Mary, Our Queen Mother – by Deacon Marty McIndoe
On August 22nd, the eighth day after the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church celebrates the feast of the Queenship of Mary. From the earliest days of the Church, these two events were seen as linked together. When Mary was given the special gift of being assumed bodily in to heaven, it was to take her place as Queen of Heaven. For us today, in a world where Kings and Queens are part of fairy tales or mostly exist for ceremonial purposes, it is hard for us to understand why the Church would recognize Mary as the Queen of Heaven. In order to understand it better, we must look back in to our Jewish roots, scriptures and the early Church fathers.
Mary exists as Queen only because Jesus exists as “King of the Jews”. The first time we hear Jesus referred to as King is in the Gospel of St. Matthew in his nativity accounts. St. Matthew writes with a great knowledge of Judaism and its history. His nativity account is flowing with references to Jesus as King of the Jews as related to the Davidic Kingdom. He has the Magi, the eastern kings, come and worship the new King of Kings. This is set in David’s city, Bethlehem. It is the Magi who kneel down before the baby Jesus, and before Mary and call Jesus the King of the Jews. Joseph isn’t even mentioned when the Magi adore the new babe. The emphasis is placed upon Jesus and Mary. To understand this we need to look at the Jewish role of the Queen Mother.
The Jews, like most of the other people of the Middle East, gave special emphasis to the mother of the King as the Queen Mother. This was quite practical as most of the Kings had numerous wives, but only one mother. Scripture tells us that King Solomon, David’s son, had 700 wives and 300 concubines. In Jewish history the Queen Mother had her throne right next to her son, the King. She helped him in caring for the Kingdom. She was always especially known as an advocate for her people. She very often interceded for her people. In 1 Kings 2: 13-21 we hear the story of Adonijah who comes to see the Queen Mother saying, “I have something to ask to you.” She replied, “Say it.” So he said, “There is one favor I would ask of you. Do not refuse me.” And she said, “Speak on.” He said, “Please ask King Solomon, who will not refuse you, to give me Abishag the Shunamite for my wife.” “Very well,” replied Bathsheba, “I will speak to the king for you.” Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat at his right. “There is one small favor l would ask of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” “Ask it, my mother,” the king said to her, “for I will not refuse you. So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunamite be given to your brother Adonijah for his wife.” Of course, the King did what his mother asked. This was the common practice for Queen Mothers; to sit on a throne next to their son and bring him intercessions. This is what our Queen Mother, Mary does today for us.
There is no doubt that the Kingship of Jesus differs from the Kingship of David or Solomon or any of the Jewish Kings. His Kingship is founded on his death and resurrection. It is at the cross that we read “Jesus, the Nazorean, King of the Jews. It was on the cross, with Mary at his foot, that Jesus shows us that His Kingdom is based upon Mercy and pure Love. The Queenship of Mary follows this same example, Love and Mercy. Now Jesus is enthroned in Heaven with Mary, the Queen Mother, at His side. Together they are dispensers of God’s Mercy and Love. Mary, the Immaculate daughter of the Father and spouse of the Holy Spirit sits with her son and her God, Jesus.
The book of Revelation, Chapter 12 verses 1 though 5 gives us an apocalyptic vision of Mary as Queen of Heaven. It says, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his head seven diadems: And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne.” I find it interesting that she has a crown with twelve stars. Those twelve stars remind us of both the twelve tribes of Israel who relied upon the Queen Mother as their intercessor before the King and of the twelve Apostles who regarded her as the mother of Jesus and their mother. The red dragon reminds us of how Mary, our mother and our Queen, has always resisted the attacks of the devil and is the promise of the New Eve who stamps her foot upon the devil’s head.
When we see Mary as the Queen of Heaven we honor her place in God’s plan as being the mother of His son Jesus, who is fully human and fully God. Her resounding YES and her flesh gave flesh to the Word. She was the new Ark of the Covenant in which the very presence of God resided. It was because of her that our Lord and Savior were brought in to this world. She is, most definitely, BLESSED among women.
St. Pope John Paul II in his letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, tells us, “Christ was raised in glory to the right hand of the Father, while Mary herself would be raised to that same glory in the Assumption, enjoying beforehand, by a unique privilege, the destiny reserved for all the just at the resurrection of the dead. Crowned in glory – as she appears in the last glorious mystery – Mary shines forth as Queen of the Angels and Saints, the anticipation and the supreme realization of the eschatological state of the Church.”
Hopefully, some day we too, like Mary, will receive our glorified bodies and worship God and honor Mary in heaven. Until we do, we can honor her as Queen of Heaven and bring before her our cares and concerns so that she can intercede for us before her son, Jesus, the King of Kings.