The queen ship of Mary -by the antichrists

The Announcement and Early Life of Mary

Hence the Mother of our Lord is announced. An angel foretells her birth.

It was fitting that in this, too, she, who was to be the human Mother of the one true and living God, should be marked out above everyone else.

Then she was offered in God’s holy temple, and remained there, showing to all a great example of zeal and holiness, withdrawn from frivolous society.

When, however, she reached full age and the law required that she should leave the temple, she was entrusted by the priests to Joseph, her bridegroom, as the guardian of her virginity, a steadfast observer of the law from his youth.

Mary, the holy and undefiled, went to Joseph, contenting herself with her household matters, and knowing nothing beyond her four walls.

The Annunciation

In the fulness of time, as the divine apostle says, the angel Gabriel was sent to this true child of God, and saluted her in the words, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”

Beautiful is the angel’s salutation to her who is greater than an angel. He is the bearer of joy to the whole world.

She was troubled at his words, not being used to speak with men, for she had resolved to keep her virginity unsullied. She pondered in herself what this greeting might be.

Then the angel said to her: “Fear not, Mary. Thou hast found grace before God.”

In very deed, she who was worthy of grace had found it.

She found grace who had done the deeds of race, and had reaped its fullness.

She found grace who brought forth the source of grace, and was a rich harvest of grace.

She found an abyss of grace who kept undefiled her double virginity, her virginal soul no less spotless than her body; hence her perfect virginity.

“Thou shalt bring forth a Son,” he said, “and shalt call His name Jesus” (Jesus is interpreted Saviour). “He shall save His people from their sins.”

What did she, who is true wisdom, reply?

She does not imitate our first mother Eve, but rather improves upon her incautiousness, and calling in nature to support her, thus answers the angel:

“How is this to be, since I know not man? What you say is impossible, for it goes beyond the natural laws laid down by the Creator. I will not be called a second Eve and disobey the will of my God. If you are not speaking godless things, explain the mystery by saying how it is to be accomplished.”

Then the messenger of truth answered her: “The Holy Spirit shall come to thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. Therefore He who is born to thee shall be called the Son of God.”

That which is foretold is not subservient to the laws of nature. For God, the Creator of nature, can alter its laws.

And she, listening in holy reverence to that sacred name, which she had ever desired, signified her obedience in words full of humility and joy:

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word.”

The Depth of God’s Wisdom and Goodness

“O the depth of the riches, of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God,” I will exclaim in the apostle’s words.
“How incomprehensible are His judgments, and how unsearchable His ways.”

O inexhaustible goodness of God! O boundless goodness! He who called what was not into being, and filled heaven and earth, whose throne is heaven, and whose footstool is the earth, a spacious dwelling-place, made the womb of His own servant, and in it the mystery of mysteries is accomplished.

The Divine Mystery of the Incarnation

Being God He becomes man, and is marvellously brought forth without detriment to the virginity of His Mother.
And He is lifted up as a baby in earthly arms, who is the brightness of eternal glory, the form of the Father’s substance, by the word of whose mouth all created things exist.

O truly divine wonder! O mystery transcending all nature and understanding! O marvellous virginity!
What, O holy Mother and Virgin, is this great mystery accomplished in thee?

Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Thou art blessed from generation to generation, thou who alone art worthy of being blessed.
Behold all generations shall call thee blessed as thou hast said.

The Blessedness of the Mother of God

The daughters of Jerusalem, I mean, of the Church, saw thee.
Queens have blessed thee, that is, the spirits of the just, and they shall praise thee for ever.
Thou art the royal throne which angels surround, seeing upon it their very King and Lord.
Thou art a spiritual Eden, holier and diviner than Eden of old.

That Eden was the abode of the mortal Adam, whilst the Lord came from heaven to dwell in thee.
The ark foreshadowed thee who hast kept the seed of the new world.
Thou didst bring forth Christ, the salvation of the world, who destroyed sin and its angry waves.

The burning bush was a figure of thee, and the tablets of the law, and the ark of the testament.
The golden urn and candelabra, the table and the flowering rod of Aaron were significant types of thee.

From thee arose the splendour of the Godhead, the eternal Word of the Father, the most sweet and heavenly Manna, the sacred Name above every name, the Light which was from the beginning.
The heavenly Bread of Life, the Fruit without seed, took flesh of thee.

Typologies and Prophecies Fulfilled in Mary

Did not that flame foreshadow thee with its burning fire an image of the divine fire within thee?
And Abraham’s tent most clearly pointed to thee.

By the Word of God dwelling in thee human nature produced the bread made of ashes, its first fruits, from thy most pure womb, the first fruits kneaded into bread and cooked by divine fire, becoming His divine person, and His true substance of a living body quickened by a reasoning and intelligent soul.

I had nearly forgotten Jacob’s ladder. Is it not evident to every one that it prefigured thee, and is not the type easily recognised?

Just as Jacob saw the ladder bringing together heaven and earth, and on it angels coming down and going up, and the truly strong and invulnerable God wrestling mystically with himself, so art thou placed between us, and art become the ladder of God’s intercourse with us, of Him who took upon Himself our weakness, uniting us to Himself, and enabling man to see God.
Thou hast brought together what was parted. Hence angels descended to Him, ministering to Him as their God and Lord, and men, adopting the life of angels, are carried up to heaven.

The Prophetic Fulfilment in Mary

How shall I understand the prediction of prophets? Shall I not refer them to thee, as we can prove them to be true?

What is the fleece of David which receives the Son of the Almighty God, co-eternal and co-equal with His Father, as rain falls upon the soil? Does it not signify thee in thy bright shining?

Who is the virgin foretold by Isaias who should conceive and bear a Son, God ever present with us, that is, who being born a man should remain God?

What is Daniel’s mountain from which arose Christ, the Corner-Stone, not made by the hand of man? Is it not thee, conceiving without man and still remaining a virgin?

Let the inspired Ezechiel come forth and show us the closed gate, sealed by the Lord, and not yielding, according to his prophecy—let him point to its fulfilment in thee.
The Lord of all came to thee, and taking flesh did not open the door of thy virginity. The seal remains intact.