Feast of Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fr Paul reads today’s Gospel from Matthew (23: 1-12) in which Jesus says the greatest among you must be your servant.

Today we remember and celebrate the Queenship of Mary, which is, by tradition, celebrated on 22 August.  Pope Pius XII established the feast and title the ‘Queenship of Mary’ on 11 October 1954 and indicated that it should be celebrated throughout the world. He commanded that each year the world should renew its consecration to her on that feast.

Fr Paul quotes the Pope saying, ‘The purpose of the Feast is that all may recognise more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and motherly sovereignty of her who bore God in her womb.’

Fr Paul invites us, on this feast, to consecrate ourselves again to Our Lady and ask for her loving care and guidance over us and our world:

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.