Feast of the Queenship of Mary Mother of God

Feast of the Queenship of Mary Mother of God
“I choose the little ones and the weak...” these are words spoken to Estelle Faguette, during the apparitions of Pellevoisin, in November 1876 by the Mother of God.
For me they echo her Son, in the Gospel of St Luke, and the whole living concept and reality of the kingdom of God. The kingdom is mentioned 4 times in Matthew, 14 times in Mark, 32 times in Luke and 2 times in John . During my early 30’s I was very interested in the depth and meaning of the kingdom. What is the kingdom to Jesus and who is allowed in to be a part of it ? GB Caird said words in his book on Luke I will never forget... the only requirement for admission into the kingdom is an emptiness only God can fill.
When I was an art student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn from 1980-83, I found the most beautiful and scholarly commentary on Luke by the late, GB Caird. I would read it on the subway, not knowing that this commentary, as well as Caird’s commentary on Revelation, would form my spiritual life then and all through the 80’s when I began my ministry of working, and to use Pope Francis’ beautiful words, “accompanying people” with HIV-AIDS. There are some books, like The Revelations of Julian of Norwich, and Caird’s book on Luke that are so beautifully written, and so hope-filled that I find myself returning to them over and over.
“The reign or kingdom of God still has for Luke a future aspect for which men must continue to pray. But the fact that matters, the fact that constitutes the good news of the gospel, is that the kingdom has already arrived...Indeed, his entire Gospel is a commentary on this theme. All his tenderness of heart and mastery of description are called into play as he presents to us a cavalcade of witnesses who can testify to the presence of the kingdom because they have discovered in Jesus the friend and champion of the sick, the poor, the penitent, the outcast, of women, Samaritans, and Gentiles.”
St Luke by G.B. Caird
“The rescue of the outcast” pages 36,37
O Mary, Queen of the kingdom of God and Queen of the Universe,
Teach us the way through the “narrow gate” mentioned by St Luke in his story of your Son. A way of love, and finally forgiveness, of ourselves and others as we live this brief life longing to be with you and your Son forever in the kingdom of God. And which because of your Son, we feel, we know, has already begun and broken through all this present darkness, especially today, on your feast.
“Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life our sweetness, and our hope...despise not our petitions, but in thy clemency, hear and answer us.”
Amen
22 August 2019
Fr Bill McNichols
Amen