[00:00] ♪ My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today within the octave of the Assumption, we continue to celebrate the great mystery of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During these days, the Church invites us to remain in the joy of the Assumption.

[00:30] Mary was taken, body and soul, into Heaven, and today we celebrate the Queenship of Mary. During the octave, we have been contemplating where Mary is in Heaven. Today we celebrate who she is in Heaven, our Queen and our Mother.

[01:00] But what does it mean to call Mary our Queen? The Gospel gives us the answer. When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would become the mother of Jesus, he said, "The Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and of His kingdom there will be no end." And Jesus is the King whose kingdom will never end.

[01:34] And because Mary is His mother, she shares uniquely in the glory of her Son, and she is our Queen Mother. But Mary's Queenship is very different from the kingdoms of this world. Earthly rulers may govern through power and authority. Mary reigns through love, humility, and service.

[02:05] Look at her life. Mary did not seek a throne. She said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord." She did not seek honor. She accepted God's will. She did not run away when suffering came. She stood faithfully beneath the cross. And there at Calvary, Jesus gave her to us with those beautiful words,

[02:37] "Behold, your mother." At that moment, Mary became not only the mother of Jesus, but in a spiritual way, the mother of all of us. And this is why we can approach her with confidence. A mother knows the need of her children. A mother sees when her child is suffering. A mother does not abandon her children when they are weak.

[03:11] And that is how Mary cares for us. Perhaps today someone is carrying a heavy burden. Maybe there's a problem in your family. Maybe there's a child who has gone away from the faith. Maybe you are worried about your health, your future, your marriage, or your finances. Maybe you are fighting a temptation

[03:42] that nobody else knows about. Sometimes we do not even know how to put our pain into words. Bring it to Mary. Tell her simply, "Mother, I need you." "Mother, help my family." "Mother, pray for my children." "And Mother, lead me back to Jesus."

[04:13] Mary is our Queen, but she is also our Mother. She does not keep us away from Jesus. She always brings us closer to Him. And that's the reason that she intercedes, our intercessor, between Jesus and us. And there is Mary, the one who invited us that we have to put Jesus at the center of our family.

[04:45] If you are married, you have to put center, Jesus being a couple for Christ, of your widow, your handmaid of the Lord, or youth for Christ, or single for Christ, that Jesus is the center. Think about the wedding at Cana. Mary saw that the newly married couple had a problem. They had no more wine. She brought their need to Jesus. Then she gave the servants the most important instruction,

[05:16] "Do whatever He tells you." That is the heart of Mary's Queenship. She does not say, "Follow me," instead of Jesus. She says, "Follow my Son." She does not want to replace Christ. She wants to lead us to Christ. My brother, sister in Christ, if Mary is our Queen, then we must allow her to have a place in our daily lives.

[05:47] Let us ask ourselves, is Mary truly part of my family? Is she part of my prayer? Do I turn to her when I am suffering? Do I ask her to guide me when I am making important decisions? And most importantly, do I listen to her instruction? "Do whatever He tells you." Because the devotion to Mary is not simply

[06:19] wearing the medal, praying the Holy Rosary, or having an image of her in our home. These are beautiful expressions of devotions. But true devotion means allowing Mary to lead us to holiness and obedience to Jesus. And that's the essence of our consecration, of our unlimited consecration to Our Lady,

[06:52] being a property of Our Lady, always to lead us to Jesus. Mary teaches us how to say yes to God, even when we do not understand everything. She teaches us to remain faithful when life becomes difficult. She teaches us to stand beside Jesus, even at the foot of the cross. And she teaches us that suffering, when united with Christ, does not have the final word.

[07:22] Mary is Queen of Heaven because she is already sharing the glory of her Son. But she's also our Queen here on earth because she accompanies us on our journey towards Heaven. And we confidently entrust to her the souls who are being purified in Purgatory, especially when we pray for the dead and offer Masses, sacrifices, and prayers for them.

[07:54] So today, let us not celebrate Mary's Queenship only with our lips. Let us place ourselves under her loving care. When we are afraid, let us say, "Mary, my Queen, protect me." "When we are confused, Mary, my Mother, guide me." "When we are suffering, Mary, stay with me." "When we are tempted, Mary, help me remain faithful to Jesus."

[08:28] And when we are approaching the end of our earthly journey, "Mary, lead me safely to Heaven." That's the word of our spiritual father, St. Maximilian Kolbe, "O Immaculata." "Mary, lead me safely to Heaven." My dear brothers and sisters, within this octave of the Assumption, Mary is presented to us,

[09:02] the woman who has reached the destiny promised to those who remain faithful to God. Today, she stands before us, our Queen, pointing us toward the same destiny. Our Queen has already gone before us. She is showing us the way, and the way is Jesus. Therefore, let us place our families, our children, our marriages, our struggles, our hopes,

[09:34] and our entire lives under the loving mantle of Mary, our Queen. And let us make our prayer today very simple. "Mary, my Queen, my Mother, lead me to Jesus." "Protect me from evil." "Strengthen me in times of trials." "Teach me to say yes to God's will." And when my earthly journey is finished, take me by the hand

[10:06] and lead me to your Son, Jesus Christ, our King. May Mary, Queen of Heaven and earth, intercede for us, for our families, for the Church, for all those who are searching for God. Mary, our Queen, our Mother, pray for us. Praised be Jesus and Mary, now and forever. ♪♪♪

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