*We highlight these Saints to inspire our students and contribute to their growth in Catholic education by fostering understanding and appreciation for Catholic values and teachings. We encourage parents to share the stories of these Saints with their children to deepen their spirituality and motivate them to live their faith with conviction, following the examples of these admired role models.*
May is the month dedicated to Mary, and what better way to conclude it than by celebrating Our Lady as Queen of Heaven and Earth? On May 31st, 1954, Pope Pius XII declared this day as the official feast honoring Mary as our Queen. As we celebrate this significant feast, let us all joyfully proclaim, “Maria Regina!”
Mary fulfills various roles for the faithful. We recognize her as a mother, sister, daughter, teacher, role model, and friend. However, what significance does her role as a Queen hold for our lives?
Consider the roles of a queen in medieval times. Queens were responsible for overseeing their household, caring for their servants, raising their children to embody Christian and royal values, maintaining peace, upholding virtues such as piety, and representing the people’s needs by advocating for them to the king.
Additionally, the tradition of a “Queen Mother” in the Old Testament further highlights the Queenship of Mary. In King David’s court and the surrounding kingdoms at the time, the king’s mother, not his wife, held a key office in the royal court and played a major role in choosing the king’s successor. Read more about the biblical roots of Mary’s Queenship here.
Mary does so much for us as our Queen! She is more generous and loving than any earthly queen. She watches over heaven and earth with compassion, cares for us, raises us as her children, keeps our peace, and is a model of piety. She listens to our needs and speaks to Our King, Jesus Christ, on our behalf.
“She is Queen in her service to God for humanity, she is a Queen of love who lives the gift of herself to God so as to enter into the plan of man’s salvation.” — Pope Benedict XVI
General Audience: 22 August, 2012
Remember that you are precious in the sight of Our Beloved Queen. She is your Mother and your helper. Desiring our well-being and salvation, she leads us to Christ and brings Christ to us. As her children, this makes us royalty! Never forget your true royal identity in Christ – it belongs to you. Allow her to love you, listen to you, comfort you, and pray for you. Entrust all your needs, burdens, and desires to her. If a queen from medieval times could care so deeply about her servants’ family matters and special needs, how much more will Mary, your Mother and Queen, care for you and your needs. She will provide for you.
“She helps us. She is Queen precisely by loving us, by helping us in our every need; she is our sister, a humble handmaid… In serenity or in life’s darkness let us address Mary, entrusting ourselves to her continuous intercession so that she may obtain for us from the Son every grace and mercy we need for our pilgrimage on the highways of the world.” — Benedict XVI
General Audience: 22 August, 2012
Read the full General Audience from Pope Benedict XVI here
FAMILY ACTIVITY: What better way to honor our Mother by praying the Rosary? Make it a prioritiy to pray as a family every day for a week—you’ll be surprised at how positively it impacts your life! Another great way to honor Mary is to make a Mary garden with your children in your yard or community. Certain flowers have been associated with the Blessed Virgin throughout history, and creating a lovely spring garden is a great way to honor her and learn about these special plants. Learn more about Mary gardens here.