OCTOBER DEVOTION: UNDERSTANDING THE MARIAN TITLES IN THE LITANY OF LORETO (PART 2) – DAY 9: “QUEEN OF PATRIARCHS” (REGINA PATRIARCHARUM)

DAY 9 PRAYER INTENTION: Today, pray for all those experiencing stagnation in all areas of life, most especially with their work. May they be visited, comforted, and assisted by Our Lady Queen of Patriarchs, which would lead to their promotion and success story, to the greater glory of God (Also add your own intention…)

Now, say the 20 decades of the Rosary…

At the end of the 20 decades, say the following Prayers:

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation. Grant, we beseech Thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! St. Joseph, pray for us!

Litany of Loreto

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us (Repeat after each invocation)

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,

Holy Mary,
pray for us (Repeat after each invocation)
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of Mercy,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother of Hope,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Saviour,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honour,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower if ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Solace of Migrants,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most Holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we, your servants, may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body;
and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Prayer to Saint Joseph after the Rosary

To you, O Blessed Joseph, we come in our trials, and having asked the help of your most holy spouse, we confidently ask your patronage also. Through that sacred bond of charity which united you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the fatherly love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you to look graciously upon the beloved inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased by his blood, and to aid us in our necessities with your power and strength.

O most provident guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ. Most beloved father, dispel the evil of falsehood and sin. Our most mighty protector, graciously assist us from heaven in our struggle with the powers of darkness. And just as you once saved the Child Jesus from mortal danger, so now defend God’s Holy Church from the snares of her enemies and from all adversity. Shield each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your help, we may be able to live a virtuous life, die a holy death, and obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

DAY 9 REFLECTION

“QUEEN OF PATRIARCHS” (REGINA PATRIARCHARUM)

The second of the twelve invocations of Mary as “Queen” praises her as “Queen of the Patriarchs” (Latin, Regina Patriarcharum). It appears that many Catholics invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Queen of Patriarchs” without taking time to contemplate deeply about it, or probably because it makes little or no meaning to them. Nevertheless, a good understanding of this title would bring one to the realization that it is one of the most pleasing of all the titles in the litany. For it glorifies Her as Queen of Her own chosen people, the culmination of that long line of believing men and women who through moments of sorrows and joy, thick and thin, challenges and happiness, remained steadfast to the promise of God. Having said this, how could we understand the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Queen of Patriarchs?” Today, being the ninth day of our October Devotion, we shall quickly reflect on this title.

First, etymologically, the term “Patriarch” is derived from Greek “πατριάρχης” (patriarchēs), a compound word of “πατριά” (patria), meaning “family”, and “ἄρχειν” (archein), meaning “to rule.” From this etymological derivation, we can understand a Patriarch as a “chief or father or ruler of a family.” Thus, when it comes to our bloodline, patriarchs are simply our forefathers, whom we are called to honour and respect. However, scripturally, it is applied to the head or prince of a tribe; those notable characters whose lives are recorded in the Bible before Moses; so that the great Patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The twelve sons of Jacob also are called patriarchs (cf. Acts 7: 8:9) and even posterior to Moses, King David is called a patriarch (Acts 2:29). The ancient Israelites respected Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their forefathers and remembered them as national heroes. Through them, God revealed that the Israelites were His chosen people, through whom the Messiah would enter the world. Now, how could a woman of Nazareth be said to be the queen of these noble and powerful ancestors of old where great rulers?

From the beginning, the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary was already in the mind of God, an idea which predates the biblical Patriarchs. This way, Mary was outlined as a harbinger of hope after the rebellion of the parents. Needless to say, in view of the destruction of God’s plan and its friendly relationship with mankind by our first parents, God Himself announces that he will annul the disaster created by the serpent through the advent of another woman who would give birth and collaborate with the One who will crush the head of the serpent (cf. Gn, 3:15).

No doubts, Mary was a descendent of the patriarchs by faith and by blood. But since the Messiah entered the world through her cooperation, she proved herself to be even more important than these patriarchs. Just as Abraham was the father of faith in the Old Testament, so Mary, a ‘sort of patriarch’ (matriarch) in her own right, became the mother of faith for all under the New Covenant – “all generation shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). Little wonder, the Evangelists are careful to trace back the line of this Mother of God to Abraham and the promises given him for the blessing of Israel, as Mary said in the Magnificat, and as Zachary said in the Benedictus—”The oath which He swore to Abraham our Father.” (Luke 1:46-55; 68-79). Having this in mind, some of the evangelists connected Mary with the patriarchs by commencing their gospel with the “genealogy” because the Child born to the Blessed Virgin Mary is part of human history, a descendant of the patriarchs, One in who all the promises made to the patriarchs were fulfilled.  From the genealogy account, we see that God the Son entered human history in the flesh for the salvation of men promised to the patriarchs. The Blessed Virgin Mary is this door through which salvation entered humanity. While the patriarchs dreamed and longed for the advent of the Saviour of mankind (cf. Luke 2:29-32; Matthew 13:17); it could be said that they also dreamed of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary through whom the Messiah would be born (cf. Is. 7:14). Therefore, invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Queen of Patriarchs,” attests to her strong role as an interpretive key to the entire Old Testament. The patriarchs must have gloried in her as their queen because she cooperated in bringing forth the long-awaited and promised Messiah.

To say that Mary is Queen of the Patriarchs illustrates continuity between the Old and the New Covenants. Patriarchs are not great parents for Jews only, but for us as well, because we recognize their importance and paternity, forming part of these people of God who were elected in Abraham; that is why St. Paul recognizes the importance of “Abraham’s faith” (cf. Rom. 4:1-17; Gal. 3:7)

Dear friends in Christ, what this beautiful title intends to teach us is that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother and queen of all the people of God. The Word of God that was incarnated in her womb could be compared to a stone that is thrown into the lake which produces waves that expand in circles until it reaches the lakeshore. Thus, our Lord Jesus Christ is this “touch of God” in humanity, while Mary is at the heart of this loving touch from God, for it is in her that the Eternal Word was incarnated by the Will of the Father and by the action of the Holy Spirit. This way, we can say that the Holy Trinity permeated her soul and deposited the divine plan of salvation in her flesh.

Let us pray

Lord our God, through the merits of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (the long-awaited promise of the Patriarchs), the Blessed Virgin Mary was raised as the “Queen of the Patriarchs.” Grant, we pray, that by faithfully devoting ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may continually enjoy the promises made to the Patriarchs – eternal salvation. we ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

Great job reflecting on Day 9! Click here for Day 10 – “Queen of Prophets”