BLESSED AMONG WOMEN

PRAYER MOMENT                      

Friday 22 August 2014, Mary Queen

BLESSED AMONG WOMEN

Pause. Be still in God’s presence.

Reading: “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Luke 1:39-47)

Reflection. Eight days after the celebration of Mary’s Assumption the Church wants to draw attention to her beauty and power in the only way our ancestors in the faith knew; to refer to her as ‘Queen.’ A queen was the closest person to the king who was either her husband or her son. This title for Mary evokes the memory of Esther in the Old Testament who saved her people from destruction and the church has always turned to Mary in times of trial as a powerful intercessor. However we need to be cautious in using words like ‘queen’ and ‘power’ and remember that we are talking in analogies and similes. Mary is not distant from us as queens and powerful people are. She is intimately close to us and longs to make her Son better known to us. Generations have turned to her in prayer and especially in the rosary as a simple accessible way of asking her help.

      

Prayer. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Amen

David Harold-Barry SJ