Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above
Intent: To honor our Blessed Mother, and for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Era of Peace promised at Fatima
Chapter 2 of the Gospel of John tells the story of the wedding at Cana, where Our Lord performed His first public miracle.
At a certain point the wine ran out, and Jesus’ mother told him, ‘They have no more wine.’ Jesus replied, ‘Woman, how does this concern of yours involve me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother instructed those waiting on table, ‘Do whatever he tells you' (Jn 2:3-5).
The story continues and the waiters fill five large jugs with water, to which Jesus changes into wine—not just cheap wine, but “choice” wine. Of major significance in this story is Mary’s statement: “Do whatever he tells you.” Mary was chosen before time began to be the vessel that bore the Savior into the world. She has been called the Ark of the New Covenant. And just as the original Ark of the Covenant, which bore the Word of God inscribed on the tablets, was made with pure gold (Ex 25:11-21), so too was the Ark of the New Covenant (Mary) a vessel of utmost purity. Hence the Virgin Mary, by a special grace from God, was conceived and born without sin so that she could be a worthy vessel to bring the Word of God (Jn 1:1) into the world. Her role was to bring God into the world and to lead others to Him; instructing them “Do whatever He tells you.” And so now, in our time, her role has remained unchanged. She has appeared to numerous people throughout the centuries, and she has appeared with far greater frequency as we approach the third millennium. Her messages usually warn that mankind is straying far from God, and that if we do not return to Him, we are headed down a path of self destruction. As in the days when Jesus walked this earth, she still brings Jesus into the hearts of men by guiding people to her Son, and echoing the words, “Do whatever He tells you.”
Catholic Tradition affirms that Mary, when her earthly life was over, was taken—body and soul—into heaven (the Assumption) and crowned the Queen of heaven by Jesus (the Coronation of Mary). We pray that all Christians, especially non-Catholics, will come to believe in the unique role that God has given to our Blessed Mother for our era. We pray that through her powerful intercession, the Holy Spirit will come once again to cleanse and purify the world and to turn the hearts of men back to their God. This second Pentecost we pray for will truly be the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary—the Era of Peace that she foretold to the world at Fatima.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Because she was with child, she wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky: it was a huge dragon, flaming red, with seven heads and ten horns; on his heads were seven diadems. His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, ready to devour her child when it should be born. She gave birth to a son—a boy destined to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert, where a special place had been prepared for her by God; there she was taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days.
(Rev 12:1-6)
