Why Call Mary Queen of Heaven?

Why would Mary be called Queen of Heaven?

There are many possible reasons.

It is not because she was born into a royal family. It was a rather normal Jewish family.

It is not because she took the title for herself as some do in show business… or even because her fans acclaimed her as the queen of a musical genre.

The majority of Catholics rightly believe she is Queen of Heaven because she is the mother of Jesus.

But there is deeper reason with many profound implications. She is Queen of Heaven because of a much wider understanding of her role in God’s plan for us. It was more than just being a physical mother.

A “Servant King” and a “Servant Queen”

From beginning to end she was a Servant Queen. She imitated her son who was a Servant King.

He certainly turned everything upside down! He broke the mold our ancestors had created for their idea of a king… a mold which many cling to today! He is a Servant King! He came not to be served but to serve.

How did he serve? He served first by telling us the good news of God’s kingdom is fundamentally different. He spent his life telling anyone who would listen what living in that kingdom looked like. He spoke of a kingdom that was more like a family… sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. He lived that good news even though paradoxically it cost him his life when “his own knew him not”.

The Queenship of Mary – A Queen Unlike Any Other Queen

Mary is Queen of Heaven in the mold of her son, Christ the King. What do we learn about Mary’s queenship from the kind of king Jesus was? Mary is a Servant Queen.

When Mary said, “Yes,” she said yes to being the servant revealing love as Jesus revealed love in both his life and death.

• Mary served God’s Good News by literally opening herself to bear this humble servant king.
• Mary served God’s plan by immediately going out to serve her kinswoman.
• Mary served God’s plan by turning a stable into a home for Jesus.
• Mary served God’s plan by nurturing the fragile life entrusted to her in her womb.
• Mary served God’s plan by pondering so many things in her heart.
• Mary served God’s plan by letting go of her son as he began his public mission.
• Mary served God’s plan by standing at the foot of the cross in his final act of service.
• Mary served God’s plan by agonizing with the confused disciples in the upper room .

She spent her life pondering all these things in her heart. She is a Servant Queen … serving God’s plan. All this became finally and fully clear to her in her Assumption. She is the handmaid of God’s plan and first disciple of her son.

No wonder Pope Francis writes

Mary is the woman of faith, who lives and advances in faith,[214] and “her exceptional pilgrimage of faith represents a constant point of reference for the Church”.[215] Mary let herself be guided by the Holy Spirit on a journey of faith towards a destiny of service and fruitfulness. 

Things to Ponder in Our Hearts

• Do we accept our call to serve God’s plan?
• Can we live a life of faithful service even when we do not understand the details of God’s plan?
• If we can live our lives in service of God’s will, we truly celebrate the servant queenship of Mary.

Click below for an audio version of this Vincentian Mindwalk