Homily: 4th Sunday of Advent - Mary, the Queen Mother

All four candles of the Advent wreath are lit, for we are on the threshold of Christmas.  And it’s important to use these few days the best we can to prepare well for the Christmas mysteries. 

As we get ready to celebrate the birth of Christ our King, on this fourth Sunday of Advent we heard in our First Reading of God speaking to another King— King David.  God tells King David of his desire to make his dwelling place among his people and to establish a kingdom that will last forever.  In this eternal kingdom God’s people will be able to take refuge from their enemies and to have an intimate relationship with God as a Father to a Son.

David is told that his descendent—the King of Kings—will sit on a throne that will last forever.  When a new king would begin his reign, the people would no doubt wonder—“is he the one?”  We can read about the Kings of David’s line throughout the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles.  But is it not until the Gospels of the New Testament that we meet this Jesus of Nazareth, a descendent of David, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

Throughout the Old Testament, when the Scriptures detail the beginning of the reign of the new Davidic King, always mentioned is the name of the King’s mother. In Israel, the most important woman in the kingdom was not the Kings wife—he may have had many wives, some of whom were not even of Hebrew blood.  The most important woman in Israel was the King’s mother—the Hebrew title for her, the queen Mother is Gebirah.  The Gebirah was the King’s chief counselor.  Her coronation was celebrated all people, and she sat on a throne on the right hand of the king. 

Even when the king died, the Queen mother was not deposed, she continued to exercise an essential role in the political, military, and economic affairs of the kingdom. 

So in the Old Testament, as an introduction to the reign of the new king, we would first focus on his mother.  And how fitting that Saint Luke does the same thing, before writing about the birth of Christ he first mentions several important stories about Jesus’ Mother.  And how fitting it is that we prepare for the celebration of Christmas by focusing our attention as well on his mother.

In the Davidic Kingdom, the Queen Mother sitting beside the King was not only his chief counselor, but also  the primary intercessor between the people and the king.  When the poor had a particular need, they would bring it to the queen mother, and she would present it to the king who loving and respecting his mother’s counsel, would grant the request.

If a humble peasant wished to present a small gift to the king, it would first be given to the queen mother who would polish the gift, put it on a golden plate, surround it with flowers.  The king would never refuse the gift coming from the queen who showed such concern for the poor peasant. 

So too, we do well to bring our humble prayers and good deeds to Mary, to present to our Lord.  She accepts our meager offerings purifies them, beautifies them and presents them to the King.  If you wish to present something to God, no matter how small it may be," says St Bernard, "place it in the hands of Mary to ensure its certain acceptance."

Whenever we begin a charitable work or undergo a difficult trial, we do well to consecrate it to Mary, Our Queen.

Particularly, now, as we prepare for Christmas, we do well to ask our Queen Mother to help us.  That we may come to love the Christ Child as she loved Him—with perfect, burning charity.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote in his autobiography, “the only sorrow in my life, or any life, is not to have loved Christ enough.”  If we are to show our love for Christ at Christmas, we do well to look to the example of the woman whose love for Him surpasses all others. 

St. Alphonus Ligouri talked of Mary’s great love for us and for God.  He wrote, “neither the angels nor saints surpass Mary in loving God” and “no one, after God, loves us or can love us as much as Mary.  If we were to combine all the love that mothers bear their children, all the love of husbands for their wives, all the love of the angels and saints for the souls all earth, all this would not equal Mary's love for a single soul.” 

Her great love and surrender to God can be seen in our Gospel reading today, when she says, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Thy Word.” 

Also, as soon as Mary found out that Elizabeth was with child, Mary was concerned that Elizabeth’s pregnancy would be difficult for she was advanced in years.  So, Mary left the comfort of Nazareth to help. St Luke tells us that, prompted by concern for Elizabeth and love for her cousin, Mary goes in haste to help.  She goes in haste. 

Now think of what this journey meant for Mary.  Elizabeth and Zechariah weren’t just a drive across town.  They lived in the hill country of Judea, outside of Jerusalem.  This would be a difficult journey for the young pregnant teenage Mary of Nazareth. 

But also, Mary had her own problems: she was with child. She was betrothed to Joseph but carrying a child that was not his.  She would have to explain her pregnancy to her parents, to her fiancé.  How was she going to provide for her child if Joseph ended the engagement, as was his right.  What would it be like to be mother to the King of Kings?  She could have stayed at home feeling sorry for herself, worrying, comparing herself to Elizabeth.  At least Elizabeth had a home and a husband. 

The fear of the unknown often paralyzes us.  Our Queen mother shows us to look beyond our own problems and worries to the needs of others.  If we are overly concerned for ourselves, we miss God calling us to help with the needs of others.

To prepare well for Christmas we look to our Queen Mother, we ask her intercession that we may love God and neighbor like her, that we may trust God like her.  Faithful and obedient to God’s commands like her, pure of sin and full of hope like her, may we humbly serve God and celebrate the saving power of God at Christmas like her, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.