Mother Mary has always been a controversial topic for many Christians. She was never a controversy until the 16^th century. Not even for Martin Luther who is considered as the pioneer of the Protestant movement. He had a special devotion to Mary and wrote beautiful poems on her, even after splitting from the Catholic Church. Therefore, the basic root of the Protestant movement isn’t Mary. Later, the Protestants wanted a difference from the Catholic Church, So they created controversy by hurting Mary.

We don’t know much about Mary’s death. Nothing is written in the Bible and not even in the apocryphal books. For sure, her body isn’t found anywhere. There is a tomb for Mother Mary, which was traditionally laid, and it is believed that she had a peaceful sleep. Since she was born without original sin, she didn’t experience pain in death. She was buried, but her body was never found. The Church believes that she was taken into heaven with body and soul. Hence you will not find an official teaching about Mother Mary’s death, as the Church isn’t clear whether she died and was taken into heaven or was taken into heaven while she was asleep. However, St Pope John Paul II said, “Mother is not greater than the Son”, so if her son Jesus died and rose again, then Mother Mary also died and was taken to heaven. It is certain that Mother Mary was taken into heaven because she was the mother of Jesus Christ. Any son who loves his mother will do the best for her, Jesus loved his mother and is capable of doing the best for his mother and gave her the best position by crowning her as the Queen of Heaven.

Many people question the Queenship of Mary in heaven. Rev 12:1 – “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.” This woman is having a baby in the womb and that baby is Jesus. The woman is having a crown of twelve stars – the queen of twelve apostles and their successors. Protestants argue that this woman refers to the Church. If this woman is being referred to the Church, how did the Church give birth to Jesus? The Church was born after Jesus and it was he who started the Church. So this word doesn’t refer to the Church but to Mary who is not only the queen of heaven but also the Queen of new Israel,which is nothing but all of us. 

There is a prophecy in the Old Testament referring to Mary. Isaiah 7:10 “Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” God asks Ahaz to ask a sign that is as high as the heaven. Verses 12 -15 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el.  He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.”  In the book of Isaiah, Lord gives the sign in heaven where a woman bears a son named Immanuel which is Jesus. In the book of Revelation, the sign in heaven is surely the mother of Jesus.

Did Mother Mary know she will be the Queen and that she would receive the highest honor in heaven? Lk 1:46 -52 – “for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree”. Here Mother Mary talks about thrones and something about powerful being thrown down and herself ascending to the throne. Mother Mary already identified herself as the lowly, as the God’s handmaid. She is the lowly one who is lifted up to the throne. God has looked at the lowliness of her and all generations would call Mother Mary blessed. According to Old Testament, only kings, queens and royal were considered blessed. Mother Mary knew her royal position and therefore said all generations would call her blessed.

Ps 45:16-17 “Instead of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you for ever and ever.”  It is written that kings, queens and princes would be blessed throughout generations. Mother Mary knew she would be called blessed. Lk1 :47 – Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”. This means the more we know Mother Mary, the more we magnify the Lord. The more we speak about Mother Mary, the more Jesus would be happy. Many Protestants say Jesus would be angry and jealous if we speak about Mary, misguiding the people. Some movements say Mother Mary called Jesus as my Saviour which means Mother Mary is a sinner because only sinners need Saviour, therefore Mother Mary was born with original sin. All of us are sinners. Abraham, Isaac, Adam, Eve – all in the Old Testament were born sinners and were saved through Jesus after their death. While we are saved through Jesus before our death by believing in the Lord Jesus.  In Mother Mary’s case, she too needed a Saviour, and she was saved through Jesus Christ before her birth. Everything is possible for God. The teaching of the Catholic Church says Mother Mary was prevented from original sin through the precious blood of Jesus which was to be shed at Calvary. It was anticipatedly granted to Mary to protect her from original sin. So, Mother Mary was saved through Jesus and therefore Mary called Jesus as her Saviour. This is called singular grace. Through this grace, Mother Mary was prevented from the stain of original sin so that the Saviour of the whole world could be born in the perfect place – the womb of Mary.

Jesus is considered to be the King of Israel. David was the King of Israel and Jesus is his successor. Lk1:31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.  Jesus therefore sits on the throne of David. In the tradition of the Jews, the mother of the king is considered to be the Queen. When David was king, Bathsheba wasn’t the queen. When she came in front of David,  1 Kings 1: 16-17 Bathshe′ba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” she said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.’ She had no authority but she had to plead to get her request granted. But when Solomon becomes the king, Bathsheba is given more honour as queen. 1 Kings 2:13-19 Then Adoni′jah the son of Haggith came to Bathshe′ba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.” Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Say on.” He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign; however the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord.  And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Say on.” And he said, “Pray ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Ab′ishag the Shu′nammite as my wife.” Bathshe′ba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.” Adonijah makes a request to Bathsheba since he knew she had authority.

Verse 19 – So Bathshe′ba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adoni′jah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right. When Bathsheba goes to meet King Solomon, he bows down before her and he gets another throne (not a chair, or stool, or seat) to his right, which is a clear sign of the authority of the Queen of Israel. 

As long as Jesus is the King of new Israel, Mother Mary is the Queen of new Israel. Anyone who needs to know the Catholic church, needs to know Judaism, because Christianity is a continuation of Judaism. 

Transcribed by Roseline Fernandes