30 May 2010

Thoughts on the Vigil of the Queenship of Mary

Mother Angelica remarked on an episode of "Mother Angelica Live" back in 1999, that Jesus's public ministry began with the Blessed Virgin Mother's "second fiat".   Our Lord, addressing his mother lovingly with, "woman", as an allusion to what was written in Genesis ("I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." Gen. 3:15) and what was to be written yet in Revelation ("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... " Revelation 12:1) he asks her what was this to him since his time for public ministry had not yet come.  The Blessed Virgin Mother's response was prompt, knowing that her son was saying, "my ministry does not come until you give your second fiat."  She immediately then tells the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  She KNEW that Jesus would make the wine from a miracle, but that he would require faithful servants, as she knew that her first fiat was required by God the Father to bring God the Son to take flesh.  The Blessed Mother knew that obedience to God is the condition God requires for in making "new wine" from old wine skins.  When we become of the age of reason, we then have the responsibility of chosing God's Will.  The Blessed Mother's first fiat was to the Holy Ghost, who espoused her after she gave her word that she would accept whatever was the holy Will of God.  God the Father chose Mary to bring about the physical manifestation of His love, that is Jesus Christ, through her espousal to the Holy Ghost.   This is the reason it is fitting to celebrate the QUEENSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN soon after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.    There is no greater queen than the one who is most intimately connected to the Most Holy Trinity, since she has power given to her by God by her submission to Him, and because He chose her out of all His creation for this role.

Majestic Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the Angels, thou didst receive from God the power and commission to crush to head of Satan:  wherefore we humbly beseech thee, send forth the legions of heaven, that, under thy command, they may seek out all evil spirits, engage them everywhere in battle, curb their insolence, and hurl them back into the pit of hell.  "Who is like unto God?" 

O good and tender Mother, thou shalt ever be our hope and the object of our love.

O Mother of God, send forth the holy Angels to defend me and drive far from me the cruel foe.

Holy Angels and Archangels, defend of and keep us. 

An indulgence of 500 days (S.C. Ind., July 8, 1908; S.P. Ap., March 28, 1935).
O Mary, my dear Mother and mighty Queen, take and receive my poor heart with all its freedom and desires, all its love andaffection, and all the virtues and graces with which it can be adorned.  All that I am, all that I might be, my Lady and Queen, all that I have and hold in the order of nature as well as of grace, I have received from God through thy loving intercession; into thy soverign hands I commit it all, that it may be returned to its noble original; wherefore we confess that thou art the channel whereby the graces of heaven decent upon us; thou art likewise the aqueduct which carries them back to their source; thou art, as it were, an electric wire, whereby we are put in direct communication with our heavenly Father; thou art the immaculate way which leads us safe to the Heart of God.  Take, then, and accept all that I am, O Mary, Queen of every heart, and bind me to thee with the bonds of love, that I may be thine for ever, and may be able to say in truth:  "I belong to Jesus through Mary."  Thee onlly will I love, my Mother most pure; lend me thy heart; give me love for thee and for Jesus, and it is enough to make me happy and blessed in live, in death and in eternity.  Amen.
An indulgence of 500 days.
A plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions for the daily recitation of this prayer
(S.P. Ap., July 29, 1924 and July 12, 1933).