Saturday – 20th Week in Ordinary Time – A – Memorial of The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The key Old Testament image is the queen mother. In the kingdom surrounding Israel, a king might have several wives. So the principal royal woman was often the king's mother. In the Davidic kingdom, she held a recognized position as the Jebira, often translated great lady or queen mother.

One of the clearest examples is Bethsheba and Solomon. Before Solomon becomes king, Bathsheba bows before David. But after Solomon becomes king, something striking happens. And I quote, “The king stood to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king's mother, who sat at his right” (1 Kings 2:19).

So, this is an extraordinary important fact for Marian theology. The mother of the Davidic king is seated beside the king in position of honour. She also presents a petition to him. And I quote, “There is one small favour I would ask of you. Do not refuse me” (1 Kings 2:20). In fact, the kings would rarely refuse the queen mother, their mother, when a request was made.

And we see a fulfilment of this at the feast of Cana when they are in trouble, this young couple, and they do not have recourse to help. It is our blessed mother, the queen, who recognizes their difficulty and then goes to her son, the king of kings, our lord Jesus, the creator of all things.

The Old Testament repeatedly identifies the mothers of the Davidic kings, and sometimes even with unusual prominence. For example, look at how many mothers are named of various kings. “His mother's name was Makah.” Or “his mother's name was Athaliah.” Or “his mother's name was Nehushta.”

Jeremiah gives an especial especially revealing passage. “Say to the King and the Queen Mother, Come down from your throne” (Jeremiah 13:18). So the Queen Mother was an identifiable royal institution, not merely the king's mother in a biological sense.

And this is where the first reading becomes very important. So we hear, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests” (Isaiah 9:5). Isaiah is speaking in the context of the Davidic monarchy, and Christians recognize its ultimate fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

Then the prophet Isaiah explicitly connects this child with David. “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David's throne, and over his kingdom” (Isaiah 9:6). That phrase is crucial. The child is the Davidic king. Jesus is therefore not simply king in some vague spiritual sense, but he is the fulfilment of the covenant God made with David.

This is precisely how Gabriel announces him to Mary. “The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:32-33). Notice what is happening. Gabriel announces the Davidic king directly to the woman who will be his mother.

My dear brothers and sisters, there's another magnificent Old Testament image in Psalm 45. “Daughters of kings are among your ladies of honour. At your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir” (Psalm 45:10).

My brothers and sisters, in the book of Revelation, we read, “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head, a crown of 12 stars” (Revelation 12:1). This the church fathers have seen to represent represents not only the church and the new Israel of God, in the 12 stars, but, more precisely, our Blessed Mother who is now crowned in Heaven as Queen, both of Heaven and of Earth.

My brothers and sisters, we should always have recourse to our queen because her son refuses her nothing. At the feast of Cana, it was not yet time for the king to perform his first miracle, public miracle. And yet, because she asked this sign from him, He obeys her.

Now again, this is a fulfilment of the role of the Queen Mother in the Old Testament, who was the authority in choosing the next king. Should the king have died, and she was still alive, she would have the authority to choose the next king. But also, if a criminal was brought before the king and the queen mother interceded on that criminal's behalf, the king would obey, would grant her request out of respect for his mother.

My brothers and sisters, when we reverence our queen, we are indirectly reverencing her son, the king of kings, the Lord of lords, our God and our all.

Because if you go to a house of a friend, and you esteem that friend, you love that friend, but you want nothing to do with the mother, what's your friend going to think? This is disrespect. This is an offence against your friend. In fact, Who of us would be happy with anyone who disrespects our mother?

And so, my brothers and sisters, our creed mother is always with us. She loves us, and she will always intercede on our behalf. So let us be confident in our faith, in our prayer, because she is so powerful with Jesus.

In the name of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Spirit. Amen.