Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 421
Lectionary: 421
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The
Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
AlleluiaHEB 4:12
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 20:1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o'clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o'clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
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."
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o'clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o'clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
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."
Meditation: "Do
you begrudge my generosity?"
What can work and wages, welfare and the unemployed
tell us about the kingdom of God? In the parable of the laborers in the
vineyard we see the extraordinary generosity and compassion of God (Matthew
20:1-16). There is great tragedy in unemployment, the loss of work, and the
inability to earn enough to live and support oneself or one's family. In Jesus'
times laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them
for a day's job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table.
The laborers who worked all day and received their payment complain that the
master pays the late afternoon laborers the same wage. The master, undoubtedly,
hired them in the late afternoon so they wouldn't go home payless and hungry.
God is generous and gives us work for his kingdom
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour. While the reward is the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for reward. They will only put in as much effort as they think they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour. While the reward is the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for reward. They will only put in as much effort as they think they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.
Empowered to serve with a joyful and generous spirit
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's kingdom (the fruit of peace, joy, righteousness, and love) and also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our neighbor as well. We labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory. And we labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's kingdom (the fruit of peace, joy, righteousness, and love) and also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our neighbor as well. We labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory. And we labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.
Paul the Apostle reminds us, "Whatever your task,
work heartily, as serving the Lord and not others, knowing that from the Lord
you will receive the inheritance as your reward - you are serving the Lord
Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24). Do you perform your daily tasks and
responsibilities with cheerfulness and diligence for the Lord's sake? And do
you give generously to others, especially to those in need of your care and
support?
"Lord Jesus,fill me with your Holy Spirit that I
may serve you joyfully and serve my neighbor willingly with a generous heart,
not looking for how much I can get, but rather looking for how much I can
give."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ our householder, author unknown,
from the 5th century A.D.
"The householder [in Matthew's parable - chapter
20] is Christ, to whom the heavens and the earth are like a single house; the
family is as it were the multitude of creatures both angelic and earthly. It is
as if he built a three-storied house: hell, heaven and earth, so that those
struggling may live upon the earth, those conquered below the earth, those
conquering in heaven. We too, set in the middle, should strive not to descend
to those who are in hell but ascend to those who are in heaven. And in case
perhaps you do not know which one you ought to shun or which one you ought to
aspire to, he has given you as it were a little taste of both while you live
between light and darkness: night as a taste of hell, daylight as a taste of
heaven." (excerpt from an incomplete
Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY 34)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, MATTHEW 20:1-16
Ezekiel 34:1-11; Psalm 23)
Ezekiel 34:1-11; Psalm 23)
KEY VERSE: "Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last" (v. 16).
TO KNOW: The grape harvest in Israel ripened toward the end of September, and was soon followed by the rains. If the harvest was not gathered before the rain came, it was ruined. Any worker was welcome, even if he could give only an hour. The men who stood in the market-place were waiting for work. These men were hired laborers and were at the mercy of chance employment. The pay was a denarius or a drachma, the normal day's wage for a working man. Jesus told his disciples a parable about divine justice in which God was compared to a landowner who called forth workers for his vineyard. The first to respond were promised the expected day's wages. Those who came later were promised "what is just" (v. 4). When it was time to pay the workers, the owner began with the last and paid them a full day's wages. When those who worked all day were paid the same amount, they complained that they had been treated unfairly. The vineyard owner told them that he had done them no injustice. What God gives is not pay, but a gift; it is not a reward, but grace offered from the goodness of God's heart.
TO LOVE: In what ways do I work for justice in the marketplace?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, thank you for your generosity to all your children.
NOTE: On May 15, 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued his encyclical Rerum Novarum ("Condition of Labor"), the Church's position on modern day labor. Although the Encyclical follows the lines of the traditional teaching concerning the rights and duties of those possessing property and the relations of employer and employee, it applies the old doctrines specifically to modern conditions. As the years go by, an increasing number of persons look upon this statement of Leo XIII as the most fruitful and effective principle of industrial justice that has ever been enunciated.
Memorial of the Queenship of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
On October 11, 1954, four years after Pope Pius XII declared the dogma of the Assumption of Mary in an encyclical letter, Ad Caeli Reginam, decreed the feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Pope formalized the Church's tradition from the earliest centuries, which rested on both Holy Scripture and Tradition. The coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven fulfilled her own prophecy that "all generations will call me blessed." On another level, it prophesizes the triumph of Mary yet to come. The Book of Revelation states that, at the end of the world, Mary, crowned with twelve stars, will crush the head of the serpent beneath her feet [Rev 12:1-18]. Pope Paul VI wrote, "The Solemnity of the Assumption is prolonged in the celebration of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which occurs seven days later. On this occasion we contemplate her who, seated beside the King of ages, shines forth as Queen and intercedes as Mother" (Marialis Cultus - For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary - 2 February 1974).
Wednesday 22
August 2018
The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ezekiel 34:1-11. Psalm 22(23). Matthew 20:1-16.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want—Psalm
22(23).
‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.’
The parable of the landowner’s generosity speaks of a God who
gives to all who come forward into the vineyard.
No matter if we have been working from dawn, or if we come at
the end of the day, the landowner God wants to give what each one needs, not
simply what each one wants.
This reflects the nature of the kingdom of heaven. We are
reminded of the need to be inclusive within our faith, as we are not in a
position to decide who deserves or receives more than anybody else. We need to
make room for others consciously.
Queenship of Mary
Saint of the Day for August 22
 |
| Virgin of the Deliverance | Ernest Hébert |
The Story of the Queenship of Mary
Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s
queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that
Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the
Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries
of Mary’s life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share
in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of
the king has great influence in court.
In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and
“Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of
the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail,
Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan
crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship.
The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption, and is now
celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To
the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title
because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve
with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because
of her intercessory power.
Reflection
As Saint Paul suggests in Romans 8:28–30, God has
predestined human beings from all eternity to share the image of his Son. All
the more was Mary predestined to be the mother of Jesus. As Jesus was to be
king of all creation, Mary, in dependence on Jesus, was to be queen. All other
titles to queenship derive from this eternal intention of God. As Jesus
exercised his kingship on earth by serving his Father and his fellow human
beings, so did Mary exercise her queenship. As the glorified Jesus remains with
us as our king till the end of time (Matthew 28:20), so does Mary, who was
assumed into heaven and crowned queen of heaven and earth.
LECTIO DIVINA: THE QUEENSHIP
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 1,26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was
sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a
man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He
went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with
you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this
greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you
have won God's favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the
Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will
rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.'
Mary said to the angel, 'But how can
this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?' The angel answered, 'The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you
with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.
And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has
conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month,
for nothing is impossible to God.'
Mary said, 'You see before you the
Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angel left her.
3) Reflection
• Today is the Feast of Mary Queen. The
text of the Gospel on which we meditate describes the visit of the angel to
Mary (Lk 1, 26-38). The word of God comes to Mary not through a Biblical text,
but rather through a profound experience of God, manifested in the visit of the
Angel. In the New Testament, many times, the Angel of God is God himself. It
was thanks to the meditation on the written Word of God in the Bible that Mary
was capable to perceive the living Word of God in the visit of the Angel. The
same thing happens today with God’s visits in our life. The visits of God are
frequent. But because of lack of assimilation and meditation of the written
Word of God in the Bible, we are not aware of God’s visit in our life. The
visit of God is so present and so continuous that, many times, we do not
perceive it and, because of this, we lose a great occasion to live in peace and
with joy.
• Luke 1, 26-27: The word enters into
our life. Luke presents the persons and the places: a Virgin called Mary,
betrothed to a man called Joseph, of the House of David.
Nazareth was a small city in Galilee.
Galilee was in the periphery. The centre was Judah and Jerusalem. The Angel
Gabriel was sent by God to this young virgin who lived in the periphery. The
name Gabriel means God is strong. The name Mary means loved by Yahweh or Yahweh
is my Lord.
The story of the visit of God to Mary
begins with the expression: “In the sixth month”. It refers to the “sixth
month” of pregnancy of Elizabeth, relative of Mary, a woman of a certain age,
who needs help. The concrete need of Elizabeth serves as a background to the
whole episode. It is found at the beginning (Lk 1, 26) and at the end (Lk 1,
36.39).
• Luke 1, 28-29: Mary’s reaction. The
angel had appeared to Zechariah in the Temple. The Angel appears to Mary in her
house. The Word of God reaches Mary in the environment of her daily life. The
Angel says: “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you!” These
are words similar to those which were said to Moses (Ex 3, 12), to Jeremiah (Jr
1, 8), to Jedeon (Jz 6, 12), to Ruth (Rt 2, 4) and to many others. These words
open the horizon for the mission which these persons of the Old Testament have
to carry out in the service of the People of God. Deeply disturbed by this
greeting, Mary tries to understand what it means. She is realistic, she uses
her head. She wants to understand. She does not simply accept any apparition or
inspiration.
• Luke 1, 30-33: The explanation of the
angel. “Do not be afraid, Mary!” This is always the first greeting of God to
human beings: do not be afraid! Immediately after that, the angel recalls the
great promises of the past which will be realized through the son who will be
born from Mary. This son must receive the name of Jesus. He will be called the
son of the Most High and in him finally, will be realized the Kingdom of God
promised to David, which all were anxiously waiting for. This is the
explanation which the Angel gave to Mary so that she would not be afraid.
• Luke 1, 34: New question asked by
Mary. Mary becomes aware of the important mission which she is about to
receive, but she continues to be realistic. She does not allow herself to be
transported by the greatness of the offer and looks at her condition.” But how
can this come about? I have no knowledge of man”. She analyses the offer
according to criteria that we, human beings, have available. Because, humanly
speaking, this was not possible that this offer of the Word of God would be
realized at that moment.
• Luke 1, 35-37: New explanation by the
angel. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High
will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be
called Son of God”. The Holy Spirit, present in God’s Word since Creation (Gn
1, 2), can realize things which seem impossible. This is why, the holy One who
will be born from Mary will be called Son of God. When today God’s Word is
received, accepted by the poor who have no studies, something new takes place
thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit! Something new and surprising like the
son who is born to a virgin or like the son born from Elizabeth, a woman who
was already old, of whom everybody said that she could have no children! The
angel adds: “And I tell you this too, your cousin Elizabeth is now in her sixth
month!”
• Luke 1, 38: Mary gives herself. The
response of the angel clarifies everything for Mary. She gives herself to what
the angel was asking for: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord! May it be done to
me according to your word”. Mary calls herself Servant, handmaid of the Lord.
This title comes from Isaiah, who presents the mission of the people not as a
privilege, but rather like a service to others (Is 42, 1-9; 49, 3-6). Later,
the son who was about to be generated at that moment, will define his mission
saying: “I have not come to be served but to serve!” (Mt 20, 28). He learns
from his Mother!
• Luke 1, 39: The way that Mary finds to
render service. The Word of God reaches Mary and makes her get out of self in
order to serve others. She leaves the place where she was and goes toward
Judah, at a distance of more than four days journey, in order to help her
cousin Elizabeth. Mary begins serving and fulfils her mission in behalf of the
People of God.
4) Personal questions
• How do you perceive God’s visit in
your life? Have you been visited already? Have you been a visit from God in the
life of others especially for the poor? How does this text help us to discover
the visits of God in our life?
• The word of God became incarnate in
Mary. How is the Word of God taking flesh in my personal life and in the life
of the community?
5) Concluding Prayer
Let them thank Yahweh for his faithful
love,
for his wonders for the children of Adam!
He has fed the hungry to their hearts' content,
filled the starving with good things. (Ps 107,8-9)
for his wonders for the children of Adam!
He has fed the hungry to their hearts' content,
filled the starving with good things. (Ps 107,8-9)
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