Our Lady, Mother and Queen
Saturday of week 20 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38On this memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Gospel takes us not to a throne room but to the humble home of Nazareth, where Mary declares, “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let what you have said be done to me.” Here we discover the true foundation of her Queenship. Mary becomes Queen precisely because she chooses to be the servant of God. She does not seek greatness, privilege, or authority; she empties herself in faith and places her entire life at the disposal of God’s will. Her royal dignity therefore reflects the kingship of her Son, who came “not to be served but to serve.” At the Annunciation, Mary allows God to reign completely in her heart, and because she belongs entirely to Him, she is raised to share uniquely in the glory of Christ’s Kingdom. Her Queenship is not domination but motherhood, service, intercession, and total availability to God. The words “I am the handmaid of the Lord” contain the secret of authentic Christian greatness: the more completely we allow God to reign within us, the freer we become to serve Him and others. Mary teaches us that the road to being exalted by God begins by becoming small before Him. Her crown is ultimately the fruit of her “fiat”, a lifetime of humble, faithful, and loving surrender to the Lord. Let’s reflect: Can I make Mary’s words my own, “I am the servant of the Lord”, and allow God to reign so completely in my life that His will becomes my joy and my service to others?
Don Giorgio