From Fr. Mark, August 17, 2025

From Fr. Mark

Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth                    

Rooted in Sacred Scripture and professed in prayers and hymns, the Catholic Church considers the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Queen of Heaven and Earth.

        The Old Testament kings made their mothers the queen, instead of their wives. The angel Gabriel announced that Jesus would reign on the throne of David forever and Elizabeth addressed Mary as the mother of the Lord.

         King Solomon’s mother even had a throne at his right hand and wore a crown. The mother of our Savior should be honored at least that much.

     She is highly honored in a special way, more than any other saint, but although she is our queen, Mary is never the subject of our worship or adoration.

        Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth is meditated on as the Fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary.

        On the 11th OF October 1954, Pope Pius XII established the Feast of the Queenship of Mary to be celebrated throughout the world, and commanded that on that day each year, the world should renew its consecration to her. In the future the Feast came to be celebrated on 22nd of August.

"The purpose of the Feast is that all may recognize more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and motherly sovereignty of her who bore God in her womb" (Ven. Pius XII, Ad. Coeli Reginam).

On the day of her Assumption, Mary our Mother was solemnly crowned by Christ and received by the whole court of Heaven as Queen.

       What Christ has done in Heaven and the Church has done on our behalf we should now do individually, that is, we should recognize Mary's Queenship, enthrone her in our homes, consecrate ourselves to her and, by this means, establish in our lives the reign of Mary Immaculate Queen of the Universe.   The Church celebrates the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary each year on August 22, on the Octave of her Assumption into Heaven.

       We celebrate Our Lady’s queenship on Aug. 22 and every day with this prayer. The Salve Regina is one of the most popular and frequently recited in the Church’s treasury of prayers.

The prayer, which dates back to the 13th century, is most often prayed by the Church at the end of Night prayer in Ordinary Time as well as at the conclusion of the Holy Rosary. Traditionally sung or chanted in Latin, there are also many vernacular translations available of the Salve Regina.

        The present form of the prayer is traced historically to the French Benedictine Abbey of Cluny. The prayer was subsequently popularized that same century throughout Europe by Dominicans who employed its use especially in processions at the end of Compline, or Night prayer, as it is known in today’s breviary. In the 18th century, the Salve Regina served as inspiration for St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s spiritual classic “The Glories of Mary.” The prayer is also what gave the form to the timeless 19th century hymn “Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above.”

       The theological theme of the prayer is rooted in Mary’s coronation as queen of heaven and earth following her Assumption into heaven body and soul. Mary’s queenship is what constitutes the fifth Glorious mystery of the Rosary and is observed liturgically on Aug. 22.

Pope Benedict XVI, at an audience in 2012, said that prayers like the Salve Regina “help us to understand that the Blessed Virgin, as our Mother beside her Son Jesus in the glory of heaven, is always with us in the daily events of our life.”

            He concluded the same address reiterating that “devotion to Our Lady is an important element of spiritual life.” In prayers commemorating her queenship, like the Salve Regina, we “address her with trust.”

            “Mary will not fail to intercede for us with her Son. Looking at her, let us imitate her faith, her full availability to God’s plan of love, her generous acceptance of Jesus. Let us learn how to live from Mary. Mary is the Queen of Heaven who is close to God but she is also the Mother who is close to each one of us, who loves us and listens to our voice.”

Traditional English translation

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To thee do we cry,

Poor banished children of Eve;

To thee do we send up our sighs,

Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

Thine eyes of mercy toward us;

And after this our exile,

Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving,

O sweet Virgin Mary.