Liturgy Alive Queeship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Thursday, August 22, 2019

 

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

At the end of the Marian Year in 1954, Pope Pius XII established this feast with his encyclical, Ad Caeli Reginam. Mary is Queen because of her divine maternity and because of her association with Jesus' redemptive mission. Today's feast is linked with that of the Assumption, celebrated eight days earlier, and it highlights Mary's spiritual motherhood in the Church. Her queenship is one of love, exercised in hearts, and reminds us that "if we persevere, we also shall reign with him" (2 Tm 2:12) as members of Christ's "royal priesthood" (1 Pt 2:9). Mary as queen is the eschatological icon of the Church in glory.At the end of the Marian Year in 1954, Pope Pius XII established this feast with his encyclical, Ad Caeli Reginam. Mary is Queen because of her divine maternity and because of her association with Jesus' redemptive mission. Today's feast is linked with that of the Assumption, celebrated eight days earlier, and it highlights Mary's spiritual motherhood in the Church. Her queenship is one of love, exercised in hearts, and reminds us that "if we persevere, we also shall reign with him" (2 Tm 2:12) as members of Christ's "royal priesthood" (1 Pt 2:9). Mary as queen is the eschatological icon of the Church in glory.

Introduction

“From this day on, all generations will call me blessed,” sings Mary. What does it mean, to call Mary, the humble virgin, blessed? It means nothing else than to be filled with admiration and to adore the marvel which God worked in her, to read from her that God looks to the humble one and lifts her up, that God’s coming into this world does not seek the heights but the depths, that God glory consists in making great what is small. To call Mary blessed means, together with her to ponder admiringly the ways of God, who lets his Spirit blow where he wants, to obey him and with Mary humbly to say: “As you have spoken, so be it.” (Bonhoeffer)

Entrance Antiphon
The queen stands at your right hand arrayed in cloth of gold. (Ps 44:10)

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
the unpretentious mother of your Son
wanted to be nothing more
than your humble servant.
Allow us to honor her as our model and queen
of sincere, deep faith
and unassuming faithful service
of your plans with your Son and the world.
May her prayers imbue us with her spirit.
We ask this through her Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.


 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
in all simplicity we place before you
these signs of bread and wine.
May we learn from your Son and his mother
to accept any task you assign to us
and to say wholeheartedly
”Be it done to me as you say.”
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
with Mary we rejoice today
that you did great things in her and for her.
May our generation praise her and you
by living for your Son
and for our neighbor far and near
with a spirit of service and dedication
and with great and trusting faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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