FR. BEN’S HOMILY FOR OUR LADY QUEEN AND PATRONESS OF NIGERIA (2)

FR. BEN’S HOMILY FOR OUR LADY QUEEN AND PATRONESS OF NIGERIA

THEME: SHE HAS A STAND!

BY: Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr)

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY  OCTOBER 1 2022

* Is 11: 1 – 10, Eph 2: 13 – 22, Matt 2: 13 – 23.

*Mary is the greatest stakeholder in the kingdom of Jesus and salvation of mankind. She has a stand; a very big stand as the mother of Jesus and our own mother too. The mother of a king is a Queen.* In Old Testament tradition, the mother of a king has great influence in court. In the New Testament, Angel Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would be called “Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his ancestor David…and his reign will have no end”, Lk 1: 33. At the visitation, Elizabeth amplifies the queenship of Mary by calling her ” the Mother of My Lord”, Lk 1: 42. Mary’s queenship is simply a share in Christ’s kingship. Believers should stop relegating her to the status of an “envelope”. Henceforth, ” All generations (of true believers) must call her blessed”, Lk 1: 48.

St Ephraim (4th Century) called her “Lady and Queen”. Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use that title. 11th and 13th century hymns addressed her as ” Hail, Holy Queen”, “Hail Queen of heaven” all before the Protestant revolt of the 16th Century. The revelations to St Dominic about the Rosary and to St Francis about the Crown all came later. It was the Catholic bishops of Nigeria who in dedicating our country to her chose October 1 as Solemnity of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria.

In today’s gospel we see that as Herod continues to search for the children of God to destroy them, Mary continues to carry them in flight to Egypt, Rev 12: 13 – 17. *She has a stand as the mother of Jesus and the grand mother of all believers in Jesus.* She teaches us to do what He tells us, Jn 2: 1 – 12 and Jesus encourages us to take her as our mother, Jn 19: 27. May she intercede for our country Nigeria at the verge of destruction by selfish leaders. May she intercede for us at the threshold of the 2023 elections coming and help us choose good leaders that will salvage our drowning nation. May she who is full of grace, Lk 1: 28 obtain for us the grace of holiness especially as a Church. May the Lord bless you today!