Grace in the Cloister: The Spiritual Guidance of Mary the Queen
August 22, the Queenship of Mary, is our patronal feast. A major and significant celebration to honor the guiding light, heart, and beloved patroness of our Monastery of Mary the Queen, Girard, IL. Preparations for the feast began almost two weeks in advance, with choir practice and decoration planning. With profound gratitude, our hearts elevated to heaven in joyful reverence that echoed the words of St. Paul to the Colossians in chapter 3:16, "Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns, and inspired songs."
The day began with the Office of Readings, followed by Lauds and the beautiful celebration of Mass. The photo above captures our beloved statue of the Queenship of Mary with the Christ Child, in our chapter room. We were all spiritually enriched by the feast day preparations and celebration. A heartfelt homily from our chaplain, Fr. Ed Ruane, highlighted how much he and we treasure this title of Mary, not as Queen of Peace or Queen of the Angels, but simply as Queen. In his homily, he emphasized that Mary’s queenship encompassed all these aspects and invited us to reflect on her unique role as Queen of our monastery.
Another highlight of the day was to have our Chaplin, Fr. Ed, join us for dinner in our community room, where we gathered and shared a joyous and tasty meal. The room was beautifully decorated with the help of some sisters. Our Sister chef, and sou chef, as always, rose to the occasion in preparing the meal, followed up with an irresistible dessert! Our chaplain's wisdom and humor filled our conversations with warmth and laughter. His presence was refreshing. The spiritual depth and joy we experienced in the community on that day were indeed guided by the loving hand of Mary, our radiant Queen.
To commemorate Mary's Queenship, we could ask ourselves what it means for Mary to be our Queen. Allow Mary to reign in your heart and inspire you to reflect on how her gentle queenship might draw you closer to Christ in a life of prayer and service.