Since we just celebrated the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary yesterday, I thought that this would be an appropriate post.
Blessed Virgin Mary | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker
On the Inside; On the Outside
Today we celebrate the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was established by the Pope Pius XII in 1954. He stated that Mary is Queen above every other creature on account of the elevation of her soul and how she never ceases to bestow all the treasures of her love and care on humanity.
Mary is often called the Queen of many things: Queen of the Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of the Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Virgins, Queen of All Saints, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of Peace, and many others.
But how does Mary exercise this queenship? Pope Benedict XVI said, “By watching over us, her children: the children who turn to her in prayer, to thank her and to ask her maternal protection and her heavenly help, perhaps after having lost their way, or weighed down by suffering and anguish on account of the sad and troubled events of life.” He continued to say, “The title of Queen is therefore a title of trust, of joy and of love. And we know that what she holds in her hands for the fate of the world is good; she loves us, and she helps us in our difficulties.”
May we always turn to Mary in prayer for she will always intercede for us to her Son. Mary is the Queen of Heaven who is close to God, but she is also the Mother who is close to each one of us, who loves us and who listens to our voice. May we imitate her faith every day, for as it says in today’s psalm, “To do your will, O my God, is my delight.”
A while back, I was having the worst day ever. At one point, I decided that I needed to take a long walk or I was going to explode. I needed to vent, and I thought that taking my venting to God was what I needed to do. So I spent my entire walking journey complaining and whining to God in prayer.
I let everything out, and I didn’t hold back. (It was not one of my prouder moments.) At the end of my walk, I suddenly felt this phrase fall upon my heart: it’s not about you.
This was certainly one of those moments where I knew that God was speaking to me. It was just so out of nowhere that I knew it wasn’t something that I could have conjured up. God was reminding me that all my problems, concerns, worries, frustrations, and issues were all centered around me. Everything was about me!
In Scripture, whether we are looking at the Visitation, Annunciation, the Wedding in Cana or other events, Mary says very little, but her words are packed full of meaning. The one thing that underscores all of her communication is that it’s not about her – it’s about Him.
Her only desire was to be known as a lowly servant – a handmaid, if you will – of God. She wanted nothing more and would settle for nothing less that total surrender to Him.
What difficulties are you facing in your life? What conflicts do you find in your workplace, your family, or among your friends? Could it be that God is using these as a gentle reminder that it’s not about you and cause you to grow and experience the transforming power of God in your life?
Let us pray that “It’s not about you” rolls through our minds daily. Let us feel the invitation of God’s Spirit to change our attitudes and behaviors so that we become less self-focused and begin to see things as God sees them.
