The Rosary is the story of our redemption. One might have expected the fifteenth and final mystery to be in honor of Christ the Redeemer. However, it is the Blessed Virgin whom God crowns in this last stage of the Rosary, signifying how important and essential Mary’s participation is in the work of Redemption.
St. Athanasius explains the reason for this crowning: “If the Son is King, the Mother has the right to be considered Queen and to bear that title. ” And St. Bernardine of Siena adds, “Yes, when Mary consented to be the Mother of the eternal Word, at that very moment and by that consent, she merited and obtained the principality of the earth, the dominion of the world, the scepter and the title of Queen of all creatures.” Let us contemplate in this meditation the different aspects of Mary’s kingship.
Queen of Mercy. One of the most beautiful songs composed for the Blessed Virgin, written by Bishop Adhémar de Monteil in 1096, in Le Puy-en-Velay, begins with the words “Salve Regina, mater misericordiae” – Hail, Queen, Mother of mercy – and for a thousand years, all of Christendom has sung this tribute to her. She herself revealed her royalty to Saint Bridget by repeating the words of the Salve Regina:
“I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the righteous and the door through which sinners have access to God.. No sinner is so cursed as to be deprived of the effects of my mercy as long as he lives on earth. ” And St. Alphonsus Liguori explains the immense merciful love of this Queen: “Mary is our Queen; but let us know, for our common consolation, that she is a Queen full of gentleness and clemency,wholly disposed to pour out her blessings on our misery.” ”
He goes on to explain how wonderful her help is to us: “If we want to ensure our salvation, let us often, let us constantly take refuge at the feet of this gentle Queen, and if the sight of our sins frightens and discourages us, let us remember that Mary was established Queen of Mercy to save, through her protection, the most guilty and desperate sinners, provided they commend themselves to her.”
D’où provient cette aide exceptionnelle et unique de Marie ? La réponse est simple. C’est la volonté de Dieu de faire de sa Mère la médiatrice de toutes les grâces. Entendons bien. Toute grâce vient de Dieu, non de Marie. Mais le Roi de Cieux a confié ses grâces à la Reine des Cieux pour qu’Elle les dispense aux hommes. « … no heavenly gift is given to men that does not pass through her virginal hands” (St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort).
This doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of all graces is very ancient and has been affirmed since the fourth century by many saints, Doctors of the Church, and popes. “…by the Will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom this immense treasure of graces accumulated by God is distributed to us” (Leo XIII, Octobri mense 1891). The Blessed Virgin herself confirmed this title during her recognized apparitions on Rue du Bac. On the Miraculous Medal, the rays of light emanating from Her hands represent the graces of Christ that pass through Her. “These rays are the symbol of the graces I pour sur les personnes qui me les demandent. » (Notre Dame, 27 novembre 1830 ). Yes, all graces pass through this Queen of Mercy.
Queen of Heaven. Mary is placed at the summit of creation, above the Angels and all the Saints. She, the very embodiment of humility, is now, after the Holy Trinity, the most important person in Heaven. She is the creature closest to God and reigns alongside Her Son, Christ the King. Let us remember with what deference and respect the Angel Gabriel addressed her at the Annunciation, even though he is one of the greatest Archangels. This is understandable: he was addressing his Queen. Mary exercises this royalty in Heaven over the triumphant Church of the saints, but also over the suffering Church in purgatory. She never ceases to want to deliver Her children who are there and to shorten their terrible sufferings.
Queen of the Earth. This earthly kingship of the Blessed Virgin has a special feature: she exercises it over us with a mother’s love and a mother’s gentleness. And what a devoted Mother she is! We cannot count all her apparitions and blessings over the centuries. The Scapular of Mount Carmel, which allows us to be freed from purgatory on the firstSaturday after our death, the rosary that brings so many graces and makes us triumph in all temporal and spiritual battles, the miraculous medal that protects our body and soul, the first five Saturdays of the month that guarantee her assistance at the hour of our death to go to Heaven, and finally the devotion to her Immaculate Heart that will save the world and put an end to the current tribulations. What gifts, what help our Queen brings us! St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus confided before her death: “I would like to spend my Heaven doing good on earth.” From what example did St. Thérèse draw these beautiful words, if not from the very example of Mary, who never ceases to help us from Heaven?
So let’s have a great confidence in his protection, as the fruit of this fifth glorious mystery reminds us. Let us admire the power of his intercession. God denies her nothing. If we are His faithful subjects, if we are consecrated to His Immaculate Heart, if following Him we practice His humility, purity and obedience, in short, if we belong to Him as His children, then we will be His protectors, and She will lead us to His Son, the goal of our earthly life. “Protected“She knows that we must bear our cross in the footsteps of Christ. She knows that we must carry our cross in the footsteps of Christ. “Protected” means, among other things, that she protects our souls from Satan and reduces the weight of our earthly cross by granting us the necessary graces.
Queen of armies. Mary is the woman of the Apocalypse who will crush the serpent’s head. In this battle against Satan, she leads the heavenly armies of angels and the earthly armies of her faithful servants. In the well-known apparitions at La Salette, after warning us of future times of tribulation, she called us to fight alongside her and the angels: “I call my children, my true devotees, those who have given themselves to me so that I might lead them to my divine Son, those whom I carry, as it were, in my arms, those who have lived by my spirit ; finally, I call the Apostles of the last times, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who have lived in contempt of the world and of themselves, in poverty and humility, in contempt and silence, in prayer and mortification, in chastity and union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It’s time for them to come out and enlighten the world. Go and show yourselves as my beloved children. (…) Fight, children of light, you few who see, for this is the time of times, the end of ends.”
Yes, the Queen of Heaven is calling her children of Light in these difficult times. The more hopeless the situation seems—and we are there—the more we must trust in her protection. At Fatima, she gave us this incredible gift that should give us unshakeable hope: she announced her triumph for our time. But for this triumph to happen, we must first fulfill Her requests, in particular by reciting the Rosary and practicing the FirstSaturdays of the month. Why? Because She has chosen this means to save the world and needs our participation, our obedience, our little “Fiat.” Yes, the salvation of the world depends on it. Sister Lucia of Fatima recalled in her writings of December 27, 1956: “She [the Blessed Virgin] told both my cousins and myself that God was giving the world two last remedies: the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [of which the first Saturdays are an essential element], and these being the last two remedies, it means that there will be no others.ers Saturdays are an essential element], and these being the last two remedies, it means that there will be no others. ” It is foolish not to obey our Queen when she asks so little of us and promises us so many wonders in return: “If what I am going to tell you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.” Our Lady at Fatima, July 13, 1917
So let us conclude this meditation by praying to our Queen with Saint Alphonsus Liguori:
“O glorious Virgin, I know that you are the Queen of the world, and therefore my Queen; I want to devote myself to your service in a more special way, and let you dispose of me as you please. I therefore say to you with Saint Bonaventure: Rule me, O my Queen, and do not leave me to myself; command me, use me as you wish, and even punish me when I do not obey you; oh, how beneficial will be the punishments of your hand! I value the honor of serving you more than that of commanding the whole earth. I am yours, save me.”
1st Saturdays of Fatima Alliance. www.jubile2025-fatima.org
