Saint of the day · August 22
Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
MemorialSaturday, week 20 in Ordinary Time
Liturgical colour : White
The feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Catholic Church in recognition of Mary's exalted role as Queen in the heavenly kingdom, a dignity flowing from her unique participation in the mystery of Christ. This feast, observed shortly after the Assumption, invites the faithful to contemplate Mary's motherly care for all Christians, her close association with Jesus, and the universal scope of her intercession. The roots of the title 'Queen of Heaven' are both biblical and traditional: Scripture presents Mary as the mother of the King (Jesus), and in ancient Israel, the queen mother held a special place of honor. Over the centuries, saints and theologians elaborated upon Mary's queenship, seeing in her humility and obedience the true qualities of a queen. Pope Pius XII instituted this feast in 1954, emphasizing that Mary's coronation as Queen by Christ reflects her exemplary discipleship and closeness to God, and is meant to inspire Christians to pursue holiness and charity. The Church encourages devotion to Mary under this title not as a rival to Christ the King, but as an expression of the unique cooperation Mary gave to God's saving plan and of her ongoing care for the Church.
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The liturgical day
Mass readings
“The glory of the Lord entered the Temple” — Ez 43, 1-7a
The man led me to the gate,
the one facing east;
and behold, the glory of the God of Israel
was coming from the east.
The sound it made
was like the roar of mighty waters,
and the earth shone with that glory.
This vision was like the one I had seen
when the Lord came to destroy the city;
it was also like the vision I had seen
when I was by the river Kebar.
Then I fell face down on the ground.
The glory of the Lord entered the Temple
by the gate facing east.
The spirit lifted me up
and brought me into the inner court:
and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.
And I heard a voice coming from the Temple,
while the man stood beside me.
That voice said to me:
“Son of man, this is the place of my throne,
the place where I set my feet,
and here I will dwell among the people of Israel, forever.”
– The word of the Lord.
Ps 84 (85), 9ab-10, 11-12, 13-14
I will listen: what will the Lord God say?
What he says is peace for his people and his faithful.
His salvation is near to those who fear him,
and glory will dwell in our land.
Love and truth will meet,
justice and peace will embrace;
truth will spring up from the earth
and justice will look down from heaven.
The Lord will grant his blessings,
and our land will yield its fruit.
Justice will go before him,
and peace will follow in his footsteps.
“They say, but do not act” — Mt 23, 1-12
At that time,
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
and he said:
“The scribes and the Pharisees teach
from Moses’ chair.
Therefore, do and observe whatever they tell you.
But do not act according to their deeds,
for they say and do not act.
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,
and lay them on people's shoulders;
but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
All their works they do to be noticed by others:
they widen their phylacteries
and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and greetings in marketplaces;
they love to be called Rabbi by others.
But as for you, do not let yourselves be called Rabbi,
for you have only one teacher,
and you are all brothers.
Do not call anyone on earth your father,
for you have only one Father, the one in heaven.
Do not let yourselves be called instructors either,
for you have only one instructor, the Christ.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
– Let us acclaim the word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org