“BEHOLD THE HANDMAID OF GOD…” (Luke 1:38)

⏰Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time 2 (22 Aug. 2019 – Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

📖Judges 11:29-39a; Ps 40:5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10 (R.v.8a); Matt 22:1-14

🎤”BEHOLD THE HANDMAID OF GOD…” (Luke 1:38)

In my little number of years in this pilgrimage of faith, I have come to learn that truth does not subsist in a doctrine I have practiced over the time or what I was taught. I have rather learnt to give reason a chance because God did not make a mistake in creating me with the brain. That is just a food for thought!

The prophecy of Isaiah described a child who would be born, historically to the house of Ahaz, who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). With a Christian eye, that child is seen as Jesus.

And just as God promised David that his dynasty would not end, Jesus would become the everlasting king who would sit on the throne of David. The Blessed Virgin Mary is going to be an integral part of that throne. How?

If you look at kingship in Israel, the mothers of kings are usually powerful and acts more as the queen than the wives (with the exception of some aberrations like the case of Ahab and Jezebel). Consider the case of Solomon and his mother as an instance. Adonijah went to Solomon’s mother to help him get a favour from the king (1 Kings 2:13ff) because of this understanding. The mothers were considered more as queens instead of the wives.

In that light, Mary would be the one to push Jesus into performing the miracle even when it was not yet time (John 2:4). So, when we talk about the Queenship of Mary, we refer to her privileged connection with Jesus who is the King of Kings.

Such honour is not an invention of man but a setting by God whose angel delivered the message to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God” (Luke 1:30).

Again, in all these, we celebrate God who is so faithful to us and demands that we too reciprocate that faithfulness. Like Jephthah in the first reading, the Blessed Virgin was faithful in keeping her vows to the Lord. So, we celebrate her today because of that faithfulness. We have the option of joining in that celebration or still live in the erroneous connection of the celebration with Isaiah 47, Jeremiah 7 & 44.

All those places talk about the allegiance of the people to foreign religion like the Babylonian goddess and the queen of heaven of the Egyptians. Anyone calling Mary that goddess would only be calling Jesus a god.

In all, may God give us the grace to hear, in our difficult life situations, the same words of the angel to Mary, “Do not be afraid, for you have found favour with God.” Amen.

Have a glorious and grace-filled day ahead. Peace be with you.