THE MOTHER’S HEART
MARY, QUEEN OF VIRGINS

By Brother Patrick

Some things can only be seen, understood, and appreciated through eyes of faith. Heaven. Angels. Miracles. Eucharist. Absolution. Resurrection. With faith, then, we begin with a verse from the Divine Praises: ‘Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.’

Mary is Mother of God. Mary is Mother of the Church. And Mary is Mother of All Peoples. From her mother’s heart, Mary reaches out to each one of us with love that is boundless, with prayers that are powerful, and with empathy for the human struggle that surpasses our ability to comprehend. From her mother’s heart, Mary gives holy and eternal witness to what Pope Francis describes as the ‘style of God’ which is closeness, compassion, and tenderness.

Mary gives holy and eternal witness to faith, hope, and love. Mary gives holy and eternal witness to poverty, chastity, and obedience. Mary gives holy and eternal witness to goodness, virtue, and virginity. Mary is both virgin and mother. She is conceived without sin. She is sanctified by the Holy Spirit. She gives birth to her Son as a virgin. Mary’s virginity is real. Her virginity is eternal. Her virginity gives life to our every hope for holiness. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Some are called to marriage. Some are called to single life. Some are called to holy orders. Some are called to consecrated life. Some are called to virginity for God’s sake, for the sake of God’s people, for the sake of their own souls. Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia defines virginity in this way: “Virginity entails the practice of perpetual sexual abstinence for the sake of God’s kingdom. The root of Christian virginity is the motive of love. In order to seek the perfect love of God alone, the virgin forgoes the sexual expression of love for fellow human beings. Virginity is not the avoidance of something evil, but the voluntary renunciation of something intrinsically good. It is understood that such a way of life must be, strictly speaking, a vocation to which God calls some persons and for which He supplies the grace. Virginity attests to the radical character of the love of God (994).”

For men and women called to virginity, Mary is both mother and queen. She is not, however, a queen who appears on a palace balcony and merely waves to her people. No, Mary is among us. She lives with us. She prays with us. She weeps with us. She journeys with us. She celebrates with us. Pope Francis says: “Together with Jesus, Mary our Mother accompanies us. She is already in the house of the Father as Queen of Heaven, and this is how we invoke her name. Just as Jesus is with us, so too she walks with us. She is the Mother of our hope (6-1-14).”

In this way, Mary is not just an example for those called to virginity. She is not just an ideal to be imitated or venerated. Mary is here. She is close. Mary is both a mother and queen who stands with each of us, with all of us, now and forever, just as she stood with her Son at the foot of his cross. Mary is both a mother and queen who reaches out to her children: ever-ready to lift us up, ever-ready to bring us back, ever-ready to take us by the hand and lead us home to Jesus. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

So what about the rest of us? What about God’s children who are not called to virginity? What about God’s children who are not virgins and yet long for holiness? What about God’s children who are not virgins and long to recover purity of heart, mind, and body? What about God’s children who are not virgins and long to practice purity in thought, word, and deed? Mary as Queen of Virgins is still here. Mary as Queen of Virgins supports all of God’s children as she supports her Son in his life, death, and resurrection. Mary as Queen of Virgins supports all of God’s children who look to her and pray for guidance. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

In his beautiful meditation on the Litany of Loreto, Father Lawrence Lovasik (1913-1986) offers a prayer to the Queen of Virgins: “Help me to live a pure life, so that I may imitate the life of the angels. Guard me from violating in any way this holy virtue. If an impure temptation arises in my heart, give me strength to reject it and direct my thoughts to God by considering the truths of religion and especially death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Never allow an improper word to escape my lips. Keep me from the company of persons who may be an occasion of sin. Through the frequent reception of the sacraments, through prayer and vigilance, help me overcome temptation and live a virtuous life in imitation of you, so that I may be blessed with the pure of heart who will see God.”

May Mary, Queen of Virgins and Mother of All Peoples, help us by her prayers to be pure in body, mind, and spirit; and to pursue holiness with every thought, word, and dee. And may Mary, Queen of Virgins and Mother of All Peoples, help us by her prayers to live the gospel, share God’s love, and rebuild the Church. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. 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. Our Lady, Queen of Angels, 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: Kmiragaya – 22710312 – 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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In Memory of Mary Mesko Garvey