My Queen is Pure… Your Queens?

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

In my 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal is a prayer to be prayed after Communion. It reads in part, “I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me.” And I always pause a moment after uttering those words interiorly half wondering if the same Second Person of the Trinity Who literally just gave Himself to me will actually speak within me or perhaps if He will stir up some profound sentiment of His love within me.

This morning a thought popped into my head in that moment. The thought was this: “I have given Myself to you and thus made a tabernacle of your sinful flesh and bone.” I was overcome for a moment with deepest humility and gratitude.

And I couldn’t help but think of the greatest and first tabernacle He made for Himself – the womb of His Immaculate Mother. Logically, then, the next thought for me was this. I must always imitate the Blessed Mother.

I could spend the remainder of my days on earth trying to ponder her loveliness and never scratch the surface.

I mentioned Malachi Martin in a recent post. He offered a stirring view of the particular judgment of each man that I wish to draw upon.

When He calls me… When He draws me to Himself for my day of judgment; I will gaze upon His crucified flesh and I will either run towards Him Who died for love of me, a sinner. Or I will turn and flee with deepest shame and greatest fear to the eternal fires of hell. But next to Him, beneath His cross, will be a light so pure and so radiant, that I pray it will blind me. I pray her brilliance will blind me to the evils I have committed, blind me to the bleeding wounds my sins inflicted on her baby. It is this immaculate light who’s son I put to death. it is this immaculate light who spoke to three shepherd children in Portugal. It is this immaculate light who commanded a peasant Aztec man to evangelize the New World. It was this immaculate light who stood by the cross on that Good Friday, consoling Magdalene and John.

At the same time, I hope in all sincerity that she remember the many Ave’s I offered up in this life. “Pray for us sinners… at the hour of our death.”

I pray that her radiance will reach out to me and help me advance to her Son. I pray that she literally takes me by the hand and draws me to Him! Spotless from the moment of your conception, Blessed Mother, cradle me in thy arms! Every gash on His body is rightfully mine. Wilt thou, fairest of our race, forgive me?

Queen conceived without original sin, Virgo prudentissima! Have pity on us. Hold back the arm of His wrath. Pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen!