Almighty God’s Redemption of His people happened with the cooperation of His beloved daughter Mary with His beloved Son
Reflections on the readings for the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22, 2018): EZ 34:1-11; PS 23: 1-3,3-4,5,6; MT 20:1-16
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
On this feast day, we rejoice in saluting the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God and His people, as the Queen of Heaven.
We are used to calling Mary our Queen and accepting how God singled her out for all eternity to be born without sin and to become the mother of the Redeemer of all people. But certainly, the people among whom she lived in Nazareth saw only a humble, devout Jewish girl and, then, woman who went about her tasks without calling attention to herself. They must have recognized her as a fine wife and mother and a good neighbor. Perhaps they even referred to her as a good woman, and so she was. The beauty and wonder of her holy soul was concealed in her quiet, yet exceptional service to God. Only through the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, would her own unique contribution to salvation be known.
In today’s Gospel, we hear Christ preach the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. In the landowner we meet a just and generous man as a figure for God’s mercy who does not do what others expect. “What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:14-16). The Lord’s gifts to Mary – and to each one of us – are far more that we could ever anticipate. Let us turn to the Queen of Heaven who knows what it is like to get up every day, to do what God asks even when it is hard, and to always say, “Yes!” to Him. And let us ask her to help us imitate her day by day.
