To the Band of Brothers: May 11, 2023

On Monday we celebrated the crowning of Mary. Our sixth graders participated in this event where we recognized our Blessed Mother as queen of both heaven and earth. I emphasize the word “both” because if Jesus, her Son, is Lord of both heaven and earth, then Mary, his mother, is queen of both realms as well. 

You may think a crowning is a bit antiquated or insignificant considering we are blessed to live in a democratic republic where there is no monarchy. Well, the Church strongly believes it is neither antiquated or insignificant. Just a few days ago the world tuned into the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. It is amazing to think that on a Saturday when most people look forward to sleeping in and having their coffee and donuts at 11:00 a.m., many Americans were turning on their television sets at an ungodly hour to see this “antiquated” ceremony take place.

Why is that?

In part, I think it’s because we are naturally attracted to powerful traditions. For as much as we like to flash the card of progressiveness, the human soul longs for the sacredness of ritual. There has to be a place in our lives where we practice customs that go beyond the immediacy of the here and now and strike at the roots of our past. Great Britain, for example, is filled with extraordinary traditions that give the English a solid foothold in what it means to be, well… English. “This is ours,” they can say, “and no one else’s.”  It sets them apart and helps define them.

This is also at the heart of our May crowning of Mary. For centuries, Catholics have been highly criticized for their love and devotion to the Blessed Mother. She has been a point of contention among Christian religions for a long time. Personally, I don’t get it. If you are going to proclaim and recognize Jesus as king, then, by default, Mary, his mother, is queen. I mean, I clearly don’t think Jesus would have a problem with that. St. Maximilian Kolbe once said we shouldn’t be worried about loving Mary too much because we will never love her as much as her Son does.

Do you realize Mary is the only figure in human history who was with Jesus from the moment he was conceived until the moment he died and rose from the dead? Jesus, the Son of God, was obedient to her! She pulled the first miracle out of him. And, even on the cross, Jesus was so devoted to her, he made sure before dying, to tell John to take care of her.

I can only imagine how significant she was for the early Christian community. She must have been the source of information that, for all intents and purposes, would not have been available to them if not for her. How do you think Luke was able to tell you the story of the annunciation (1:26-38)? How does Matthew write about the visit of the Magi (2:1-12)? How does Mark relate the moment she showed up and Jesus asked the weird question, “Who are my mother and my brothers” (3:33)? How do you think John knows about the words exchanged between her and Jesus at the wedding in Cana (2:1-11)? I’ll tell you how… Mary, Mary, Mary, and Mary. 

For God’s sake, the Blessed Mother was even present in the upper room when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles at Pentecost. As a matter of fact, she probably made the introductions because that was the second time the Holy Spirit had descended on her. Mary was no stranger to the Holy Spirit; they were tight.

These and many other reasons demand we recognize Mary as our queen and the queen of heaven. She reigns in a very special way and definitely has the ear and attention of her Son, the true King of kings. I encourage you throughout this month of May to offer a special prayer to our queen. Pray the Hail Mary, say a rosary, and never forget she can give you special access to her Son. 

Auspice Maria.