Let us get right down to business: in our continuing study of The Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Alphonsus tells us:
“The title of queen,” remarks Blessed Albert the Great, “differs from that of empress, which implies severity and rigor, in signifying compassion and charity towards the poor.” “The greatness of kings and queens,” says Seneca, “consists in relieving the wretched”; and whereas tyrants, when they reign, have their own good in view, kings should have that of their subjects at heart. For this reason it is that, at their consecration, kings have their heads anointed with oil, which is the symbol of mercy, to denote that, as kings, they should, above all things, nourish in their hearts feelings of compassion and benevolence towards their subjects.
Kings should, then, occupy themselves principally in works of mercy, but not so as to forget the just punishments that are to be inflicted on the guilty. It is, however, not thus with Mary, who, although a Queen, is not a queen of justice, intent on the punishment of the wicked, but a queen of mercy, intent only on commiserating and pardoning sinners. And this is the reason for which the Church requires that we should expressly call her “the Queen of mercy.” The great Chancellor of Paris, John Gerson, in his commentary on the words of David, “These two things have I heard, that power belongeth to God, and mercy to Thee, O Lord,” says that the kingdom of God, consisting in justice and mercy was divided by Our Lord: the kingdom of justice He reserved for Himself, and that of mercy He yielded to Mary, ordaining at the same time that all mercies that are dispensed to men should pass through the hands of Mary, and be disposed of by her at will. These are Gerson’s own words: “The kingdom of God consists in power and mercy; reserving power to Himself, He, in some way, yielded the empire of mercy to His Mother.” This is confirmed by St. Thomas, in his preface to the Canonical Epistles, saying, “that when the Blessed Virgin conceived the Eternal Word in her womb, and brought Him forth, she obtained half the kingdom of God; so that she is Queen of mercy, as Jesus Christ is King of justice. (end of quote from St. Alphonsus)
Hail Mary!
May you have a good day.
~SCF
