This is the time to crown our Blessed Mother, not just on the feast of her Queenship (August 22), but every day, and even several times a day. Crowning her Queen of our heart, Queen of the world will make a statement about who we stand for and with and reclaim ourselves for Christ the King and his Queen Mother, Mary.
In the past several weeks, there have been 50 recorded incidents of churches, parishes, and religious statues being destroyed in the United States and Canada. That list continues to grow. This is a cause for great concern, but not for hopelessness. Buildings, parishes and statues are structures that can be defaced and destroyed, but our faith cannot – as long as we cling to Christ and his Mother.
A thirteenth-century Eucharistic miracle and a visionary nun have given us the feast of Corpus Christi and four cherished hymns written by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Violence, and then fire – an intriguing parallel between Pentecost and the George Floyd riots. But, unlike the violence and fire of an out-of-control plea for justice, the violence and fire of Pentecost were life-giving and transformative. They brought forth courageous men who went forth to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. Many of them suffered martyrdom after having given witness to Christ. They were men and women of conviction who stood strong against hostility.
This is much like the time of the Apostles in the Upper Room from Ascension to Pentecost. It’s an inbetween time as we transition from COVID19 lockdowns, shutdowns, and stay home orders into a time of venturing out into the world to resume life after. Jesus promised us that all things work for good for those who love him. This pandemic, too, will work for good.
Our world is suffering in this time of COVID-19, and we can help to abate that suffering and bring Christ to the world, with godly words and gestures.Â
Jesus rose from the dead. He conquered death and sin and in fact, he has conquered the world. The battle already has been won. No COVID-19 pandemic, no canceling of church services and sacraments, can put our Lord back into the grave and keep him there.