Mary, Queen of All Saints
Of all the titles given to the Blessed Mother as tokens of devotion, the title “Queen of All Saints” ranks among the most popular. Roman Catholic parishes and parochial schools throughout the United States proudly display their allegiance to the Mother of God through this title.
In 1954, Pope Pius XII originally designated May 31as the Marian feast day to celebrate the Queenship of Mary. Later, the Second Vatican Council chose August 22 as the date to commemorate Mary specifically under the title “Queen of All Saints” as a festive prolongation of the Feast of Mary's Assumption. Mary is sometimes likened to the moon among lesser stars (“Velut inter stellas luna minores”), meaning that she is the greatest among lesser saints, exceeding all other saints in holiness.
Mary is called the Queen of All Saints because she made the most diligent use of the rich treasure of grace given to her by God and excelled in every virtue much more than every other saint. All the traits of Jesus were expressed in her as faithfully as they could be expressed in any creature. As she surpasses all saints in choosing a virtuous and meritorious life, so Mary stands higher than all the faithful in receiving glory and reward. After God there is no greater bliss for the blessed in heaven than to behold her, their glorious Queen.
We should pray to the Queen of All Saints for the grace to remember that God has created us to live a life of holiness in this world and to become saints in heaven. God will give us enough grace to do this if only we have an earnest desire for holiness just as Mary did. Holiness does not consist in heroic deeds, but in doing the will of God perfectly, loving God with all our heart and our neighbor for God’s sake, keeping our soul from sin, and being united with God through prayer and the sacraments. We should pray to Mary to obtain for us the grace to imitate her holiness in this world and enjoy the vision of God and her presence for all eternity in heaven.
To join others saying a perpetual rosary follow the link below @ "Come, Pray the Rosary":
Click Here for the Online Rosary.
|
