Sunday, November 6, 2016

29. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of All Creation

FIRST READING

A              The dominion of the Lord is boundless.

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
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Commentary on Is 9:1-3, 5-6

Some scholars presume that this oracle of Isaiah was developed as a liturgical piece, used to celebrate the ascension of a king to the throne of Israel. The prophet, however, speaks here of the “ideal or ultimate” king, Emmanuel [Immanuel] (see Isaiah 7:14), not a historical person, but a predicted future king (we of course see the Messiah in hindsight). The symbolism describes freedom from enslavement (the image of a yoked beast of burden is commonly used in this context) as the taskmaster (enslaver) is cast off.
The oracle celebrates this future King and Messiah as one who brings wisdom from God and peace for all times. The passage concludes identifying the source or lineage of this Christ as from David’s line and references his promised succession.

CCC: Is 9:5 2305
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B  Or reading no.1, 8 or no. II, 12 in the Appendix

8. FIRST READING

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion.

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Zec 9:9-10

The oracle of the prophet Zechariah speaks of the restoration of Israel following the great exile. In this section he speaks of the coming of the Messiah. “The Messiah will come, not as a conquering warrior, but in lowliness and peace. Not like the last kings of Judah, who rode in chariots and on horses (Jeremiah 17:25; 22:4), but like the princes of old (Genesis 49:11; Judges 5:10; 10:4), the Messiah will ride on an ass. The Evangelists see a literal fulfillment of this prophecy in the Savior's triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:4-5; John 12:14-15).”[1]

CCC: Zec 9:9 559
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM


R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
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Psalm 72 is one of the Royal Psalms. In this selection we hear an echo of the justice and peace of the king’s rule that is reiterated in Isaiah’s prophecy.

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12. FIRST READING

As members of Christ all people will be raised, Christ first,
and after him all who belong to him.

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
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Commentary on 1 Cor 15:20-26
St. Paul is reminding us that Christ is the King in heaven and on earth, and that all things (including his mother, who will be Queen of Heaven) are subject to him. He begins speaking of Jesus as “firstfruits,” which, in the culture of the time, was that offering from the harvest which consecrated the entire harvest. In this case, Jesus' own sacrifice is the salvation of all those who have suffered death in his name. Death entered the world through Adam, and through his sin, the gates of heaven slammed shut. Through Jesus' own resurrection, he was victorious over the final enemy, death itself, and once more flung open the heavenly gates.  Hence, we believe he has sovereignty over the living and the dead.

CCC: 1 Cor 15:20-22 655; 1 Cor 15:20 632, 991; 1 Cor 15:21-22 411; 1 Cor 15:24-28 2855; 1 Cor 15:24 668; 1 Cor 15:26 1008
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM


R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
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Commentary on Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
Psalm 16 is song of thanksgiving and praise, in this instance for the presence of the Lord and his saving power.  It refers to the end times as well: “because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.” The intention of this selection is to remind us that there is a resurrection of the dead, and that we should take heart in God who makes this promise.

CCC: Ps 16:9-10 627
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. (11) Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father’s house.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, and you must worship him.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.
All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters;
her raiment is threaded with spun gold.
In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;
behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
The place of your fathers your sons shall have;
you shall make them princes through all the land.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.
I will make your name renowned through all generations;
thus nations shall praise you forever.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.
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Psalm 45 is a Royal Psalm originally sung in honor of the king’s marriage to a queen (of foreign extraction). It is likely that it influenced St. Paul’s instructions on virgins and marriage. It emphasizes the beauty of the sacramental relationship (see 1 Corinthians 7:25-35). The selection concludes with a final eternal praise for the Queen of Heaven.

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GOSPEL

You will conceive and bear a son.


In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
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Commentary on Lk 1:26-38
This passage, from St. Luke’s Gospel, is the story of Mary being informed by the archangel Gabriel that she has been chosen for the great privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. St. Mary graciously accepts this honor, although with very human fear, indicating that her free will is at play. This response makes her obedience to God’s will more powerful. It is proposed that, with this acceptance, Mary entered into a vow of perpetual virginity because of the demands of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
 
In St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son and name him Jesus (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Mary confirms the title “Virgin” as she questions Gabriel saying: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Even though she does not understand, Mary accepts her role and is told that the Holy Spirit will be the agent of the life within her. She then utters those amazing words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
 
This announcement parallels Zechariah’s news about John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-23), also delivered by the archangel Gabriel. This passage clearly identifies Jesus as Son of David and Son of God, thus linking it with the messianic predictions from the Old Testament.

CCC: Lk 1:26-38 497, 706, 723, 2571; Lk 1:26-27 488; Lk 1:26 332; Lk 1:28-37 494; Lk 1:28 490, 491; Lk 1:31 430, 2812; Lk 1:32-33 709; Lk 1:32 559; Lk 1:34 484, 497, 505; Lk 1:35 437, 484, 486, 697; Lk 1:37-38 494; Lk 1:37 148, 269, 273, 276; Lk 1:38 64, 148, 510, 2617, 2677, 2827, 2856
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Our Lady, Mother of the Incarnation
& Queen of Creation 
artist and date not cited















Reflection:

“Mary, the Mother who cared for Jesus, now cares with maternal affection and pain for this wounded world. Just as her pierced heart mourned the death of Jesus, so now she grieves for the sufferings of the crucified poor and for the creatures of this world laid waste by human power. Completely transfigured, she now lives with Jesus, and all creatures sing of her fairness. She is the Woman, ‘clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars’ (Revelation 12:1). Carried up into heaven, she is the Mother and Queen of all creation. In her glorified body, together with the Risen Christ, part of creation has reached the fullness of its beauty. She treasures the entire life of Jesus in her heart (cf. Luke 2:19, 51), and now understands the meaning of all things. Hence, we can ask her to enable us to look at this world with eyes of wisdom.” (Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, VIII. Queen Of All Creation, 241, Pope Francis)

Scripture reminds us that God created all things and in the last of that creative effort, he created mankind in his own image, the favorite of all things created.  To his great sorrow, his cherished possession disobeyed him and they forfeited their home in God’s grace.  God tried through the Law of Moses and the prophets' oracles to bring us back to him, but we would not listen to mere mortals.  No, we ignored them and refuted them all the time wondering why they seemed always to be punished (not realizing that their actions themselves caused the hardships they endured).

God’s love was so great that he decided to send the ultimate gift so we could get an idea of the depth of his love.  Through the Blessed Virgin Mary, he gave us his Only Begotten Son, restoring the Garden to us and making Mary, through her selfless act (for she too gave us her son) becomes Queen of All Creation. 

Through our respect for God’s gracious gifts we are called to cherish the world he created.  As God’s children we are bound to be good stewards of God’s creation and as Queen, Mother Mary shows us that love of the Father and Son requires is to love what God gave us as well. We thank the Queen of All Creation for her sacrifice and pledge ourselves to be stewards of God’s gifts to us.


Pax

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