mary, our queen
The feast of the Queenship of Mary was instituted by Pius the XII in 1954. It is to be recalled that it was Pius XI who had instituted the liturgical feast of Christ, the King in 1925 to emphasize the primacy of Christ who will rule and bring lasting peace to a world torn by turmoil during the early part of the 20th century. This was done after the so called Great World War or what we call now in history as World War I.
Pope Pius XII deemed it appropriate to institute the liturgical feast of the Queenship of Mary to emphasize Mary’s participation in the work of Christ, the King, and he did it also 10 years after the war known as World War II, just when the world was entering into what we now refer to in history as the cold war.
In his encyclical, Pius XII called her the Mediatrix of Peace, at a time when a more permanent peace was prayed for in the face of threats of a third world war.
I am pointing out these historical facts because feasts such as these have historical underpinnings brought about by a particular situation at the time of their institution. It should be noted well if we are to understand better the intent and the meaning of this feast of the Queenship of Mary.
First – the Queenship of Mary is so intertwined with the Kingship of Christ. In fact the pope wanted to clarify further her role in salvation history by emphasizing her intimate connection with her Son, specifically in her participation the work of Christ, the one and only Mediator. She has always been called from the beginning with Elizabeth as “the Mother of my Lord.” And down to the Fathers of the Church she would be referred to always in her relationship with Christ – “the mother of the king - Jesus who is the king of kings and Lord of lords, the prince of peace; she has been always referred to as “our Lady” in recognition of the Kingship of her Son.
Second – the connection of this feast with that of Christ, the King emphasizes the need for peace and understanding among peoples. This feast I believe is indeed relevant even in our time and age – an age of terrorism, in a world with so many wars, in a country again threatened with disintegration. If Christ is the peace, Mary is the channel of that peace.
May we become channels of peace too. And since Christ gives us the peace that the world cannot give, let us with St. Francis pray that God will make us channels of peace, like Mary.
As we recognize her role let us all the more invoke her for the peace that we need in our world and in our country.
Pope Pius XII deemed it appropriate to institute the liturgical feast of the Queenship of Mary to emphasize Mary’s participation in the work of Christ, the King, and he did it also 10 years after the war known as World War II, just when the world was entering into what we now refer to in history as the cold war.
In his encyclical, Pius XII called her the Mediatrix of Peace, at a time when a more permanent peace was prayed for in the face of threats of a third world war.
I am pointing out these historical facts because feasts such as these have historical underpinnings brought about by a particular situation at the time of their institution. It should be noted well if we are to understand better the intent and the meaning of this feast of the Queenship of Mary.
First – the Queenship of Mary is so intertwined with the Kingship of Christ. In fact the pope wanted to clarify further her role in salvation history by emphasizing her intimate connection with her Son, specifically in her participation the work of Christ, the one and only Mediator. She has always been called from the beginning with Elizabeth as “the Mother of my Lord.” And down to the Fathers of the Church she would be referred to always in her relationship with Christ – “the mother of the king - Jesus who is the king of kings and Lord of lords, the prince of peace; she has been always referred to as “our Lady” in recognition of the Kingship of her Son.
Second – the connection of this feast with that of Christ, the King emphasizes the need for peace and understanding among peoples. This feast I believe is indeed relevant even in our time and age – an age of terrorism, in a world with so many wars, in a country again threatened with disintegration. If Christ is the peace, Mary is the channel of that peace.
May we become channels of peace too. And since Christ gives us the peace that the world cannot give, let us with St. Francis pray that God will make us channels of peace, like Mary.
As we recognize her role let us all the more invoke her for the peace that we need in our world and in our country.
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