MARY CROWNED QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
INTRODUCTION
Centuries before the birth of Christ, Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah-King: “A child is born to us [he said], a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace”… This Messiah would be in the royal line of David, and his reign would have no end Isaiah. 9:6-7.
Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of David who came to fulfill the Davidic Kingdom. The whole point of the genealogy in the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel is to show Jesus is royalty; he is the heir to David’s throne. Matthew 1:1
When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, he explicitly links the birth of the child to the fulfillment of God’s promise to King David:
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1:26-33
First century Jews would have known, under the reign of David’s royal family, the kingdom was ruled by both a King and a Queen. Unlike in modern-day kingdoms, however, the queen of Israel was not the king’s wife but his mother. She was known as the “Queen Mother.”
The pre-eminence of the king’s mother may seem odd from our modern Western perspective, In the Near East, however, most ancient Near-Eastern kings practiced polygamy. King Solomon had seven hundred wives 1 Kings.11:3
Imagine the chaos in the royal court if all seven hundred were awarded the Queen-ship! But since each king had only one mother, one can see the practical wisdom in bestowing the Queen-ship upon her. In the historical books of the Old Testament, the Queen mother holds a position of great honor.
According to the Old Testament, the Queen mother was also a powerful intercessor with her son, the king. In Hebrew tradition, Mary is Queen Mother. Mary’s royal office is made even more explicit in Luke’s account of the Visitation. Elizabeth greets Mary with the title “the mother of my Lord” Luke 1:43. Elizabeth is recognizing the great dignity of Mary’s role as the royal mother of the king, Jesus
In the royal court language of the ancient Near East, the title “Mother of my Lord” was used to address the Queen mother of the reigning king (who himself was addressed as “my Lord” 2 Sam. 24:21.
In the last book of the Bible, Book of Revelation, we have the confirmation of what prophets and evangelists have been writing for centuries. a woman clothed with the sun and wearing a crown of stars is standing above the moon and the stars “in heaven.” Revelation 12:1
Just as Jesus is a heavenly King who reigns over a heavenly kingdom, so Mary, Jesus’ mother, can rightly be described as Queen of the kingdom of heaven.
REFLECTION
What God has accomplished in Mother Mary, He also wants to accomplish in us. From Heaven, Mary encourages each of us to say Yes to God’s plan for our lives just as she did so long ago.
Understanding Mary as Queen mother sheds light on her important intercessory role with Jesus, her Son. Just like the queen mother of the Davidic kingdom, Mary serves as advocate for the people in the Kingdom of God today.
Mary helps us to share in the Lord’s victory over sin. Rising above those sins, we begin to acquire self-mastery, true purity of heart, and a newfound ability to give ourselves to others in love and in service. All of this is who Mary is and why she reigns in Heaven. There is no better intercessor than the Queen Mother! Mary awaits us! Bring us safely home, Mary! Amen!
Regina Caeli – Queen of Heaven
Queen of heaven, rejoice. Alleluia. Pray to God for us, Alleluia.
O God, it was by the Resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that you brought joy to the world.
Grant through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his Mother, we may attain the joy of eternal life.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.