MARY, QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Today week, Sunday 1st of July, our Parish, in Sliema, Malta, will be celebrating the Feast dedicated to Our Lady under the title of ‘Our Queen of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus’. What a wonderful title to give to your mother, you call your Mum, Queen.

It is  fully understandable; the fact that the spouse addresses such titles to his beloved bride, or wife ... but for the children to address their own mother, is proof enough not only of their love for their Mum, but admiration, total subjection, sign of appreciation, the great esteem they hold their dear Mum. 

But, such titles become messages of love and admiration only, if the children live up to that esteem, not throughout the year, but throughout their life. My Mum should not be my Mum on her feastday only, on her birthday only, on Mother’s Day or on other Anniversaries.

I would venture, yes, I would dare to say that Mum does not deserve the yearly feast. Because, we should celebrate her, honour her and love her every second of our life. We always try to keep the inage of the ‘beloved’ one constantly in our mind, be it by means of a photo, picture, or thru the mental eye; on rising on sleeping, we dream about her during the night, we think about her all through the day ... we are ready to make sacrifices for her.  That is love.

What applies to our Mum on earth, applies to our Mum in Heaven, to the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, who accepted to become our Mum, gave us birth through great pains on Calvary. Yes, we should celebrate her feast every single moment of our life.

We all recall the advices, tips, suggestions given to us during our childhood, and adulthood, by our Mum ... and most of us still treasure those advices. But our celestial Mother, as recorded in the Holy Book, gave us only one advise, one suggestion. This was during the Marriage Feast at Cana of Galilee, when she said: “Do as He tells you.” That is how St.John recorded that advice.

But tell me, how many mums on earth ... especially during this day and age give that tip to their children: “Do as Jesus tells you.”  Blessed are those mums who still give that advice to their children. That is a sign of love towards their offsprings.

The Catholic Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 14,26) honours the Blessed Virgin Mary with love and filial devotion as the most beloved of mothers. Mary is truly our Mother, Mother of all nations, especially of those who believe in Her.