The people who walked in darkness

   have seen a great light;

upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom

   a light has shone.

You have brought them abundant joy

   and great rejoicing,

as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,

   as people make merry when dividing spoils.

For the yoke that burdened them,

   the pole on their shoulder,

and the rod of their taskmaster

   you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;

   upon his shoulder dominion rests.

They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,

   Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.

His dominion is vast

   and forever peaceful,

from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,

   which he confirms and sustains

by judgment and justice,

   both now and forever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!

 

 

O how does the source of life pass through death to life? O how can she obey the law of nature, who, in conceiving, surpasses the boundaries of nature? How is her spotless body made subject to death? In order to be clothed with immortality she must first put off mortality, since the Lord of nature did not reject the penalty of death. She dies according to the flesh, destroys death by death, and through corruption gains incorruption, and makes her death the source of resurrection. O how does Almighty God receive with His own hands the holy disembodied soul of our Lord’s Mother! He honours her truly, whom being His servant by nature, He made His Mother, in His inscrutable abyss of mercy, when He became incarnate in very truth. We may well believe that the angelic choirs waited to receive thy departing soul. O what a blessed departure this going to God of thine. If God vouchsafes it to all His servants--and we know that He does--what an immense difference there is between His servants and His Mother. What, then, shall we call this mystery of thine? Death? Thy blessed soul is naturally parted from thy blissful and undefiled body, and the body is delivered to the grave, yet it does not endure in death, nor is it the prey of corruption. The body of her, whose virginity remained unspotted in child-birth, was preserved in its incorruption, and was taken to a better, diviner place, where death is not, but eternal life. Just as the glorious sun may be hidden momentarily by the opaque moon, it shows still though covered, and its rays illumine the darkness since light belongs to its essence. It has in itself a perpetual source of light, or rather it is the source of light as God created it. So art thou the perennial source of true light, the treasury of life itself, the richness of grace, the cause and medium of all our goods. And if for a time thou art hidden by the death of the body, without speaking, thou art our light, life-giving ambrosia, true happiness, a sea of grace, a fountain of healing and of perpetual blessing. Thou art as a fruitful tree in the forest, and thy fruit is sweet in the mouth of the faithful. Therefore I will not call thy sacred transformation death, but rest or going home, and it is more truly a going home. Putting off corporeal things, thou dwellest in a happier state.

 

O wonder surpassing nature and creating wonder! Death, which of old was feared and hated, is a matter of praise and blessing. Of old it was the harbinger of grief, dejection, tears, and sadness, and now it is shown forth as the cause of joy and rejoicing. In the case of all God’s servants, whose death is extolled, His good pleasure is surmised from their holy end, and therefore their death is blessed. It shows them to be perfect, blessed and immoveable in goodness, as the proverb says: “Praise no man before his death.” This, however, we do not apply to thee. 

We, too, approach thee today, O Queen; and again, I say, O Queen, O Virgin Mother of God, staying our souls with our trust in thee, as with a strong anchor. Lifting up mind, soul and body, and all ourselves to thee, rejoicing in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, we reach through thee One who is beyond our reach on account of His Majesty. 

 

Watch over us, O Queen, the dwelling-place of our Lord. Lead and govern all our ways as thou wilt. Save us from our sins. Lead us into the calm harbour of the divine will. Make us worthy of future happiness through the sweet and face-to-face vision of the Word made flesh through thee. With Him, glory, praise, power, and majesty be to the Father and to the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever. Amen. 

 

 

 

 

 

Queen of the angels and Queen of the heavens, Queen of the galaxies, Queen of the earth;

Queen of the Milky Way, Queen of the Blessing Way, Queen of the Pollen Way, Queen of rebirth.

 

O shining Mother of gentleness and holiness, O radiant emblem of justice and of peace,

O living mirror reflecting back our human face veiled in the splendor of beauty born of grace.

 

Maiden of sweetness and maiden of faithfulness, maiden of watchfulness, wakefulness, light;

Mother all grieving and Mother lamenting, Mother consoling, restoring our sight.

 

Star of the morning, star of the watching, star of the ocean, star of the day;

Womb of salvation and our liberation, channel of healing, our guide on the way.

 

Body of fruitfulness, body of welcomness, body most sensuous, flesh of delight;

Lady of eros, and Lady of pathos, Lady of mythos, illumine our sight.

 

Woman of history and woman of mystery, woman of destiny loving our race;

You are our mirror and you are our mentor, you are our midwife, O icon of grace.

 

 

 

O God,

you have given us the Mother of your Son

to be our Mother and Queen;

grant that, aided by her prayers,

we may share in heaven the glory of your children.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever. Amen. (Queenship BVM; August 22)