by
Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick
“Rule thou over us; and thy son.” —
Jude viii. 22
Many are the titles, by which Mary is the
queen of angels. She is the Mother of Christ, who created the angels, “for in Him,”
says St Paul, “were
all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominations, or principalities or powers: all things were created by
Him and in Him.” (Colossians i.16) She is, therefore, their Queen,
according to the observation of St. John of Damascus. “Mary,” says he, “was made the queen
of all creatures, because she was made the Mother of the Creator.” She is
their queen, because, as she is elevated far above them in dignity and glory,
they look up to her with the reverence, which such superiority is so well
calculated to excite, and had she no other title to their homage, they would,
on the sole principle of her superior greatness and glory, say: “Rule thou over us;
and thy son.” She is, in fine, their queen, because her son Jesus Christ is
the restorer not only of earth but heaven; according to the decree of God, who
has willed “to
re-establish all things in Christ, whether in heaven or on earth.” By
Christ's having redeemed man, those seats of glory, which were vacated by the
disobedience of the fallen angels, are filled up; and the angels — whose charity
is great in proportion as they approach God, who is charity itself – rejoice at
the elevation of every child of Adam, who, through His redeeming merits, is
raised to the glory which their unfaithful companions forfeited. Mary is, then,
the queen of angels.
The contemplation of Mary forms a portion
of the beatitude of the angels. As they admire God's works in proportion to
their excellence, so they find in Mary — the most excellent of God's creatures
— more subject for admiration, than in the contemplation of the immense orbs of
light with which the fiat of the Creator has studded the heavens, or all the
created glory of that Paradise, which St John describes in the Apocalypse,
under such glowing imagery. They find more subject for the exercise of their
sublime intelligence, in contemplating her instrumentality in the mystery of
the incarnation, and in the other mysteries of her life, than they do in
considering all the other wonders of God's providence on his creatures. If the
faithful servants of Mary on earth have felt their hearts inflamed by the
consideration of the amiableness and beauty of the celestial queen; what must
be the feelings of those blessed spirits, who see her, as she is, and whose
superior nature renders them more capable of appreciating the wonders of God's
grace in her than we can possibly be. It is not, then, without reason, that the
church says that the angels of God rejoiced at the assumption of this heavenly
queen. “Mary is
assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice.”
Mary's title as “Queen of angels”
should remind us, that we also are destined to enjoy the society of angels, and
with them admire the wonders of God's power in this heavenly queen. We should
remember that God has deputed some of these heavenly spirits to be the guardians
of men on earth, according to that of the Psalmist: “He has given his
angels charge of thee, lest, perhaps, thou dash thy foot against a stone;"
as also the words of Christ: “Their angels in
heaven always see the face of my father who is in heaven.” (Matthew xviii.
10) Each one has one of these guardian spirits, to protect him in dangers and
assist him in difficulties. When we invoke
Mary as Queen of angels, the thought of
our future companionship with them for
eternity should make us endeavour to lead lives of
angelic innocence. Gratitude for the care they
take of us, and for the desire they have for our
salvation, should produce in our souls a desire
of attending to all the holy inspirations, which they
communicate to our souls; that thus we may
prove ourselves faithful servants of the queen of
angels, and prepare for the high
destiny, that awaits us, of enjoying God in their
society for an endless eternity.
EXAMPLE
On this day the church honours the memory
of St. Maria Magdalene de Pazzi, who may be proposed as a model of devotion to
the Blessed Virgin. The royal prophet says, that God is wonderful in all his
Saints; but he gave this holy virgin extraordinary proofs of his love, power,
and wisdom. While yet a child, she was the special object of His favour; and in
her earliest years she manifested so tender a love for God, and such zeal for
the exercise of all virtue, that she seemed more like an angel than a mortal
creature. She especially watched over the purity of her heart, and laboured to
serve God with all fidelity and perfection. Jesus and Mary were the objects
which engrossed her thoughts. She had her eyes ever turned to Mary, either to
obtain through her the grace of God, or to learn from her example how to
correspond with it, and thus, in all things, obey Jesus. In all her practices
of devotion, she had special reference to the Mother of God. When she meditated
on the mysteries of the Redeemer, — on his life on earth, or on his glory in
heaven, — she always thought on the part that Mary had in these mysteries, and
how extensively she had co-operated in their accomplishment On account of this
relation, the affections of love, respect, gratitude, and confidence, which
rose in her heart towards Jesus, were at the same time directed to Mary, who
had brought him forth, and given him up for the world's redemption. Magdalene
entered the Carmelite order at Florence; from the moment that she solemnly
renounced the world, she redoubled her fervour; dedicated herself unreservedly
to the love of God; and laboured incessantly to honour his holy Mother. The
Queen of angels often appeared to her, to encourage and confirm her in piety.
God had permitted her to suffer, for many years, the most violent temptations;
but, in all her trials, she failed not to recur to Mary, and obtained, through
her, strength and courage to overcome all the attacks of the enemy of her soul.
She commended all her companions to the powerful protection of this heavenly
Queen, who, in a wonderful manner, made her conscious with how motherly a care
she watched over those who sought her protection. Her devotion to this Queen of
Angels was particularly conspicuous on the days dedicated to her memory, for
the celebration of which she prepared herself with great care, and which she
spent in more than ordinary attention to prayer. These were for her, indeed,
real festivals. She was entirely absorbed in the contemplation of the mysteries
these days commemorated; and so acceptable to God did this render her, that on
these occasions she not unfrequently received extraordinary favours, in which
she beheld the glory of Mary exhibited in the clearest light. These
supernatural graces made her advance daily in her love of God, and in reverence
for the Queen of angels. Magdalene had the most tender devotion to the cross:
she desired nothing more than to suffer with her suffering Saviour, and thus be
made conformable to Him. Hence her constant maxim was: “Let me suffer, and
not die.” — While most people fly the cross, and even the good
look forward with delight to the termination of
their sufferings, Magdalene had so great a love
for the cross, that she wished for nothing more
than to be united with Jesus, the suffering spouse
of her soul; arid hence asked God to prolong
her life, that she might be enabled to suffer more
and greater things for His sake. “Let me suffer, and
not die.” The example
of the constancy with which the Mother of sorrows beheld the death of her divine Son encouraged
and sustained her. God heard the prayers of
this angelic creature, and permitted her to
experience the severest and most afflicting
trials. He even deprived her of those interior
consolations, which He seldom refuses to his servants
in their last hours. Magdalene bore this
affliction with patience, and even gloried in tribulation.
Trusting in the protection of Mary, she
gave back her pure soul to God in the year
1607.
PRAYER
O Heavenly Queen, thou dost excel the
highest of the angelic host in merit, in grace, and in holiness. All heavenly
spirits bow down before thee, and praise and glorify thee — as the most perfect
of God's creatures — as the most special object of his complacency — that most
blessed among women, who was found worthy to conceive and bring forth Him, who
has given life and being to all creatures! Honour, glory, and benediction be to
thee, on the throne of thy greatness, to which God has exalted thee. In unison
with the whole court of heaven, I render to thee the tribute of my homage. I
choose thee to be my Queen, and place myself under thy protection. From thy
throne of glory, cast a gracious look on me, who am surrounded by so many
dangers. Pray for me to Jesus thy Son that I may imitate the purity of angels,
while on earth, and thus merit to be associated to their glorious choirs in
eternity. Queen of angels, obtain for me this favour. Amen.
PRACTICE
Devotion to your guardian angel.
ASPIRATION
“O Mary, would that I could love thee, as
the angels of
God love thee!” — Diego
Martinez.
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