THE MOTHER’S HEART
MARY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES

Presented by Brother Patrick

In the Gospel of John (19:25-27), we read: “Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own home.”

When Jesus binds the Blessed Mother to the Beloved Disciple, she becomes Queen of Apostles. This title is affirmed after the Resurrection when Mary prays with the apostles in the Upper Room. It is affirmed again when she stands with the apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Indeed, devotion to Mary as Queen of Apostles is one of the oldest devotions in the Catholic Church.

In the fourth century, Saint Cyril of Alexandra (376-444), Confessor, Patriarch, and Doctor of the Church, gives voice to this devotion. Saint Cyril makes a direct connection from Mary’s ‘yes’ at the Annunciation, to Mary’s motherhood of Jesus, and finally to Mary’s motherhood of the apostles. As Mother of Christ and Queen of Apostles, Mary is revealed as the great heroine of salvation history. 

In one famous homily, Saint Cyril writes: “Hail, you who held the Uncontainable One in your holy and virginal womb! Through you, the Holy Trinity is glorified; the precious Cross is celebrated and adored; heaven exults, angels and archangels rejoice; demons are put to flight; the tempter falls from heaven; the fallen creation is brought back to paradise; and all creatures trapped in idolatry come to know the truth. Through you, holy baptism and the oil of gladness are administered to believers. Through you, churches are established all around the world, and the peoples are led to conversion. Through you, the Only Begotten Son of God shines forth as a light upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. Through you, the prophets made their predictions and the apostles preached salvation to the nations. Through you, the dead rise, sovereigns govern, and the Holy Trinity reigns.”

In our own time, the Daughters of Saint Paul have a deep devotion to Mary as Queen of Apostles. They explain her title in this way: “Mary is Queen of Apostles because she was chosen to be the Mother of Christ and to give Him to the world; she was made the Mother of Apostles and our Mother by our Savior on the Cross; she was with the Apostles while awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit, obtaining for them the abundance of supernatural graces they received on Pentecost.”

In this spirit and inspired by the writings of Blessed James Alberione (1884-1971), founder of the Society of Saint Paul, we pray this Chaplet to Mary as Queen of Apostles:

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Mary, Blessed Mother,
Most Loving Queen of Heaven and Earth,
we venerate and praise your privilege,
unique in the world,
that by praising God in faith and humility,
and by preserving your pristine virginity,
you became the Mother of our Divine Savior,
source of all truth,
and first apostle of the truth.

You gave the world a book to read: the Eternal Word.
For the joy felt and for that privilege so sublime,
we bless the Holy Trinity:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We ask you to obtain for us
the grace of wisdom,
the grace to be fervent
and humble disciples of Jesus,
to be devoted children of the Church,
the pillar of truth.

Make the Light of the Gospel shine
to the ends of the earth;
overcome all sin and error,
and gather all people together
around the See of Saint Peter.

O Mary, Blessed Mother,
Queen of All Angels,
full of grace,
conceived without sin,
blessed among all creatures,
living tabernacle of God,
we remember that painful and sacred moment
when the Crucified Christ
gave you John as your son,
and in him, all peoples everywhere,
especially all of the apostles.

What tender love flooded your mother’s heart
and was poured out 
upon all those consecrated
to the Lord’s service,
to the following of the cross,
and to love for Jesus!

For the sake of the sufferings of your Son,
for the sake of your own sufferings,
and for the sake of your mother’s heart,
increase the number
of priests, disciples, missionaries,
and humble servants 
in the vineyard of the Lord.

May they be radiant for their holiness of life,
their faith, humility, integrity, and charity.
May they be truly sanctified:
the purifying salt of the earth
and the light of the world.

Our Father…
Hail Mary…

Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Blessed James Alberione, pray for us! Mary, Queen of Apostles, pray for us!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brother Patrick Garvey is co-founder and spiritual director of the Assisi Project. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Saint John Seminary, and the Catholic University of America. He is a writer, spiritual director, retreat leader, and university lecturer. He also serves as an Associate Minister in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport in Massachusetts. On October 3, 2023, the Feast of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi, Brother Patrick was consecrated as a diocesan hermit by Bishop Mark O’Connell, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Boston. For more information about the Assisi Project and our ministries with adults of all ages and backgrounds, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com.

Art Credit: Bausela – 306683383 – Dreamstime

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ABOUT US

Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. The Assisi Project is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. Please support our ministry via Pay Pal (see link below) or mail a tax-deductible donation to the Assisi Project, Post Office Box 3158, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931-3158. The Assisi Project Podcast is produced by the Assisi Project, Inc. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. May the Lord give you peace!

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