20-05-24 Bunda Maria: Ratu dan Pelindung Gereja

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church "Jn 19:25-34" Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. Mary, my Mother, you are not only the Queen of the Church, you are also her Mother. And the Church needs a Mother now more than ever. We are safe on your lap. The enemy attacks the Church but we are not afraid. The world howls against Christians but we fear nothing. Christians are persecuted, vilified, scorned, but we are shielded under your mantle, Tower of Ivory, and do not dismay. She is not Queen only because she is the Mother of the King. She is Queen also by 'conquest', since she has beaten the enemy who now dares not approach her or any of those who are close to her. Where she reigns there is no room for the dragon. Do you remember the battle of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, after the unexpected advance of the Rohirrim? The witch-king Nazgûl attacks Théoden, who had outrun his own riders. The king's horse, struck by a dart, falls upon Théoden. As the witch-king approaches him to kill him, Éowyn, the king's niece, bars his way. She decapitates his mount and the Witch-king sends a powerful blow from his mace, breaking her arm and her shield. As he prepares to finish her off, he says, "You, fool, no man can kill me!" [Merry stabs the back of the witch-king's knee with a Dúnedain dagger which bears enchantments deadly to the witch-king.] Then Éowyn says, "I am no man!" and then thrusts her sword into the witch-king's face and he vanishes with a wailing cry. Don't think about our Queen as one of those delicate, timid and weak little photoshopped models in fashion magazines. She is the Queen of a warrior people and knows how to defend her children. Remind the enemies of the Church when they surround you: 'We've got a Mother and a Powerful Queen, and we're not afraid to use her!'