Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth

We celebrate the feast of the Blessed Mother as the Queen of Heaven on August 22. The Visitation by Mary to Elizabeth recorded in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, hints at or foreshadows the future Queenship of Mary.

Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, tells Mary, “Blessed are you among women.” The prophetic or fuller sense of this declaration must include the Queenship of Mary.

Mary is, indeed, “blessed” among all other women by being the only woman crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth after the end of her earthly life.

Mary’s reply to Elizabeth in her Magnificat also foreshadows the Queenship of Mary. Mary says, “henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” What better way for all generations to call Mary “blessed” than for them to give Mary homage as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

It is unlikely that Elizabeth or Mary knew by their prophecies that Mary’s blessedness would take the specific form of Queenship upon her death.

Nevertheless, they did know that Mary would be supremely blessed in the future, and in a way not seen before, because she gave birth to the Messiah, the eternal King, who is also the Son of God.

Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven, help the members of my family to fall to their knees in front of your Son, the King of Heaven and of all creation. Help us parents to teach our children to love and obey your Divine Son, the King of Kings.

Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven teach us to realize that the life of humility, the simple life, the life which focuses on spiritual eternal values, is the way to eternal happiness with you and your Son in the heavenly court.

Look down on us, Mary, Queen of Heaven, with love and kindness. Help us to stay on the path Jesus has given us, to teach our children with persistence and dedication, and not to falter during difficult times and struggles.

Blessed Mary, Queen of Heaven, help me to teach my children the importance of doing their lessons with a sincere effort to please Jesus our King and you, Mary, Queen of Heaven.

Help those in my family to realize that our Catholic home schooling will bring us heavenly rewards as well as graces for others to remain faithful to the teachings of your Son Jesus. Help our children to remember the words of Jesus: “…I am a King”, but “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven, help us and our children to be persistent in our Catholic home schooling duties.

Help us to resist the temptations to seek comfort. Queen of Heaven, teach us to live the life of prayer and of devotion to duty as we are called to do by the sacrament of matrimony.

“Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! 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, 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. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”

Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.