The Queenship of Mary and Memorials of the Saints – 31 May

The Queenship of Mary – 31 May

Mary is Queen by grace, divine relationship, right of conquest and singular election. Coming as a crowning event in the beautiful month of May, the Queenship of Mary, we welcome this Feast with spiritual affection and experience a sense of deep interior peace, as we gather in her presence, to rededicate ourselves to our loving Mother and Queen. The Introit of the Mass for the day tells us: “Let us all rejoice in the Lord as we celebrate the feast in honour of our Queen, the Blessed Virgin Mary, on whose solemnity the Angels rejoice and join in praising the Son of God. Alleluia, alleluia.”

The Queenship of Mary is not an empty title or an honourary distinction, showing forth her excellence of virtue, of grandeur, sanctity or glory. Mary is truly a Queen as can be seen in the Gospel of the Mass – the Angel Gabriel greeted Mary with the most startling words ever addressed to a child of Adam: “Hail thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.” Then he continues, “Do not be afraid; thou hast found favour in the sight of God. And thou shalt bear a son and call Him Jesus. He shall be great and men will know Him for the Son of God, the Most High; the Lord will give Him the throne of his father David and He shall reign over the house of Jacob eternally; His kingdom shall never end.” Here is the foundation of our belief in the Queenship of Mary – her Divine Motherhood; – she conceived a King, the King!

Mary is “Queen by grace” because she was immaculately conceived, preserved from the slightest taint of sin, while her soul was literally inundated with divine grace. “Hail, thou art full of grace.”

She is “Queen by divine relationship” for she is related in the first degree of consanguinity in the direct line to Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. A Queen Mother is one, whose son later becomes king. Mary’s Child, however at the moment of His conception and then His birth, was already a King, the King of the world. Spiritual writers point out for our consolation, that Mary’s maternal relationship to Jesus was more exclusive than any other mother, since He had no human father.

Our Lady is Queen also “by right of conquest;” Our Lord by His Passion and Death recaptured the human race from the slavery of Satan, conquering all as a King. Calvary was the scene of this conquest. Mary, at the foot of the Cross, shared intimately with Him in His Sacrifice and the fruits of the Redemption.

At first it may be somewhat difficult to picture Mary as a Queen, since we think in terms of royalty of the world; yet, when we think of the souls who preceded us in the household of the Faith and glance at Christian art, as it sings of her Queenship, it is not difficult at all.

Majestically, Christ said to Pilate, “My Kingdom is not of this world,” so, too, Our Lady acknowledges herself in humility as a Queen whom all generations call blessed but she, too, would add, “my kingdom is not of this world.” In the Litany of Our Lady, we address her as Queen of Angels, Patriarchs, Prophets, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins; of Peace, of the Most Holy Rosary; conceived without original sin and, Queen assumed into Heaven. Catholic art represents her, crowned with a diadem holding a scepter, seated on a throne.

The purpose of this Feast, the Queenship of Mary, is to stir up renewed love and devotion to her, to gather before her throne in Heaven and humbly offer her our homage, unreserved, totally, prayerfully and with the simplicity of abandonment, which characterises a devoted child – “Reign over hearts and minds of men that they seek what is true; over their wills, to follow solely the good; over their hearts, to love nothing but what you love…that man may seek and know the truth and follow what is good, Oh Queen!”

St Alexander of Auvergne

St Camilla Battista da Varano OSC (1458-1524) Virgin, Italian Princess, Poor Clare Nun and Abbess, Mystic, Spiritual Writer, Stigmatist
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/31/saint-of-the-day-31-may-saint-camilla-battista-da-varano-osc-1458-1524/

St Crescentian of Sassari
St Donatian of Cirta
St Felice of Nicosia
St Galla of Auvergne
St Hermias of Comana
Bl Jacob Chu Mun-mo
Blessed James Salomoni OP (1231-1314) Priest of the Order of Preachers
St Juan Moya Collado
Bl Kasper Gerarz
St Lupicinus of Verona
St Mancus of Cornwall
Bl Mariano of Roccacasale
St Mechtildis of Edelstetten
St Myrbad of Cornwall
Bl Nicolas Barré
Bl Nicholaus of Vangadizza
Bl Nicholaus of Vaucelles
St Nowa Mawaggali
St Paschasius of Rome
St Petronilla of Rome
Bl Robert Thorpe
St Silvio of Toulouse
Bl Thomas Watkinson
Bl Vitalis of Assisi
St Winnow of Cornwall

Martyrs of Aquileia – 3 Saints: Three young members of the imperial Roman nobility and who were raised in a palace and had Saint Protus of Aquileia as tutor and catechist. To escape the persecutions of Diocletian, the family sold their property and moved to Aquileia, Italy. However, the authorities there quickly ordered them to sacrifice to idols; they refused. Martyrs all – Cantianilla, Cantian and Cantius. They were beheaded in 304 at Aquae-Gradatae (modern San-Cantiano) just outside Aquileia, Italy.

Martyrs of Gerona – 29 Saints: A group of Christians Martyred together in Gerona, Catalonia, Spain, date unknown. No details about them have survived but the names – • Agapia• Amelia• Castula• Cicilia• Donatus• Firmus• Fortunata• Gaullenus• Germanus• Honorius• Istialus• Justus• Lautica• Lupus
• Maxima• Paulica• Rogate• Rogatus• Silvanus• Tecla• Teleforus• Tertula• Tertus• Victoria• Victurinus• Victurus

Martyrs of the Via Aurelia – 4 Saints: Four Christians Martyred together. No information about them has survived except their names – Justa, Lupus, Tertulla and Thecla. The martyrdom occurred in 69 on the Via Aurelia near Rome, Italy.