Aug 22 – Our Lady, Mother and Queen
Whoever, therefore, reverences the Queen of heaven and earth – and let no one consider himself exempt from this tribute of a grateful and loving soul – let him invoke the most effective of Queens, the Mediatrix of Peace; let him respect and preserve peace, which is not wickedness unpunished nor freedom without restraint; but a well-ordered harmony under the rule of the will of God; to its safeguarding and growth, the gentle urgings and commands of the Virgin Mary impel us.
– Pope Pius XII
Isa 9:1-7
Lk 1:26-38
“Mary, do not be afraid: you have won God’s favour…”
I have always watched with a sense of disgust when I see colleagues trying to win the favour of their superiors at work. They tend to engage in actions that raise their prominence to the line manager with the hope of getting the next promotion. As I took this to prayer, I realise that perhaps the reason why I was so upset was because they were trying to be elevated. This is in sharp contrast to the readings of today, where we read how our Blessed Mother became our Queen and Mother because of her lowliness.
The line which strikes me the most is, “let what you have said be done to me.” This response by Mary is very different from what I would respond with. I believe in the need to control every circumstance within my control; to reduce every variable to a parameter and to ensure that there are no surprises. Yet, Mary’s response is one of utmost trust in God’s plan. Trust in God’s plan is very important because it requires us to acknoweldge our own human fraility; that we need to surrender to Jesus all that we have, so that he can bring to fulfilment in us the work which glorifies his name.
It was the trust which Mary had in God which allowed her to grow in faith and be the model for all of us today. It is also the reason why she is our Queen; because her humility allowed her to feel all the emotions which we went through, and which resulted in her being elevated to be a Queen who knows all our struggles. What we have to do now is to surrender to God the struggles we face in our lives. As we continue with our life journey, I would like to share with you the words of the Bishop in response to the Elect in the Rite of Ordination of Deacons: “May God who has begun the good work in you, bring it to fulfillment.”
These words encourage me to continue the good work of the Lord and may our Blessed Mother continue to grant us the grace to allow all of us to bring this good work to fulfillment.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who demonstrate their love for each other.
OXYGEN 
Leave a comment