SATURDAY, TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ez 43: 1-7 Ps 85: 9-14 Mt 23: 1-12
THE CROWN OF HUMILITY
The world crowns those who rise above others. God crowns those who stoop down to serve. This paradox lies at the heart of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary’s crown is not the reward of earthly power but the fruit of profound humility. The feast invites us to contemplate a fundamental truth of the Gospel: humility is the pathway to glory. In the Gospel, Jesus exposes the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees. They loved titles, places of honour, and public recognition. Their religion had become a performance. Against this mentality, Jesus teaches His disciples that greatness in God’s Kingdom is measured not by status but by service: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Mary stands as the living embodiment of this teaching. While the Pharisees sought to elevate themselves, Mary lowered herself before God. At Nazareth she did not claim privilege or importance, she simply responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.” Her humility created space for God to accomplish great things in her life. The woman who chose the lowest place was eventually raised to the highest honour. The first reading offers a beautiful typology: Ezekiel sees the glory of God entering the Temple and filling it with divine presence. The Fathers of the Church saw the Temple as a foreshadowing of Mary. Just as the glory of God entered the Temple, so the Word of God entered Mary’s womb. She became the true dwelling place of God’s presence. Yet unlike the Temple built of stone, Mary’s greatness lay not in her structure but in her surrender. God’s glory filled her because her heart was completely open to Him.
Mary reigns because she first served. She was exalted because she first surrendered. Her queenship is not distant and majestic; it is maternal and approachable. She teaches us that the surest path to sharing Christ’s glory is to imitate His humility. As we honour Mary today, let us ask for the grace to wear no crown except the crown of humble service, knowing that in God’s Kingdom, those who kneel before Him will one day reign with Him.
Response: The glory of the Lord will dwell on our land.
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