The Visitation and Honoring Mother Mary, Our Queen

Today, May 31, we honor Jesus’s Mother Mary for three reasons: as Queen, as Mediatrix of All Graces, and for her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth while they were both pregnant. Jesus loved and honored His Mother, and like any good son He wants us to do the same for His sake.

Jesus worked His first miracle at Mary’s desire (John 2) and one of His last statements on earth as He hung on the cross was to give Mary to St. John and hence to all of us (Jn.19:25-27). In the Jewish tradition of monarchy, a king’s queen was not his wife, but his mother. Mary is Jesus’s mother and His queen. Jesus did not need Mary to save mankind, of course, as she is a creature and He is God, but He chose to use her cooperation. He also chooses to give us all graces through her. That is why she is called Mediatrix of All Graces.

One individual who knew that she should honor Mary as cooperating in God’s plan of salvation was St. Elizabeth. Today we celebrate the Visitation, when the newly pregnant Mary came to visit the older Elizabeth, who had been miraculously blessed with her own pregnancy, carrying in her womb the child who would become St. John the Baptist. From the Gospel of Luke, 1:39-55:

‘And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth.

And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.

He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.’

Mother Mary, pray for us and lead us closer to your Divine Son.