The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

is a liturgical feast in the Catholic Church

celebrated annually on August 22,

established in 1954 by Pope Pius XII.

It recognizes Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

because she is the Mother of Jesus, the King of Kings.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Ezekiel 43:1-7ab

He took me

To the gate, facing east. Then I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east,

with a sound like the sound of the ocean; and the earth shone with his glory.

This vision was like the one I had seen when he came for the destruction of the city,

and like the one I had seen on the bank of the river Chebar. Then I threw myself to the ground.

 

The glory of the Lord arrived at the temple by the east gate.

The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court: the glory of the Lord was filling the house.

And I heard someone speaking to me from the temple while the man stood beside me.

The voice said, "Son of man, you have seen the place of my throne,

where I will place the soles of my feet, and live among the Israelites forever;

and the people of Israel, they and their kings,

will no longer defile my Holy Name with their prostitutions and the kings.

 

Ps 85:9ab & 10, 11-12,13-14

 The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.

 

 ＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 23:1-12

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have sat down on the chair of Moses.

So you shall do and observe all they say; but do not do as they do,

for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them

on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even lift a finger to move them.

They do everything in order to be seen by people: they wear very wide bands

of the law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels.

 

They enjoy the first places at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

and they like being greeted in the marketplace, and being called 'Master' by the people.

But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master,

and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father,

because you have only one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor should you be called Leader,

because Christ is the only Leader for you. Let the greatest among you be the servant of all.

For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Follow Jesus' example of humble service.

Matthew delivers a sobering message about the dangers of pride and hypocrisy,

particularly among those in positions of spiritual authority.

Jesus warns against leaders who preach but do not practice and burden others with heavy loads

while seeking for themselves honor and recognition. Their outward displays of authority

mask hearts disconnected from faithful service to God and His people.

 

Through this teaching, Jesus calls us to reject such hypocrisy and instead embrace humility.

True greatness in God's kingdom is not about titles or public admiration

but about serving others with love and sincerity.

He reminds us that the highest position belongs to those who make themselves the lowest,

mirroring the humility of Christ Himself.

 

This passage challenges us to examine our hearts and actions.

Do we live with authenticity, aligning our words with our deeds?

Are we serving others selflessly, or are we seeking recognition?

Let us follow Jesus' example of humble service, remembering that the greatest

reward comes from God, who sees the intentions of our hearts.