Today, Saturday August 22^nd, the Octave Day of the Blessed Mother’s Assumption into Heaven, we celebrate the Feast of the Queenship of Mary.  Of the Diocese of Lansing’s 72 parishes, did you know that 20 of them are named for Our Lady?  Many are just named St. Mary’s, but we also have Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Mary Star of the Sea, Immaculate Conception, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and two parishes dedicated to Mary as Queen:  St. Mary Queen of Angels in Swartz Creek and right here at Queen of the Miraculous Medal.

It was Pope Pius XII who defined Mary’s Assumption into Heaven during the Marian Holy Year of Jubilee in 1950.  That same Pope promulgated this feast day of the Blessed Mother on October 11, 1954, with a letter entitled, Ad Caeli Reginam, “To the Queen of Heaven,” in which he wrote:

From the earliest ages of the Catholic church a Christian people, whether in time of triumph or more especially in time of crisis, has addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven.  And never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother’s solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen (par. 1).

In a church that has existed for 2,000 years, a feast that 72 years old seems relatively new, and yet the history of Mary’s queenship stretches back to the first centuries of the Church.  In the midst of the ruins of the Roman Forum, once the seat of power of a great empire, you can still visit the little 6^th century church of Santa Maria Antiqua, Ancient St. Mary, in which you will find a 1500-year-old mosaic depicting the Blessed Mother as an Empress with a jeweled crown on her head.   This fits the description of Our Lady as seen by John the Evangelist in The Book of Revelation, as ‘a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars’ (Rev. 12:1).   

Mary gained the title of Queen from the very moment Gabriel announced that she would be with child at the Annunciation in the Grotto at Nazareth.  The Archangel promised that her son would sit on ‘the throne of his ancestor David,’ and ‘he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end’ (Luke 1:32-33). 

In ancient Israel, the king’s mother always carried the rank of Queen.  Requests made of the king were often transmitted through his mother.  A most famous example of this practice is found in 2 Kings 13 when Adonijah, fourth son of King David, asks a favor of Queen Bathsheba, requesting that she approach her son King Solomon to allow him to marry.  When the queen mother approaches Solomon, he did her homage, not the other way around, and the request was granted.

In the same way, Christians for 2,000 years have approached Jesus through Mary, ad Iesum per Mariam.   Jesus would refuse her nothing, so great is his love for her, and we do well to make our requests of him through her holy and grace-filled intercession. 

Jesus is a king unlike any other, and his kingdom endures forever, stretching far beyond the confines of earth below or heaven above.  In much the same way, the Queenship of Mary is both earthly and heavenly, holy and humble, drawing all who seek her intercession into a deeper love for her and for her son.

We conclude our reflection turning once more to the words of Pope Pius XII in the document instituting this great feast:

Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother. Let her churches be thronged by the faithful, her feast-days honored; may the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all; may Christians gather, in small numbers and large, to sing her praises in churches, in homes, in hospitals, in prisons. May Mary’s name be held in highest reverence, a name sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels (Par. 48). 

And from the time-honored Litany of Loreto:  Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, Queen of all Saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen assumed into heaven, Queen of the most holy Rosary, Queen of families, Queen of peace. 

PRAY FOR US. 

Prayer in Honor of the Queenship of Mary

O Mary Immaculate Queen, look down upon this distressed and suffering world. You know our misery and our weakness. O thou who art our Mother, saving us in the hour of peril, have compassion on us in these days of great and heavy trial.

Jesus has confided to you the treasure of His grace, and through you He wills to grant us pardon and mercy. In these hours of anguish, therefore, your children come to you as their hope.

We recognize your Queenship and ardently desire your triumph. We need a Mother and a Mother’s Heart. You are for us the luminous dawn which dissipates our darkness and points out the way to life. In your clemency obtain for us the courage and the confidence of which we have such need.

Most Holy and Adorable Trinity, You Who did crown with glory in Heaven the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, grant that all her children on earth may acknowledge her as their Sovereign Queen, that all hearts, homes, and nations may recognize her rights as Mother and as Queen.

Mary Immaculate Queen, triumph and reign! Amen.

Parents with children in public school need to enroll them in Sunday Faith Formation. This is mandatory for those seeking 1^st Communion and Confirmation next year.  Sunday School and attending 1 weekend Mass each week are two vital and necessary ways for parents to live out the promise they made when they had their children baptized – to raise them in the practice of the faith.  We offer classes for Pre-K through 8th grade.

Classes begin next Sunday August 30^th. Parents will join their children in the gym for a meeting to start at 10:30. The children will then be dismissed to their classes.

To register, contact Betsy Koval at bkoval@queenschurch.com and will assist you. You can also use your smartphone to scan the QR code below. Classes meet on Sundays from 10:15 to 11:45 in the school. The cost is minimal and financial aid is available for those who demonstrate need.

You should also reach out to Betsy Koval if you or someone you know is interested in learning more about OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.  OCIA meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm in Seton Hall located on the lower level of the parish office.  This is a program for those who have never been baptized, Christians of other denominations who are thinking of becoming Catholic, and for those who were baptized Catholic but were not raised in the church and did not receive the other sacraments.

Some have said their non-Catholic spouse has attended Mass for years and should be admitted to the faith based on that alone, without having to go through the OCIA process.  The brief homily at each Mass talks mainly about the Scriptures, and not church history or doctrine.  There is so much to learn and know about our religion that is not covered at Mass.  Someone that aspires to be Catholic needs to know these things and should want to learn them.

If you know someone who is searching and looking for more meaning and fulfillment in their life, send them to us.  You, the people in the pew, play an essential role in helping us connect with people that are Catholic and just don’t know it yet!  This could be a spouse who has attended Mass for years, a coworker, neighbor or friend.  They don’t have to know everything or have it all figured out yet.  OCIA is a chance to ask questions and find answers together.  No pressure.  No strings attached.   

Children’s Liturgy was slated to start this weekend but we have delayed it because we do not have enough volunteers for the 9am and 11am Masses. We hope to kick off next weekend but we still need more adult help. Training materials and lesson plans are provided. This counts as part of Mass for the helper and the children, it is not play time or day care. I always ask that parents and/or grandparents who regularly send children downstairs for this please take a turn leading it. If we had more volunteers no one would have to do it very often. This is a very rewarding ministry and a big help for families with young children. As with eveything else mentioned above, let Betsy Koval know if you can help.

Bishop Boyea welcomes those couples celebrating milestone marriage anniversaries to be his guest for a special Mass coming up on Saturday September 12 at 5pm at St. Patrick Church in Brighton, 711 Rickett Road.  All couples will receive a blessing during Mass and a reception follows in the parish hall.  You can RSVP by visiting www.dioceseoflansing.org/event/anniversary-mass26 or contact Emma Rose Fisher at 517.898.6523, or erfisher@dioceseoflansing.org. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The family is the domestic church and the foundation of society. It is where future generations are born, educated, and formed, and where vocations to the priesthood and religious life most often take root. So, how can we help our families grow in holiness and happiness?

Beginning this September, I invite you to join me in a Year of the Family.

This new weekly catechetical series, introduced by me, will feature short films showcasing families from across the Diocese of Lansing. Each family will share how they are striving to live the Catholic faith more fully in their daily lives. Throughout the year, the series will explore family prayer, education, liturgical living, hospitality, discipline, and works of charity.

My sincere prayer is that the Year of the Family will encourage and inspire our families to live in ever greater harmony with God and with one another.

To sign up, simply text YOTF to 84576 or subscribe by email.

I am, sincerely yours in Christ,

+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing

Bishop Boyea will celebrate a Senior Citizen Appreciation Mass at Our Lady of Fatima in Michigan Center on Thursday September 24 at 11am followed by a catered lunch in the Fr. Dunne Hall.  This event moves around to various parishes.  Queens hosted it last year.  It is important to RSVP for the lunch.  If you plan on attending, please email linda@fatimaparish.net or call 517.764.2088.  The meal is free but the deadline for registration is September 16.  I will be there and hope to see many of you as well. 

The St. Vincent de Paul Society here at Queens is looking for new volunteers to go out into the community to help those in need.  If you could spare a couple hours a week, that would make a big difference.  It takes many people volunteering behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. 

The greatest need is for volunteers who are willing to go out to meet our friends in need, whom we help with food, utilities and a host of other issues.  Those making ‘house calls’ go out two by two just like Jesus sent the apostles.  A new recruit would be assigned a seasoned volunteer to start and get trained up. 

Unlike other food banks where people line up for food and assistance, it has always been the trademark of St. Vincent de Paul workers to go out to meet the people where they are at, to pray with them and for them, and to better assess how we can help them and their dependents.  Call Steve Brigham for more information or to sign-up to help:  517.392.1178. 

MONDAY 7AM

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching” (Heb 13:8-9).

Fr. Tim MacDonald

Pastor