Seven Dolor Rosary

Holy Mother, pierce me through
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Jesus, crucified.

(Reflections adapted from Mary, Queen of Our Congregation, by Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP and Fr. Ward Biddle, CP)

This evening we reflect on Mary’s titles to Queenship.  In a radio broadcast on Fatima Day, May 13, 1946, Pope Pius XII said:  “He the Son of God reflects of his heavenly Mother the glory, the majesty and the dominion of his kingdom, for having been associated with the King of Martyrs in the ineffable work of human redemption as Mother and Cooperatrix, Mary remains forever associated with him with an almost unlimited power, in the dispensation of graces which flow from the redemption.  Jesus is King throughout eternal ages by nature and by conquest;  through him, with him and subordinate to him, Mary is Queen by divine alliance, by conquest and by a singular election.  And her kingdom is as vast as that of her Son, since nothing is excluded from her sovereignty.”  Nine years later, during the Marian year of 1954, this same Holy Father would officially proclaim Mary as Queen of the Universe.  

Mary then is Queen, first of all by the natural right of her divine motherhood.  Secondly, by right of conquest upon Calvary;  and thirdly, as Mediatrix and Dispenser of all the grace Jesus acquired by his death.  But the Queenship of Mary rests basically on what is called the principle of consortium---that is, the union of love between Jesus and Mary by which she lived the very life of her Son, and through a communion of pain and sorrow most properly deserved to become reparatrix of the sinful world.

Pope Leo XIII wrote:  “The crown of the kingdoms of heaven and earth await her, because she will be the invincible Queen of Martyrs; it is thus that she will be seated in the heavenly city of God by the side of her Son, crowned for all eternity because she will drink with him the cup overflowing with sorrow….most faithfully on Calvary.”

Pope Benedict XV spoke of Mary’s communion of love and sorrow in this way:  “The Blessed Virgin Mary…suffered and almost died with her suffering and dying Son;  she abdicated her maternal rights over her Son for the salvation of souls, and in so far as it was within her power, she immolated her Son in order to appease the justice of God, in such a manner that we may rightly say that she redeemed the human race together with Christ.”

She who was bodily the mother of our Head, became spiritually the mother of all his members, through the added title of pain and glory.  Bearing as she did with courage and confidence the tremendous burden of her sorrows and desolation, Mary is truly the Queen of Martyrs.

On Calvary, the principle of consortium drew Mary into a communion of pain and sorrow with her Crucified Son.  The nails were piercing her hands and feet, the thorns were encircling her head, the spear was truly transpiercing her Immaculate Heart.  Together with Christ she was redeeming the human race.

Mary gave her consent to be the Mother of the Redeemer.  Later, on Calvary, as Pius XII tells us, she abdicated her maternal rights and consented to Christ’s death upon the cross.  Thus by her fiat, Mary lifted Christ up on his cross.  And when death came, her arms received the treasure of his lifeless body.   From that moment on, no one can find Christ crucified unless in her arms.  That is why Mary had to be present when the Congregation of the Passion was established.  This communion of pain and sorrow which she has with her Son , could not be interrupted when the Congregation of the Passion was to be founded.  We will hear more of this wondrous story as the Septenary moves on.