In today’s world, we are perplexed by terms like “king” and “queen,” and they might conjure up in our minds images of excess wealth, self-indulgent spectacle, and invasive “authoritarian” despotism. But the “royalty” of Jesus (and His mother) is not like this at all. By His inexhaustible outpouring of love on the Cross (love for each one of us personally), Jesus reveals that the Mystery who is the source, sustenance, and goal of our lives is the God who is Infinite Love. Having Jesus as “King” — living within the love of His compassionate and merciful Heart — frees our own hearts from becoming interiorly enslaved to any of the ideologies of this world or the ruling powers who propound them (whether they call themselves “kings” or “prime ministers” or “presidents” or “premiers” or “chiefs” or “bosses” or whatever).
And Mary’s Queenship (her special participation in the fulfillment of her Son’s mission) is manifested by the extension of her maternal love to each of us. As the little brothers and sisters of Jesus, we are her children, and she accompanies us and guides us with a particular closeness, a constant attention, an unfailing tenderness, an incomparable intuition of who each of us is in our individual uniqueness as persons, along with all our particular needs and hopes, and the paths we must travel as we grow toward our fulfillment in God’s love.
Today (and everyday) we are grateful for Mary who has been given to us by Jesus in the communion of the Church to be the incomparable friend of our lives — Mary, our Queen and our Mother.
