22 August: Immaculate Heart and Queenship of Mary

When the angel Gabriel came to Mary he told her that her Son would have the throne of David and that His kingdom would have no end (Luke 1:32-33).

In ancient Israel, the mothers of the House of David’s kings were crowned, addressed as Gebirah, “Great Lady”. They sat beside the throne of their royal sons.

Since our Lord is our King, then His Mother is our Queen.

On 22 August we observe, in the traditional Roman calendar, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  In the newer calendar it will be the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary’s Queenship is intimately tied to the Kingship of her Son.

Her Immaculate Heart beats in harmony with His Sacred Heart, for she conceived her King within her Heart, before she carried Him below her Heart.

• Did you know that the hearts of mothers and their unborn babies tend to beat with synchronization?
• Did you know that mothers and their babies hearts will swiftly synchronize when they smile at each other?

Imagine, for a moment, the smiles of Mary and Jesus as they regard each other.  Try to picture that.

Their hearts beat as one.

Her Queenship rests not on her own merits alone, but rather it rests upon the majesty of her divine Son.

At the conclusion of Dante’s Divina Commedia St Bernard sings of Heaven’s Queen that she is the “daughter of her Son”. But she will always remain, as Saint Thérèse observed, “more Mother than Queen”.

In addressing Mary, we name her Queen in many prayers, such as the Salve, Regina. We invoke her in the Litany of Loreto as Queen of Angels, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, All Saints and, so important these days, Families.  St John Paul, taking stock of our times, added that last title to the Litany in 1995.  She is the Queen conceived without original sin, assumed into Heaven, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary and Queen of Peace.

May I suggest, dear readers, that you offer your day to the King of Fearful Majesty through our Queen’s intercession?  I ask also a prayer for myself.

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word, and action of this day. O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them in the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!