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Queenship of Mary
Feast Day August 22
Patron of the Family
Mary's
place beside her Son, Jesus, and her place as mother to the children of the
world, make her a logical, powerful advocate for our children, especially for
their return to the practice of the Faith. When we pray a rosary, a
Memorare, a litany, make the Stations of the Cross, or any of the many other
prayers we might say, Mary is always close by watching over us and our loved
ones as we are asking her to do. Let us put our families and those of our
loved ones in her hands and ask her to carry our wants and needs to the feet of
her Son, Jesus. As any good son would do, He will listen to His mother's
requests.
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What
is the Queenship of Mary?
This
feast was established by
Pius XII in 1954, but has its
roots in Scripture and Tradition. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced
that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the
Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” Mary is always closely
associated with Jesus. In the Old Testament the mother of the king has
great influence.
St. Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Church
fathers and doctors use the title. Centuries-old hymns address Mary as
queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” The Dominican
rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s
litany celebrate her queenship.
In his encyclical "To the Queen of Heaven," Pius XII
points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God,
because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive
work, because of her preeminent perfection and because of her intercessory
power.
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Act
of Consecration
O
Mary Immaculate Queen, glorious Queen of the Universe, most powerful Virgin,
merciful Mother of a merciful God and refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves
to thy Royal and Immaculate Heart. It is through thee that Jesus Christ our King
has come into the world to save it. It is also through thee that He is to reign
over the world.
In order to obtain this great benefit for ourselves and all
mankind, we come to thy feet to consecrate to thee our persons, our lives, all
that we are, all that we have, all that we love. Keep us, enlighten us, dispose
of us, reign over us.
May all hearts and all homes willingly proclaim thee as their
Immaculate Queen.
O Mary Immaculate Queen, look down upon this distressed and
suffering world. Thou knowest our misery and our weakness. O Thou who art our
Mother, saving us in the hour of peril, have compassion on us in these days of
great and heavy trial. Jesus has confided to thee the treasure of His Grace, and
through Thee He wills to grant us pardon and mercy. In these hours of anguish,
therefore, thy children come to Thee as their hope
We recognize thy Queenship and ardently desire thy
triumph. We need a Mother and a Mother's Heart. Thou art for us the luminous
dawn which dissipates our darkness and points out the way to life. In thy
clemency obtain for us the courage and the confidence of which we have such
need.
Most Holy and Adorable Trinity, Thou Who didst crown
with glory in Heaven the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, grant that
all her children on earth may acknowledge her as their Sovereign Queen, that all
hearts, homes, and nations may recognize her rights as Mother and as Queen.
Amen. |