said to Mary that “the Son will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. He will sit on the throne of his ancestor David” and that “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Therefore, Jesus is a king and in Israel the mother (not necessarily the daughter) of a king was always a queen. Mary therefore is a queen.

Mary is the Queen of heaven and earth. Rev. 12:1-2 speaks about a great mysterious sight in the sky  “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”. Again, Mary’s Queenship is implied in the dogmatic definition of her Assumption into heaven body and soul and exalted by the Lord as Queen of the universe that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and the conqueror of sin and death.” (Lumen Gentium, 59). Beloved in Christ, Mary is exalted because she was humble and she truly served. If we too are render humble service to God and man we shall be given the crown of unfading glory.

HAIL, HOLY QUEEN

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.