In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Today, on December 15th, the Franciscan Order is celebrating the feast of Our Lady, Queen of the Seraphic Order. And of course, this title stems from the Franciscan Order being known as the Seraphic Order and St. Francis as the Seraphic Saint.
The Seraphim, which this title has its roots from, are the choir of angels whose sole purpose are to glorify and praise God with the exultation, “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord.” So that the Seraphim are the angels, highest angels, whose sole purpose is to adore, praise, and glorify God.
So St. Francis is called the Seraphic Saint because by his life, his example, his witness, he was like a seraph, praising and glorifying God. And of course, in the episode in which the crucified Christ appeared to him as a seraphim and giving him the stigmata, but his order is also called the Seraphic Order, meaning that the members of the Seraphic Order, the First Order of Friars, the Second Order of the Poor Clares, and the Third Order of the Tertiaries are to imitate Francis in his virtues and become like the Seraphim in their devotion, in their dedication to praising, glorifying God, glorifying God.
And St. Francis, we know, of course, had a great love for our Blessed Mother, and his order was founded in the Church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of the Portiuncula. So it is fitting the order is called the Seraphic Order, and St. Francis, in his great care for his, all the members of his order, he entrusted the Friars, the Poor Clares, and the Third Order to Our Lady’s protection, that she would watch over and protect his order, the order. And so she is called the Queen of the Seraphic Order.
And so the members of all the sons and daughters of St. Francis are to imitate St. Francis in their great love for Mary as our Mother and Queen, and that we truly let her reign over our hearts, our minds, our souls, that we may imitate her in her great love and fidelity to Jesus Christ, in her dedication to Jesus, but also that we allow ourselves to be ruled by her, that she is our Mother and Queen, and that we recognize that in everything that happens, comes our way in our life, that Mary, our Mother and Queen, is directing our path, directing our path.
And so we rejoice today on this beautiful feast day of the Queen of the Seraphic, Our Lady Queen of the Seraphic Order, recognizing that Mary is our Mother and our Queen, and that we rejoice in this, knowing that she, who is the best, most tenderest of mothers and queen, will always watch over us, protect us, and pray for us to help us on our earthly pilgrimage, that we arrive safely to our true home in heaven, where we will join, truly join the choirs of the Seraphim to praise and glorify God for all eternity.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.