Hail, Holy Queen

Today is a memorial of Mary as Queen. Her queenship is rooted in the kingship of Christ. Jesus was crucified as the King of the Jews, but this kingship, Jesus replied to Pontius Pilate, is not of this world. He proclaimed the kingdom of God as good news to the poor: a kingdom of holiness and grace, justice, love, and peace.

But what does it mean for us today? What does her queenship mean to us, Filipino Catholics?

Let us recite:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

Our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you, we do cry,

Poor banished children of Eve.

To you, we send up our sighs,

Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate,

Your eyes of mercy toward us,

And after this exile,

Show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb,

Jesus.

O clement, O loving,

O sweet Virgin Mary.

In the seminary, we chanted “Salve Regina” every day. It is a heartfelt plea to Mary for her intercession, guidance, and comfort in times of trouble, while also expressing hope in the promise of salvation through her Son, Jesus Christ.

In her Magnificat, Mary said, "the Almighty has done great things for me." Why?

"He has shown the strength of his arm,

He has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

And has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich he has sent away empty."

Her life itself is a testimony to this reversal: "He has looked with favor on his lowly servant," and "all generations will call me blessed." It was God who lifted her up.

So, what we have here is Mary’s life as “service”. Her queenship is to serve so that the poor will not be hungry, and the rich will be sent away empty. She's echoing the proclamation of Jesus of the kingdom of God as good news to the poor: a kingdom of holiness and grace, justice, love, and peace.

While we imagine Mary crowned in heaven, let us not forget the poor girl and the oppressed mother in Nazareth who proclaimed that God will not abandon us in the valley of tears, in the land of exploitation and oppression, at the margins of society and the church, because He is God, good, and will triumph over evil.