MARY CROWNED QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
COMMENTARY
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” Isaiah. 9:6-7… This Messiah would be in the royal line of David, and his reign would have no end.
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 queenship! But since each king had only one mother, one can see the practical wisdom in bestowing the queenship 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. She not only wore a royal crown and sat on a royal throne, she also reigned with the king and held an office second only to that of the king himself. In Hebrew tradition, Mary is Queen Mother.
Perhaps we see the clearest example in the Old Testament of Queen Mother in the story of David and Bathsheba. Bathsheba was wife of David and Mother of Solomon. Compare the humble attitude of Bathsheba as spouse of King David 1 Kings: 1:16–17, 31 with her majestic dignity as mother of the next king, Solomon As spouse of the king, David, Bathsheba bows with her face to the ground and does obeisance to her husband, David, upon entering his royal chamber. 1 Kings 2:19–20
In striking contrast, after her son Solomon assumed the throne and she became queen mother, Bathsheba receives a glorious reception upon meeting with her royal son.
“And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right. Then she said, ‘I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.’ And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you’”1 Kings 2:19–20.
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. 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. Thus, with this title , Elizabeth is recognizing the great dignity of Mary’s role as the royal mother of the king, Jesus
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, is a heavenly queen. Mary can rightly be described as Queen of the kingdom of heaven.
REFLECTION
When we think about Mary – about her freedom from sin, her divine motherhood, her closeness to Jesus, her blessed Assumption, and her glorious Queen-ship – we may feel that she is far removed from us in this vale of tears. But Not to worry. Mary has a lot to share with us after all; she was a human being too, not a god.
The divine favors Mary received are directed towards us and our salvation. 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. We should approach our queen mother with confidence, knowing that she carries our petitions to her royal Son, Jesus.
Mary helps us to share in the Lord’s victory over sin. Not just general sin, but to overcome the sins that are specific to our lives. 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.
The Son whom you were privileged to bear, Alleluia,
has risen as he said, Alleluia.
Pray to God for us, Alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, Virgin Mary, Alleluia.
For the Lord has truly risen, Alleluia.
O God, it was by the Resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that you brought joy to the world.
Grant that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his Mother, we may attain the joy of eternal life.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.